MEDICATION POLICY

1) Staff will administer prescribed medication to children only if the parent authorises this by entering details of the medicine, dosage and frequency into the medicine book and signing it. The parent must also enter whether or not the child has suffered any side effects from the medication and what they are. This must be done on every day that parents require staff to

administer medication.

2) Staff will check that medication has been prescribed to the child in question before they administer it – medication prescribed for siblings will not be administered.

3) If a child is on regular prescribed medication, an authorisation letter may be signed by parents so that the medicine book does not have to be signed every day. In this case, a new letter must be signed every 3 months.

4) In the case of branded medication like Calpol, Nurofen or cough mixtures, staff will only give them to children under the following conditions:

a) The medicine book must be signed

b) The STATED DOSE ONLY will be given, unless the parent can provide a letter from the child’s GP

c) Parents may enter the instruction “if needed at xx time” when signing for Calpol etc. In this event, staff will only give the medication if a child is really fretful because of teething, or if a child’s temperature appears to be rising steadily. In this case, the parent will be contacted and asked to collect the child as soon as possible.

d) Staff will only administer the medication for the duration stated on the bottle, including weekends, after which the child must be taken to the GP. THE CHILD MUST BE KEPT AT HOME FOR THE FIRST DAY IF ANTI-BIOTICS ARE PRESCRIBED after which staff will administer Calpol for 3 days only.

In addition, CALPOL will only be administered by staff:

TWICE in one day for children attending for a full day

ONCE when children attend for a session only

COUGH MIXTURES will depend upon instructions on the bottle - e.g. if this states `to be taken 3 times per day, staff will give this only ONCE per full day.

COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

1. If you feel that the needs of your child are not being met or have any concerns about the care your child receives at nursery you are encouraged to make a complaint. You also have the right to complain to the CSSIW or to the local authority which has arranged for the provision of day-care, if relevant. Ask to speak to the manager or a senior member of staff. Your complaint will be entered in the complaints book and you will be asked to sign it.

2. If your complaint is about the proprietor, you can still speak to the manager or you may wish to make the complaint directly to the CSSIW. You will find the relevant contact details at the end of this notice.

3. The proprietor and manager will try to bring about a local resolution of your complaint, if appropriate. They will investigate the incident/incidents which gave rise to the complaint. In doing so they will ensure that the welfare of your child is safeguarded and promoted, taking into account the ascertainable wishes and feelings of your child..

4. If it is appropriate to do so, the proprietor will make arrangements for conciliation, mediation or other assistance for the purposes of resolving the dispute, with your agreement.

5. The proprietor will inform you in writing of the outcome of this investigation and any

action taken to remedy the situation as soon as possible, and in all cases within 14 days, although this period may be extended for a further 14 days, with your agreement.

6. If a local resolution of your complaint is not possible, you can request formal consideration of your complaint. The proprietor will then resolve the problem as soon as is reasonably practical, and in any event within 35 working days. You will then receive in writing a summary of the nature and substance of the complaint, the conclusions and the action to be taken as a result. A copy of this letter will be sent to CSSIW and the local authority if they have arranged for the provision of your day care

7 If your complaint is subject to a concurrent consideration, for example legal proceedings in a court or tribunal, the proprietor may discontinue investigation of the complaint if it appears that the investigation would compromise or prejudice the other consideration. In this case, the complainant will be given notice of that decision.

If you wish to make a complaint directly to the Care and Social Standards Inspectorate for Wales, the contact details are: CSSIW, Mid & South Wales, Rhud Y Car, Merthyr Tyfil, CF48 1 UZ Telephone number: 03000628888

 PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT

Nursery policies and procedures will be clearly explained to new parents at enrolment,  and a

copy of these policies is available at the nursery  for parents to refer to whenever they wish.

Parents are welcome to spend time at the nursery in order to familiarise themselves with nursery routines and practice.

New children are encouraged to pay ‘settling in’ visits, accompanied by their parents before they actually start nursery. It is left to individual parents to decide the number and duration of these settling in visits, in order to satisfy the individual needs of parents and children – the manager will advise on this matter

Parents are invited to share any concerns or worries about their child’s welfare or progress with staff at the nursery at the time of enrolment or at any other time. Any discussions about individual children or personal matters will be in private and will remain confidential.

Parents may ask to see progress reports and other records concerning their child at any time. They will be kept informed of activities and nursery routines by:

Parents are welcome to join in nursery activities. If you have an unusual skill, interest or knowledge, we would love you to share it with all the children.  Remember - play is of crucial importance to a child’s development both in the nursery and at home.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Staff at the nursery will respect the confidentiality of individual parents and children. All records relating to children and their parents are stored in the office, which is always locked. In addition, confidentiality is maintained by:

Giving parents access to the files and records of their own child but not of those of other children.  Individual children will not be discussed except for the purposes of group management and curriculum planning. Information given by parents to nursery staff will not be passed on to other parents without their permission.

All staff and students are made aware of the confidentiality policy.

BEHAVIOUR AND DISCIPLINE POLICY

Good behaviour and consideration for others is essential for the safety of the children and the efficient management of the nursery. Children learn through example and staff are aware that they are role models for the children .

THEY ENCOURAGE good behaviour by: showing consideration, respect and good manners to colleagues, children and other staff

providing activities which are stimulating and appropriate to the developmental stage of the children

allowing children to enjoy freedom without threatening the enjoyment of other children

ensuring that children enjoying one activity do not threaten the safety of other children

understanding age or stage related behaviour and

being positive, constructive and fair

praising and rewarding good behaviour – this may be done by awarding stars or other merit signs if it is felt to be appropriate for individual children

taking care to differentiate between deliberate and accidental occurrences

being aware of underlying problems which may trigger unacceptable behaviour

using appropriate language and establishing eye contact when talking to children

working with parents to promote acceptable behaviour

When unacceptable behaviour does occur, staff will explain to the child why the behaviour is unacceptable. If this does not work, a child may be taken away from an activity for a short time or offered an alternative activity.

In extreme cases of unacceptable behaviour, a child may be taken to the Manager, who as the ‘authority figure’ in the nursery will usually be able to calm the child down.

Tantrums are dealt with by placing the child in a safe corner of the room away from toys and equipment until he/she has calmed down.

STAFF WILL NEVER: smack, shake or humiliate children or use any form of physical restrain whatsoever

leave a child in isolation or feeling unwanted or undervalued

deprive a child of food or prevent a child from taking part in an activity as a punishment.

Ninian Nursery is fully committed to actively promoting equality of opportunity for all children and families who use the nursery. This does not mean simply treating everyone the same, but by actively identifying the needs of individual children, parents and staff and adopting procedures which will meet these needs, thus ensuring equal opportunity for all.This is reflected in the content of our advertising and promotional material

Admittance is subject only to a place being available. Places may be full or part- time, and no preference is given to full time children. Children who do not speak English or speak it as a second language are welcomed, and staff will ensure that they know a few key words in the child’s own language.

In addition, all parents are encouraged to be involved in the nursery and made welcome and any differences in families, culture and language will be respected. All information whether written or spoken will be clearly communicated. All staff and parents are encouraged to understand the effects of stereotyping and discriminatory remarks will be challenged. All children are respected and their individuality and potential recognised, valued and nurtured. Children with special needs will be cared for whenever possible. Children will be given opportunities to learn about other cultures, languages and celebrations and encouraged to respect them. Whenever possible, we celebrate the festivals of children who attend the nursery, thus giving children opportunities to explore, acknowledge and value similarities and differences between themselves and others. Any discriminatory behaviour will be challenged and children are encouraged to understand the effects of discriminatory remarks or behaviour. Equipment, books, posters etc are regularly checked to ensure that they reflect a multi -racial society. Boys and girls are given equal access to all activities and equipment and encouraged to use them.

ADMISSIONS POLICY

All children and parents are welcomed into the nursery, irrespective of gender, culture or religion. Children may attend on a full-time or part-time basis to suit individual needs. The nursery makes every effort to be flexible and offer additional sessions from time to time as required, subject to a place being available The nursery is open from 8.00 a.m until 6.00 p.m. The morning session is from 8.00 a.m. until 1.00 p.m. and the afternoon session is from 1.00 a.m. until 6.00 p.m. However, parents may drop off and collect their children at any time within the hours they have booked to suit their individual needs and requirements. The morning session can also be extended until 2.00 p..m, subject to availability.Children whose parents do not work are welcomed into the nursery, consequently there is no minimum booking requirement, although we feel that children benefit more from attending for at least 2 sessions per week. Children whose fees are paid by the Student Welfare Fund and Social Services are welcomed into the nursery.The nursery accepts Childcare Vouchers. When parents are claiming Childcare Tax Credits, this is a private arrangement between the parents and the Inland Revenue, who pay the credit directly to the parent. Nursery fees must therefore be paid in advance as normal. A deposit of 4 week’s fees is payable upon enrolment. It is used to cover the last 4 weeks' fees provided that 4 week’s notice is given and all fees are paid in full

Please note:

In circumstances where parents are separated and it is not clear which parent has parental responsibility, the enrolling parent will be presumed to have parental responsibility and the nursery will follow their instructions regarding all aspects of the child’s care at nursery.