Safeguarding for Nurseries – A Guide for Parents

Back in September, we touched upon the safeguarding and welfare of children in our Rough Guide to the Early Years Foundation Stage (‘EYFS’). In today’s post, we’ll go into more detail about how we approach the safeguarding, safety and general welfare of children at Leaps & Bounds nursery in Edgbaston, Birmingham. For example, in relation to the recruitment of suitable, trustworthy staff for the nursery, having the right security measures in place, knowing what to do in the event of illness, accident or emergency and suitability of equipment and the setting as a whole. This information should be of comfort to parents looking for suitable – and safe – nursery places in the Birmingham area.

Safeguarding children is, in essence, all about keeping children safe, secure, healthy and out of harm’s way. Every child deserves to feel secure and safe and indeed will learn most effectively when this is the case.

Safeguarding Measures

Early years settings like ours adhere to some excellent, pre-defined rules around the safeguarding and welfare of children. These must fall in line with several statutory Government directives along with the procedures set out by both the Local Safeguarding Children Board (‘LSCB’) and the EYFS. They EYFS states:

“Providers must be alert to any issues for concern in the child’s life at home or elsewhere. Providers must have and implement a policy and procedures to safeguard children.”

So the rules we follow are more far-reaching than simply keeping children safe at the nursery itself. The safeguarding measures we follow cover ways to watch out for abuse or maltreatment happening elsewhere, as well as setting guidelines for safeguarding at the nursery itself. When Ofsted makes visits to nurseries including ours, they will also be looking to ensure we follow all the safeguarding procedures effectively.

Childcare Professionals

Any staff member who will have contact with children is checked for suitability, including enhanced criminal record and barred list checks (previously known as a ‘CRB’ check but now replaced by the Disclosure and Barring Service or ‘DBS’). Additional criminal record checks are made for any staff member who has lived or worked outside the UK. Childcare professionals are also vetted in a number of other ways including identity checks, checks to ensure they are not under the influence of alcohol or other substance, and much more.

Every childcare setting, including Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery, has a designated trained professional who takes lead responsibility for the safeguarding of children. The lead person also liaises with statutory local agencies and the LSCB. Ofsted will also check to ensure that the nursery is implementing the appropriate safeguarding policies and procedures when it visits periodically. So, there are multiple levels of safeguarding checks, by several independent professionals.

All childcare staff at the nursery are suitably trained to understand the safeguarding policies in place and know what to do if there are any concerns. Staff are also expected to keep and maintain records.

The nursery also, of course, ensures that staff members are suitably trained, qualified, experienced and supervised, with the requisite skills and knowledge needed for the job being undertaken. Our childcare professionals are also given ample opportunities for additional training and professional development, so that the quality of care continually improves, to the benefit of the children.

Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery also keeps exceptionally high staff to child ratios.

• For children under two, there is at least one staff member for every three children.
• For children aged two, there is at least one staff member for every four children.
• For children aged three and over, there is at least one staff member for every eight to thirteen children (a range is indicated because the ratio differs depending upon the particular tasks being undertaken by the children).

The Key Person

As we’ve mentioned in previous posts, every child is also allocated their own ‘Key Person’; a member of staff who is responsible for tailoring the learning and development programme to the needs of each individual child. The Key Person also engages with parents or carers so that the learning and development programme is supported when the child is at home. There is also a safeguarding element to the children having their own Key Person as that staff member will keep a continuous eye on the child’s progress and wellbeing throughout their time with the nursery. In this way, the child should attain the very best outcome and achieve their own individual learning and development goals.

Special Educational Needs & Disabilities

Leaps & Bounds has arrangements in place to support children with special educational needs (‘SEN’) and disabilities. With that in mind, the nursery also has a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo), who is also the Behavioural Co-ordinator (‘BECo’) for the setting.

Medicines & Infections

It goes without saying that staff at the nursery take precautions to stop the spread of any infections and that appropriate actions are taken if children become ill. This is more relevant than ever with the pandemic affecting the country so deeply this year (take a look at our anti-COVID precautions to get an idea of how we deal with the threat of a pandemic).

Staff also have strict protocols in place in relation to the administering of any medicines prescribed by a doctor, nurse, pharmacist or dentist. They will only be given, of course, with written permission of the parent or carer of the child involved. Staff involved are also suitably trained where any medical administration requires medical or technical knowledge. Written records are kept whenever medicines are given and the parent/carer(s) informed.

Injuries & Accidents

At least one staff member is always available, whether at the nursery premises or accompanying children on outings, who has a current Paediatric First Aid (‘PFA’) certificate. PFA training, relevant to the care of young children and babies as appropriate, is renewed every three years. The nursery also has its own official Medical Co-ordinator and a suitably equipped First Aid box is available and accessible at all times. Any accidents, injuries or treatments are recorded and parents/carers informed. The nursery would also follow strict Ofsted rules and protocols in the unlikely event of a serious accident or injury.

Healthy Food & Drink

Safeguarding is also about children’s health. With that in mind, the nursery serves only healthy, nutritious, balanced, meals, snacks and drinks. Food preferences, special dietary requirements and allergies are all catered for. Fresh drinking water is also available at any time. Food is prepared under strict, hygienic conditions, by people suitably trained in food hygiene. Equipment for the preparation of baby food/milk is sterilised, as appropriate.

A Safe Environment

The nursery itself does, of course, fall under the general Health & Safety rules. As such, it is always fit for purpose and subject to all the health, safety, hygiene and fire safety precautions that one would expect and, indeed, are a legal requirement of such premises. The nursery maintains the appropriate insurance policies too.

With regard to being fit for purpose, the premises and equipment are supplied in accordance with suitability for the age groups using them, i.e. babies and young children. This applies in both indoor and outdoor areas where children play. Risk assessments are undertaken in order to identify areas that may require measures to be put in place or where items need, for instance, to be maintained. This applies to outings too.

We have a proactive approach to safety, rather than a reactive one.

Emergency evacuation procedures are also in place in the event of a fire or other emergency. Emergency exits are also clearly identified and kept free of obstacles. In the case of fire, the nursery has appropriate detection and control mechanisms in place and these are regularly maintained to ensure that they are in working order at all times.
Sleeping babies and children are monitored and regularly checked. Babies have their own, separate baby room for this purpose.

In regard to children leaving the premises, further strict protocols are also in place at the nursery. These include not allowing children to go outside or leave the premises unsupervised and, when it’s time for children to go home, rules that only allow them to be picked up by individuals that have been agreed with parents. This is achieved through a password system if parents or carers have arranged for someone else to pick children up. The staff at the nursery will check both the ID of that person and accuracy of the password before the child in question is released from the nursery.

The nursery also takes serious steps to prevent unauthorised people from entering the premises, with protocols in place to identify anyone that does visit. The nursery has CCTV in place indoors and outdoors as well as at the main entrance. During the pandemic lock-down we are are also not allowing parents, carers or visitors inside the building, so as to keep everyone safe from the possible spread of COVID-19.

Parents also love the online ‘app’ that they can use to get regular updates about their child’s activity each day at the nursery. They can see photos of what their child has been doing, what they have eaten and when they’ve had a sleep. We should add that the app does not access the CCTV system, for security reasons.

Childcare providers like Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery are also expected to keep and maintain records. This includes obtaining and/or confidential sharing of information with parents or carers and, if appropriate and when required to do so, with other professionals who work with the child including social services, the police and Ofsted if applicable. Records are kept secure, of course, and information is only shared with those who have a legal right to see it. The two-way flow of information, when appropriate, is designed to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and the smooth, efficient and appropriate running of the nursery itself.
Our Safeguarding policy is available to read or download here.

We hope this information reassures parents and carers who may be looking for a high quality nursery in the Birmingham area.

A Place for your Baby or Toddler at Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery

Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery is an outstanding nursery and pre-school in Edgbaston, B16, close to Birmingham city centre. It’s conveniently located if you are looking for childcare nurseries near you around Edgbaston, Birmingham, Harborne, Ladywood, Bearwood & Smethwick. For more information about a possible place for your child, call 0121 246 4922 or contact us or book a visit here. We’d be happy to show you around, so that you can see the nursery for yourself (appropriately socially distanced etc., of course). Get in touch!