Safeguarding and promoting Children’s welfare
The Provider, Kate Taylor
Safeguarding Coordinators: Sarah Connor, Zoe Tilden, Kate Taylor
Introduction Sandcastles takes all necessary steps to keep children safe and well. The Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements in Section 3 of the Statutory Framework details in full our duty of care. Please follow the link to view the document
https://www.foundationyears.org.uk/files/2017/03/EYFS_STATUTORY_FRAMEWORK_2017.pdf
Child Protection: Sandcastles works in partnership with families and is alert to any issues for concern in a child’s life at home or elsewhere that are identified through change in circumstances, the individual’s behaviour or observing signs and symptoms of abuse. Policies and procedures are in place to safeguard children in-line with Local Safeguarding Partners. Full in-house training is given during all staff induction as well as the completion of online safeguarding training. External training may also be undertaken. Please refer to our Child protection policy.
Suitable People To ensure all staff are suitable to fulfil the requirements of their role, Sandcastles first identifies suitable candidates for interview. Upon successful application and employment, a full induction is in place to train all staff on policies and procedures set out by Sandcastles in line with the requirements of the statutory guidance. In addition, all employees have a three-month probationary period to develop their skills and knowledge to fulfil these requirements. Two professional references are obtained for all new employees, one from the last employer when there is one. All adults aged 17 years and over who work where children are present have a current enhanced criminal records check and must not have unsupervised contact with the children before these checks are complete. At mid-year and annual appraisals staff sign a declaration of no changes to circumstances. Any change to circumstances relating to Safeguarding children is investigated and reported if deemed necessary. In the event of a safeguarding matter linked to a member of staff, Sandcastles will make a referral to the DBS services meeting our responsibilities under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and inform Ofsted under section 75 of the Childcare Act 2006 within 14 days of the information coming to light.
Disqualification: In line with the statutory framework, the provider or childcare worker may be disqualified from registration. The provider will not continue as an early year’s provider or be directly involved in the management of any such provision. Sandcastles will not employ any person who is disqualified. If we become aware of relevant information that may lead to disqualification of an employee, we will take appropriate action to ensure the safety of the children, suspending the staff member while a full enquiry takes place. Further information and disqualification criteria can be found at;
Staff taking Medication / Other Substances Staff are forbidden to be under the influence of alcohol or other substances which may affect their ability to care for children. Medical advice must be sought if the medication prescribed may affect their ability to care for the children. The management team will take appropriate measures confirming with the individual any impact to their role. Any staff medication that needs to be on the premises is held in a staff medication box or in the staff room, out of reach of children at all times.
Staff Qualifications / Training / Support and Skills Under the Equality Act 2010, Sandcastles has a legal responsibility to treat all practitioners fairly and equally. All staff receive a full induction as part of initial training covering our policies and procedures. High priority is given to areas that are set out to keep children safe, including safeguarding, child protection, health and safety, accident and illness, emergency evacuation procedures, etc. Following our induction and probationary period, all staff receive a mid-year review and end of year appraisal. This time is used to identify any training needs to develop their personal effectiveness. All staffs’ continuous professional development is facilitated through in-house, on-line and external training. The manager holds a minimum of a level three qualification with a minimum of two years’ experience in an early years setting. There is a named deputy who has been appointed for their ability to oversee the setting in the manager’s absence. At least 50% of all other staff hold a level two qualification. Each age group has an appointed head of room, these individuals hold a minimum of a level three qualification. All those employed to care for children under two have specific baby training.
As best practise, staff receive ongoing training to hold a current paediatric first aid qualification to ensure a first aider is always present off site for any school escort or group excursions and enable us to meet the requirement that at least one first aider is on site at all times and present on outings. Following their probationary period, all newly qualified staff and apprentices attend external paediatric first aid training.
The designated safeguarding officers hold a level three safeguarding qualification updated every two years. All changes to legislation and/or procedure identified results in inhouse training being modified and delivered to whole staff team. All staff complete face to face level two training and online level one training.
All staff have a good understanding of the English language both verbal and written enabling them to effectively work with other agencies.
Keyperson All children at Sandcastles are assigned a keyperson who builds a relationship with the child and family ensuring stability and continuity of care, meeting individual needs. Weekly room meetings provide confidential opportunities to discuss any issues concerning children’s development and wellbeing and to support staff with their personal development. Any concerns are escalated to management and our SENCO. Please refer to our Family Partnership policy for further information.
Staff: Child Ratios Staff: child ratios are adhered to as a minimum 1:3 for children aged 0 – 2 years 1 : 5 for children aged 2 – 3 years 1 : 8 for children aged 3 years and above. Only those aged 17 years and over are counted in ratios. Students and volunteers on long term placements only can be included in ratios at the discretion of our management team. For full details of ratios, see our risk assessments.
Health We promote the good health of children attending Sandcastles. Please see our Health and Hygiene Policy for full details.
Food and Drink We provide healthy, balanced, nutritious meals, snacks and drinks. Please see our Nutrition Policy for full details.
Accident or Injury Please see our Health and Hygiene Policy for full details.
Managing Behaviour Sandcastles manages children’s behaviour appropriately. All reasonable steps are taken to ensure that corporal punishment is not given by any person who cares for or is in regular contact with a child. It is an offence to fail to meet these requirements. In addition, corporal punishment is not threatened and punishments which could adversely affect a child’s well-being are not used or threatened. A person will not be taken to have used corporal punishment where physical intervention was taken for the purposes of averting immediate danger of personal injury to any person (including the child) or to manage a child’s behaviour if necessary. A record is kept of any occasion where physical intervention is used, and parents and/or carers are informed on the same day, or as soon as reasonably practicable.
Safety and Suitability of Premises, Environment, Equipment and Supervision, Safety Sandcastles continuously completes risk assessments to ensure that the provision provided is fit for purpose and suitable for the children to access, including any resources and/or activities.
Fire safety precautions are in place throughout the setting. A fire detection system in in place and is regularly tested and maintained. Further items such as extinguishers and blankets are placed according to Fire Safety Officer recommendations to facilitate safe evacuation of the building. Regular evacuation drills are executed to ensure staff know the procedures and children are safely escorted from the building. Fire exits and assembly points are clearly labelled and are free from obstruction. Evacuation routes are on display in all rooms. All staff receive in house training on our fire and evacuation procedures during their induction. See further information in our fire and evacuation risk assessment.
Smoking is not permitted in or on the premises, including in cars within the car park at any-time. We inform parents/carers that Sandcastles premises is a no smoking environment and ask them to refrain from smoking on the premises including in their own vehicles. This includes vaping and e-cigarettes.
Premises The setting has been planned to accommodate children under 5 adhering to the indoor space requirements in the statutory framework. Each room and all the outside areas have been carefully designed and risk assessed to suit the age and stage of development of the children. An adequate number of toilets and hand basins have been provided for sole use of the children with separate facilities for the adults. There are designated areas for nappy changing. We have an on-site laundry room to enable provision of fresh bedding, towels and spare clothes as required. Children that sleep on the premises are provided with their own bedding and are frequently checked. Sandcastles has an office and a staffroom to allow work and breaks away from children that can also be used to facilitate meetings with parents when need arises. Appropriate liability insurance is held, and the certificate is on display in reception for all that use Sandcastles. There is a door entry system in place to ensure no unauthorised visitors. All visitors are asked to sign in and identity checks may be requested. Prior authorisation is required from parents identifying those allowed to collect the child. Safety precautions and procedures are followed to gain permission when messages have not been received before allowing a child to leave the premises.
Risk Assessment The health, safety and security of everyone using Sandcastles is paramount but should not inhibit the children having opportunities to develop their skills and experiences and to learn to assess and take risks. Some tolerable risks are therefore included in our provision. All tolerable risks at Sandcastles have been discussed and evaluated in terms of potential risk verses potential benefits. Whole staff involvement regarding risk assessment is fundamental as those working closely with the children are able to observe possible hazards and are also well placed to highlight potential risks to staff and visitors. Hazards and faulty equipment are reported via our reporting procedure log sheets and areas may be zoned off if maintenance is required. All rooms carry out and log their own risk assessment including the garden areas daily, reporting any tasks for immediate action to management. Our risk assessment procedure is included in our induction programme and is reviewed periodically during staff meetings or through statutory changes and amended as necessary. We have a full risk assessment file kept in the office that contains risk assessments for areas and activities as deemed necessary. Accident logs are reviewed regularly to identify any areas/activities that may need to be addressed. Accident forms have a risk assessment section to consider if a full risk assessment needs to be carried out, reporting this to management if any action needs implementing. Parental and child input is important, and comments/suggestions are noted and actioned when deemed necessary. Incidents and complaints are investigated, documented, discussed with parents/carers where applicable and recommendations are made to reduce the chance of recurrence.
Outings and Visitors Parent/carers consent for outings is obtained via their signed terms and conditions. This includes outings accessed on foot and public transport. Risk assessments are carried out prior to outings. Staff to child ratios are managed accordingly.
Special Educations Needs Sandcastles trains all staff during induction on addressing concerns with individual’s development that may need further investigation and how to support children with SEND. Emphasis is placed on the prime areas of development as they form the basis of all of children’s leaning. Any identified gaps are discussed with parents. If outside help is required consent is sought to liaise with other early years professionals. Access to online and external training for our staffing team is sought to meet individual needs of the children in our care as needs arise. There are fully trained SEND co-ordinators in post within the staffing team. Please see our Special Educational Needs Policy for full details.
Information and Records Sandcastles maintains records which are easily accessible and shares information with parent/carers and relevant professional services. Sandcastles will share information on a need-to-know basis with other professional bodies to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Sandcastles follows procedures in line with General Data Protection Regulations Act 2018, information is available upon request. Staff ensure that confidentiality is maintained to protect the privacy of the children and families.
Information about the Child Sandcastles holds individual records for all children in our care in-line with the Statutory Framework. A daily register for each room records all children on the premises, including full name, date of birth and hours of attendance. Information for each child is held via hard copy and software, both adhering to GDPR.
Information for Parent / Carers Sandcastles works in partnership with parent/carers providing a wealth of information. Please refer to our Family Partnership Policy for full details.
Complaints Please see our Complaints Policy for full details
Information about the Provider Sandcastles holds personnel files on all staff including the providers. Details held include their name, home address and telephone number. Our certificate of registration is displayed in reception.
Changes that must be notified to Ofsted Sandcastles understands its obligation to notify Ofsted of certain changes and situations as outlined in the Statutory Framework.
Useful contact details: Useful link for parent / carers – www.escb.co.uk/parentscarers/resources.aspx
Family Operations Hub (Safeguarding support line) – 0345 603 7627
Use the above number for first point of contact for all safeguarding matters (unless immediate risk to child then dial 999) – the Family Operations Hub will advise and direct you
Rayleigh Police – 0300 333 4444
Southend Police – 01245 491491
Non-emergency police support/guidance – 101
Social Care Referrals – Essex Family Operations Hub – 0345 037627
Out of hours 0345 606 1212
Southend Referrals (First Contact Team) – 01702 215007
Southend (out of hours/Emergency Duty Team) – 0345 606 1212
The Prevent Duty – Extremism concerns – 020 7340 264
email: counter.extremism@education.gsi.gov.uk advice line only – (non-emergency)
Emergency Duty Service (Out of Hours) – 0845 606 1212 or 0300 1230 779 The Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) – 03330 139797 (for allegations made against a member of staff)
Ofsted – 0300 123 3155
Piccadilly Gate, Store Street, Manchester, M1 2W