Nursery Day Care Little Crickets Child_e

Nursery Policies

at glance

Our Comprehensive Policies and Procedures Supporting Children’s Safety, Wellbeing and Early Learning

Overview of Key Nursery Policies and Procedures

At Little Crickets Day Care, we are committed to providing a safe, nurturing and supportive environment for every child. Our nursery policies not only meet but go beyond the requirements of the EYFS framework, ensuring the highest standards of safety, wellbeing and early years development for babies, toddlers and preschoolers aged 3 months to 5 years.

Safeguarding Policy

Little Crickets’ primary objective is to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children in our care.

We follow a rigorous recruitment process to ensure all staff are suitable to work with children. This includes a thorough interview panel, activity and work trials, and enhanced background checks. A minimum of two satisfactory references from reputable sources is obtained, and an enhanced DBS check is completed prior to each staff member’s start date.

All staff take part in regular supervisions, where they are supported and given the opportunity to declare any changes in personal circumstances that may affect their suitability to work with children. A strong safeguarding culture is embedded throughout Little Crickets, where vigilance, transparency and accountability are prioritised at all times.

Our practitioners receive up-to-date safeguarding training and are confident in recognising the signs and symptoms of abuse, neglect, or wider welfare concerns. Staff have a duty to monitor each child’s wellbeing and to record and report any concerns promptly to the Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs).

We follow clear procedures in line with local safeguarding partnership guidance and statutory requirements. All concerns are handled sensitively and confidentially, always acting in the best interests of the child.

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. We promote an open and supportive environment where every child feels safe, valued and listened to at all times.

A selection of key policies is included within this page for your information. These cover important areas such as safeguarding, health and safety, Illness and medication, nutrition, and daily care routines.

KEY PERSON APPROACH At Little Crickets, we believe strong key person bonds are vital for a child’s well-being and development. Each child is introduced to their key person through a welcome meeting. A co-key person is assigned to ensure continuity of care when the main key person is away. Feedback about your child’s progress is shared by the key person wherever possible. Two parent consultations are hosted each year to discuss your child’s development and progress. Events and parent workshops are arranged throughout the year to support families and strengthen the nursery community. Daily activities and group photos are shared on tapestry. Our key person system ensures that every child feels secure, supported, and nurtured while at nursery.

HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY The safety and well-being of children in our care is paramount. We ensure the nursery is safe through regular risk assessments of all indoor and outdoor areas. • All escape routes and fire exits are clearly marked, free from hazards, and checked daily. • Fire drills are carried out frequently throughout the nursery to ensure children and staff know what to do in an emergency. • All equipment and resources are regularly checked for safety and maintained to prevent accidents. • Staff are trained in first aid and emergency procedures, and a fully stocked first aid kit is available at all times in every room. • Cleanliness and hygiene are maintained throughout the nursery, including regular handwashing routines, sanitising toys and surfaces, and the safe management of waste. • Supervision ratios are carefully monitored to ensure all children are adequately supervised at all times. • Security measures are in place, including controlled access to the nursery, visitor sign-in procedures, and policies for the safe collection of children.

LATE COLLECTION AND NON-COLLECTION OF CHILDREN POLICY Parents are able to collect their child from the nursery flexibly; however, children must be collected no later than the end of their booked session. • If a parent is running late beyond the session end time, a charge of £3 per minute will apply. • If a child has not been collected by the agreed time and no prior communication has been received, Little Crickets will follow the uncollected child procedure. • In such cases, the nursery will contact the local authority’s Children’s Social Services Care Team (Haringey): o 020 8489 5652 (Monday–Friday, 8:45am–5:00pm) o 020 8348 3148 (out-of-office emergency number, 5:00pm onwards)

HOLIDAYS AND ABSENCES Absences from the nursery, including those due to sickness, require full payment. If one week’s written notice is provided via email, food fees will be waived. If one month’s written notice is given, along with a calendar of dates, a 50% discount will be applied to nursery fees for those days, and food costs will be waived. The nursery is open 51 weeks a year and closes only on bank holidays, which are free of charge to parents.

NAPPY CHANGING POLICY Little Crickets supports children’s care and welfare on a daily basis in line with their individual needs. Safeguarding is balanced with privacy, with an open-plan layout and clear glass panels between rooms to ensure visibility throughout the nursery while maintaining children’s dignity. Nappy-changing areas are cleaned and sanitised before and after each use. All staff wear gloves and aprons and follow strict hygiene procedures. Two members of staff are present at all times during nappy changing to ensure safety and that safeguarding procedures are upheld. Children are changed regularly and whenever required to ensure comfort and to prevent irritation. Any concerns, such as rashes, marks, or changes in skin condition, are recorded and communicated to parents at collection time. Nappy changing is treated as a calm, respectful interaction, supporting children’s independence, language development, and personal care routines appropriate to their age and stage of development.

ILLNESS AND MEDICATION Certain infectious childhood illnesses (e.g., chickenpox, vomiting, and diarrhoea) require children to be kept at home for an appropriate period to prevent the spread of infection. • Temperatures: Children with a temperature of 38°C or above must be collected from the nursery. Calpol (or similar medication) will only be administered if a parent is more than an hour away and the child’s temperature is considered dangerously high. Children must be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication before returning to nursery. • Vomiting and diarrhoea: Children must be collected and may only return after 48 hours have passed since the last episode. • Advice is taken from NHS Direct and Department of Health guidance to determine the most appropriate action for each case. Medication at nursery: • All medication must have a prescription label showing the child’s name and the correct dosage. • Over-the-counter medicines in other languages or without proper labelling cannot be administered.

SLEEP POLICY The safety and well-being of all children during sleep times is paramount. Two practitioners are present in the sleep room at all times to ensure continuous supervision and safeguarding. Children are checked at least every 10 minutes, and each check is carefully recorded on a sleep monitoring chart. In the baby room, a live monitoring system is in place, allowing babies to be continuously observed while sleeping, in addition to regular physical checks carried out by staff.

SEND POLICY Little Crickets provides a nurturing and inclusive environment where all children are supported to reach their full potential. The setting works closely with a Haringey learning specialist, who visits the nursery three times a week to deliver tailored activities and support children with additional learning needs or difficulties. Individual learning plans are created for children requiring extra support, ensuring that activities are adapted to meet their unique needs. Staff work in close partnership with parents, maintaining open communication to share progress, strategies, and achievements. Little Crickets promotes inclusive practice and equality, ensuring that all children, regardless of ability, background, or additional needs, are valued, respected, and encouraged to participate fully in all aspects of nursery life. Staff receive ongoing training in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), equality, and inclusion, enabling them to provide high-quality support and interventions for every child. Regular observations and assessments are used to monitor progress and adapt approaches, ensuring each child has equal opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive within a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment.

DATA PROTECTION AND CONFIDENTIALITY POLICY Little Crickets recognises that sensitive and confidential information is held about children, their families, and staff members. All records are stored securely in locked filing cabinets, and access to information is strictly on a need-to-know basis. Staff are trained to handle information responsibly, ensuring that personal data is kept confidential at all times, whether in written, electronic, or verbal form. Information is only shared with authorised personnel or external agencies when legally required or in the best interests of the child. This policy ensures the privacy, security, and trust of all children, families, and staff within the nursery.

MOBILE PHONE AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE USE POLICY Little Crickets places a strong emphasis on the safety and welfare of all children. Staff are not permitted to use mobile phones or personal devices with image-capturing or sharing capabilities during working hours, including smart watches or similar technology. All personal devices are stored securely in a locked safe with the office team and are monitored appropriately. Mobile phones may only be accessed during staff lunch breaks, in the designated staff room upstairs, away from children and the nursery environment downstairs. Nursery tablets are password protected, with passwords changed regularly, and their use is closely monitored by management. These devices are used strictly for professional purposes, including observations and communication systems. During outings, staff use nursery-owned devices only. These devices are managed and controlled by the setting and are not used for personal communication or social media purposes. To further promote safeguarding, parents and visitors are not permitted to use mobile phones within designated safeguarding areas, including the garden and near the main gate. This policy ensures that all children remain protected and that safeguarding remains a priority at all times.

PACKED LUNCH POLICY At Little Crickets, we are proud to maintain a five-star rated kitchen and place a strong emphasis on healthy, balanced nutrition. Due to severe allergies within the setting, no nuts or eggs are used or prepared on site, and the nursery follows a sugar-free approach. All meals are freshly prepared daily on the premises. Protein is carefully sourced from a variety of foods, including pulses and leafy greens such as spinach, as well as options such as chicken and fish, which form part of the nursery menu. Families may choose to subscribe to nursery meals or provide a packed lunch from home. All packed lunches must be strictly nut-free and egg-free. Items such as popcorn, jelly, sweets, chocolate, fizzy drinks, and other unhealthy or high-sugar foods are not permitted.

Policy Review and Update Date: April 2026

We regularly review all policies to ensure they remain up to date and in line with current legislation, guidance, and best practice. Any updates will be communicated to parents and carers where appropriate.

Additional detailed policies and procedures are available upon request and can be viewed at any time by parents and carers. These include, but are not limited to, emergency procedures, staff-related policies, etc.

If you have any questions about our policies or procedures, please speak to the nursery management team, who will be happy to assist.