Believing in childrens' successful futures
Covid-19 Guidelines
We would like to welcome you all back into our nursery setting. We have produced an information booklet to provide you with all the information you will need when bringing your child back to nursery. Please be assured we are following all government guidelines and placing precautions in place to protect everyone.
- Contents:
- The guidelines produced by the government
- The precautions the nursery is taking to ensure safety:
- – Cleaning (Toys and environment)
- – PPEs (infection protection and control)
- – Drop offs and pick ups
- – Limiting contact, Group sizes and staffing
- Our new policies
- Personal hygiene (Parents, children, and staff)
- Signs, symptoms, and illnesses
- Safeguarding
Due to the government guidelines we understand that a 2-meter distance will be harder within an early year setting. However, the practitioners will be exercising extra hygiene precautions and will use their judgement to ensure we are maintaining a higher standard of safety. This includes encouraging children to wash their hands regularly and ensuring all children are well and free from illness when attending nursery.
We are still following the guidelines by ensuring anyone suffering from ANY symptoms and not attending the nursery are isolating for the correct amount of time; this includes, Staff, parents, and children. If you do have symptoms and are able to go and get tested, we are encouraging everyone to do so. It is still extremely important that we are following the proper guidelines that the government have presented to everyone.
If there is a anyone in your household who is suffering from ANY symptoms you MUST inform the nursery as soon as possible.
- We are deep cleaning the nursery daily. The deep clean is done at the end of the day; however, we will be cleaning consistently throughout the day.
- Before the nursery is opened in the morning all surfaces and door handles will be wiped down with an anti-bacterial spray and clean cloth.
- To avoid spread of infections please do NOT bring in any toys or anything which is not essential into the nursery.
- We have deep cleaned all toys; however, after every use the toys will be cleaned and returned.
- Bins will be emptied throughout the day to ensure we are disposing of all tissues and paper towels.
- We will be ensuring are promoting the “catch it, bin it, kill it” approach.
- We have removed all soft furnishings form the nursery.
- Children’s beds/cots will be cleaned after every use and bedding will be washed weekly, please note children do not share bedding and their bedding is kept separately in their own labled box.
- All children and staff will wash their hands when coming into the nursery, this will also be happening regularly throughout the day and anti-bacterial gel will be accessible within every room and taken with us on outings.
- We will be using face masks when answering the door; however, it has been recommended by the government that face masks are not to be used when inside of the setting, we will be following these guidelines.
- Parents have been asked to wear face masks when dropping off and collecting their children. There will also be hand sanitiser available for you as well.
- We will be using face masks if a child was to present symptoms and the person in contact with them will be using full PPE.
- Staff will still be using correct PPE when changing nappies and dealing with spillages of any kind.
- We will be using PPE during mealtimes and dealing with accidents.
- Do NOT bring your child into the nursery if anyone in your household has symptoms, please read the guidelines.
- Please make sure only 1 parent is dropping off/picking up at a time.
- We are now allowing grandparents/relatives to pick up your children as we know that some of you are back working. Please make sure you are letting us know, supplying us with a password and that person is bringing their ID if we have never seen them before.
- Parents must keep a 2-meter distance from one another and line up along the side of the nursery.
- To maintain your distance, we can only have 1 person on the slope leading up to the main entrance at a time.
- Please provide your own wipes to wipe down your buggies which are left in the buggy shed. Where possible please try and take your buggies with you.
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- To avoid spread of infections please do NOT bring in any toys or anything which is not essential into the nursery.
- We are aware that children cannot be expected to maintain 2 meters apart from one another.
- It has now been stated in government guidelines that younger childcare settings do no longer need to remain in smaller ‘bubbles’.
For more information regarding this change please visit the following website.
https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/coronavirus-children-and-staff-will-no-longer-need-to-keep-to-small-bubbles-in-early-years-settings
- We will ensure all children have NO contact with another child who is presenting symptoms, these children will be kept in a contained room, everything will be deep cleaned after they leave the building.
- We will be encouraging both staff and children to regularly wash their hands.
- We will be encouraging both staff and children to perform good respiratory hygiene practices. This includes covering your mouth/nose when coughing and sneezing, using tissues which are thrown away and wash hands/using hand sanitizer every time anyone touches their mouth/nose.
- Staff members will be moving between rooms to ensure we can keep within our ratios whilst staff members take their lunch breaks. We will limit this where possible.
- The staff room has been adapted to ensure all staff members are keep a 1-meter distance from one another during their lunch breaks.
Our setting remains safe for children, but fewer children making the journey to Nursery keeping the number as low as possible, will help to protect the NHS and save lives by reducing the risks of spreading the virus. Everyone should follow Public Health England guidance on self-isolating if they or members of their family develop symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19). The most common symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are a new, continuous cough or a high temperature (over 37.8 degrees).
Further information can be found: Actions for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children aged 0 to 5 learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe.
In addition to the current Regulations on a daily basis Tiny Heroes Day Nursery will be carrying out the following checks to ensure our environment remains a safe place to be and your help is needed to adhere to these simple routines.
- As a parent/carer please ensure:
- That you wash your hands as frequently as possible and encourage your children to do this as well whilst they are at home. BBC Video Coronavirus How to wash your hands in 20 seconds
- Do not bring your child to nursery if you or anyone in your family unit experience symptoms i.e. new, or continuous cough, high temperature over 37.8 degrees.
- On arrival and collection at the setting please ring the bell and remain at the door, someone will collect your child from you. Please do not enter the building.
- If other parents are arriving at the same time please keep a distance of approx. 2 metres or stay in your car until you can approach the door without queuing.
- It is vitally important that you ensure all your contact and emergency contact details are up to date. Please let us know if there are any changes. Please e-mail any changes to the setting if this is not possible please clearly write the changes in a letter and hand to a member of staff.
- Checks for children whilst attending Nursery:
- Staff will monitor the children for signs and symptoms of illness.
- Details will be recorded on a daily sheet and signed by the staff caring for this child.
- If a child becomes unwell we will call the parent or emergency contact person for them to be collected.
- Staff will support and model frequent hand washing.
- Staff will be talking to the children and providing activities to support their self-care explain why it is important to wash hands etc.
Regular cleaning of resources and equipment will take place at the nursery at the end of each day.
Policy introduced: 3rd August 2020
- Please ensure you are washing your hands and carry around hand sanitiser when possible. We will be providing hand sanitiser for you to use during drop offs/ pickups. There will be bins accessible to you outside, please use these to dispose of tissues/gloves.
- Please make sure you are keeping your distance from the carers, try and encourage your child to walk into the nursery where possible.
- We are asking you to please wear masks when dropping off/picking up.
- Please use a car/walk and reduce your use of public transport where possible.
- If your child is in pre-school or had a broad understanding please make sure you are teaching them to wash their hands for 20 seconds (using soap) and to cover their mouths when sneezing/coughing.
- Please make sure you are bathing your children and wash their clothes daily.
- Staff have all been told they MUST wash their hands when entering the building and regularly. Use of gloves throughout the day has been suggested to be a less hygienic way of protection so these will only be used for single tasks and disposed of properly.
- Staff will be using face masks when answering the door to parents.
- Staff have been told they are to wash themselves and their clothes daily.
- Staff have been encouraged to drive/walk where possible and avoid public transport.
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- If you are worried someone in your household has symptoms please visit the following website for all the guidance you need.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance
- All staff will be aware of the guidance provided and the signs and symptoms for us to make correct judgements for procedures to follow within the setting.
- Any children who present any symptoms of any kind will be removed from the room and isolated with 1 carer who will be wearing full PPE. Once you have collected your child you MUST take them straight home and contact your GP or 111 for more advice. Wherever the child has been will be deep cleaned.
- Please make sure you are isolating for the full 10 days when needed and informing the nursery as soon as possible if anyone in the household is showing ANY symptoms.
- Due to the symptoms continually changing we will be keeping you updated over email for the signs and symptoms to look out for.
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- We will be conducting a daily risk assessment of the nursery building to ensure that everything has been cleaned to a high standard.
- We will be monitoring children and staffs well being and that they are healthy and have no illness of any kind before entering the building.
- We have a duty of care to safeguard all children, this means we will still be following our safeguarding policies and procedures. We want the children in our care to stay safe, thrive and learn.
- We are still here to support every family’s needs, please do not hesitate to ring/contact us if you need any support.
- If you are worried or have any anxiety surrounding the recent pandemic, this website has some great advice for you.
https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-anxiety-tips/
- Anyone who is feeling mentally vulnerable or who is in any kind of danger can call the nursery between 8.00am-6.00, Monday-Friday and ask to speak to one of the safeguarding officers in the nursery. The numbers is: 02086586222.
If you feel you need any support out of working hours, please contact the following numbers:
0808 2000 247 for refuge (domestic abuse helpline)
116 123 (Samaritans)
0808 800 5000 (NSPCC)
0808 808 1677 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) (Bereavement care)
0808 800 2222 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 9pm and Saturday to Sunday, 10am to 3pm) (Parenting lives)