SmartStartCentre Policies

MULTI-CULTURAL POLICY

We are a centre that reflects the ethnic and cultural mix of the neighbourhood. To ensure the promotion, recognition and celebration of this diversity, we have the following provisions:

Religious Festivals

We discuss how the different festivals are celebrated around the world using very simple and easy to understand approaches that serve to enrich the childrens' understanding of their own and other people's beliefs and cultures.

Positive Images

We continually research ways of providing a multi-cultural environment that will benefit all users and employees.

Food

We try to offer a range of food that reflects different cultures.

Training

We ensure that our employees and management board take part in training to enhance their awareness of the needs of all the users of this organisation.

Equal Opportunities

We shall respect your wishes if for various reasons, you may not want your child to participate in some events. As resources are limited, parents or carers might have to make alternative childcare arrangements for the day(s).

PARENTS IN PARTNERSHIP POLICY

Partnership

We believe that a child’s experience at home is highly significant to achievement and by working in partnership; the results will have a measurable and lasting effect, to that end we will endeavour to:

• Share information about children’s cultural, medical, dietary, physical and emotional needs

• Raise Parental awareness.

• Provide practical support.

• Help to develop a network of parental support for children with special educational needs.

These will be promoted by:

• Sharing skills and the use of individual Education Plans (IEP’s)

• Encouraging and helping parents/carers or refer them to other agencies for more specialist help.

At Smart Start Centre, we recognise parents as the children’s first educators and therefore encourage them to be involved in their learning and development.

We operate an open door policy;

• Parents are free to interact with key-workers or management in person, by phone or in writing using the anonymous suggestion box in the reception.

• Key-Workers shall arrange regular review meetings to discuss children’s learning and development.

Service Standards

FOOD MANAGEMENT POLICY

Meal times should be a happy, social occasion for the children and employees
The general procedures are:

1. Individual dietary requiremtns will be given due recognition

2. If a child does not finish his/her course, he/she will be given a small helping of desert.

3. Employees must set good examples of table manners.

4. Cultural differences in eating habits must be given due consideration.

5. Children will be encouraged to say “please” and “Thank you”.

6. Mild conversation may be allowed but not consistent chattering and/or shouting.

7. Any Child who shows sign/(s) of tiredness at meal time or who does not like what is served shall have his/her food removed without fuss

8. Children on special diet will be encouraged to eat small portion of everything, with consideration to their dietary requirements.

9. Children who refuse to eat at meal time will be offered food later in the day.

10. Children who are slow eaters will be given time and not rushed.

11. Ages of children and individual needs must be given consideration with regards to quantity of food served.

12. Menus will be rotated regularly.

13. Menu must always reflect the cultural diversity of the children

14. Food Hygiene preparation and serving procedures must always be followed.

15. A sample of all meals served each day are saved, for a minimum of 2 days, for analysis, should the need arise , by the council’s Environmental Health Department, in the event of a suspected food poising incident.

16. All incidents of vomiting and diarrhoea, irrespective of whether it involves employees or children, must be reported to the childcare manager to investigate.

17. The cook must also be immediately notified in order that suspected food samples are not discarded.

All Food and Hygiene Legislations must be adhered to.

ADMISSION POLICY

At smart start centre our admission policy works in conjunction with our equal opportunity policy. Special Educational Need Policy, Health and safety Policy and other relevant and associated policies and guidelines.

This policy is designed to facilitate the inclusion of the diversity of children within our community for easy access to the full range of our services. Smart Start Centre operates on an inclusive waiting list system that ensures the diversity of the children within the centre closely representing the community in which it operates. Factors taken into account in deciding which child can be offered a place include:

1. Waiting list

2. Availability of space(s)

3. Capacity – taking into account employee/child ratio

4. The age of the child

5. Registration requirement

6. Written applications – considered on first come, first served basis

7. Smart Start Centre’s ability to provide the facilities for the needs and welfare of the child

EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT

Our employees are qualified and/or have experience and knowledge of childcare. They hold industry-recognised qualifications and some of them are parents as well. Their training and development is high on our agenda. It is vital to our future to ensure that much is done to maintain and enhance our working practices regarding employment, on-going training & development and customer relations.

COMPLAINTS POLICY

It is of paramount importance to us that any complaints or concerns you raise are addressed and dealt with promptly, fairly and in confidence. Use of the complaint procedure is not meant to replace normal discussion about day-to-day problems and concerns. So, if you are unhappy about some part of our service to you, please discuss with us first.

SETTLING IN POLICY

1. Our Employees work in partnership with parents and carers to settle the child into the nursery environment.

2. All necessary paperwork can be completed with the child’s key-worker during this visit while the child meets members of staff and other children in his/her room.

3. When the nursery accepts a child, arrangements will be made for parents to visit the nursery for 3 days prior to the start date. This is to ensure that the child settles into the nursery without stress.

4. The settling in period is between 10.00am and 11.00am or between 2.00pm and 3.00pm.

5. This procedure is flexible to meet the needs of the child and parent/carers.

KEY WORKER POLICY

Smart Start Centre operates a ‘Key Worker’ system where each child is assigned to an employee
The employee – ‘Key Worker’ - will have the following responsibilities

1. Introduce themselves to the child and their parents/carers

2. Settle-in the child and discuss any concerns the parents/carers may have

3. Completing and maintaining the child’s developmental reports

4. Carrying out regular observation of the child

5. Ensuring that any significant progress or concerns are reported verbally, then in writing in the child’s contact book.

6. Build a relationship with the child and parent/carer

7. Sit with the child during mealtimes so as to observe and identify any concerns or issues about eating habits and to discuss such concerns with parents/carers – if any

8. Toilet-train the child if need be

9. If the parents/carers have any confidential concerns, they may approach their child’s ‘key worker’ who shall listen and offer advice –if applicable

10. Such approaches may only be deemed confidential providing there are no childcare issues that could be of detriment to the child or bring the nursery into disrepute.

Any employee that has such concerns must bring them to the attention of the Childcare Manager immediately.