Policies & Procedures

Safeguarding Children Policy

Apple Tree Nursery operates a Safeguarding policy in line with The Policy and Procedural requirements of Working Together 2023, Portsmouth Safeguarding Children's Partnership (PSCP) and the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Plus ‘What to do if a child is being abused summary’ 2006. 

Child protection takes priority over confidentiality and relationships with the family. The nursery work within the regulations set out by the 1989 Children’s Act and will implement the fundamental principles of the Act. 

Every child has the right to protection from all forms of abuse. Physical, Neglect, Sexual and Emotional including being at risk of trafficking, Prevent, County Lines and risk of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Staff are trained to look out for the signs of all mentioned above.

Staff will be aware of children being tested for / with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. They will have extra consideration for their individual needs and protection. All children at Apple Tree Day Nursery are unique and have the right to play and learn.

Lily Cronen is the designated Safeguarding Officer. Staff regularly have up to date Safeguarding training and are competent with any safeguarding issues that may arise. We ensure all staff are made aware of our safeguarding policy through our induction process and ongoing supervisions. 

The nursery will ensure that all staff / students will be subject to a D.B.S check, health checks and references on recruitment. Personnel awaiting confirmation of checks must not be left alone with individual or small groups of children. This is to include not accompanying children to the toilet or for nappy changing. They will always be with another member of staff, and they will be constantly observed. 

Should a staff member become concerned about a child’s welfare, the following procedure will be followed:

1. Immediate Action and Consultation
   Any concerns must be shared without delay with a member of the management or safeguarding team:

   • Lily Cronen

   • Lloyd Bagley

   • Laura Gillespie

   If a member of the safeguarding or management team is unavailable, staff must still take appropriate action and not delay reporting.

2. Recording the Concern
   The concern must be recorded clearly and factually using an Incident/Concern Record Sheet.
   Records must include:

   • Date and time

   • Details of the concern or disclosure

   • Actions taken

   • Names and signatures

3. Referral to MASH
   If it is suspected that a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm, a referral must be made immediately to the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) on 023 92 688793.

   The setting may contact MASH for advice where there are concerns about a child’s welfare, including to check whether a Portsmouth Family Support Plan is already in place.

   Any delay in making a referral must be clearly justified and recorded.

4. Concerns About a Member of Staff (Allegations)
   If a parent, staff member, or volunteer has a concern or allegation regarding the conduct or behaviour of a member of staff, this must not be investigated internally.

   The concern must be reported immediately to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) as the first point of contact:

   • Lydia Bowles

   • Email: lado@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

   • Telephone: 023 92 822500

5. Confidentiality and Whistleblowing
   All safeguarding concerns are handled confidentially and shared on a need-to-know basis only.
   Staff are reminded of their responsibility to follow whistleblowing procedures if concerns relate to senior staff or if they feel their concerns are not being taken seriously.

INFORMING A PARENT

Parents are usually contacted immediately unless advised by M.A.S.H. otherwise. In the case of the abuser being a parent, the case investigating officer will inform the parent.

Referrals made verbally must be followed up by a written version within five working days. M.A.S.H will then confirm in writing receipt of a written referral within five working days, together with an identified response to that referral. 

If an allegation is made against a staff member, whilst working on the premises or in relation to children outside of work, L.A.D.O will be contacted immediately to advise us on the next step to follow. The nursery Owner/Nursery Manager will notify M.A.S.H., Early Years and OFSTED of the allegations and will work closely with those departments during the investigation. 

Any existing injuries that a child presents with on arrival to nursery will be recorded and parents will be asked to explain and sign the appropriate Incident Forms. We have regular monitoring of these records, so we can see if a child has regular recurring incidents or if there are any patterns. 

During an induction of new staff, we discuss our safeguarding policy and the process. Every staff member has a suitable persons check list which must be backed up with evidence of identification. We also have a copy of their qualifications, two names for us to contact directly for written references. We also ask each staff member to fill out a Health Declaration. 

All staff must have a D.B.S. and are asked to fill out a disclosure yearly. 

All new staff are asked to read the policy, which can be found on our website, and read the staff handbook to ensure they know and understand the running of the nursery. We ensure all staff are made aware and read any updates to our policies.

We have a physical register for children and staff. This identifies who is in attendance at any given time. Our register includes a box for who dropped the child off and who picked the child up.

We have risk assessments displayed in every room of the nursery. All senior staff ensure they are updated termly if needs be. All qualified staff need to ensure all risks are identified and are made aware of. When on site a risk assessment check form is filled out in the mornings and again in the afternoon. Staff are made aware of what to look out for when children are on site. 

We provide termly supervisions that provide opportunity for staff and apprentices to discuss any issues concerning their own wellbeing or a child’s development or wellbeing. Supervisions are also an opportunity for staff to raise concerns if a colleague’s behaviour or conduct is putting children at risk. 

We have procedures for recording the details of visitors to the setting. We take security steps to ensure we have control over who comes into the setting so that no unauthorised person has unsupervised access to the children. 

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Apple Tree Day Nursery Lloyd Bagley (Manager / Owner)

Apple Tree Day Nursery Lily Cronen (Deputy Manager / Safeguarding Officer)

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Apple Tree Day Nursery 023 92 652111

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(L.A.D.O.) Local Authority Designated Officer. 023 92 822500

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Emergency out of hours 03005551373 Contact

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Ofsted 0300 123 1231

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(M.A.S.H) Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub 023 92 688793

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SAFEGUARDING FROM CAMERA’S, MOBILE PHONES AND RECORDING DEVICES

The setting operates a camera, mobile phone and recording device policy to protect children, protect staff from allegations and maintain high standards of care within the setting. The setting forbids the use of personal cameras, mobile telephones (except in the situation of a short trip or outing) and recording devices by staff members and students whilst on duty. All staff, students and visitors are required to put their devices in the office under management supervision, when arriving for their shift / visit. They can have them back during lunch breaks only. Any staff member who does not comply will be dealt with in line disciplinary procedure. Children will be photographed or recorded by the nursery digital tablet device in the two following ways: 

1: Staff daily use a digital tablet to record the children’s progression and to interact with parents via Parent Zone. Pictures / videos get uploaded to the portal and only those who have the login details can see this. 

2: To advertise Apple Tree Day Nursery on our official social media and website platforms only. Children will only be photographed or recorded if parental consent has been obtained during the application process.

The nursery digital tablets stay on the premises 24/7.

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Complaints Policy and Procedure

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If you are unhappy with the service that you are receiving in the nursery then you must make us aware of your concerns immediately.

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If you feel the need to discuss an issue in person please speak to the Nursery Manager, who will be happy to listen to your concerns and resolve them in the best possible way.​

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The nursery asks that all concerns are documented in writing and emailed to Mr Lloyd Bagley at advice@appletreeday.co.uk, so that a formal record can be kept. If, due to a technical issue or for any other reason, the email is not received, please inform the nursery manager that correspondence has been sent to Mr Bagley.

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Apple Tree Day Nursery will investigate the written complaint and do our utmost to resolve your complaint / concern internally with as little agitation as possible. 

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We will notify the person who made the complaint of the outcome of the investigation within 28 days of receiving the complaint.  

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All complaints or concerns must be recorded and logged in the complaints file by a member of staff in the first instance. This is made available to Ofsted or the agency with which a provider of CoPD is registered, on request

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If the matter cannot be resolved by Apple Tree Day Nursery or you feel the issues are too serious to be dealt with internally then you can contact the regulating body – OFSTED (0300 123 1231).

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Apple Tree Day Nursery Special Educational Needs Policy

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We are committed to the integration of children with Special Educational Needs. Our philosophy is that children with special educational needs have a right to be educated and to develop to their full potential alongside other children. We work closely with Portsmouth Early Years for support and advice. All staff are aware of the SEN Code of Practice, the Disability Discrimination Act and the Equality Act. We have a SENCO and a Deputy SENCO. Staff and parents are aware of who they are. 

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THE NURSERY LAYOUT

The nursery is very child friendly and has been renovated to promote independence with adult support. We have a ramp accessing the nursery from the front. We have a disabled toilet and all sinks that the children need to use are at a low level. 

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ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS

Children who have an identified Special Educational Need will be admitted after a consultation with the parents / carers as to the specific needs of the child. If identified, any adaptations that need to be made to staffing, equipment, and access will be carried out before the child’s settling in visits in accordance with our Settling in Policy. We are a private day nursery and therefore access to funding for these adaptations may be limited. We will endeavour to investigate our options further to accommodate the needs of the child and their family, within logistical capabilities / reasoning. 

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Within the first few sessions, if we pick up on a child who has clear SEND that has previously gone undetected and do not have the facilities, training or space to care for them, then in consultation with the family and the early years inclusion team we may need to revoke the space, as we can not suitably meet the needs of the child. We will however support the family with finding another provider/work with Portsmouth Early Years. 

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IDENTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT

Staff at Apple Tree Day Nursery work closely with their key group of children and observe them on a daily basis, both through play and conversation. If a member of staff has a concern about a child then they must raise this concern with the SEN officers who would take into account their observations and possibly sit in on the group and make their own notes on the child. 

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APPROACHING PARENTS/ CARERS

It would be the responsibility of the key person in the first instance to sensitively discuss any concerns with the parent / carer. The conversation should be carried out in private and the parents should be reassured that we will endeavour to assist their child in their development and learning, but that we may require assistance from outside agencies. The outcome of the discussion needs to be followed up in writing and signed by the parent / carer, who also needs to sign an Inter Agency Parental Consent Form before a referral can be made. If progress is not made or parents have concerns too, the key person may include the SEN officer. Should the parents not feel the same way about the concerns that we have for their child then we will continue to make further observations on the child and possibly invite the parent in to observe their child during the session. We will endeavour to always work in partnership with parents and keep a two way flow of communication. 

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FURTHER ASSESSMENTS AND PLANS

It may be necessary for the SEN officer to draw up an Individual Education Plan for the child so that staff can support the child with their development. This would be put together using observations and recording of their development and would show how a series of day to day activities can be used to support the child in their area of concern. The IEP will be shown to the parent / carer and permission will be obtained before the plan is carried out. This stage is called Early Years Action. This IEP may be a temporary measure until; * If progress is not made we will refer to another agency e.g.: Speech and Language Therapist, Health Visitor or Early Years Panel, this stage is called Early Years Action Plan. * The requested outside agency becomes involved and makes an assessment on the child, therefore the IEP may have to be reviewed. The child makes good progress and is meeting the targets of the IEP. (It is advisable that the child continues to receive support so that they do not regress.) 

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REVIEWS

A review of the agreed IEP will be made regularly to assess progression and evaluate the effectiveness of the targets being met. These reviews will be made as set out on the IEP and the SEN officer will inform the parents of the details, including positive feedback about the progression that their child is making. If the child has not made any progress, then the ILP must still be reviewed and differentiation can be made. Ensure that support is always offered to the parents / carers and that you answer any questions that they may have in full. 

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POSITIVE PROMOTION

We will always endeavour to positively promote Special Educational Needs to children, their families, and visitors to the nursery by displaying images and using resources such as posters, puzzles, and dolls, which reflect anti-discriminatory practice. 

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FAMILIES WITH SEND

We welcome families with SEND and will always strive to meet their needs when registering and bringing their child to the nursery. We would seek advice and support from The Portsmouth Early Years team. The Portsmouth SEND local offer is a brilliant resource for families with children with SEND: Home < Portsmouth Local Offer

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Behaviour Management Policy

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It is recognised that all children behave in different ways and changes in behaviour are usually a result of a change in their environment or circumstances that they may find challenging. Positive behaviour is always promoted by all staff through praise and encouragement according to the child’s age and stages of development. Positive social behaviour will be encouraged such as sharing, good manners, hygiene and taking turns.

Restraining a child for their own safety will only be used if behaviour is likely to cause injury to the child or any other person or property. This will be logged in the incident book and signed by parents. 

Most children at certain stages of development demonstrate behaviour that is negative. Children may demonstrate negative behaviour verbally or physically e.g. biting/swearing. We recognise that children may display negative behaviour since they are still exploring their emotions and understanding what is socially accepted. On those rare occasions when negative behaviour is evident a child will be gently supported. We do not humiliate any child and we deal with discipline sensitively. Staff will explain to the child why their behaviour is unsafe or unkind. Unwanted behaviour is managed according to each individual child’s need. We understand that methods used for some children may not prove to be effective for others. Parents / carers and nursery staff will work together to understand what works best for each child. The nursery will work in partnership with parents when dealing with inappropriate behaviour and Portsmouth Early Years may be called on for support. If we see negative behaviour in a baby, for example biting / snatching, although we know it is through exploring, learning and growing, not negative behaviour, this will be dealt with in a calm manner in conversation to promote gentle authority. 

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Unacceptable Behaviour:

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• Swearing

• Physical pain inflicted on the other children or staff

• Repetitive damage of nursery property or of that belonging to another child.

• Racism, Homophobia, Sexism, Disability discrimination 

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Promoting British values

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Democracy: Making decisions together. As part of the focus on self-confidence and self-awareness as cited in Personal, Social and Emotional Development: 

The staff will encourage children to see their role in the bigger picture, encouraging children to know their views are listened to, value each other’s views and are encouraged to talk about their feelings. Staff will support the decisions that children make and provide activities that involve turn-taking, sharing and collaboration. Children should be given opportunities to develop inquisitive minds in an atmosphere where questions are valued.

Rule of law: Understanding rules matter as cited in Personal Social and Emotional development as part of the focus on managing feelings and behaviour.

Staff will ensure that children understand their own and others’ behaviour and its consequences, and learn to distinguish right from wrong. Staff will collaborate with children to create the rules and the codes of behaviour, for example, to agree the rules about tidying up and ensure that all children understand rules apply to everyone. 

Individual liberty: Freedom for all as part of the focus on self-confidence, self-awareness and people & communities as cited in Personal Social and Emotional development and Understanding of the World.

Children should develop a positive sense of themselves. Staff provide opportunities for children to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and increase their confidence in their own abilities, for example through allowing children to take risks on an obstacle course, mixing colours, talking about their experiences and learning. 

Staff will encourage a range of experiences that allow children to explore the language of feelings and responsibility, reflect on their differences and understand we are free to have different opinions, for example in a small group discuss what they feel about transferring into Reception Class. 

Mutual respect and tolerance: Treat others as you want to be treated. As part of the focus on people & communities, managing feelings & behaviour and making relationships as cited in Personal Social and Emotional development and Understanding the World. 

Staff should create an ethos of inclusivity and tolerance where views, faiths, sexualities, gender, cultures and races are valued, and children are engaged with the wider community. 

Children should acquire a tolerance and appreciation of, and respect for, their own and other cultures. Knowing the similarities and differences between themselves and others, including among families, faiths, communities, cultures and traditions whilst sharing and discuss practices, celebrations and experiences. 

Staff encourage and explain the importance of tolerant behaviours such as sharing and respecting others’ opinions. Staff promote diverse attitudes and challenge stereotypes, for example, sharing stories that reflect and value the diversity of children’s experiences and providing resources and activities that challenge gender, sexuality cultural and racial stereotyping.