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Sparkle Lodge

Parent Pack

Information for Parents including Policies,

Procedures, Activities,

Additional Information

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Index

Daily Routine Sparkle Lodge Rules Settling In Policy Confidentiality Policy Behaviour Policy Safe Guarding Children Policy Safe Guarding Children Policy Continued Lost Child Policy Uncollected Child Policy Parental Involvement Policy Inclusion and Anti-bias Practise Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Policy Emergency Policy Sickness Policy Exclusion List Healthy Living Policy Health and Safety Policy Payment Policy Whistle blowing Policy Grievance Policy Permission Form for Routine Permissions Permission Form for Alternative Care Useful Contacts

Further Information

A parent’s guide to Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) An overview the (EYFS) framework

How I meet the themes & commitments of EYFS

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Daily Routine

08:45 Welcome 09:15 Child led play 10:15 Snack Time 10:30 Planned activities 11:00 Child led play 11:45 Singing or story time 12:00 Goodbye and Welcome 12:00 Lunch 12:30 Rest time or quiet activities 13:00 Child led play 14:00 Snack Time 14:15 Planned activities 14:45 Singing or story time 15:15 Goodbye This routine is flexible to allow for all children’s needs to be met and any spontaneous activities, which occur.

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Sparkle Lodge Rules

There are a few basic rules we expect all children to abide by these are:

We hang up our bags and coats

We wash our hands before eating and after using the toilet

We try to be friends with each other

We put toys away when we have finished with them

We treat people and property with respect

We ask if we are unsure ?

We try to remember to say please and thank you

We sit at the table for food and drinks

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Settling In Policy

To enable children to become familiar with their surroundings and with the environment it is always beneficial to allow them to gradually start coming to see us for a short period of time before the contract begins. Ideally two weeks of coming with the main parent or carer for some brief periods of time to introduce ourselves to both you and your child and to enable you and your child to understand what is the structure of the day. As your child becomes used to us you may wish to leave for a short amount of time to allow your child to see that when staying with us you will return when promised and that they are safe and secure while you are separated from them. If you are leaving your child for the first time this may also be quite a difficult time for you and therefore these visits will enable you to see how your child will interact with staff and for you to air any worries you may have. We always carry a mobile while on outings and a land line is always available so if you feel you want to enquire how your child is settling we will be able to speak to you briefly to reassure you. All children vary in how they settle and the time taken to achieve this so do not be disheartened if your child seems to take longer to settle than you anticipated. We will never leave a child long enough to become distressed and inconsolable. It is often beneficial to a child to bring an item that links to their home life to reassure them that you are still coming to collect them. This may be a blanket, teddy, cup or other object that they link with you. This is especially important if no time was available to allow your child to meet us before the contract began.

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Confidentiality Policy All information we are given by you about your family will be kept confidential and only accessible by staff and each child’s own parents except with your prior written permission to discuss your details to assist you or your child. The only time we will breach confidentiality is if we felt your child(ren) needed to be protected from harm or abuse. We will work with parents/carers in the interest of the child but may be required to contact social services without first contacting parents in certain circumstances. We are aware of our responsibilities under the Greater Data Protection Regulation (2018) Data Protection Act (1998) and the Freedom of Information Act (2000). We maintain up to date records of parents’ and/or emergency contact details, the contact details of the child’s GP and appropriate signed consent forms. If a child is identified as a child in need (section 17 of the Children Act 1989) we will, normally with the parent’s permission, give appropriate information to referring agencies. We expect parents to inform us of any changes in the child’s home circumstances, care arrangements, who will drop off and collect the child or any other change which may affect the child’s behaviour such as a new baby, parents’ separation, divorce, new partner or any bereavement. I expect parents to keep private and confidential any sensitive information they may accidentally learn about my family, setting or the other children and families attending, unless it is a child protection issue. Ofsted may require to see our records at any time. Parents have the right to inspect all records about their child at any time unless it would be to the detriment of a parent. We record all significant incidents in an incident book and I will share these with parents so that together we can work to resolve any issues. If we keep records relating to individual children on our computer we will ask for the parent’s permission. We will store the information securely for example, in password-protected files, to prevent viewing of the information by others with access to the computer. Backup files will be stored on an external hard-drive which I will lock away when not being used. If we record information on a personal computer, or take digital photographs or videos as part of observations, we have taken the necessary action to register with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO).

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Behaviour Policy

We believe all children respond to rules and boundaries that are consistent and fair. It is also important that a child is allowed to develop and play in a safe secure environment that enables them independence to explore life. We feel mutual respect is important and that with encouragement children can build on their behaviour to get the most out of life. We wherever possible, offer positive reinforcement as opposed to negative comments. We try to provide a positive role model to all children with regard to attitudes towards people and the environment. We try to encourage children to use good table manners and to use please and thank you wherever possible. We also endeavour to do the same. We believe where possible it is better to reward positive behaviour and ignore negative behaviour. There are times when negative behaviour needs to be addressed. Sometimes the child can be distracted which ends the unacceptable behaviour. Sometimes it is possible to discuss with a child the reasons for their behaviour and enable them to correct their behaviour. Sometimes a reminder of a reward they are working towards can help. Unfortunately sometimes this is not possible in this case we will take the child to a quiet area where possible and offer a calming bottle. Restorative Practice is a helpful strategy for supporting children to deal with conflicts. Children are supported to begin to understand how behaviour impacts others. If a child is at a developmental level to use restorative practice we use the five questions below: 1. What happened? 2. What were you thinking/feeling? 3. Who has been affected? 4. What has been the hardest thing for you? 5. What do you think needs to happen to make things right? If your child is younger we will try to use distraction or engage them in other activities to discourage behaviour. We will not use physical intervention and we will never smack, bite, slap, shake or humiliate a child. We would also request that you did not do any of these in the setting as we need to keep all children safe and such actions may distress children. We will not restrain a child for behaviour but may be required to do so to relieve immediate harm to any child in severe circumstance. If we notice a pattern to a child's behaviour we will discuss this with you to see if we can find a trigger. If we identify a trigger it may be possible to change the reaction your child has.

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We do not believe there is such a thing as a “Naughty child” a child may use behaviours that are unacceptable for a variety of reasons these include tiredness, hunger, illness, sadness or frustration. If a child displays frequently unacceptable behaviour we will discuss this with the child's parents to see if some new strategies can be used. If these strategies do not work we will discuss with parents the use of outside agencies such as MABS – multi agency behaviour support. Frequent occasions of unacceptable behaviour could also be an indicator of a special educational need or disability a meeting with parents will be organised to discuss a child’s development and to see if there are any plans that could be put in place to support a child.

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Safeguarding Children Policy Statement As with all child care settings we must at all times ensure all children are kept in a safe environment. Most children are subject to minor accidental injuries, but there may be situations where we need to act promptly and appropriately to keep all children safe. Wherever possible we will support families through times of difficulties. If we are unable to help, then we will try to find another organisation that may be able to assist. In our experience getting assistance early can avoid potential problems for a family We are duty bound by law to report any suspicions of abuse and/or neglect and will do so wherever possible We will keep child protection training up to date and will keep up to date records of all incidents that cause us concern. Our first responsibility and priority is towards the children in our care. If I have any cause for concern we will report it to MASH in line with the Portsmouth Safeguarding Children Partnership procedures. The relevant local procedures that are held by us are available on request. We understand that child abuse can be physical, sexual, emotional, neglect or a mixture of these. We must notify Ofsted of any allegations of abuse, which are alleged to have taken place while the child is in our care. Staff, volunteers and parents also have the right to raise concerns regarding any actions they feel may place a child at risk. If they do not feel they can discuss these matters with the dedicated safeguarding leads or if they are concerned about managements practise they can contact Ofsted directly. Procedure (how we put the statement into practice) We have four designated safeguarding leads (DSL’s) at least one will be on duty at all times. If more than one is on site it will be clear which DSL has responsibility that day. The DSL is trained to lead the settings practices and ensure any concerns are correctly addressed. We keep up to date with child protection issues and relevant legislation by taking regular training courses and by reading relevant publications for example Early years professional. This helps us to be aware of the signs of abuse or neglect and what to do if we have a concern. We are familiar with, the Local Safeguarding Children Partnership procedures in England all staff know how to access these docuents and are familiar with the content. Staff will be made aware of any updates to these documents. We have a access to Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018) including the latest updates and

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Keeping Children Safe in Education (2021) we have read them and understand them. We are aware of our responsibilities under:

• The Children Act 1989 (as amended). • The Children and Social Work Act 2017. • The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006. • Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018. • Keeping Children Safe in Education 2021. • The Early Years Statutory Framework 2021.

If we are concerned about a child’s welfare, we may contact the local authority, the NSPCC, or other relevant support services for advice, providing this does not affect confidentiality. Child protection concerns that could identify a particular child are kept confidential and only shared with people who need to know this information. Parents must notify us of any concerns they have about their child and any accidents, incidents or injuries affecting the child, which will be recorded. We work together with parents to make sure the care of their child is consistent.

If we notice: 1) Significant changes in behaviour 2) Unexpected bruising or marks 1) Any comments made which give me cause for concern 2) Deterioration in general well-being which causes concern We will implement the Portsmouth Safeguarding Children Board procedures without delay to minimise any risk to the child. The DSL will call Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) and follow it up with a letter within 48 hours. We will keep a factual record of the concern and will ask the parents for an explanation, providing it would not put the child at risk. If a child tells us that they or another child is being abused, we will:

§ Show that we have heard what they are saying, and that we take their allegations seriously § Encourage the child to talk, but we will not prompt them or ask them leading questions. We will

not interrupt when a child is recalling significant events and will not make a child repeat their account

§ Explain what actions we must take, in a way that is appropriate to the age and understanding of the child

§ Write down what we have been told using exact words where possible § Make a note of the date, time, place and people who were present at the discussion § Then report any concerns immediately to the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub who has the

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experience and responsibility to make an assessment of the situation In all instances we will record: 1) The child’s full name and address 2) The date and time of the record 3) Factual details of the concern, for example bruising, what the child said, who was present 4) Details of any previous concerns 5) Details of any explanations from the parents 6) Any action taken such as speaking to parents. It is not our responsibility to attempt to investigate the situation ourselves. If an allegation is made against a staff member, we will report it to Ofsted and the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) Hayley Cowmeadow who is trained to deal with these allegations. We will also contact the Portsmouth City Council Quality and Sufficiency Officers for advice and support. We will notify Ofsted within 14 days of the allegation being made.

We will record in our attendance register who drops off and who collects a child, it is particularly important that we also record any variations in agreed attendance e.g. late arrivals and collections. This will clearly show any patterns of attendance. We must also ensure that we correctly record any injuries or bruises the child has and the parent/carers explanation on an incident form.

As with all day-to-day life your child will come into contact with various other adults whilst in our care. We will at all times try to minimise risk to any child. All staff and volunteers are fully vetted using safer recruitment practices. Unchecked adults will at no time be ever left alone with children or allowed unsupervised contact for any reason. If another adult is coming into the setting a risk assessment will be under taken dependent on the reason the person is attending. If a workperson is coming in the nature of the work will determine if the children can be in the same room or whether it is safer for them to be in another area e.g. the garden or for us to leave the property. A risk assessment is carried out daily of all areas children access.

Mobile phones and smart watches are a part of everyday life. Staff will lock their phones away during the day and will have the setting phone for emergencies. Smart watches that have cameras will also be locked away. Those who wear smart watches (without cameras) will have to keep them on aeroplane mode whilst working directly with the children. The setting has ipads to allow observations of children. To protect children we will: � Ensure consideration is given to storage and use of personal details and photographs. � Ensure photographs are deleted regularly. � Ensure permission from parents and carers will be gained. The vast majority of people who take or view photographs or videos of children do so for entirely

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innocent, understandable and acceptable reasons. Sadly, some people abuse children through taking or using images, so we must ensure that we have some safeguards in place. To protect children we will:

� Obtain parents and carers consent for photographs to be taken or published (for example, on our website or in newspapers or publications)

� Use only the child’s first name with an image � Ensure that children are appropriately dressed � Images taken on the settings camera will not be emailed, as it may not be secure. � Ensure parents and carers are not permitted to take photographs of the children in the setting. � Ensure all cameras used are open to scrutiny.

We are aware of our duties under the prevent guidance. We understand that early years children are often the most vulnerable. As well as our duties under working together to safeguard children this includes being aware of the signs a child may be being exposed to extremist influences or prejudiced or extremist language. If a child discloses any such information or their behaviour indicates they may be being exposed to these views then this will be recorded and dealt with in the same way as other safeguarding concerns. Staff will undertake online prevent training. Further details about prevent duty can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/417943/Prevent_Duty_Guidance_England_Wales.pdf

Staff will be aware of other forms of abuse including: Female Genital Multilation Breast ironing Child trafficking Domestic abuse Child sexual exploitation Witchcraft Bullying County lines Online abuse. We will regularly check the Portsmouth Safeguarding Children Partnership website for local and national updates at https://www.portsmouthscp.org.uk/

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Safe Guarding Children Policy Useful Contacts

Multi Agency Support (Mash) for Portsmouth

0845 671 0271/023 92 688793

http://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/learning/24854.html

OUT OF HOURS - Local Social Services

0300 555 1373

02392 688793 cafenq@portsmouthcc.gcsx.gov.uk

Local Police Station 0845 045 4545 or 101 http://www.hampshire.police.uk/internet/

Ofsted 0300 123 1231 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk

Portsmouth Quality and Sufficiency Officers 02392 841 974 Eydelivery@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

Portsmouth Safeguarding Children Partnership 02392 688 646 https://www.portsmouthscp.org.uk/

Working Together to Safeguard Children A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/942454/Working_together_to_safeguard_children_inter_agency_guidance.pdf

N.S.P.C.C. Child Protection Helpline – 24-hour Helpline For People Worried About A Child

0808 800 5000 http://www.nspcc.org.uk/

Local Area Designated Officer

Hayley Cowmeadow

023 92 882 500 LADO@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

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Lost Child Policy

Children need to feel they have a sense of belonging but also feel they would like to gain independence. With this in mind we will ensure on any outing young children are transported safely using pushchairs with five point safety harnesses and/or wrist straps or reins. All older children will be taught road safety. We will at all times ensure younger children are close by and older children are within sight and know where to meet if they do get lost. We risk assess all outings and all places we take the children to. We also explain to all children the permitted areas whilst we are out. In the unlikely event of a child becoming lost we will remain calm and ensure all remaining children are safe. If possible we would search the area again. If this was not possible as it may endanger other children or if this proved fruitless, we would ensure we had a brief description of what the missing child was wearing including height age and preferred name and would contact the police. We will co-operate with the police to enable them to carry out their duties. We would then contact the child's parents We will write a report as soon as possible and inform Ofsted immediately. We would then review my policies again to ensure the incident never reoccurred.

Uncollected Child

If you are going to be late for any reason please contact us as soon as possible. All arrival and departure times are kept and recorded in our register. If you are more than 10 minutes late and have not contacted us we will try to contact you. If we are unable to contact you we will contact your other authorised contacts. It is important all contact details are updated regularly. If we still cannot contact an authorised person for your child after 30 minutes we may have to contact social services for advice. We will keep a detailed log of the incident and will inform Ofsted.

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Parental Involvement Policy

We recognise the fact that you are the first educator and role model for your child. You have a right to see all information regarding your child and to comment on any of this. We will try to set aside time to speak to you daily regarding your child and their achievements and successes. We will also provide your child with a learning journey to allow us both to record achievements and successes and daily tasks. We also currently plan a small amount of time to work on a planned activity daily. We use the early year’s foundation stage framework to ensure that your child receives learning opportunities in all areas of education. We do not use written worksheets for children but will ensure that children can learn through play. An example of this is bubbles. With younger children we will show them bubbles and allow them to explore the texture and feel of them. An older child will be encouraged to investigate further e.g. what happens if I add food colouring to the water. We also try to ensure your child is able to become a confident member of the wider community we endeavour where possible to also take children on outings both planned and unplanned. This also enables your child to become self-assured in group settings. There is a separate permission form for you to sign to agree for your child taking part in activities outside of my home. We are also very keen for parents to become further involved in my setting. If you would like to come in and get more involved we would be keen to discuss this with you. There are various ways you can become involved whether this is low key e.g. reading a story to a small group of children or more involved e.g. if you work as a policeman talking to the children about your work and showing them your uniform. As with all other adults unless you have been deemed as suitable through safer recruitment procedures you will not be able to be left alone with any child who is not your own and you will not be able to undertake any personal care of a child who is not your own.

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Inclusion and Anti-Bias Practice

All children and parents we provide childcare for deserve to be treated with equal concern. We believe all people deserve to be judged on an individual basis not based on stereotypical images. As we live in a diverse society we aim to allow all children to learn positive attitudes towards the various cultures, beliefs and family situations of today’s society. We ensure my resources promote equal opportunities as we ensure they give a balanced view of the world. Our materials are also widely diverse to ensure all children are offered opportunities to explore all learning areas e.g. different thickness's of pens and pencils. We do not use discriminatory remarks or behaviour and will not allow these to be used in the setting. If you and your children use more than one language we will value and respect your language and culture and will aim to learn some words of your chosen language to allow your child to communicate with us. We are aware that people have various cultural, medical and dietary needs with regards to food and drink and will ensure these practices are respected and wherever possible undertaken in our preparation of food. If your child has an allergy or dietary requirement we may need time to discuss the foods and drinks your child may need and to decide on who provides these foods. We aim to provide a welcome and appropriate environment for all children. We encourage all children to participate in activities. We use both observation and feedback from parents to allow us to work with all children and to ensure that all children are provided with correct assistance without undermining their confidence and self-esteem to achieve their goals. If your child has special educational needs and or disabilities we will assist them where necessary but we will not discriminate against them. We will also ensure that where possible we provide any additional equipment to allow your child to lead an independent life. We will also liaise with other professionals e.g. speech therapists to ensure we have as much information as possible to enable us to help your child reach their full potential. We will also undertake further training to assist us in aiding a child with identifiable needs e.g. speech and language courses to assist a child with delayed language skills. We also ask parents to provide us with as much background as possible to allow us to assist their child and to draw upon knowledge that we already possess.

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Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Policy

We will have regard to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Code of Practice 2015. We will ensure we have an up to date copy of the Code of Practice and we will make this document available to parents if required. We will work closely with parents to listen to their views so as to build on children’s previous experiences, knowledge, understanding and skills and provide opportunities to develop in the seven areas of learning:

§ Communication and language § Personal, Social and Emotional development § Physical development § Literacy § Mathematics § Understanding the world § Expressive Arts and Design

We also use the characteristics of effective teaching and learning

o Playing and exploring o Active Learning o Creating and thinking critically

We will observe and monitor individual children’s progress throughout the Foundation Stage and where a child appears not to be making progress either generally or in a specific aspect of learning we will present them with different opportunities or use alternative ways of learning. If we identify that a child has special educational needs then we will discuss our thoughts with the child’s parents and then begin to use the graduated approach as described in the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Code of Practice. (SEN support) We will discuss our observations and any proposed plans with the parents in a way that encourages them to contribute their knowledge and understanding of their child and allows them to raise any concerns they may have about their child’s needs and the provision that is being made for them. We will, with parents’ permission, use Individual Plans. These will record information about the short term targets set for the child, the teaching strategies and the provision to be put in place, when the plan will be reviewed and the outcome of the action taken. We will continually review the individual plans and seek the parents’ views on the child’s progress. We have an accredited Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (SENCO). If we feel we need further support we will seek support from Early Years Advisory Teachers We will continue to develop our knowledge of special educational needs by attending training where possible and by appropriate literature. We will regularly update our own knowledge by reading the local offer website, checking for updates to the send code of practise, reading magazine and newspaper articles and

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through use of other publications. Our SENCO has extensive experience of working with children and young people who have autistic spectrum conditions. We have undertaken training on speech development. We are trained to administer asthma inhalers. As with all other areas of our practise we will ensure that any child with a special educational need is recognised for their achievements and that their needs are catered for but the child is not discriminated against. We will also ensure that the child remains important and does not become referred to as the child with a special need. The setting is suitable for a wheelchair user as all of the ground floor and garden have level access. The doorways are all wide allowing access. There is a disabled toilet available which has grab rails if these are needed. We use visual displays, visual timetables and other visual prompts to support children.

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An example of a graduated approach to sen support

Response Who is involved? What happens?

Initial concern Parent, keyworker, SENCo

Initial concerns are discussed. Additional observation and monitoring implemented,

review date set.

SEN support (previously EYA, EYA+)

Parent, Keyworker, SENCO, Early Years Advisory Teacher Involve external agency or agencies where appropriate

§ Assess - SEN is identified § Plan – Agree outcomes, interventions

and support as well as expected impact. Address any staff development needs. Ensure parents are involved and reinforcing at home.

§ Do – SENCO is responsible for implementing and assessing response Review – Evaluate plan and agree any changes to secure good progress

Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC plan)

Parent, Keyworker, SENCO, Early Years

Advisory Teacher

Involve external agency or agencies where

appropriate

Where the child has not made expected progress despite the plan of interventions a

request can be made for an Education, Health and Care needs assessment.

The local offer

Every local authority must produce a local offer. The local offer is a centralised resource for families and professionals that holds useful information for children and young people 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The local offer lists all of the education, health, social care and voluntary organisations that are available. Portsmouth's local offer can be found at

www.portsmouthlocaloffer.org If we are approached to care for a child with an existing special education need or disability or if a child we currently care for is identified as having a SEND we will assist where possible. We may need to undertake further training to support the family or involve an outside agency as appropriate. Under the SEND code of practise it is important that the child is at the centre of every decision made. The views and wishes of the child young person and their parents will be sought frequently.

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Sickness Policy

Wherever possible please inform us if your child will not be attending as soon as possible. If a child is suffering from an infectious illness (listed below), unfortunately we cannot accept them into the setting until they have been treated or are clear from their illness, this is to protect ourselves and other children from the spread of illness. This is also in the best interest of the child who is unwell who will prefer to be with ‘mummy’ at this time. We will also not be able to work if we are unwell or suffering from an infectious illness, or our families are unwell. This would prevent me working to the best of my ability and also spread disease throughout the children and their parents. In this case it may necessary for me to cancel children’s sessions until the infectious illness has been treated or until the symptoms have gone. We would appreciate understanding and co-operation between parents as some children and adults are more vulnerable than others.

Medication

We are happy to give your child non-prescribed medication, such as cough mixture, Calpol or nurofen, teething gel etc, but only if you have signed a parental permission form for me to do so. This permission form will be regularly reviewed to ensure that there are no changes, for example a child may no longer be able to take some medication or may need an additional form. Even though you may have signed a form, we will still contact you by telephone to check that we can administer this medication. This is to protect your child, you and ourselves. It is vital that you inform us of any medication you may have given your child before they arrive into our care. We need to know what medicine they have had, the dose and time given. We will ensure that all medication given to us will be stored correctly and we will check that it is still within its expiry date, If your child has a self-held medication please obtain an additional one for me to be kept at my home. Older children can easily forget to bring home an inhaler. What could be a simple puff of ventalin then turns into a major incident and a trip to the hospital. If your child has acute allergies and carries/needs an epipen, please discuss the matter with us. We may need additional training to administer these forms of medication. If your child needs to take medication prescribed by a doctor, please discuss this with us. We will need you to sign an additional permission form. In some cases a child on antibiotics may be asked not to attend for 2-3 days in case they react to the medication and to prevent the spread of an infection to others. All medicine given to us to administer must be in its original bottle/container and not decanted. It must have the manufacturers guidelines on it and if a prescription medication the details from the Doctor/pharmacy. We will record all medication administered in a medical book and request a parental signature at the end of each day. We will use this link to decide on the appropriate exclusion periods: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/353953/Guidance_on_infection_control_in_schools_11_Sept.pdf

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Healthy Living Policy

A good balanced diet is vital for children to develop healthily along with fresh air and regular exercise. We are happy to provide all children in our care with healthy snacks, meals and drinks. We encourage children to choose healthy options and to experiment by trying new foods, including introducing some from a range of other cultures. We are happy to discuss menus with parents and our caterers cater for children with different food allergies and cultural/religious requirements. We will record what your child has eaten and approximate amounts in the daily record sheet. If you have any concerns regarding diet/menu/quantity please do not hesitate to discuss it with me. We are happy to support you if you are weaning your baby. We have a blender and are willing to make puréed dishes if required. We do not permit children to have fizzy drinks, unless it is a special occasion and parents have given permission. Children are offered water, milk or occasionally natural fruit juices. We do not encourage children to eat sweets on a regular basis; however we do sometimes offer sweets for special occasions. Please let us know what, if any sweets you permit your child to eat. We also ensure that all children are given the opportunity to exercise on a daily basis, we make use of the local environment and children may use the outdoor areas as well as visits to the park, the beach, and other local places. We ask that all children are provided with suitable clothing as inclement weather will not prevent us from enjoying the outdoors. We have a limited number of waterproofs and would ask that a raincoat is supplied. In sunny weather please remember to send your child with a hat and suitable sun cream. We do not allow smoking, vaping, illegal substances or any other unsuitable activities in the setting and ensure all visitors know this. Please do not smoke or vape whilst waiting to drop off or collect your children.

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Health and Safety Policy The Health and Safety of your child is very important to us and we have therefore documented the following procedures that we have in place to support this. We use safety equipment appropriate for the children in our care, i.e. stair gates, cupboard locks etc. These are checked regularly.

All equipment will be checked and cleaned regularly. All equipment is fitted with the correct safety harnesses to prevent accidents, for example high chair and pushchairs.

All toys will be checked and cleaned regularly to ensure they are safe for your child to use. Any broken or hazardous toys will be removed immediately. Children will only be offered toys and resources that are suitable for their age/stage of development

Risk assessments are under taken daily and reviewed at least every six months We will keep the front door locked with the keys on a hook to prevent the children opening the door to strangers.

We have procedures in place in the event of a fire

We keep the kitchen very clean, following hygiene guidelines on the storing of food, keeping the fridge at the correct temperature etc

We ensure that the children do not have access to any waste, the bins are emptied daily and any used nappies are double wrapped and placed in the outdoor rubbish bin.

We do not permit smoking or vaping at any time while children are present

We follow strict hygiene guidelines to prevent contamination We have strict Child protection guidelines in place Children must stay with us when we are away from the setting Younger child will be strapped in a pushchair older children will either be on a harness or wrist strap, or holding onto a hand/pushchair until deemed able enough to be independent whilst out We have emergency contact details with us at all times should we need to contact the parents. We will work with you to teach the children about safety issues like crossing the road and stranger danger. We will work with you to teach the children about making healthy food choices and physical exercise. Sleeping children will be regularly monitored and we use a baby monitor as well. We discourage the children from keeping ‘secrets’ We will restrain a child if they are putting themselves or others in danger, for example running into a road All insurances are updated as required e.g. household and vehicles

If you have any concerns regarding the health and safety of your child please discuss them with us.

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Late Payment policy

At Sparkle Lodge we love caring for children and supporting their development, however it is our chosen career and business. Like you we have bills and expenses to meet each month and therefore require a regular income. We would be grateful if you could ensure that you are prompt in paying your fees. We can provide invoices on request. This includes top up fees for student funding where appropriate. If we have not received payment within seven days of the due date, we will issue you with a polite reminder. If we have still not received payment by the 10th day payment is due we reserve the right to make an additional charge ‘Late payment Fee’ as per our contract to cover any bank charges we may have incurred. If at this point we still have not received payment we reserve the right to cease minding your child with immediate effect and seek legal advice from the Professional association of childcare and early years professionals Solicitors. This may result in you being summoned to attend a hearing at County Court and if the judge finds in our favour you will also be liable to the Court for costs incurred. If you have had a change in personal circumstances and are now struggling to make payments, please let us know so we can make suitable arrangements. It may be that you are now entitled to additional funding through the Childcare element of the Working Tax Credit or various government-funding schemes.

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Grievance Policy We believe all people are entitled to expect courtesy and respect. We aim to make all people feel welcome and to be able to give suggestions on ways this can be improved. If you have any concerns please do not hesitate to speak to us so we can discuss them and aim to find a resolution. Small worries often escalate if not dealt with at the start of a problem and are normally easier to resolve if dealt with promptly. We have 28 days to reply to complaints and to give you a written response detailing any action we shall be taking. If we cannot agree a solution then we can arrange a further meeting with a Portsmouth City Council Quality and Sufficiency officer present. This will allow an outside person to clarify the situation and hopefully resolve the situation. If your concern is still unresolved then you may take your grievance directly to the Ofsted complaints panel on 0300 - 123 - 1231 quoting our registration number, which is EY2657312 All grievances will be logged and dated and signed. We also ask the parent to sign to say this is a fair account of the situation. We will also keep you informed of any action we take in response to your grievance. This log is kept confidentially and you may view this log at any time. We may show you a copy of the log without informing you of which parent has raised a grievance. We will review any complaints we receive to enable us to develop practise in the future and to ensure any further issues are addressed

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EYFS

UNIQUE CHILD Child development All Children are allowed to develop at their own rate. We work alongside the seven areas of learning however we understand children are all going to develop at different rates and with strengths and weaknesses in different areas. Activities and events planned take into account both a child's stage of development and their next possible stages of development and are adapted to meet children's individual needs. Inclusive practise All activities, books, toys and resources reflect various cultures, beliefs and social backgrounds. We update our knowledge of cultural awareness and use interpreters from EMAS (Ethnic minority achievement service) as required. We ensure the layout of the house provides the best possible access for children and ensures the maximum space available for children. Keeping safe We extensively risk assess both the house and the wider community on a regular basis to allow children to explore in a safe environment. We explain about safety whilst children are present and we use constant learning opportunities e.g. the green man at crossings for discussions about keeping safe. Children wear hi-vis vests whilst out and about making them easily visible. We update our safeguarding and first aid courses at least every three years and ensure we read any publications we are sent between these dates and that we are familiar with the latest processes. We ensure children are aware of risks and how these can affect them. We practise fire drills regularly and check my fire alarms every week. Health and well-being All children are provided with individual bedding, towels, toothbrushes, hairbrushes and cups. We have policies in place to ensure toys and equipment are cleaned on a regular basis and that damaged items are removed immediately. We have a sick child policy that we adhere to and which we know is vigorous. We ask all parents to sign to say they have received a copy and are aware of incubation periods. This enables us to protect all children. We attended basic food hygiene training that we renew as required and ensure all foods are stored correctly and heated safely. We check food temperatures, fridge and freezer temperatures with a thermometer probe. We provide snacks which are healthy and balanced and which take into account children's intolerances and allergies and cultural differences.

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EYFS POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS Respecting each other We actively support children in forming positive relationships and in learning of social skills. We ensure older children are aware that they are also role models for the younger children and use this to positively reinforce positive behaviour. We also ensure that any discussions that children have regarding behaviour and peoples social or cultural differences are explained as accurately as possible and that children learn respect for other people’s opinions and ways of life. We ensure that children with special needs and disabilities are recognised for whom they are and that they are treated as equals. Parents as partners We work closely with both parents and other professionals to ensure the needs of all children are met in the best way possible. Parents are consulted regarding their child's needs and development when they first attend and are given feedback on their child's day and any achievements their child has made. Parents are encouraged to discuss their child's achievements and to contribute to their child's learning journey. Supporting learning We actively support children's learning and encourage parents to contribute as well. We use both planned and unplanned activities to support children and extend activities if possible if the children are engaged and interested. We ensure we differentiate activities as well to ensure each child gets the best they can from any activity. We attend as many courses as we can to ensure we are updated with the latest expectations and will seek out trainings we feel will benefit the children we care for and specific courses if we feel there is a gap in our knowledge e.g. supporting older children or ECAT (every child a talker). Key person We work hard to form a close bond with all children we care for and we know this is having a positive impact on children as we are often asked by children we care for to attend school assemblies and sporting events to share in their achievements. We work hard to ensure we become a special person to the younger children whilst reinforcing the bond they have with their own parents or carers.

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EYFS

ENABLING ENVIRONMENTS Observation, assessment and planning - Supporting every child Children benefit from the observations we undertake and activities are planned from these observations. We ensure during an activity all children's individual needs are taken into account and that planned activities are at appropriate stages for the children we are currently caring for. The learning environment We ensure our resources promote positive images of society and are up to date and accurate. We ensure the visual displays in the home and garden are accessible to all children and the noticeboard is updated regularly with children's achievements. The wider context We work closely with everyone else involved in the child's life e.g. speech therapists, teachers and psychologists and wherever possible use information they provide to support a child's learning. We also recognise other familiar adults who participate in children's day-to-day lives e.g. lollipop person bus drivers and shop keepers. Whilst out and about children are encouraged to respect the area we live in and to be polite towards adults and children we may meet. We make use of local community facilities e.g. libraries, parks and swimming pools. We ensure whilst out in the wider community any observations are used to aid discussions e.g. cleaning up after dogs, crossing roads or going to the shops. We work alongside the quality and sufficiency officers to ensure our practise is updated regularly and that we always offer the best service we can to all families we care for.

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EYFS LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT

Play and exploration All resources are accessible to all children, and children are able to self-select resources either independently or with support appropriate to their needs. We ensure that my resources are both interesting and challenging to the children we care for and are from a variety of sources. Our art materials are suitable for all children and are varied. We use child-sized furniture and encourage toys and equipment to be used both indoors and outdoors.

Active learning Children's interests and ideas change often and we ensure our resources enable children's interests to be taken into account and we actively seek out resources if we find this is not happening. We have access to the local toy store, libraries, and the craft bank. We also use charity shops to update our resources as necessary.

Creativity and critical thinking We ensure children are able to explore a wide variety of objects and that not all resources are plastic. We use treasure baskets to extend children's knowledge and story and singing sacks to further extend children's interests. We use role-play to further explore children's ideas and children's observations to extend activities.

Areas of learning and development We use the areas of learning and development to inform our planning and have a wide range of resources we use for both child initiated and planned activities. We adapt activities so all children are given opportunities and simplify or extend activities as children participate.

The areas of learning & development are: Communication, language

Personal, social and emotional development

Literacy

Mathematics

Understanding of the world

Physical development

Expressive Art and Design

We also consider the characteristics of learning, which are: Playing and exploring Active learning Creativity & thinking critically