NEWTOWNARDS ROAD WOMEN’S GROUP LTD
CAREW II FAMILY & TRAINING CENTRE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CHILD PROTECTION POLICIES
(Part of the Policy & Procedure Document)
Reviewed April 2013
Reprinted September 2013
INDEX
Mission Statement 2
Quality Childcare Statement 3
Customer Care 4,5
Complaints Procedures 6
Equal Opportunities Policy – Childcare Services 7, 8
Equality, Inclusion and Diversity 9,10,11
Acceptable use of Cameras & Mobile Phones Policy 12,13
Child Protection Policy 14,15,16
Process of Contacting a Health Visitor or Social Services 17
Flow Chart for reporting suspected abuse 18
Alcohol, Substance & Drugs Misuse 19
Play Policy 20
Ratio of Staff to Children 21
Special Needs/Requirements 22
Personal Care Policy 23,23,25
Toileting and changing Policy 26
Medication Policy 27
Settling in Policy 28
Partnership with Parents Policy 29
Behaviour Management Policy – Pre-schools 30,31,32
Afterschool Club & Holiday Schemes
Toddler Group, Crèche
Anti-Bullying Policy 33,34,35
Restricted Access to Information - Confidentiality 36,37
Parents Access to Information 38
Observation/Record keeping and assessment policy 39
Curriculum Policy – Little Owls 40,41
Curriculum Policy – Little Ducks 42,43,44
Healthy Eating Policy – childcare Services 45
Healthcare of Children 46
Headlice Policy 47
Care In the Sun 48
Adverse Weather Conditions Policy 49
Crèche Policy & Procedures 50
Transportation of Children 51
Travel and off site safety 52
Missing Child 53
Visitors 54
Medical Emergencies Procedures 55
Infection Control Policy 56,57,58
First Aid 59
Contact Details 60
These policies form our Pastoral Care Document. They are part of our full Policy and Procedure Document which is available from Reception on request.
MISSION STATEMENT
The Newtownards Road Women’s Group Limited, as owners and managers of the Carew II Family & Training Centre, is committed to providing locally based resources and services aimed at improving the quality of life for women and their families.
Working as it does in an area of Belfast which suffers multiple deprivation, the Centre recognises that childcare must be affordable, comprehensive, and of high standard, if families - and particularly women - are to benefit to the full.
The Newtownards Road Women’s Group Limited is committed to the development of a Family Centre to ensure that there is a local facility which supports women and their families as well as children and their carers.
The Group believes that all children have a right to well organised pre-school and afterschool activities and in an area where poverty and social deprivation is commonly experienced, there is an absolute commitment to providing a solid foundation for local children to develop their talents.
Furthermore the Group maintains that women cannot make real choices about their lives or contribute to their community fully without the availability of high quality childcare. Recognising the central role of women in the family and community, the Newtownards Road Women’s Group Limited places a high priority on education and training to develop the skills and talents of local women.
The ethos of the Centre is also to encourage local people to become involved in the development of the Centre and the area in general. As a user-led facility, the Centre is concerned with playing an active role in community development and economic regeneration in East Belfast and thus to increase the direct involvement of community organisations.
The Centre is also committed to ensuring that women’s needs are central to the many initiatives currently in operation in the East Belfast area. Therefore the Centre constantly monitors the needs of local women and their families, evaluates its own response whilst seeking to influence policy makers whose decisions affect the life of the area.
The Newtownards Road Women’s Group Limited places great value on the community and women’s networks that exist throughout Belfast and is actively involved in these as a way of sharing skills, information and resources.
QUALITY CHILDCARE STATEMENT
The Newtownards Road Women’s Group Limited is committed to providing high quality affordable children’s services for use by local families, and targeted at those in need. We endeavour to employ the most experienced, efficient, highly trained, qualified and vetted staff to ensure that the children receive care, education and encouragement to develop their potential.
We provide training to NVQ Level III standard for our own staff and because the high standard of care we provide is recognised by other agencies, our centre is valued by them as an effective work placement for their own trainees. By providing work/training placements we also enhance the number of staff to children ratio thus providing even greater individual care for the children. We are registered with Social Services under the Children’s Order (N.I.) 1996. We believe that children need to be offered equal opportunities within the play setting and therefore have an equal opportunity policy for childcare.
All children will be respected and their individuality and potential recognised, valued and nurtured. Activities and the use of play equipment will offer children opportunities to develop in an environment free from prejudice and discrimination. Opportunities will be given to children to explore, acknowledge and value similarities and differences between themselves and others. The response to discriminatory behaviour or remarks will aim to be sensitive and supportive to the feelings of the victim and to help those responsible to understand and overcome their prejudices. We will challenge any statements or behaviour by anyone in the group which are sexist, racist or which
re-inforce stereotypes or which are in other ways derogatory to an individual.
CUSTOMER CARE
The Newtownards Road Women’s Group Limited are committed to ensuring that people who use their services are treated equally, fairly, in a friendly welcoming manner and with respect at all times. We will do this by:
Working with local families to ensure that our services are accessible, affordable, supportive, high quality and user friendly. This will be carried out by ensuring that at least one user from each of the facilities is represented on the Management Committee.
· Childcare
We will ensure that while children are in our care they will have all of the rights outlined in our quality childcare statement.
We will ensure that parents are given all of the information they need to make an informed choice and the opportunity to be involved within the childcare setting. This information will be given to them in different forms which include: in person at information/introduction days, within the information booklets, orally by staff and committee members, by letter and by telephone when information is requested.
· Training
We will endeavour to support adults accessing training through the Carew II Family & Training Centre by doing the following:
1. offering affordable and accessible training
2. basing training programmes on identified need within the community
3. where we do not supply particular training or demand is too low to run a full course, we will work with other agencies to ensure the individuals needs are met
4. support while deciding if training is really what the individual needs and wants
5. offering Training Needs Analysis to individuals when possible
6. endeavouring to remove the barriers faced by carers/women seeking training. Some of the identified barriers are - childcare, timings of courses to be accessible in relation to other considerations in their lives, minimising any costs incurred while accessing courses i.e. transport, course materials etc.
· Women’s Group
Working with the women in the women’s group to ensure that programmes and activities are meeting their needs and support them in raising the finances needed to allow them to maintain and develop their programmes.
· Other groups
We will work with groups to offer them a place to meet if they do not have one, and while using our premises they will be offered the same standard of service any current user can expect. In return for this facility we would expect the groups to ensure they are following Carew II Family & Training Centre policies and procedures.
· We will welcome opportunities for improvement by listening to the people who use our service.
· We will extend this opportunity by carrying out research within the local area to ask people for their ideas on the work of the Centre.
· We will ensure the Implementation of the complaints procedures.
COMPLAINTS PROCEDURES
If you have a complaint or a suggestion for improvement in relation to the Centre and/or it’s activities please tell us. We will be happy to talk to you about this.
For complaints please inform the following people:
Childcare - In the first instance you should contact the Leader in question either the Playgroup Leader (Pre-school Playgroup), Crèche Worker (Crèche Facility) or the Afterschool Club Leader (Afterschool Club) and they will be happy to talk to any parents/guardians about concerns for their children, please do not go to the Assistants as the Leader in charge is the person who can make or recommend changes.
If you have complained and are not completely satisfied that it has been dealt with appropriately, then you can feel free to discuss your concerns with the Operations Manager who will then investigate these concerns.
If you are still not satisfied that your complaint has been dealt with appropriately then you are free to contact Social Services who monitor our childcare on 90564910.
General Complaint – Other Services - If you have any other type of complaint/concern/suggestion for improvement please make these known to the Operations Manager who will discuss the matter with you and work with you to find a solution.
If you are still unhappy, or feel your complaint has not been taken seriously enough, or that it has not be dealt with appropriately then please contact the Committee by writing to:
The Secretary, Newtownards Road Women’s Group Limited, Carew II, 15 Tamar Street, Belfast BT4 1HS.
All complaints or suggestions for improvements will be taken seriously, we do our best to ensure our services are of the highest quality and would prefer users of the services/facilities to let us know if they are not totally satisfied. We constantly look for ways to improve what we offer and how it is offered, we appreciate those people most affected having an involvement in this process.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES POLICY – CHILDCARE SERVICES
Statement of Intent
The Newtownards Road Women’s Group is committed to promoting equality of opportunity by providing activities which are open to all children and their families. We aim to ensure that all individuals who wish to work in our Centre as staff or volunteers have an equal opportunity to do so.
We promote equality through a wide range of policies and procedures including:
Equal Opportunities Policy
Partnership with parents/carers
Selection/admissions
Special needs
Meetings
Meetings will be held at an appropriate time and venue to enable the majority of parents/carers to attend.
There will be equal access to information and involvement in all Childcare Services.
Language and Information
Members of the community are information of location and opening times of the Childcare Services through advertising in local amenities.
Basic information written and spoken will be clearly communicated in as many languages and mediums as is possible.
Efforts will be made to accommodate individuals who use both sign language as a means of communication and for those who have English as a second language.
Access
Everyone in the community regardless of religious affiliation, political background, race culture, linguistic needs, disability, sexual orientation or age, has access to all Childcare Services.
Play activities
All children are to be respected and their individuality and potential recognised, valued and nurtured.
Activities and the use of play equipment should offer children opportunities to develop in an environment free from prejudice and discrimination.
Through the proactive use of planning and development opportunities will be given to children to explore, acknowledge and value similarities and differences between themselves and others.
Resources
All materials are to positively and accurately reflect cultural and racial diversity. These materials should help children to develop their self-respect and respect for other people by avoiding stereotypes. Boys and girls are to have equal opportunity, and be actively encouraged to use all activities.
Discriminatory behaviour/remarks
Any discrimination (language, behaviour or remarks) by children, parents/carers, users or staff/volunteers is unacceptable in the Centre.
Supporting the victim and helping those responsible to understand and overcome their prejudices will positively challenge discrimination.
Festivals
We aim to show respect for and awareness of all major events in the lives of the children and families in the Centre and wider society.
Without indoctrination we aim to acknowledge festivals celebrated by both families in our local community and in wider society through stories, activities, special food and clothing, which reflect diversity of life.
EQUALITY, INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY POLICY
Statement of Intent
Carew II will ensure that our service is fully inclusive in meeting the needs of all children, particularly those that arise from their ethnic heritage, social and economic background, gender, ability or disability.
Our community setting is committed to anti-discriminatory practice to promote equality of opportunity and valuing diversity for all children and families.
Aim
We aim to provide a secure and accessible environment in which all our children can flourish and in which all contributions are considered and valued
Include and value the contribution of all families to our understanding of equality and diversity
Provide positive non-stereotyping information about gender roles, diverse ethnic and cultural groups and disabled people
Improve our knowledge and understanding of issues of anti-discriminatory practice, promoting equality and valuing diversity.
Make inclusion a thread that runs through all of the activities of the community setting
The Legal Framework for this Policy is
The Equality Act 2006
Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995-2005
Race Relations Act 1976
Race Relations Amendment Act 2000
Sex Discrimination Act 1976-1986
Children Act 1989-2004
Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001
Method
In order to meet our legal duties, promote equality and inclusion in our setting and value diversity we follow these procedures