We accept the following methods of payment:
Childcare vouchers (All schemes including Fideliti, Edenred, Sodexo, Computershare, etc.)
Government Tax Free Childcare through www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
Care 2 Learn (Student Bursary Support Scheme)
Standing order
Bank Transfer /mobile banking
| Per Session | 2025 Fee | Using TFC |
| Full Day (1-3 days per week or funded child) | £65.00 | £52.00 |
| School Day (1-3 days per week or funded child) | £54.00 | £43.20 |
| Half Day (1-3 days per week or funded child) | £40 | £32 |
| Full Day (4-5 days per week non-funded child) | £63.00 | £50.40 |
| School Day (4-5 days per week non-funded child) | £53.00 | £42.40 |
| Half Day (4-5 days per week non-funded child) | £39.00 | £31.20 |
Bee Active Enrichment sessions £2 per week per child – term time only
All fees are payable in advance, and are due regardless of illness or holiday. Please ask for a copy of our terms and conditions and see our Fees and Payments Policy.
Late payment fees apply for fees not paid on time
We also offer funded places for 2, 3 and 4 year olds, for both 15 and 30 hours.
Please contact us for further details or see the Staffordshire County Council website
Here are some links that parents may find useful
Parents guide to the Early Years Foundation Stage
EYFS: 3.28, 3.57
At Elmhurst House Day Nursery, we care for up to 90 children between the ages of 0 and 5.
The numbers and ages of children admitted to the nursery comply with the legal space requirements set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). When considering admissions we are mindful of staff: child ratios and the facilities available at the nursery.
The nursery will use the following admission criteria which will be applied in the following order of priority:
A child requiring a full-time place may have preference over one requiring a part-time place. This is dependent upon work commitments, occupancy and room availability.
We operate an inclusion and equality policy and ensure that all children have access to nursery places and services irrespective of their gender, race, disability, religion or belief or sexual orientation of parents.
Prior to a child attending nursery, parents must complete and sign a contract and registration form. These forms provide the nursery with personal details relating to the child. For example, name, date of birth, address, emergency contact details, parental responsibilities, dietary requirements, collection arrangements, fees and sessions, contact details for parents, doctor’s contact details, health visitor contact details, allergies, parental consent and vaccinations etc.
Providers eligible to provide government funded places for early education
All settings registered to accept government funding (detailed in the code of practice) must offer free places for two, and three to five year olds for early learning sessions specified by the local authority.
At Elmhurst House Day Nursery we currently provide free funded places available for children subject to availability. These places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis and can be booked a term in advance. Please note for admissions for the free nursery education we have a termly intake, beginning the term following your child’s second (for Think2 eligible children) or third birthday. We are able to accommodate a change of provider mid-term due to exceptional circumstances, providing you have given your existing provider the relevant notice period.
All funded sessions are now in line with the flexible arrangement as specified by the Government. When you register your child for their funded place we will discuss your needs and, as far as possible with availability and staffing arrangements, we will accommodate your wishes.
EYFS: 3.4-3.18, 3.19, 3.21, 3.22
At Elmhurst House Day Nursery we work with children, parents, external agencies and the community to ensure the welfare and safety of children and to give them the very best start in life. Children have the right to be treated with respect, be helped to thrive and to be safe from any abuse in whatever form.
We support the children within our care, protect them from maltreatment and have robust procedures in place to prevent the impairment of children’s health and development. In our setting we strive to protect children from the risk of radicalisation and we promote acceptance and tolerance of other beliefs and cultures (please refer to our inclusion and equality policy for further information). Safeguarding is a much wider subject than the elements covered within this single policy, therefore this document should be used in conjunction with the nursery’s other policies and procedures.
This policy works alongside these other specific policies to cover all aspects of child protection:
Legal framework and definition of safeguarding
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, in relation to this policy is defined as:
(Definition taken from the HM Government document ‘Working together to safeguard children 2018).
Policy intention:
To safeguard children and promote their welfare we will:
The nursery is aware that abuse does occur in our society and we are vigilant in identifying signs of abuse and reporting concerns. Our practitioners have a duty to protect and promote the welfare of children. Due to the many hours of care we are providing, staff may often be the first people to identify that there may be a problem. They may well be the first people in whom children confide information that may suggest abuse or to spot changes in a child’s behaviour which may indicate abuse.
Our prime responsibility is the welfare and well-being of each child in our care. As such we believe we have a duty to the children, parents and staff to act quickly and responsibly in any instance that may come to our attention. This includes sharing information with any relevant agencies such as local authority services for children’s social care, health professionals or the police. All staff will work with other agencies in the best interest of the child, including as part of a multi-agency team, where needed.
The nursery aims to:
We will support children by offering reassurance, comfort and sensitive interactions. We will devise activities according to individual circumstances to enable children to develop confidence and self-esteem within their peer group and support them to learn how to keep themselves safe.
Contact telephone numbers:
Ofsted – 0300 123 1231
Staffordshire Safeguarding Children’s Board First Response – 0800 131 3126
First Response Out of Hours Number – 0845 604 2866 or 0845 604 2889
Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) – 0800 131 3126
Staffordshire Police Prevent Team – 01785 238239 or 01785 233109
Non-emergency Mandatory Reporting of known FGM or Non-Emergency Police – 101
Police Emergency – 999
Government helpline for extremism concerns – 020 7340 7264
NSPCC – 0808 800 5000
Types of abuse and particular procedures followed
Abuse and neglect are forms of maltreatment of a child. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by harming them or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused within a family, institution or community setting by those known to them or a stranger. This could be an adult or adults, another child or children.
What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused (advice for practitioners) 2015.
The signs and indicators listed below may not necessarily indicate that a child has been abused, but will help us to recognise that something may be wrong, especially if a child shows a number of these symptoms or any of them to a marked degree.
Indicators of child abuse
Softer signs of abuse as defined by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) include:
Peer on peer abuse
We are aware that peer on peer abuse does take place, so we include children in our policies when we talk about potential abusers. This may take the form of bullying, physically hurting another child, emotional abuse, or sexual abuse. We will report this in the same way as we do for adults abusing children, and will take advice from the appropriate bodies on this area.
Physical abuse
Action needs to be taken if staff have reason to believe that there has been a physical injury to a child, including deliberate poisoning, where there is definite knowledge or reasonable suspicion that the injury was inflicted or knowingly not prevented. These symptoms may include bruising or injuries in an area that is not usual for a child, e.g. fleshy parts of the arms and legs, back, wrists, ankles and face.
Many children will have cuts and grazes from normal childhood injuries. These should also be logged and discussed with the nursery manager or room leader.
Children and babies may be abused physically through shaking or throwing. Other injuries may include burns or scalds. These are not usual childhood injuries and should always be logged and discussed with the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and/or nursery manager.
Female genital mutilation
This type of physical abuse is practised as a cultural ritual by certain ethnic groups and there is now more awareness of its prevalence in some communities in England including its effect on the child and any other siblings involved. This procedure may be carried out shortly after birth and during childhood as well as adolescence, just before marriage or during a woman’s first pregnancy and varies widely according to the community[1]. Symptoms may include bleeding, painful areas, acute urinary retention, urinary infection, wound infection, septicaemia, incontinence, vaginal and pelvic infections with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder as well as physiological concerns. If you have concerns about a child relating to this area, you should contact children’s social care team in the same way as other types of physical abuse. There is a mandatory duty to report to police any case where an act of female genital mutilation appears to have been carried out on a girl under the age of 18, we will ensure this is followed in our setting.
Breast Ironing
Breast ironing also known as “breast flattening” is the process where young girls’ breasts are ironed, massaged and/or pounded down through the use of hard or heated objects in order for the breasts to disappear or delay the development of the breasts entirely. It is believed that by carrying out this act, young girls will be protected from harassment, rape, abduction and early forced marriage. Although this is unlikely to happen to children in the nursery due to their age, we will ensure any signs of this in young adults or older children are followed up using the usual safeguarding referral process.
Fabricated illness
This is also a type of physical abuse. This is where a child is presented with an illness that is fabricated by the adult carer. The carer may seek out unnecessary medical treatment or investigation. The signs may include a carer exaggerating a real illness or symptoms, complete fabrication of symptoms or inducing physical illness, e.g. through poisoning, starvation, inappropriate diet. This may also be presented through false allegations of abuse or encouraging the child to appear disabled or ill to obtain unnecessary treatment or specialist support.
Sexual abuse
Action needs be taken if the staff member has witnessed an occasion(s) where a child indicated sexual activity through words, play, drawing, had an excessive preoccupation with sexual matters or had an inappropriate knowledge of adult sexual behaviour or language. This may include acting out sexual activity on dolls/toys or in the role play area with their peers, drawing pictures that are inappropriate for a child, talking about sexual activities or using sexual language or words. The child may become worried when their clothes are removed, e.g. for nappy changes.
The physical symptoms may include genital trauma, discharge and bruises between the legs or signs of a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Emotional symptoms could include a distinct change in a child’s behaviour. They may be withdrawn or overly extroverted and outgoing. They may withdraw away from a particular adult and become distressed if they reach out for them, but they may also be particularly clingy to a potential abuser so all symptoms and signs should be looked at together and assessed as a whole.
If a child starts to talk openly to an adult about abuse they may be experiencing the procedure below will be followed:
Procedure:
Child sexual exploitation (CSE)
Working Together to Safeguard Children defines CSE as “…a form of child sexual abuse. It occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into sexual activity (a) in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or (b) for the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator or facilitator. The victim may have been sexually exploited even if the sexual activity appears consensual. Child sexual exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology.”
We will be aware of the possibility of CSE and the signs and symptoms this may manifest as. If we have concerns we will follow the same procedures as for other concerns and we will record and refer as appropriate.
Adult sexual exploitation
As part of our safeguarding procedures we will also ensure that staff and students are safeguarded from sexual exploitation.
Emotional abuse
Action should be taken if the staff member has reason to believe that there is a severe, adverse effect on the behaviour and emotional development of a child, caused by persistent or severe ill treatment or rejection.
This may include extremes of discipline where a child is shouted at or put down on a consistent basis, lack of emotional attachment by a parent, or it may include parents or carers placing inappropriate age or developmental expectations upon them. Emotional abuse may also be imposed through the child witnessing domestic abuse and alcohol and drug misuse by adults caring for them.
The child is likely to show extremes of emotion with this type of abuse. This may include shying away from an adult who is abusing them, becoming withdrawn, aggressive or clingy in order to receive their love and attention. This type of abuse is harder to identify as the child is not likely to show any physical signs.
Neglect
Action should be taken if the staff member has reason to believe that there has been any type of neglect of a child (for example, by exposure to any kind of danger, including cold, starvation or failure to seek medical treatment, when required, on behalf of the child), which results in serious impairment of the child’s health or development, including failure to thrive.
Signs may include a child persistently arriving at nursery unwashed or unkempt, wearing clothes that are too small (especially shoes that may restrict the child’s growth or hurt them), arriving at nursery in the same nappy they went home in or a child having an illness or identified special educational need or disability that is not being addressed by the parent. A child may also be persistently hungry if a parent is withholding food or not providing enough for a child’s needs.
Neglect may also be shown through emotional signs, e.g. a child may not be receiving the attention they need at home and may crave love and support at nursery. They may be clingy and emotional. In addition, neglect may occur through pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse.
Domestic Abuse / Honour Based Violence / Forced Marriages
We look at these areas as a child protection concern. Please refer to the separate policy for further details on this.
Reporting Procedures
All staff have a responsibility to report safeguarding concerns and suspicions of abuse. These concerns will be discussed with the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) as soon as possible.
The designated safeguarding lead will:
Keeping children safe is our highest priority and if, for whatever reason, staff do not feel able to report concerns to the DSL or deputy DSL they should call the Local Authority children’s social care team or the NSPCC and report their concerns anonymously.
These contact numbers are displayed in all rooms and by the main entrance.
Recording Suspicions of Abuse and Disclosures
Staff should make an objective record of any observation or disclosure, supported by the nursery manager or designated safeguarding lead (DSL). This record should include:
These records should be signed by the person reporting this and the manager and DSL or deputy DSL, dated and kept in a separate confidential file.
If a child starts to talk to an adult about potential abuse it is important not to promise the child complete confidentiality. This promise cannot be kept. It is vital that the child is allowed to talk openly and disclosure is not forced or words put into the child’s mouth. As soon as possible after the disclosure details must be logged accurately.
It may be thought necessary that through discussion with all concerned the matter needs to be raised with the local authority children’s social care team and Ofsted. Staff involved may be asked to supply details of any information/concerns they have with regard to a child. The nursery expects all members of staff to co-operate with the local authority children’s social care, police, and Ofsted in any way necessary to ensure the safety of the children.
Staff must not make any comments either publicly or in private about the supposed or actual behaviour of a parent or member of staff.
Informing parents
Parents are normally the first point of contact. If a suspicion of abuse is recorded, parents are informed at the same time as the report is made, except where the guidance of the local authority children’s social care team/police does not allow this. This will usually be the case where the parent or family member is the likely abuser or where a child may be endangered by this disclosure. In these cases the investigating officers will inform parents.
Confidentiality
All suspicions, enquiries and external investigations are kept confidential and shared only with those who need to know. Any information is shared in line with guidance from the local authority.
Support to families
The nursery takes every step in its power to build up trusting and supportive relations among families, staff, students and volunteers within the nursery.
The nursery continues to welcome the child and the family whilst enquiries are being made in relation to abuse in the home situation. Parents and families will be treated with respect in a non-judgmental manner whilst any external investigations are carried out in the best interest of the child.
Confidential records kept on a child are shared with the child’s parents or those who have parental responsibility for the child, only if appropriate in line with guidance of the local authority with the proviso that the care and safety of the child is paramount. We will do all in our power to support and work with the child’s family.
Allegations against adults working or volunteering with children
If an allegation is made against a member of staff, student or volunteer or any other person who lives or works on the nursery premises regardless of whether the allegation relates to the nursery premises or elsewhere, we will follow the procedure below.
The allegation should be reported to the senior manager on duty. If this person is the subject of the allegation then this should be reported to the owner/registered person/DSL/deputy manager instead.
The Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) and Ofsted will then be informed immediately in order for this to be investigated by the appropriate bodies promptly:
Monitoring children’s attendance
As part of our requirements under the statutory framework and guidance documents we are required to monitor children’s attendance patterns to ensure they are consistent and no cause for concern.
Parents should please inform the nursery prior to their children taking holidays or days off, and all sickness should be called into the nursery on the day so the nursery management are able to account for a child’s absence.
If a child has not arrived at nursery within one hour of their normal start time the parents will be called to ensure the child is safe and healthy. If the parents are not contactable then the further emergency contacts will be used to ensure all parties are safe.
Where a child is part of a child protection plan, or during a referral process, any absences will immediately be reported to the local authority children’s social care team to ensure the child remains safeguarded.
This should not stop parents taking precious time with their children, but enables children’s attendance to be logged so we know the child is safe.
Looked after children
As part of our safeguarding practice we will ensure our staff are aware of how to keep looked after children safe. In order to do this we ask that we are informed of:
Please refer to the Looked After Children policy for further details.
Staffing and volunteering
Our policy is to provide a secure and safe environment for all children. We only allow an adult who is employed by the nursery to care for children and who has an enhanced clearance from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to be left alone with children. We will obtain enhanced criminal records checks (DBS) for all volunteers and do not allow any volunteers to be unsupervised with children.
All staff will attend child protection training and receive initial basic child protection training during their induction period. This will include the procedures for spotting signs and behaviours of abuse and abusers/potential abusers, recording and reporting concerns and creating a safe and secure environment for the children in the nursery. During induction staff will be given contact details for the LADO (local authority designated officer), the local authority children’s social care team and Ofsted to enable them to report any safeguarding concerns, independently, if they feel it necessary to do so.
We have named persons within the nursery who take lead responsibility for safeguarding and co-ordinate child protection and welfare issues, known as the Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL), there is always at least one designated person on duty during all opening hours of the setting.
These designated persons will receive comprehensive training at least every two years and update their knowledge on an ongoing basis, but at least once a year.
The nursery DSL’s liaise with the local authority children’s social care team, undertakes specific training, including a child protection training course, and receives regular updates to developments within this field. They in turn support the ongoing development and knowledge update of all staff on the team.
Although, under the EYFS, we are only required to have one designated lead for safeguarding, for best practice and to ensure cover at all times, we have two designated leads in place. This enables safeguarding to stay high on our priorities at all times. There will always be at least one designated lead on duty at all times our provision is open. This will ensure that prompt action can be taken if concerns are raised.
The Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL) at the nursery is: Julie Moore and Sam Scott
We also operate a Phones and Other Electronic Devices and Social Media policy which states how we will keep children safe from these devices whilst at nursery. This also links to our Online Safety policy.
Extremism – the Prevent Duty
Under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 we have a duty to refer any concerns of extremism to the police (In Prevent priority areas the local authority will have a Prevent lead who can also provide support).
This may be a cause for concern relating to a change in behaviour of a child or family member, comments causing concern made to a member of the team (or other persons in the setting) or actions that lead staff to be worried about the safety of a child in their care. We have a Prevent Duty and Radicalisation policy in place. Please refer to this for specific details.
Online Safety.
We take the safety of our children very seriously and this includes their online safety. Please refer to the Online Safety policy for details on this.
Human Trafficking and Slavery
Please refer to our Human Trafficking and Slavery policy for detail on how we keep children safe in this area.
Our nursery has a clear commitment to protecting children and promoting welfare. Should anyone believe that this policy is not being upheld, it is their duty to report the matter to the attention of the nursery manager/owner/DSL/registered person at the earliest opportunity.
EYFS: 3.74, 3.75
At Elmhurst House Day Nursery we believe that parents are entitled to expect courtesy and prompt, careful attention to their individual needs and wishes. We hope that at all times parents are happy with the service provided and we encourage parents to voice their appreciation to the staff concerned.
We record all compliments and share these with staff.
We welcome any suggestions from parents on how we can improve our services, and will give prompt and serious attention to any concerns that parents may have. Any concerns will be dealt with professionally and promptly to ensure that any issues arising from them are handled effectively and to ensure the welfare of all children, enable ongoing cooperative partnership with parents and to continually improve the quality of the nursery.
We have a formal procedure for dealing with complaints where we are not able to resolve a concern. Where any concern or complaint relates to child protection, we follow our Safeguarding Policy.
Internal complaints procedure
Stage 1
If any parent should have cause for concern or any queries regarding the care or early learning provided by the nursery, they should in the first instance take it up with the child’s key person or a senior member of staff/room leader.
Stage 2
If the issue remains unresolved or parents feel they have received an unsatisfactory outcome, then they must present their concerns in writing as a formal complaint to the nursery manager. The manager will then investigate the complaint and report back to the parent within five working days The manager will document the complaint fully and the actions taken in relation to it in the complaints log book.
(Most complaints are usually resolved informally at stage 1 or 2.)
Stage 3
If the matter is still not resolved, the nursery will hold a formal meeting between the manager, parent and a senior staff member to ensure that it is dealt with comprehensively. The nursery will make a record of the meeting and document any actions. All parties present at the meeting will review the accuracy of the record, and be asked to sign to agree it and receive a copy. This will signify the conclusion of the procedure.
Stage 4
If the matter cannot be resolved to their satisfaction, then parents have the right to raise the matter with Ofsted. Parents are made aware that they can contact Ofsted at any time they have a concern, including at all stages of the complaints procedure, and are given information on how to contact Ofsted. Ofsted is the registering authority for nurseries in England and investigates all complaints that suggest a provider may not be meeting the requirements of the nursery’s registration. It risk assesses all complaints made and may visit the nursery to carry out a full inspection where it believes requirements are not met.
A record of complaints will be kept in the nursery. The record will include the name of the complainant, the nature of the complaint, date and time complaint received, action(s) taken, result of any investigations and any information given to the complainant including a dated response.
Parents will be able to access this record if they wish; however, all personal details relating to any complaint will be stored confidentially and will be only accessible by the parties involved. Ofsted inspectors will have access to this record at any time during visits to ensure actions have been met appropriately.
Contact details for Ofsted:
Email: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk
Telephone: 0300 123 1231
By post:
Ofsted
Piccadilly Gate
Store Street
Manchester
M1 2WD
Parents will also be informed if the nursery becomes aware that they are going to be inspected and after inspection the nursery will provide a copy of the report to parents and/or carers of children attending on a regular basis.
Payment of Fees
The fees payable are set out in your invoice and in your Famly account.
Fees are payable even if your child is absent through sickness or holiday. This includes periods of self-isolation or quarantine required for notifiable diseases such as Covid-19, Measles, Mumps, Rubella or Scarlet Fever.
Fees will not be charged for bank holidays and planned closure days. We shall endeavour to advise you of planned closure days at least 3 months in advance.
Fees are due on the first day of the month to which the payment relates. Payment should be received by the 10th of each month.
Bookings for ad-hoc additional hours or sessions will be charged according to the relevant fee schedule and are to be paid at least 24 hours in advance.
All payments must normally be made by card/direct debit/bank transfer or childcare vouchers/tax free childcare. We may agree to payment by cash or cheque in exceptional circumstances and only by prior agreement. It is your responsibility to obtain a receipt from the nursery manager as proof of payment. No payment shall be deemed to have been made until it is cleared into our bank account. If a cheque bounces, or payment fails, we may charge a reasonable administration fee (currently £50).
Forced Closure due to Pandemic or Local Lockdown Restrictions
If we are forced to close due to pandemic or local lockdown restrictions, we reserve the right to charge 25% of the normal fees due for the period of forced closure. This will be kept under review and will not be charged if relevant insurance coverage is in place.
Changes to Fees
We may increase our charges once per calendar year. We will give you written notice of any such increase one month before the proposed date of increase.
Late Payment of Fees
Late payment of fees may only be authorised by management.
Late payment of fees will incur an administration fee of £10 per day until the fees are collected unless delayed payment has been previously authorised .
Non-payment of Fees
We reserve the right to make an interest charge of up to 1.5% per cent per month or part month on late payment for unauthorised debts.
We reserve the right to issue proceedings in the small claims court for recovery of unpaid fees.
Unless otherwise notified to you in writing, interest shall accrue on a daily basis from the due date until the date of actual payment of the overdue amount, whether before or after judgment. You must pay us the interest together with the overdue amount. In addition we will be entitled to recover from you the full amount of our administrative and other costs incurred in recovering any unpaid sum including legal costs and disbursements on an indemnity basis.
We will also charge you a reasonable administration fee (currently £100) and suspend all Services until payment has been made in full, which will include the suspension of the Child, or even terminate the contract permanently.
Date: 1st September 2020
Version: 2.4
Implementation & Validity: Duration of Covid-19 Restrictions
Introduction
This document is intended to outline the precautionary measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 disease in our setting.
These guidelines are based on Public Health England and Department for Education guidance for educational settings and their key workers.
The fundamental principle of this guidance is to ensure physical distancing between identified groups as far as possible, and to implement good hygiene practices.
Children’s Attendance
Physical distancing/groupings
Wellbeing and education
Laundry
Workforce Attendance
Training
Laundry
Parents
Physical Distancing
Communication
Hygiene and Health and Safety
Infection control measures
Hand washing and/or hand sanitisation
Cleaning
Waste disposal
Laundry
Risk Assessment
Personal Protective Equipment
Visitors – Visits
Travel
Travel associated with setting operations
Premises
Building
Resources
Supplies
Procurement and Monitoring