Are you still giving parents a copy of policies and procedures?

**Cazz** · 18-09-2012, 10:08 PM

I hope I'm right in thinking that with the exception of a few important ones we don't have to have written policies and procedures any more? If this is the case please could someone just clarify which ones we do need to have? (Safeguarding, Camera/Mobile Phone - what else?)

I currently have around 30 policies and procedures and am thinking that I may as well keep them in place and continue to update/review as necessary.

I'm signing contracts with a new parent next week (my first since the revised EYFS) and I'm not sure if I should give her a copy of all of them as I have previously done with new parents?

**silvermist** · 18-09-2012, 10:14 PM

Hiya,Like you I have about 30 policies in place and I plan to keep them going and reviewing and up-dating where nescessary. When parents come to sign contracts I give them a Welcome pack with the following enclosed... welcome letter, safeguarding policy, fees and late fees policy, observations policy, photographs policy and complaints proceedure. The rest of the policies are read by parents usually when the child comes to stay and play sessions.
I offer to email parents updated policies or will provide a hard copy if they prefer.
Hth

**Rubybubbles** · 19-09-2012, 06:36 AM

i have kept them all, and email them to my parents (and have hard copy at mine) and get them to sign all the updates

I just think better to have them and cover your back! I dont know how many I have but not 30!!

**AliceK** · 19-09-2012, 07:09 AM

Originally Posted by Rubybubbles

i have kept them all, and email them to my parents (and have hard copy at mine) and get them to sign all the updates

I just think better to have them and cover your back! I dont know how many I have but not 30!!

I do this too. Email them to parents and then get a signed form saying that they have received them. I review them twice a year and sign my hard copies to say I have. I have 22. I have reviewed and amended them where neccessary for the revised EYFS and emailed them all over to parents.

xxx

**hectors house** · 19-09-2012, 07:54 AM

I was going to email all of mine to parents this time, to save paper and printing costs - does anyone think it is unreasonable to charge people if they insist they still want a printed copy - say £2 a pack, or they can have them on a CD for £1 - or emailed for free. If Ofsted can get away with not giving us free printed updates for EYFS, I think we should be able to charge to.

Parents don't read half of the stuff we send home anyway - have just an All about me form back from someone who works in a school, hardly anything filled out and even then only one word answers - complete waste of 3 pages of paper and ink!

**Twinkles** · 19-09-2012, 08:49 AM

I put them on a disc and issue them to each family. So much cheaper than printing them off.

**rickysmiths** · 19-09-2012, 09:30 AM

All mine are in an 8 page document and I always give my new parents a paper copy in the file I give them when the start.

I am about to do contract reviews and give all my parents a copy of my revised Policies. I have always felt that because I ask them to sign to say they have read and agree to them the least I can do is give the a copy to refer to.

Having said that I have nothing like 30 Policies I have 13 in the 8 page document and I try to keep them as concise as possible otherwise the poor parents don't stand a chance but to drown in words.

**kat27** · 19-09-2012, 10:19 AM

I email mine but make sure i lock them in PDF so nobody can change them

**SarahJellybean** · 19-09-2012, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by hectors house

I was going to email all of mine to parents this time, to save paper and printing costs - does anyone think it is unreasonable to charge people if they insist they still want a printed copy - say £2 a pack, or they can have them on a CD for £1 - or emailed for free. If Ofsted can get away with not giving us free printed updates for EYFS, I think we should be able to charge to.

Parents don't read half of the stuff we send home anyway - have just an All about me form back from someone who works in a school, hardly anything filled out and even then only one word answers - complete waste of 3 pages of paper and ink!

I would be miffed to pay £1 for a cd when they are £1 for 10 in the poundshop or similar places

**hectors house** · 19-09-2012, 11:53 AM

We don't have a poundshop - I bought them in Asda and would be putting them in a CD case too - either that or parents can supply own CD.

**sarak31** · 19-09-2012, 12:32 PM

I have been giving copies but love the idea of giving a disk, will be doing that definitely where they have a access to a PC (and let's be honest most do!)

I do give all mine as I too get them to sign for them and I too think it's only fair that they get to read them through properly before signing. Although we don't have to have paper copies anymore most of my policies have come about through experience, eg my payment policy from when I didn't get paid, my sickness policy adjusted from when parents repeatedly sent child in sick etc etc - so personally I will still be giving policies as I have them to try and prevent the same situations, if you see what I mean.

**sharonmanc** · 19-09-2012, 12:44 PM

I email mine, but will have to learn how to lock them in pdf

**missymood** · 19-09-2012, 01:08 PM

Originally Posted by Twinkles

I put them on a disc and issue them to each family. So much cheaper than printing them off.

Same as me

BucksCM · 19-09-2012, 01:18 PM

I too, will be keeping all my policies. At least I'll have something for the parents to read through and get them to sign for. I have a file that they get to take away and bring back. I then explain that they are readily available for them to read/check at any time but am willing to give them copies of their own if they want them.(hard or e-mailed)

**Ripeberry** · 19-09-2012, 04:10 PM

I'm thinking of putting them all on my website and giving new parents a password to view them. I will change the password regularly though

**sarah707** · 19-09-2012, 04:50 PM

Parents must receive certain P & Ps in writing to meet the requirements of the Childcare Register so I give those.

The rest are available to read at any mutually convenient time and I send them as a pdf by email when they are changed