Policies - can you have too many?!
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  1. #1
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    Default Policies - can you have too many?!

    Is it a negative thing to have any policies that aren't officially required?

  2. #2
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    I think it's more important to have policies that are relevant to you and your setting. I had all of the required ones and then I've added ones that I think are important :-)

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    Negative aspects of having lots of policies-
    - you have to keep them updated as things change and that can turn into a big paperwork job if you have lots
    - parents have to read all policies so they could be a bit bothered to have a big pile to go through
    - you have to print them or store them digitally and make them available to parents. So again, more = more work

    But some are useful...
    Such as a Potty Training Policy can help to avoid the parent who arrives with their child in knickers saying can you 'potty train them please'.
    Some help you get down on paper things that you want to say about your business, like a Healthy Eating Policy to promote how you cook good healthy meals and don't want parents bringing packed lunch boxes full of rubbish.

    I have slimmed down my Policy list over the years, cutting out ones that I decided I didn't need or combining ones that repeated themselves.

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  6. #4
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    I was beginning to wonder when you'd ask...........

    Seriously, the answer is both "yes" and "no".

    This is typified by the trainer who ran my pre-reg course. She told us we must have an absolute minimum of policies, and keep them very simple: short and sweet. She then spent the following weeks insisting that every little detailed point she made would need to be covered with a policy.

    'Short and sweet' is all very well until something happens, particularly if it involves a client-CM disagreement over the way something should be done. You find it is not covered by a policy and both CM and client have every logical reason to think the outcome really has to be done their way. Instant conflict.

    The trouble is that policies cannot be both brief and comprehensive. So which is most important to you? I have a big policy pack (ooer missus ) and a long (stop it ) consents form. Parents gripe occasionally about so much to read. I remind them that there's almost certainly nothing in there that has not, at some time, somewhere, been the subject of an acrimonious dispute between a CM and a parent who were not clear about such expectations from the start.

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    thanks bunyip and moggy, you both make really good points here. Haha now I'm torn! Because im new to this I guess i dont know yet what issues i may run in to with parents (like your potty training example) so at this stage I guess I am just trying to comply with OFSTED. That said I am struggling to find a definitive list of required policies, they dont make it easy do they?!!

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    that's because its really nothing to do with ofsted how we run our businesses. they really only care that we meet their requirements. there are very few 'policies' mentioned in the requirements . Most of the list of policies you will come across are just to make it clear to parents how you will deal with a number of situations . Ofsted couldn't care less about our fees , holidays etc. Its not a case of getting them all done prereg either - mine has grown and adapted as my business has and as Ive come across situations which need clarifying.

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    Quote Originally Posted by bunyip View Post
    This is typified by the trainer who ran my pre-reg course. She told us we must have an absolute minimum of policies, and keep them very simple: short and sweet. She then spent the following weeks insisting that every little detailed point she made would need to be covered with a policy.
    Think you must have had the same trainer as me
    Every time somebody raised a question that didn't agree with the trainer's POV, the stock answer was to create a policy


    Quote Originally Posted by bunyip View Post
    'Short and sweet' is all very well until something happens, particularly if it involves a client-CM disagreement over the way something should be done. You find it is not covered by a policy and both CM and client have every logical reason to think the outcome really has to be done their way. Instant conflict.
    And therein lies the problem - We cannot assess another person's level of 'common sense'

    I spent a lot of time on this forum prior to registering - that in between bit between making the decision to CM and waiting for the course to start - reading all the 'problem/conflict' posts to get an understanding of problems that may arise, and to head them off at the first hurdle by making notes of the problem and what I felt the solution could be.

    I did find that a lot of the problems repeated themselves - Fees being the main one - late payments, non payment, charging for holidays or not, adverse weather conditions - to charge or not to charge etc.

    I have 23 policies - not bad for someone that hates paperwork hahaha
    Some are 1 or 2 paragraphs long, some are 2 pages long
    I am pretty confident - until something goes wrong of course - that I've covered as many potential issues with solutions before they have time to raise their head, and touch wood, so far so good lol

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  13. #8
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    Agreed.

    The simple answer (though not necessarily a simple task) is to:-

    1. Go through EYFS looking for what DofE requires as a policy. Open the pdf, and use 'Ctrl F' to search for the words "policy" and "policies". You then have your list of policies required by the regulations. Write those first.
    2. Write your remaining policies to help your business, spelling out your expectations and ways of doing things. This is all about solving problems as much as possible before they arise (10,000 feet and falling is a bad time to wish you'd packed a parachute. )
    3. Regularly review and revise. Don't just wait for the next version of EYFS. Think of all your paperwork as "work in progress" rather than as finished articles.

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    Quote Originally Posted by bunyip View Post
    Agreed.

    The simple answer (though not necessarily a simple task) is to:-

    [*]Go through EYFS looking for what DofE requires as a policy. Open the pdf, and use 'Ctrl F' to search for the words "policy" and "policies". You then have your list of policies required by the regulations. Write those first.
    Wow, I didn't know you could do this. Learnt something new today. Cheers bunyip

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    Quote Originally Posted by bunyip View Post
    Agreed. The simple answer (though not necessarily a simple task) is to:-[*]Go through EYFS looking for what DofE requires as a policy. Open the pdf, and use 'Ctrl F' to search for the words "policy" and "policies". You then have your list of policies required by the regulations. Write those first.[*]Write your remaining policies to help your business, spelling out your expectations and ways of doing things. This is all about solving problems as much as possible before they arise (10,000 feet and falling is a bad time to wish you'd packed a parachute. )[*]Regularly review and revise. Don't just wait for the next version of EYFS. Think of all your paperwork as "work in progress" rather than as finished articles.
    I started to do this last night bunyip and found there are actually very few stated in both documents so lots of the others are therefore optional x

  16. #11
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    Hi,
    As others have said, the important thing is that if you have additional policies ensure that they are relevant to you and your business. The policies are there to help you state how you do things but unfortunately we can still 'get bitten' even if things such as late payment fees are in the policy!! I guess sometimes we have to be very straight talking and refer parents back to our policies very quickly if they are not paying or constantly being late, not always easy as (too!) often we like to give the benefit of the doubt!!

  17. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by mumofone View Post
    I started to do this last night bunyip and found there are actually very few stated in both documents so lots of the others are therefore optional x
    I should've said. There are slightly different requirements across EYFS and the Childcare Register. I believe this is covered somewhere in the forum 'resources' section.

 

 

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