What policies do you have?

[vix84]

Hi, Just wondered what policies you all have?

[Daftbat]

I have a general policy document which covers what used to be the National Standards - basically covers all the sections such as suitable person, behaviour, safety, euipment, lost child, uncollected children, complaints procedure......
I have a separate policy for the following:
Child Protection
Equal Opportunity
Health & Safety
Additional Needs

I have a policy about what EYFS means to me
I then have parental permissions for all sorts of things from Emergency Medical TReatment to applying sun creams etc.

Some people seem to have lots more but i have combined a lot in my general policy document.

Risk assessments are on top of these, indoors, outdoors, pets, car and trips out with the kids. COSHH document also kept.

I hope this helps you. Look at Sarahs website for e-books that you can buy to help with proforma documents etc.

[huggableshelly]

I have wat too many and need to look at condensing them.

[Princess Sara]

I think I had close to 50 at my last check... really sounds too many but i'm sure they're all useful! (I will not be handing them out to parents, they are in a folder that the parents can look at anytime.)

**Wow 100 posts!**

[vix84]

I have these:
Safeguarding Children:
Child Protection
Suitable People
Suitable Premises, environment, and equipment
Accidents and Emergencies
Evacuation Procedure
Arrival and collection procedure
Lost or Missing child procedure
Admissions
Equality of Opportunity:
Special Needs
Complaints Procedure
Confidentiality
Health and Hygiene:
Hygiene
Sick Child
No Smoking
Food and drink
Healthy Snacks and Packed meal suggestions
Effective Behaviour Management
Working in Partnership with parents
Care, Learning and Play

Was just seeing if I had any missing - only the essential ones as I have enough paperwork for the poor parents!

[Lady Haha]

I spent most of yesterday printing out policies that i have updated and adding new ones and there are just so many of the things, I feel I can't give a great wad like that to the parents!

Would it be acceptable to just get the parents to sign the consent forms needed and tell them that I have a folder of all my polices if they wish to see them? Should I insist they look at the folder and then get them to sign to say they have read my policies (for Ofsted purposes!)

[rickysmiths]

I spent most of yesterday printing out policies that i have updated and adding new ones and there are just so many of the things, I feel I can't give a great wad like that to the parents!

Would it be acceptable to just get the parents to sign the consent forms needed and tell them that I have a folder of all my polices if they wish to see them? Should I insist they look at the folder and then get them to sign to say they have read my policies (for Ofsted purposes!)

I personally, as I have said in other threads on policies, think it is very rude to expect parents to sign and say they have read and agreed to your policies, especially as you all seem to have such a mad number of them (50!!!!!:eek: )
if you do not give them a full copy of ALL of them.

My parents sign to say they have read, understood, accept and have recieved a copy of the policy document and complaints procedure.

They receive a copy in their Parent folder along with copies of eveything they have signed and other stuff. I consider this is part of the cost of taking on a new child. A small price to pay (it costs under £3 for the folder and the printing) in relation to what that parent is going to be paying me and if they have all the information in front of them there is less chance of misunderstanding. It looks more professional. It is also Working with Parents

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I personally, as I have said in other threads on policies, think it is very rude to expect parents to sign and say they have read and agreed to your policies, especially as you all seem to have such a mad number of them (50!!!!!:eek: )
if you do not give them a full copy of ALL of them.

My parents sign to say they have read, understood, accept and have recieved a copy of the policy document and complaints proceedure.

They receive a copy in their Parent folder along with copies of eveything they have signed and other stuff. I caonsider this is part of the cost of taking on a new child. A small price to pay (it costs under £3 for the folder and the printing) in relation to what that parent is going to be paying me and if they have all the information in front of them there is less chance of misunderstanding.

Mine are not interested in them. I offered to give them then all on disc but the answer was "No". They have seen them and signed to say that they are happy with them.

If I printed them off I think they would make good toilet paper.

[her8y]

Personally I print off all my policies and give them to each parent as part of my parents folder. Parents then sign to say they have received a copy, read the policies, understood and accept them. No excuses/misunderstandings. Parents cannot claim ignorance!!! I recently had an instance when I referred a parent to the policies which she had a copy of. It difused what could have been a tricky situation.:)

[barbarella68]

Can you tell me why is it rude when Ofsted say you don't really have to have them written down anyway, Ofsted say that as long as parents sign to say they are happy with the policies and the parents can see a copy of them whenever they want that's fine.The trouble is because we don't know what we are supposed to be doing half the time as Ofsed move the goal post we don't know exactly which polices we need so we have a few more just in case to cover ourselves, I don't think thats rude to have a lot of policies and get parents to sign I think it is just covering ourseves.And if I printed them all off I would need a rain forest so I am saving the planet at the same time.:D

[rickysmiths]

Can you tell me why is it rude when Ofsted say you don't really have to have them written down anyway, Ofsted say that as long as parents sign to say they are happy with the policies and the parents can see a copy of them whenever they want that's fine.The trouble is because we don't know what we are supposed to be doing half the time as Ofsed move the goal post we don't know exactly which polices we need so we have a few more just in case to cover ourselves, I don't think thats rude to have a lot of policies and get parents to sign I think it is just covering ourseves.And if I printed them all off I would need a rain forest so I am saving the planet at the same time.:D


It is good practice nothing to do with Ofsted. I just dont think it is right to get someome to sign for something they dont have a copy of. I wouldn't sign a huge document that I hadn't read throughly and then recieved a copy of.

As said by Her8y f you have given a copy then they can't pleed ignorance if there was ever an issue.

[barbarella68]

Yes but my Parents do read it properly they take it away with them, they have it for a while then sign to say they have read it. If they care about their children then they will take the time to read it and sign.

[Willowdancer]

Hi, Just wondered what policies you all have?

I am in the process of writing the following:

1) SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN POLICY, covering:
Safeguarding Children
Allegations of Abuse
Other Adults Living in the House
Physical Contact
Photo & Film
Visitors

2) BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT POLICY, covering:
Behaviour Management
Anti-Bullying
Biting
House Rules
House Rules in Pictures

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES POLICY, covering:
Equal Opportunities
Inclusion
Special Needs
Working in Partnership with Parents

2) ADMISSIONS POLICY, covering:
Admissions
Drop Off & Collection
Fees & Working Hours
Handover of Responsibility
Independent Arrival
Late Payment
Settling In
Unexpected Closure

3) SICKNESS POLICY, covering:
Sickness (of child)
Administering Medication
Childminder Sickness
Head Lice

4) HEALTH & SAFETY POLICY, covering:
Health & Safety
Accident & Incident
Alcohol & Drugs
Anti-Smoking
Emergency
Equipment
Fire Drill / Evacuation
Healthy Eating
Hygiene
Lost Child
Risk Assessment
Sleeping Baby
Sun Protection
Terrorist Attack
Transportation

5) CHILD DEVELOPMENT, covering:
Care, Learning & Play
Nappy & Toilet Training
Observations
Television & Video Games

I did have them all separately but then decided that it was too much so lumped appropriate polices together into a single one that covered them all.

If anybody happens to have read all that and noticed any glaringly obvious omissions, please shout! :)

[Polka Dots]

Brilliant idea Ali to group the policies, makes it much simpler. :clapping:

[Willowdancer]

Thanks Claire - it was doing my head in trying to keep track of them all, plus some of the sections are only a few sentences long so what a waste of paper it would have been to have them all separate.

The only grey area I have is the Observations section in my Child Development policy - some of that crosses over into Safeguarding Children so I might have to split that down further and have a section for obs in both or something.