Terms of Use
Terms of Use Policy Wording
COVID-19 Important information for parents and carers - January 2021
The government has placed England in a Lockdown, and as such, it is a condition of attendance at First Steps Nursery that you follow the government’s guidelines to ensure the safety of all and to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
We ask you to read and agree to the following guidelines and conditions of attendance at First Steps during this time.
As an Early Years Setting, we follow the Department for Education Government Guidance: Actions for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
This is the set of actions early years settings must take. They are grouped into prevention and response to any infection.
Prevention
2) Where recommended, the use of face coverings
3) Clean hands thoroughly and more often than usual
4) Ensure good respiratory hygiene by promoting the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach
6) Minimise contact between groups of children where possible
7) Where necessary, wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE)
8) Keep occupied spaces well ventilated
Numbers 1, 3, 4, 5 and 8 must be in place in all settings all the time.
Numbers 2 and 6 must be properly considered, and settings must put in place measures that suit their particular circumstances.
Number 7 applies in all specific circumstances.
Response to any infection
9) Engage with the NHS Test and Trace process
11) Contain any outbreak by following local health protection team advice
What is a symptom of Covid-19?
High temperature - New, continuous cough - loss of taste/smell
If your child has symptoms they must stay at home and not go to nursery
If someone in your household has symptoms, your child must stay at home and not go to nursery
If your child or any member of your household has symptoms, they must get tested immediately
How to get a test
Call 119 or visit www.nhs.uk/coronavirus
You will be able to access a test at a local testing site or ask for one to be delivered to your home.
Test results and Isolation times
If your child has symptoms or a positive result, they must stay at home for 10 days and the rest of your household must self-isolate for 14 days
If your child has symptoms and receives a negative result, and no-one in the house is showing symptoms or is awaiting test results they can return to the nursery. Please speak to a member of the management team to agree on a return date.
If your child has a negative result but someone in the house has symptoms or is tested positive, your child must self-isolate for 14 days
What does self-isolate mean?
If your child or any member of your household or support bubble is asked to self-isolate this means staying at home and not leaving until the isolation period ends.
Have food and medication delivered to you – order it online or by phone, or ask someone to bring it to your home.
Do not go to work, nursery or public places.
Do not have visitors in your home, including friends and family – except for people providing essential care.
Do not go on public transport or use taxis.
Do not go out to exercise – exercise at home or in your garden, if you have one.
If we receive a positive case in the Nursery
We have to maintain a sustainable business and in order to do so, we have made the decisions we believe will benefit us all. If we receive a positive case in the Nursery, and your child needs to self-isolate as a result, we have decided that we will offer sessions missed back at a later date when it is convenient for us to do so.
Each circumstance will differ slightly due to the circumstances of when the person who tested positive last attended the Nursery and when their symptoms started.
If your child must self-isolate due to external factors of being in close contact with someone, our sickness policy will be implemented and fees are still payable for the sessions missed.
What we need you to do:
Socially distance when collecting children.
Maintain a 2-metre distance from staff where possible when collecting or dropping off children.
Ensure that if someone is waiting at the door for their child you wait at the bottom of our ramps.
Wear a face covering if not exempt.
One adult only collecting children.
No toys allowed into the setting from home.
No food allowed into the setting from home.
Children’s bags must be kept at the setting until their last day of the week.
Do not bring unwell children into the setting.
You must be contactable and someone must be able to collect your child within a 1-hour time frame if they need to be collected.
Please call the nursery if you would like a handover, staff will not be doing them at the doors. Please can all 2 pm collections leave the garden promptly and do not allow children to play on the equipment.
Children with a temperature of 37.8 or above will not be permitted to stay at the setting.
If children come to the setting and are unwell, we will send them home. The nursery staff are not responsible for caring for unwell children who cannot be settled. We are unable to administer Calpol/Nurofen during this time period so children that require regular doses must stay at home. Any child that has antibiotics must have had 48 hours’ worth before they can return to the nursery.
What we are doing?
Staff are room bound unless they are collecting food or going on breaks.
Staff have designated entrances/exits, toilets and break areas.
Staff are also not permitted into the setting if they are unwell or have a temperature above 37.8.
Staff wear face coverings when collecting or handing children over and if they leave their rooms.
Staff are cleaning regularly and are not sharing resources.
Garden equipment is wiped down after each session.
Staff will not be delivering handovers and will maintain a distance where possible from parents and carers.
Management is supernumerary.
Rooms will be shut if we cannot safely staff the room or if we have a positive case.
Most importantly the team are keeping the day as normal as possible for the children in their care and we are keeping the fun.