Policies

[Guest]

Hi everyone,

Need some help with policies. Have looked through other posts and still totally confused. I know how to write the policies and procedures but have just had my psla officer in and am now totally lost, I have all the basic ones and when I had my ofsted I didn't have any missed out, but now I have been told I need a 'cancellation of funding policy', a policy and procedure if anything was to happen to my building, signing in and out policy, toileting policy etc.

I have now sent off for the policy booklet from psla but how do you know what policies and procedures you need. It seems to me that you have to have one for every eventuality. So far with none of the above, my policy booklet I give to parents is already 8 pages long and that is both sides.

Any advice.

Net xx

[Guest]

Hi Net

Have you seen the member donated policies which you can find here? I don't think there are any of those you have mentioned though. We have toileting as part of our health, safety and hygiene policy, and the procedure for what happens if we have to evacuate the building and can't return again in there. I would perhaps look at updating your current policies to include these rather than right new ones.

I think you could end up with a policy for even opening a door if you weren't careful!!!! There are some which I feel are vital, such as special needs, equality and health and safety, to name a few. All the others are a matter of how much work you want to do. See what the psla comes up with and take it from there. But only put them in place if you feel they are absolutely necessary and you feel they are what you need for your setting.

Linda

[Beau]

Did the kind lady from the PSLA point you in the direction of their policy booklet by any chance? Like Linda says, change the ones you currently have if at all possible or 'bunch' a few together to cobble up a new policy. Sometimes you only need to write a line or two - and don't think it has to be really wordy. These policies should be user friendly - ie parents have to be able to read and understand. My last committee adopted 12 new 'ready made' policies and I couldn't even understand some of them and this is my job. I have been rewriting these policies over the last few months and am annoyed because some of them weren't even necessary but now that the committee has adopted them......

[Rea]

Do we share a committee Beau We're updating ours but only because the chair thought it a good idea to buy the PLA pack. They're good but need so much changing to suit your own setting that I feel it was a waste of money. the ones we had before were fine. Linda, Ill probably be writing the 'opening a door' policy next week

[Beau]

And it takes so much time! I volunteered to do them because the committee don't really know how the playgroup runs. The laughable thing was that after I had rewritten the first 4 I took them along to the committee meeting and no-one could be bothered to actually read them. Until I pointed out that they were supposed to have a working knowledge of what they contained.

[Guest]

I'm not at all sure the PLA policy booklet has a 'cancellation of funding' policy anyway!

 

Perhaps we need a "dealing with unwanted advice about policies policy"...

 

The bit about not being able to return to your building could be added to your existing fire evacuation procedure, I would have thought, with the addition of only a sentence or two.

 

And I agree with Linda: we should only adopt policies we feel are relevant, appropriate and necessary.

 

Having said all that (and in case anyone out there knows me!) I am a bit of a stickler for policies: if its written down, I do like it to be followed. Can lead to conflict at times, but if a policy is worth making, its worth following, in my book.

 

Maz

[Guest]

Hear, Hear, Mazlittle- Policies into practice. Ofsted Inspectors will look to see that policies are practised and as they may not be aware of all of them ( I have 27 at the last count) the main ones, as mentioned, are the most important. However that does not mean the other ones should be dismissed.

 

Thinking on my feet now, I am now going to organise my policy pack in order of priority ie: Child Protection 1st.......Loss of funding way down the list.

 

On registration, I give my parents a copy of;

Child Protection

Parents as Partners

Settling In

Positive behaviour management

Terms and Conditions

Inclusion and equal opportunities

Curriculum Policy

Fees Policy

 

all the others are available on our "Info table"

 

The fact that maybe not many people have got a " Cancellation of funding" or "something happened to the building (flooding etc) policy means we haven't thought about it. I certainly haven't. Would we close?, How much notice will we get that funding has stopped/how much notice will we give parents should we close? Do we have reserve funds for staff redundancys? etc.

 

My Policy would be: We aim to offer our service at all times advertised. Then a bullet list of actions for if .......... should happen, we will...............

 

We do need to differentiate between "Policy" - Which defines the values and beliefs of each individual setting, and PROCEDURES- Actions we will take within the ethos of our policies.

Have we all got a "Closure through snow" procedure. I have tried to get on the local radio Closed list since 7am this morning..text, fax, email but i've still not been announced 8:30am. Do I refund the fees (part funded sessions)? Do I pay the staff?

Lucky I've now got the day at home to work on these (lots & lots of snow)

 

Peggy

[Beau]

That was the funny thing when we moved up to Scotland Peggy. Half the school information booklet seemed to relate to 'Closure Due to Snow' and 'Storm Procedures'! Guess it's slightly more common up here than down your way. It was quite scary to read through but thankfully the reality hasn't been anywhere near as exciting. But at least everyone knows what to do if there is a problem.

[Guest]

Wowwee, Thank you for your replies and yes PLA did guide me to buy their booklet on policies. I do have all the health and safety, hygiene, evacuation of the builing etc but I was advised to further these policies e.g If I had to evacuate my building where do I go (which I have a policy for) and what happens if are evacuated to building is not accesable(madness) and the cancellation of funded children is an essential one apparently. If a child clains for 5 sessions at 2 pre schools without the preschools knowing, if you have a cancellation policy you can claim for half of the funding money. If you don't have a policy you claim NADA.

My committee don't write the policies, we (the staff) do. At the end of the day we follow them on a day to day basis.

So to round it off, less is more.

 

Net

[Guest]

Hi Peggy, Can you let me have some idea of what is in your fee's policy. We are being used by a few parents, late or non payers we have tried the softly/nice approach and now I want to get tough with them, Can you help pleeeese.

 

Thanks in advance Gizzy

[Guest]

Hi Gizzy,

 

When I get a moment I shall attach a copy.

 

Peggy

[Guest]

Thanks Peggy I really appreciate that.

 

Gizzy

[Rea]

Well I havent exactly written an 'open the door policy', but I did have to put a notice on the door yesterday telling parents the door MUST remain locked. A parent who everyone thought was staying decided to unlock the door and walk out with a word Just very lucky she was seen as the door was open. What is wrong with people

I have today written a closure policy. I'm at home but staff rang this morning to say the heating was broken and if it wasnt fixed in the next 15 mins they were going to close. It's now in black and white.

I can feel hysteria creeping up on me!!

[Beau]

I think we must be twinned Rea! We have a locked door which only closes properly if you pull it shut, another inner door with a clear sign on saying something like Please always shut this door behind you! and a stairgate. The number of times I have walked through to the entrance to find ALL THREE wide open! It's as if these parents want their children to escape. I have sent home letters and spoken to parents as they arrive but it makes no difference. The excuse is usually - I was only popping in quickly.......

[Guest]

Beau

 

And what would their response be if their child escaped: could you reasonably say "oh but they were only popping out quickly"?

 

I can see the headlines in the press now!

 

We literally follow people out of the building, and make sure we lock the door behind them. That way we know the building is secure.

 

Maz

[Guest]

I use magnetic door alarms, they go off when the door is opened and turn off when they are shut again. The noise is quite loud but ensures parents go through quickly and SHUT THE DOOR after them. ( not used at busy times, entrance is manned by staff) They are very useful for the parents who hang around and leave after the main throng has gone.

 

I use them on internal doors too, just in case a child decides to go in the store cupboard or to the lower hall which is not always used.

 

Peggy

[Guest]

hi,

My door is manned at all times, have had past incident where parent left door on latgh while she nipped to car, her daughter tried to follow without her knowing, luckily we noticed.

Oh and my heater broke down today and have had to shut for 2 days.

[Guest]

Oh no - this time of year is definitely not the time to be without heat. How did this go down with the parents? Even though there's nothing else you can do, something like this can be very difficult to handle.

 

Even though the staff may be glad of an extra long weekend!

 

Maz