Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Nutley Preschool Playgroup – Policy – September 2020
There is a need to rethink some of the usual ways that childcare is provided in order to minimise the spread of COVID-19 while ensuring that children receive safe care. There are a number of measures required to put in place to enable us to operate as safely as possible in the interest of the children and the staff who care for them. These include:
Asking that anyone who is displaying coronavirus symptoms, or who lives with someone who does, not to attend the setting. That includes children and staff who work here.
If any children become unwell during the session staff will wear full PPE to care for the child whilst awaiting parent collection.
Children do not need to wear PPE.
Keeping our children in small ‘bubble’ groups with as much consistent staffing as possible, and minimising contact with other groups around the setting.
Appropriate hand hygiene will be carried out, throughout the day. We have developed routines to ensure children understand when and how to wash their hands, making sure they wash them thoroughly for at least 20 seconds using running water and soap and dry them thoroughly, or use hand sanitiser ensuring that all parts of the hands are covered.
Ensuring our children understand good respiratory hygiene by promoting the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach and ensuring a good supply of tissues and bins throughout the setting.
Implementing an enhanced cleaning schedule, ensuring surfaces touched by children and staff are cleaned regularly and throughout the day, including table tops, door handles and play equipment.
Asking parents and carers to physically distance (2 metres) from each other and from staff when dropping off and collecting their children and to limit drop off and collection to one parent or carer per household.
Parent and staff communication should be as short as possible and continue by phone or email where necessary.
Asking children not to bring toys or other unnecessary items from home to the setting, unless this is essential to their health and wellbeing.
All children will be required to come to preschool, having already had an all-day sun cream applied in the morning before arrival to minimise contact.
We will make use of our preschool garden as much as possible.
We will not have any soft furnishings, soft toys, rugs, cushions etc. We will also not have sand play, water play, messy play or playdough. Alternative resources, which can be easily deep cleaned every session will be used to manage and limit cross infection.
All children will be required to bring their own water bottles and lunch in sealed and labelled containers/bags.
Children will be encouraged to social distance as much as possible, but we understand children will struggle with this.
All children who are attending a childcare setting will have access to a test if they display symptoms of coronavirus, and are encouraged to get tested in this scenario. The aim is to enable children to get back to childcare, and their parents or carers not to need to self-isolate any longer than is necessary, if the test proves to be negative. A positive test will ensure rapid action to protect other children and staff in their setting. We ask all parents and carers to ensure they organise a test for their child, in the event that they develop coronavirus symptoms, and notify us immediately of a positive test. Further guidance is available about getting tested at www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested.