Staffing Policy

Policy:

We provide a staffing ratio in line with the Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage to ensure that children have sufficient individual attention and to guarantee care and education of a high quality. Our staff are appropriately qualified and we carry out checks for enhanced criminal records and barred list checks through the Disclosure and Barring Service in accordance with statutory requirements.  Staff are required, as part of their contract, to sign to the Update Service to enable monitoring of changes to DBS.

To meet this aim we use the following ratios of adult to children:

Children aged two years: 1 adult : 4 children: at least one member of staff holds a full and relevant level 3 qualification; and at least half of all other staff hold a full and relevant level 2 qualification.

Children aged three years and over: 1 adult : 8 children: at least one member of staff holds a full and relevant level 3 qualification; and at least half of all other staff hold a full and relevant level 2 qualification.

We only include those aged 17 years or older within our ratios. Where they are competent and responsible, we may include students on long-term placements and regular volunteers.

A minimum of three staff/adults are on duty at any one time; one of whom is either our manager or deputy.

Our manager deploys our staff, students and volunteers to give adequate supervision of indoor and outdoor areas, ensuring that children are usually within sight and hearing of staff, and always within sight or hearing of staff at all times.

Our staff, students and volunteers inform their colleagues if they have to leave their area and tell colleagues where they are going.

Our staff, students and volunteers focus their attention on children at all times and do not spend time in social conversation with colleagues while they are working with children.

We assign each child a key person to help the child become familiar with the setting from the outset and to ensure that each child has a named member of staff with whom to form a relationship. The key person plans with parents for the child's well-being and development in the setting. The key person meets regularly with the family for discussion and consultation on their child's progress and offers support in guiding their development at home.

We hold regular staff meetings to undertake curriculum planning and to discuss children's progress, their achievements and any difficulties that may arise from time to time.