Covid Policy

Keeping everyone at Teatiemers as safe as possible from Coronavirus

Teatimers will do our best to stop Coronavirus from entering the building, but nobody can prevent it for certain.  Our other measures are meant to limit the spread within Teatimers so that the virus cannot spread far.  In this way we can manage the risk to our children and staff and make it as low as we can.

Full details of our policy are below

 

Minimising potential contact with anyone who has Covid symptoms or who lives with someone who has them.

  1. No adult or child may enter Teatimers if they have coronavirus symptoms for at least 10 days from:
    • The day after the start of symptoms
    • The date of a positive test.
  2. Anyone developing Coronavirus symptoms during the day will be isolated and sent home.
    • Staff must:
      • Go straight home
      • Organise a Coronavirus test as soon as possible, at a testing centre unless there is good reason to use a postal test. Education and childcare workers have priority in testing.
    • Children will:
      • Be isolated outdoors if the weather is good or the staff cabin if it is not.
      • Be picked up by their parents as soon as possible.
      • A staff member will be assigned to look after the child until collected. They must maintain at least 2 meters distance, and wear PPE if they need closer contact.
  1. As soon as a child has been isolated an extra full disinfection / clean will be done of all surfaces, chairs, toilets etc. Toys in the room should be taken out of circulation and disinfected as appropriate.
  2. Staff members who have had close contact with the child do not need to self-isolate unless the child tests positive or they are told to by Test and Trace / PHE. If they develop symptoms they will also need to self-isolate.

If a test is required / taken

  1. Staff and families must be ready and willing to book a coronavirus test if they are displaying symptoms.
  2. Once you have had a test you can only re-enter Teatimers with proof of a negative test or once the appropriate isolation period is up.
  3. If a test comes back negative, please forward the message to Teatimers to show you can come back.
  4. If you have a positive test, you must inform Teatimers as soon as possible so that we can take the appropriate actions.

Face Coverings

  1. Staff should wear facemasks when collecting or dropping off children at school.
  2. They are not recommended or required for general use in our sessions.
  3. You must wash your hands before and after putting on a mask.
  4. Everyone has been provided with a facemask, and we have a supply of disposables if required.
  5. Parents are required to wear facemasks at pickup / drop off times.

Handwashing

  1. This is the most important control we can put in place – because it is an ongoing life skill as well as being the one we can do best.
  2. Children must clean their hands when:
    • Arriving at Teatimers. Hand sanitiser should be put on before they come through the door.  As many as possible should also wash their hands.
    • After snack times and mealtimes
    • After using the toilet
  3. Hand washing is always preferable to hand sanitising.  In circumstances where cannot reasonably get all children’s hands washed properly, sanitiser may be used.
  4. We recognise that children are not good at handwashing properly and will cut corners. Staff must supervise hand washing as often as possible so that children form the habit of washing properly.
  5. Handwashing is not a Covid specific section and this will form part of the ongoing Teatimers policies, which is therefore considered as part of staff annual reviews.

Respiratory hygiene

  1. Children need to be taught / reminded to use tissues for snot and sneezes.
  2. Help them as much as possible with this and ensure they know where the tissues are. Do not permit them to wipe their noses all over their clothes.
  3. Wash or sanitise yours / the child’s hands after disposing of the tissue.

Cleaning

  1. Cleaning routines have been enhanced so that we disinfect surfaces, chairs and toilets at the end of every session.
  2. Toys are disinfected frequently and not shared between pre-school and out of school until they have been disinfected or left unused for 48 hours.
  3. The cold curtains at the back door are one of the most frequently touched surfaces and both sides must be disinfected at the same time as other surfaces and at regular intervals whilst the back door is open.

Minimising contact between groups of children where possible

  1. There is very little scope to do this within Teatimers as we only have 1 room.
  2. Contact between groups is accurately recorded by means of the register.
  3. Ideally, children will only attend 1 setting however we recognise that this will not be possible in a few cases.

Use of PPE

  1. PPE is mandatory if you must provide close care for a child who has coronavirus symptoms.
  2. You should wear an apron, gloves and mask when changing nappies.

Ventilation

  1. Teatimers does not have any mechanical ventilation – only windows and doors
  2. A third of the Windows in the main room should be opened just enough to allow some air to flow in.
  3. A lot of the time the back door will be open for the children to come in and out. The cold curtains are in place but we know from experience that this does provide ventilation.
  4. The office and kitchen windows do need to be open to provide ventilation.
  5. The door to the main room needs to be open to provide ventilation to the lobby.
  6. We know from experience that having the back door open makes teatimers colder and having windows open will contribute to this. Staff and families will be advised to dress for colder conditions.

Engaging with NHS test and Trace and other bodies

  1. We will provide NHS Test and trace with the details of every child and staff member that an infected person is deemed to have come into contact with. This will usually be every child and staff member who was in the same session as the infected person.
  2. Depending on the circumstances of who is infected and required to isolate, we will share information with the leadership teams at Sandygate and Holy Trinity schools.
  3. If required to self-isolate by Test and trace, you will not be permitted to enter Teatimers until the isolation period is up.
  4. Ofsted will be notified of each case we have at Teatimers.
  5. We will involve the local health protection team in the circumstances set out by the guidance currently in force.

Exclusions

  1. Teatimers reserves the right to refuse entry to a child or family who look too unwell to attend.
  2. If we decide that a child has become unwell whilst in our care and is displaying Coronavirus symptoms, they will be isolated and parents are expected to collect as soon as possible.
  3. Teatimers reserves the right to decide whether to readmit a child. Normally this will be after proof of a negative test or completion of the required isolation period.
  4. If we have reason to believe a family is disregarding Covid advice / regulations in a way that puts Teatimers at risk we reserve the right to temporarily or permanently exclude them.
  5. If we have reason to believe a Staff member is putting Teatimers at risk, they will be suspended pending investigation and disciplinary procedures. This suspension will normally be unpaid unless Peninsula HR services advise otherwise.

Visitors

  1. In general, Parents and visitors are not permitted to enter Teatimers at this time. The exceptions to this are:
    • External teachers (dance and playball)
    • External advisors (SEN. Speech therapy etc)
    • Providers of cleaning / hygiene services
    • Tradesmen providing unavoidable servicing and repairs.
    • Public officials (e.g. Police, Ambulance, Fire, Ofsted)
  2. Where we need to have meetings with our parents this will still be made possible. When appropriate this will be done by phone or online meeting.  For in person discussions, outside meetings are our preferred means of discussion.  In bad weather, or where circumstances required we will make space inside and the Parent will need to wear a face mask, observe hand hygiene rules and maintain social distancing.
  3. Prospective parent show arounds can still go ahead but we are doing these out of hours. Parents should not bring their child to the show around and if this is unavoidable the situation must be discussed beforehand.  A further disinfection of the building will be carried out after the visit.