Newcastle City Council Day Nurseries. Parent and Carer. Information Pack

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1 Newcastle City Council Day Nurseries Parent and Carer Information Pack

2 Newcastle Day Nurseries Now that you have chosen the nursery for your child, you will be asked to fill in a registration form. This gives nursery staff the information required for placement as well as registering you with your local Sure Start Children's Centre. New registration forms will be issued every six months so we can keep changes to your personal details up to date. We encourage you to be involved in your child s nursery life and we value your feedback. What are the opening times for this nursery? The nursery is open from: 8am until 6pm Monday to Friday. Sessions run from 8am 1pm and 1pm 6pm. You will be required to sign your child in and out of nursery each day. How much will I pay for my nursery place? The amount you will pay will depend on the length and number of sessions you choose. This will be agreed with the nursery manager when you register. Can I get any financial assistance? You may be eligible for financial assistance with your fees. For information regarding Childcare Tax Credit, visit the Inland Revenue Website on Childcare tax credits are paid directly to parents if you are eligible. This payment is only to cover your childcare costs. 3 and 4 year old nursery funding is available the term after your child s third birthday. Your child is eligible for 3 sessions a week during school term time, each lasting 5 hours. This is for a maximum of 38 weeks per financial year. A notice period of four weeks is required to terminate your child s place. For information regarding 3 and 4 year old funding available to you during term time, please contact the Families Information Service on Please let us know if your child is eligible for 3 and 4 year old funding or you wish to pay using childcare vouchers from your employer.

3 Will I be charged for anything else? If you do not collect your child on time, an additional charge of 20 is payable as staff will need to be paid overtime. It is important for the welfare of all children that we are appropriately staffed at all times, which is why we ask you not to bring your child before 8am and collect them on time at the end of the session. Does the nursery close at all through the year? The nursery is closed every bank holiday and for one week at Christmas. The nursery is also closed for 6 staff training days throughout the year. These dates are set at the start of the year and you will be notified of these dates as soon as possible. They are planned on different days of the week. It may be possible to arrange for your child to attend a different nursery when their nursery is closed for a training day. Booking a nursery place for my child There is a fee of 100, which is taken at the time that you book a nursery place for your child. It will be taken off the last invoice when your child leaves the nursery. Paying for my child s nursery place You will be invoiced, in advance, on the first day of the month for your booked sessions. Any changes, for example, extra days, cancelled sessions and late collection penalties will be added to your invoice the following month. Please note that written confirmation is required to change the name of the parent responsible for paying the fees. When booking your place, the number of sessions your child attends the nursery will be agreed. Any changes to this agreement must be authorised in advanced by the manager. The manager must always consider staff/child ratios when making a decision. A notice period of four weeks is required by you or by us to alter the terms of your placement.

4 Checking my invoice You are responsible for checking your invoices to ensure that the information is correct, that is, the amount of sessions and costs. If you do not agree with the amount on the invoice or have any other questions about payment, please contact the Community Day Nursery Administrator on Different ways to pay: Please remember to quote your full invoice number when making payments. This can be found on the reverse of the invoice. The following methods of payment are available: 1. e-payments (childcare vouchers) 2. Direct Debit - You can make regular payments by Direct Debit, which is easy, safe and secure and saves time. You must have a bank or building society account. Please call or to request a direct debit mandate form. Payments will be requested from your bank on the 1st day of the following month. This is the easiest way to pay. 3. In person at a Housing Office or Customer Service Centre. You can pay in person by cash, cheque or postal order by visiting one of the following places: Civic Centre Customer Service, Sandyford Road Outer West Customer Service Centre, Denton Park Shopping Centre East End Customer Service Centre, Shields Road The Walker Centre, Church Walk Gosforth Customer Service Centre, Regent Farm Road The Kenton Centre, Halewood Avenue/ Hillsview Avenue 4. By post sending cheque or postal order made payable to Newcastle City Council. Write your invoice number on the back and send with your payment slip to: Newcastle City Council, City Treasurer, Civic Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE99 2PT.

5 5. By telephone using a Debit or Credit card: You can telephone the Automated Telephone Payment (ATP) Service and select option 4 for Corporate Bill Payments. Or if you would like to speak to an operator to make a payment, please telephone Please note that these telephone numbers are only to make payments. 6. Online by visiting our website which is 7. By B.A.C.S using our bank account details show below: Bank Account Name: Newcastle City Council District Account Branch: Co-operative Bank plc, Newcastle upon Tyne Sort Code: , Account Number: For further information on all methods of payment please contact Corporate Billing on or If I cannot pay afford to pay my invoice what should I do? Please note that if you don t pay your invoices within the invoice period, it may result in your child s nursery place being put at risk. If you are having difficulties settling your invoice, you must immediately contact the Corporate Billing section on or the Community Day Nursery Administrator on Holidays You still need to pay for your child s nursery place if you take them out of nursery for a family holiday. Cancelling your place You should not cancel your child s nursery place during school holidays. If you choose to do so you will still be charged. For further information, please contact the nursery manager to discuss your needs.

6 Comments, compliments and complaints Comments and feedback from parents/carers are an important way for us to monitor and develop our service. If you have any comments or concerns please discuss the matter with a staff member or the manager. If you do not wish to speak to a member of staff or you are not satisfied with the outcome, the city council complaints policy is available at the following address: This is what will happen next: We will write to you within three working days to let you know we have received your complaint. We will give you a reference number and the name of the senior manager who will investigate your complaint. This information will make it easier for you to contact the person dealing with your complaint if you need to. If your complaint needs more investigation, and we cannot send you a written reply within 15 working days, we will write to you and let you know when you will receive a written reply. All parents will be offered the chance to complete a survey when their child leaves nursery. Starting at our nursery Settling in Now that your child is starting at nursery, a settling in period will be agreed between you and your child s key worker. If your child has a special toy or comforter, they are welcome to bring it into nursery, particularly during the settling in period. Keeping our records up to date You will be asked to give the names of two emergency contacts that will be recorded on your child s registration form. These contacts should be introduced in person to the staff team as soon as possible when your child starts nursery.

7 What do you need to bring? Activities at the nursery are often messy. Aprons are available for your child and it is advisable that your child does not wear their best clothes to nursery. Children s clothes, especially coats and outdoor wear should have a name label. There is limited space for prams or buggies to be left at the nursery and Newcastle City Council cannot be held responsible for items that are lost, stolen or damaged. This includes any clothing that you may leave on the premises. You will be asked to bring nappies and wipes used by your child and to keep a spare set of clothing at the nursery in case your child needs to be changed during the day. Non-prescribed creams for nappy rash must be provided by the parent/carer in an unopened or sealed container with the original label. If staff need to apply cream this will be recorded, in line with the intimate care policy. Your child will be allocated a peg or drawer in which to keep spare items of clothing or shoes. A day at one of our nurseries The start of the day On arrival all of the children come together for a time and are offered a healthy breakfast. After breakfast, the children will go into age specific rooms and enjoy a variety of activities. Morning and afternoon activities Throughout the morning and afternoon sessions, children will have opportunities to join in a wide range of activities making use of both the indoor and outdoor environments. Some activities will be adult led to help to support children in their learning, while others are directed by the children themselves. Activities may include: creative play using a wide variety of materials dressing up activities sand and water play

8 construction and fine motor activities such as jigsaws, threading and cutting. Alongside these activities, indoor and outdoor exploration experiences are available to help your child to develop their physical skills, including balls and bats and music and movement time. All of the activities in the nurseries follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum. The end of the day The children will all come together again towards the end of the day while they are waiting for you to collect them. Please collect your child promptly and remember to sign them out. Staff members will update you about your child s day. Meal times The children will be offered a healthy and nutritious meal while they are at nursery. We provide lunch and tea as well as a healthy snack during both the morning and afternoon sessions. The nurseries promote 5 a day and actively encourage children to eat a healthy balanced diet. Rest / sleep Cots and rest beds are available for all children who require a rest. After lunch, the younger children will be encouraged to have a rest together and we will make sure the room is quiet and comfortable. Outdoor play If the weather is nice enough, the children will be encouraged to enjoy outdoor play opportunities as part of their day. The outdoors is a very good learning environment. All of the nurseries have safe, secure outdoor areas. Encouraging positive behaviour The nurseries encourage positive behaviour. Children are encouraged to be kind and considerate to each other and to have respect for toys and equipment. All good behaviour and positive actions will be praised to raise children s self esteem.

9 If a child s behaviour causes concern, the manager will discuss with the parents how best to deal with it. Keeping your children safe.. We welcome parents and carers within our service and strive to make you feel included. If you have any concerns the manager and staff team will make time to meet with you. Please let us know if any of the details about your child, especially if emergency contact information and addresses change. Please share any information with us which you feel is relevant to the care of your child. In order for us to staff the nursery appropriately, please ensure you arrive on time when collecting your child. In order to ensure the safety of all children: If you bring friends or family members into nursery with you, you must inform the manager or a member of staff so we are aware of who is in the building. You must not allow anyone into nursery as we operate a system to monitor everyone coming in to or leaving the building to make sure the children are safe. The use of mobiles phones is not allowed in nursery. Please turn your phone off when you arrive to drop off or collect your child. You are expected to behave in an acceptable manner at all times when you are in the nursery. All staff in the nursery have a duty to monitor the physical and emotional wellbeing of the children in their care and protect them from harm at all times. On arriving at the nursery each day, please share any information you may feel is relevant with your child s key worker. Any accident or incident involving your child s safety at nursery will be recorded in the accident book and you will be asked to sign to confirm that you have been informed. If your child has been unwell, please tell staff on arrival.

10 Record keeping We hold a certain amount of confidential information about your child and family circumstances. This is held in a locked cupboard and is secure. All records are available for parents to see at any time on request. We have a duty to share any areas of concern we may have about your child with other professionals, for example, Social Care, Health Visitors and so. Parent drop off / collection You may give written permission for other adults to collect your child from nursery. Their names, relationship to the child and contact details will be entered onto the child s registration form. You must introduce these designated adults to members of the staff team. Without an introduction/proof of identity staff will be unable to hand over the child. No person under the age of sixteen years will be permitted to collect a child from nursery premises, unless the person is the parent of the child concerned. Outings Occasionally the nurseries may organise outings. In the event of an outing, all of our nurseries keep a record of the following information: Where the outing is to and what the purpose is The name of the child/children The names of staff who will go with the children Dates and times of the visit/outing Approximate time of departure and return No child will ever be taken out of the group for any reason (except for emergency medical treatment) unless prior permission has been given by the child s parent/carer and authorisation has been given by the manager (or in his/her absence, by the deputy manager). Emergency procedure for non-collection of child If a child is not collected by the agreed time, we will endeavour to contact you and the other adults listed as contacts. If we are unable to contact you, the Social Care duty team will be contacted, and we will make a written account of our actions and the outcome on the child s record.

11 Equal opportunities All nurseries aim to provide an inclusive service which is accessible to all children. We aim to ensure that children s individual needs are met and that all children are fully included within the nursery environment. In order to achieve this we work closely with the child, parents, carers and any other professionals who may be involved in order to meet the individual child s needs. Nurseries will not discriminate against any child on the grounds of race, gender, disability or religious belief and we will take positive action to ensure that the needs of all children are met. Racism and prejudice are harmful to all children and will not be tolerated in nursery. Children will be encouraged to respect and value other ethnic or racial groups, religions, cultures and languages. The nursery will encourage a positive attitude to all aspects of equal opportunities so that all children feel equally valued regardless of their race, gender, disability or religious belief. We aim to provide a broad and balanced early years curriculum. We aim to achieve this by working closely with parents, carers and professionals to provide for individual needs within an inclusive setting. All of the nurseries deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum. For further information, please see your nursery manager or the Department for Education website ( Health and Safety The nursery is responsible for safeguarding the health, safety and welfare of the children in their care and the staff will work to achieve a safe and healthy environment. At all times the nursery will conform to the local authority policy on health and safety. For further information please see: or As a safety precaution we do not allow children to wear any jewellery at nursery as it can be dangerous for them while they are playing. This includes earrings, necklaces, rings and bracelets.

12 All of the nurseries have a first aid box and at least one member of staff who has received training in first aid is on duty at all times. All accidents are fully recorded and you will be told as soon as possible. You will be asked to sign an accident form to say you have been informed. What happens if my child is ill? If children become unwell at nursery you will be contacted and your child will be cared for until they can be collected. Children who are ill will not normally be accepted into the nursery, however children who are taking a prescribed course of medicine but are otherwise well, will be accepted Children who have a high temperature may be admitted but only if they are not unwell and this decision will be made by the nursery manager. Parents and carers will be informed of possible contact with contagious or notifiable disease so that medical advice can be obtained. A list of such diseases will be issued to parents before they take up their nursery place. Please note that your fees are still payable if your child is off sick or on holiday. Administering medication policy Wherever possible, medication should be administered by parents and carers. However, we recognise that is not always possible. Staff at the nurseries are generally willing to administer medication prescribed by a doctor. Only medication prescribed by a doctor or qualified homeopathic practitioner can be given and written permission must be given by parents or carers first. It is the responsibility of the parent/carer to provide information and update the manager on their child s medication and health needs. A child has the right to attend nursery whilst on medication if they are well enough to do so. This must be agreed in advance by the nursery manager who will consider any implications for other services users. All prescribed medication brought into nursery must be given directly to the manager on duty.

13 The medication must be clearly labelled with the name of medication, name of child, the dosage and frequency of dosage, duration of course, date prescribed and the medication must not be out of date. A medication record will be signed by the member of the staff team who administers the medicine and will also be signed by the manager/deputy manager. Any medication without a prescription label will not be accepted. Children who need to use a nebuliser will be accommodated where possible. In an emergency staff will seek professional medical advice. Our healthy eating policy All staff preparing and serving food are aware of the individual dietary requirements of all children. A list of individual children s dietary requirements is displayed within the kitchen area at all times. Foods containing nuts are not served. We are unable to accept foods made at home or food not in the original, sealed packaging. This is so we can protect children who have allergies. We provide a good balanced and nutritional diet for all children, including 5 portions of fruit and vegetables and the recommended daily intake of milk. All meals are cooked fresh on nursery premises. Safeguarding children We understand safeguarding is a sensitive issue. We think of it as a way of keeping children safe and offering support to parents and carers. If we are concerned that a child is suffering or is at risk of suffering significant harm we have a legal duty to pass this information on.

14 Your nursery agreement Your copy I Parent/Carer of Child s name Child s name Child s name have read and agreed with the terms, conditions and guidelines within the Parent Information Pack and have had the opportunity to clarify any concerns I have with the nursery manager. Please return this signed agreement to the nursery manager within 7 days. Signed Date Data Protection Act 1998 The information provided will be recorded under the requirements of this Act. We will keep your details to tell you about Sure Start Children s Centres services and activities and for statistical information for monitoring purposes and does not include any personal details. Your information is not used for marketing purposes and we will not share your information outside Newcastle Sure Start.

15 Nursery copy I Parent/Carer of Child s name Child s name Child s name have read and agreed with the terms, conditions and guidelines within the Parent Information Pack and have had the opportunity to clarify any concerns I have with the nursery manager. Please return this signed agreement to the nursery manager within 7 days. Signed Date Data Protection Act 1998 The information provided will be recorded under the requirements of this Act. We will keep your details to tell you about Sure Start Children s Centres services and activities and for statistical information for monitoring purposes and does not include any personal details. Your information is not used for marketing purposes and we will not share your information outside Newcastle Sure Start.