There are nine values and three principles that underpin the service we provide for our children and young people. One key value is that the child’s welfare is paramount.
Principles:
In accordance with the Children’s Order 1995. My setting endeavours to safeguard the welfare of all children, by protecting them from physical, sexual and emotional harm and neglect. My setting is registered with Social Services and complies with its guidelines on Child Protection. It is the policy of the setting to work in partnership with parents, children and statutory agencies to ensure that the welfare of the child is paramount. All staff and volunteers are vetted by Access NI and Social Services and should at all times conduct themselves in a way that reflects the principles of the setting.
1. Practitioners contribute to children’s care, learning and development and this is reflected in every aspect of practice and service provision: as practitioners we are to provide a safe, happy, and relaxed environment for children and their parents/carers.
3. Practitioners work with parents and families who are partners in the care, learning and development of their children and are the child’s first and most enduring educators: my aim is to work in partnership with parents to meet the needs of the children. All children and adults are treated with equal concern and are made to feel welcome at all times. Parents can discuss the needs of their child/children with the Manager and the Supervisor of their room. Parents are regularly informed about activities at the club and whenever necessary, parental consent sought. Information is sent out to parents via email, facebook or written communication. Parents can at any time request a meeting with supervisors or the Manager to express any concerns they may have about their child/children.
Values:
1: The needs, rights and views of the child are at the centre of all practice and provision: My setting promotes equality of opportunity by providing activities that are open to all children and their families. The children work alongside staff each month to help plan activities within their room, each room plan age appropriate activities to ensure that all children are capable and enjoy the set activities.
2. Individuality, difference and diversity are valued and celebrated: Staff seeks to actively promote an understanding of cultural and physical diversities through the provision of appropriate resources, and project work. Staff endeavours to challenge stereotypes that may arise. We aim to show respect for and awareness of all major events in the lives of the children and families and in the wider society. Without indoctrination, we aim to acknowledge festivals celebrated by both families in our local community and in wider society through stories, activities, special food and clothing, which reflect the diversity of life.
3. ‘It is the state’s obligation to protect children from any form of discrimination and to take positive action to promote their rights’ (UN convention on the Rights of the Child 1991) My setting aims to work in accordance with all relevant legislation in promoting equal opportunities including Disabled Persons Act 1958, 1986, Disability Discrimination Act 2004, Race Relations (NI) Order 1997, Sex Discrimination Act 1986, Sex Discrimination (NI) Order 1976, Children’s Order (NI) 1995 and Fair Employment and Equal Opportunities Legislation relevant to NI. We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity by providing activities that are open to all children and their families as far as is practically possible in line with our admissions policy. Staff seeks to actively promote an understanding of cultural and physical diversities through the provision of appropriate resources and project work. Staff endeavours to challenge stereotypes that may arise. Discrimination (language, behaviour or remarks) is positively challenged by supporting the victim and helping those responsible understand and overcome their prejudices. We aim to show respect for and awareness of all major events in the lives of the children and families within the setting and wider society. Without indoctrination, we aim to acknowledge festivals celebrated by both families in our local community and in wider society through stories, activities, and special food and clothing, which reflect the diversity of life.
4. “Children have the right to be as healthy as possible, live and play in a safe, healthy, unpolluted environment and benefit from preventive health care and education.” (Article 24 U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child) My settings policy is to provide children with a healthy, safe, and stimulating environment in which to relax, work, and play.
5. “States Parties recognise the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate fully in cultural life and the arts. State Parties shall respect and promote the right of the child to participate cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure activity” (Article 31) when providing play for children we give the children space and independence to use their imaginations to play the way they want, they can play with or without equipment and materials, with or without others as all children have their own ways of playing. We allow the children to choose their kind of play and allow them to take minor risks as everyday life comes with risks, its allowing them to judge the risks within a safe environment.
6. My setting aims to provide a safe, secure, stimulating, caring, fun and child centred environment for school aged children, and aim to make our setting a ‘home from home’ for children. By doing this the children feel more comfortable which helps with their confidence and self-esteem.
Our Aims and Objectives:
• To create a child centred environment where each child can develop to their fullest, while developing their independence and social skills.
• To provide clear boundaries in terms of acceptable behaviour, use encouragement and praise as a reward for good behaviour.
• To build each child’s self esteem together with learning respect for others.
• To encourage a positive attitude towards all cultures, beliefs, religions, race and
disabilities.
• To create a trusting and open environment for our parents and staff.
7. In accordance with the Children (NI) Order 1995 my setting endeavours to safeguard the welfare of all children, by protecting them from physical, sexual and emotional harm. The setting is registered with Social Services and complies with Health and Social Services guidelines on Child Protection. We respect the right for all information, records and observations to be treated with respect and with due attention to confidentiality and privacy. However, the legal principle that ‘the welfare of the child is paramount’ (Children (NI) Order Cat 1995) means that confidentiality comes second to the right of the child to be protected from harm.
8. Staff development is an on-going process which places the responsibility on the individual to identify opportunities for development, however close attention is placed by the Management Committee on the needs identified through staff appraisal, external changes requiring a new approach to the provision of childcare, and any training plans which may be developed by the setting. In order to gain the most benefit, the setting staff development processes closely linked to all other planning and review cycles, including staff induction and supervision and appraisal systems.
9. In order to gain the best practice, we support staff in their work to enable them to deliver the best possible service. To gain the best service we have staff meetings each month which helps us reflect on how each month has improved, we talk about previous changes if any has been made and see if it has made an impact on the setting. We also talk about any issues that may have arisen and work together to see how the issues can be resolved and also discuss how we can improve the continuous provision of the club.
3.1 In my setting the Policies and procedures for sharing information are developed and are in compliance to the Data Protection Act 1998, which states that any personal information is kept safe and private in locked storage. My setting works in partnership with Social Services who we are registered with, we work with Social Services which they have a set of minimum standards which we follow as the minimum standards gives us a benchmark of how we run are services and it is the minimum level of service that has to be provided to be registered with Social Services to meet the inspection standards. When a new staff member or volunteer starts I walk through the induction process with them including all the policies and procedures including confidentiality and child protection policies. New staff members receive a copy of the policies and procedures which when the have read them they would sign and date the policies and procedures page to say they read and agree to the policies and procedures. When a new child/children attends the club each parent must fill out a registration form for each child that attends. Each registration form is then stored in a file with the child’s name and the file is then stored in a locked filing cabinet, which only myself, deputy manager and administrator has access to. Any confidential information received by the deputy manager or me is only passed onto staff on a need to know basis. All personal and parent account information is all stored on the computer which only the administrator and myself has access to.