Few things are more difficult than letting your child go off to nursery for the very first time. The worry builds, wondering how they’ll get on, who will look after them, and most importantly, whether they’re safe.
We have compiled a list of safety features to look out for when visiting a nursery, to help spot green flags in childcare and help lessen those worries.
Proper Staff Training
Ensuring that those looking after your child are properly trained is of the utmost importance. It’s always worth checking that Disclosure and Barring Checks have been performed on each of the staff members. You can also check how much training the staff have each been through. A longer length of training is usually a good indicator, as lengthy training ensures they are consistently performing in a manner that benefits your children.
Clarify with your prospective nursery whether children are always supervised, especially when your child is asleep. You can also check that all staff have been first-aid trained, to ensure your child is cared for properly in an emergency.
Allergen Awareness
If your child has known allergies, it can be all the more frightening to send your child to an unfamiliar place. You have to trust that the staff will put your child’s wellbeing at the forefront. So, when speaking to a prospective nursery, it is important to check their policies on allergens and food hygiene.
At Little Acorns Day Nursery, we have prohibited certain foods from the premises to keep your child safe, including peanuts. In the event of an allergic reaction, staff should be thoroughly trained in how to detect an attack and hence treat your child.
Cleaning the Equipment
Babies and toddlers develop their fine motor skills through touch, which is something a good nursery should foster. This does mean, however, that nursery equipment will become high-traffic areas for touching, resulting in germs being spread.
To prevent this, a successful and safe nursery needs to ensure toys and playthings are regularly sanitised. It is worth checking with any prospective nursery their cleaning procedures, and ensuring that their cleaning materials are stored away from small hands. As your chosen nursery will be responsible for the basic care of your child, including feeding, it is important to make sure this is done in a clean and hygienic environment.
Safeguarding
While not the most pleasant subject, it is important to make sure your child is safe from abuse. Safeguarding is an incredibly important part of childcare and will follow your child throughout their school years. It is therefore best to make sure a high safeguarding standard is maintained before choosing a nursery. At Little Acorns, we have rigorous processes to determine what actions should be taken by our staff in different situations of abuse.
Why Choose Us
As you now know, we take the health and safety of your children very seriously. If you would like to learn more about us, simply visit our website, where you’ll find extensive guidance on our various policies designed to keep your child safe. You can also contact us at our Eastleigh or Hedge End sites for any further information or to arrange a visit.