Health & Safety Policy - COVID-19
Health & Safety Policy - Covid-19
Revised 11 March 2022
(In addition to the current Health & Safety Policy)
Admissions
- Staff arrive in fresh, clean uniform each day.
- Morning staff ensure that tissues are readily available. Also, that clean bins are available in each room, which will be lined with a bag and emptied, safely, every day.
- Morning staff ensure all surfaces, handrails and door handles are wiped down with antibacterial spray in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
- All children wash their hands upon arrival at Millwood House for a minimum of 20 seconds and periodically throughout the day.
- Children are collected from the car park by a member of the staffing team.
- Parents only are permitted entry to the Millwood House environment by appointment only.
- Children may not bring in any toys, food, or items from home. Children requiring comforters when sleeping are permitted to bring them in, however these are kept within a sealed bag when not being used. The child will have the comforter during nap time after which it will be replaced into its sealed bag.
- If any child becomes unwell while at Millwood House, the parents are contacted immediately and asked to collect their child.
- On departure all children are brought out to their Parent/Carer by a staff member.
- On departure staff ensure all surfaces, handrails and door handles are wiped down with antibacterial spray in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
- As per Government guidance, any child/staff member with Covid19 or Covid19 symptoms will not be permitted to enter Millwood House Nursery until they have returned 2 negative Lateral Flow Tests on days 5 and 6. (Please see Government Flow Chart "How to Safely Return to your Normal Routine before 10 Days" attached to this document).
- Children/Staff who live someone who tests positive/has symptoms of Covid19 are permitted to continue to attend the setting as normal.
What the day will look like for the children
Snack and mealtimes
- All tables and chairs are washed and sanitised before and after all meals and snacks
- All children and staff wash their hands, for a minimum of 20 seconds, prior to eating
- At the end of each meal all children and staff wash their hands for a minimum of 20 seconds
- At the end of each meal all tables and chairs are washed and sanitised.
- All staff wear the suitable PPE for the duration of meals.
Activities and play
- Where possible, children are in the outdoor environment throughout the day, within their age groups. Most indoor activities are moved into the large garden area each session.
- All resources and equipment are risk assessed for virus spread risk and are either removed, adapted or made for single use.
- All equipment, resources and toys are washed and sterilized on a daily rotational basis and recorded.
Sleep and rest time
- Social distancing is observed, with placement of beds and cots to encourage this
- Children's bedding is washed daily or more at a high temperature, to ensure minimised virus spread risk
Staffing
- Only staff attending Millwood House for work purposes will be permitted to enter
- All staff attending Millwood House have read, understood, and agree to adhere to the Health & Safety Policy - Covid 19
Millwood House Effective Infection Protection and Control
- Millwood House staff and families ensure that they minimise contact with individuals who are unwell: i.e., those who have coronavirus symptoms, or someone in their household who does.
- Handwashing on a more often than usual basis will be observed - washing hands, front and back. Thoroughly for 20 seconds with running water and soap and drying them thoroughly with single use paper towels or using alcohol hand sanitiser ensuring that all parts of the hand are covered.
- Ensuring good respiratory hygiene - promoting the "catch it, bin it, kill it" approach. Boxes of tissues are placed within easy reach of staff and children in all rooms.
- External Cleaning contractors to come in every evening to clean "frequently touched surfaces", all floor surfaces, WCs, kitchens, doors, baby gates etc.
- Following all updated guidance as and when.
- Records of all cleaning and sterilising are maintained.
- Millwood House staff to wear appropriate effective single use, disposable PPE when dealing with any bodily fluids This includes changing gloves and aprons between each child when nappy changing, preparing and working with food and when working with cleaning solutions
Visitors
- Visitors to Millwood House Nursery are accepted on an appointment only basis.
- As per Government guidance, any staff member with Covid19 or Covid19 symptoms
MHN H&S Policy Covid-19 - May 2020 Reviewed: December 2021 Reviewed: March 2022
