Coronavirus Effective Infection Prevention

The coronavirus has sadly impacted on the lives of all of us in some form or another. As a result, Sunshine Wood has implemented some changes which are being introduced in order to ensure that those that attend, as well as the staff, and parents are safeguarded as much as possible from the potential threat coronavirus.

We will update our procedures in accordance with government guidance.

We have also ensured that we have undertaken further research and learning in the area of infection prevention to ensure that we are an educational setting can implement the correct policies and procedures.

We ask that you DO NOT enter the setting if you or any family members are displaying ANY symptoms of coronavirus.

We have now restricted the number of adults to 2 per child.

If parents are using public transport, we urge parents to avoid peak times, and wear mask for short journeys. We will provide further information when the government updates its guidance on SAFE TRAVEL.

Upon arrival we ask that you wash your hands.

Your temperature will be taken by staff.

The areas in which the children will have access to will be cleaned as normal daily before arrival and after the children leave.

Resources and toys will be thoroughly cleaned before and after use and children. We have introduced a strict toy rotation system.  This will see resources changed each session.Our usual cleaning Rota will be in place with extra care being placed up cleaning door handles, high traffic surfaces, wooden and plastic toys as well as all dining chairs/tables.

Illness and Exclusions from our setting

We will not be able to accept any child into our setting if anyone in your household displays symptoms of COVID 19 – this includes signs of a ‘persistent cough’ as well as a fever above 37.8. We have infrared thermometer onsite and will use this to check temperatures upon arrival. If a high temperature is recorded we would then in accordance with the Government advise that YOU MUST self-isolate for at least 14 days until symptoms have subsided.

If you or your child come into contact with anyone with symptoms of COVID 19 you must inform the setting so we can alert the other parents of a potential spread of infection -in this case the setting will close and we will all self-isolate for 7 days.

If your workplace or your husbands/wife workplace has closed due to COVID 19 your child will not be able to attend the setting due to being direct contact with yourself. Self-isolation is required, or longer until symptoms have disappeared, as stated by the government guidelines. In this case FEES will still apply as we will still be operating.

If any of my family, my team or myself are displaying symptoms of Covid 19 as set out above the setting will close and fees will not be charged.

Any confirmed cases of Covid 19 within our setting will also mean the immediate closure and fees will not be charged.

Effective infection protection and control

In our setting we will introduce a range of approaches to help stop the spread of infection

These can be seen as a hierarchy of controls that, when implemented, creates an inherently safer system, where the risk of transmission of infection is substantially reduced.

These include:

• cleaning hands more often than usual – wash hands thoroughly for 20 seconds with running water and soap and dry them thoroughly or use alcohol hand rub or sanitiser ensuring that all parts of the hands are covered
• ensuring good respiratory hygiene – promote the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach
• cleaning frequently touched surfaces often using standard products, such as detergents and bleach

Personal protective equipment (PPE) including face coverings and face masks

The Government has stated that wearing a face covering or face mask in schools or other education care settings is not recommended. We know that face coverings may be beneficial for short periods indoors where there is a risk of close social contact with people you do not usually meet and where social distancing and other measures cannot be maintained, for example on public transport or in some shops. This does not apply to  our setting.

We therefore do not require staff, children, and parents to wear face coverings. It is essential that we focus on changing habits, maximising cleaning routines and implementing highly effective hygiene controls such as hand washing – this is what will help control the spread of the virus.

Face coverings (or any form of medical mask where instructed to be used for specific clinical reasons) should not be worn in any circumstance by those who may not be able to handle them as directed (for example, young children, or those with special educational needs or disabilities) as it may inadvertently increase the risk of transmission.

In our setting we will not require team members to wear PPE  even if they are not always able to maintain a distance of 1 metre from others. This is the guidance taken by the Government.

Group sizes

It would be impossible to enforce the two-metre rule with children in our setting which is why we will strive to ensure that children:

• avoid contact with anyone with symptoms
• frequent hand cleaning and good respiratory hygiene practices
• regular cleaning of settings
• minimising contact and mixing

We appreciate that it is still important to reduce the contact between people which is why we will not undertake any trips which mean that children will be within two metres of another person that they do not know. Children will be allowed to mix only within the group in our setting and will stay away from other people and groups we do not know.

Public Health England (PHE) is clear that if early years settings do this, and crucially if they are also applying regular hand cleaning, hygiene and cleaning measures and handling potential cases of the virus as per the advice, then the risk of transmission will be lowered.

Planning and organising

In our setting we have thought deeply about how we will implement the new guidelines provided by the Government and how we will keep your children safe as well as ourselves.

We have undertaken the following:

• refreshed our risk assessment and other health and safety advice for children, young people and staff in light of recent government advice. We have identified protective measures (such as the things listed below).
• Also ensure that all health and safety compliance checks have been undertaken before opening the setting
• Introduced toy rotations and rigorous cleaning schedule

For cleaning and hygiene in our setting we will:

• follow the COVID-19: cleaning of non-healthcare settings guidance
• ensure that sufficient handwashing facilities are available. Where a sink is not nearby, provide hand sanitiser.
• clean surfaces that children and young people are touching, such as toys, books, desks, chairs, doors, sinks, toilets, light switches, bannisters, more regularly than normal
• ensure that all adults and children:
  • frequently wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds and dry thoroughly. Review the guidance on hand cleaning
  • clean their hands-on arrival at the setting, before and after eating, and after sneezing or coughing
  • are encouraged not to touch their mouth, eyes, and nose
  • use a tissue or elbow to cough or sneeze and use bins for tissue waste (‘catch it, bin it, kill it’)
• consider how to encourage young children to learn and practise these habits through games, songs, and repetition
• ensure that bins for tissues are emptied throughout the day
• where possible, all spaces should be well ventilated using natural ventilation (opening windows) or ventilation units
• prop doors open, where safe to do so (bearing in mind fire safety and safeguarding), to limit use of door handles and aid ventilation
• there is no need for anything other than normal personal hygiene and washing of clothes following a day in an educational or childcare setting