Risk Assessment
COVID 19
September 2020
These
guidelines are based on Public Health England and Department for Education
guidance for educational settings and their key workers.
The
fundamental principle of this guidance is to ensure physical distancing between
identified groups and to implement good hygiene practices. The design of
settings as relatively small communities with subdivided rooms, this greatly
assists our ability to create physical distance between groups and cluster
children into specific cohorts or ‘groups’.
|
Focus |
Areas
for Consideration |
Actions |
|
Children |
Attendance |
•
Only children who are symptom free or have
completed the required isolation period will attend the setting. •
Questionnaire for parents of children
returning after sickness •
Parents of children who attend 2 settings
(including a child minder) will be asked to choose 1 setting only during this
period of time. •
Temperatures will be taken if a child becomes ill •
Children or family members who have been
identified and ‘Clinically Vulnerable’ should not return to nursery at this
moment in time. |
|
|
Physical
Distancing/grouping |
•
From July 20 setting
were “no longer required to keep children in small consistent groups within
the setting but could return to normal group sizes” •
Children are organised into separate rooms
relating to age group. Wherever possible these small groups or will not mix
during the day •
Care
routines including provision of meals, nappy changing and toileting is be
within the space allocated to each ‘bubble’ •
The use
of communal internal spaces is restricted,( dining room, hallway, quiet room) •
Outdoor
spaces are used by different ‘groups’ at different times of the day. •
Distancing of beds/cots should be
facilitated wherever possible |
|
|
Well
being and education |
•
Children will be supported in age appropriate
ways to understand the steps they can take to keep themselves safe including
regular hand washing and sneezing into a tissue etc •
Children will be supported to understand the
changes and challenges they may be encountering as a result of Covid-19 and
staff will ensure they are aware of children’s attachments and their need for
emotional support at this time |
|
Staff |
Attendance |
•
Staff should only attend the nursery if they
are symptom free, have completed the requires isolation period or achieved a
negative test result. •
The temperature of staff will be taken if they
become ill •
A questionnaire for staff returning to work
after sickness risk assessing with regular health questionnaires for
returning •
Consideration will be given to limiting the
number of staff in the nursery at any one time to only those required to care
for the expected occupancy levels on any given day •
Staff are required
to wash their outdoor clothing every
week •
Staff will wear a
clean uniform every day |
|
|
Physical
Distancing/grouping |
·
Wherever possible staff will remain with the
small group of children, the ‘group’ of children who they are allocated to
and not come into contact with other groups. ·
Emergency revisions to the EYFS have been
implemented which provides some flexibility on ratios and qualifications to
make this feasible. ·
Social distancing must be maintained during
breaks. This may be achieved through a range of strategies including - staggering of breaks -
subdivision of spaces allocated to team breaks
where possible -
the
staff room has been cleared and staff are reminded to keep a 2 meters
distance apart ·
Staff members should avoid physical contact
with each other including handshakes, hugs etc. ·
Only 1 member of staff in the laundry at any
time ·
Where possible, meetings and training sessions
will be conducted through virtual conferencing |
|
|
Training |
•
All staff members will receive appropriate
instructions and training o
in infection control o
the standard operating procedure o
risk assessments within which they will be operating ·
Al staff are paediatric First Aid trained and competent
to deal with first aid issues ·
Staff are aware of the systems of control in
place that reduce the risk of spreading COVID within the setting |
|
|
Designated
Responsibilities |
•
DSL – Tracy Ellett -
Vicky Wrigley -
Jas Kang -
Natalie Walker ·
SENCO – Natalie Walker ·
Deputising in the absence of Tracy Ellett -
Natalie Walker (SNO, SENCO) -
Jas Kang (SNO) -
Vicky Wrigley (SNO) |
|
Parents |
Physical
Distancing |
•
Only parents who are symptom free and or have
completed the required isolation periods will be able to drop off or collect
their child •
Parents should limit drop off and pick up to 1
parent per family. (same person if possible) • Only one parent allowed into
the corridor to drop off pick up, 1 more parent may wait in the spacious
entrance unitl the other has left. Personnel in the office may allow a parent
to drop off at baby unit and another to drop off at preschool door, as long
as there are no crossing on the corridor. (Distancing whilst waiting outside
will be required), tape will be placed to identify 2 meters. •
Parents are expected to keep 2 meters distance
from the staff if possible ( handing a baby or a distressed child over to
staff will require close contact) •
Parents will not enter the office but will
speak to management from the threshold of the office door/ window. (floor
sign to remind staff and parents) •
Sensitive/private issues between parents and
staff will be discussed within the dining room where the 2 meter distancing
rule can be applied. •
Distancing floor tape at 2 meter intervals has
been installed within the corridors •
Insist that parents wear a face mask when
entering the building |
|
|
Communication |
•
All parents will
receive communication regarding the role they play in the safe operating
procedures and measures being taken to ensure the safety of their children,
themselves and others. •
A video has been
shared with parents on the nursery blog, this will show the parents the
measures in place for dropping off and collecting their children, it
includes; - strict hygiene procedures that have been
implemented - maintaining a 2 meter distance from
other parents and staff - where the sanitising stations are situated
- reminder for their children to wash their hands before entering the
learning environment - where to put the children’s coat and spare
clothed (a washable pump bag will be on their coat hook)
• A Parental Agreement to
follow the COVID 19 measurements placed within the setting and at home will
be completed by each family.
• Daily Written reports will not be given at
this moment in time, verbal communication will be passed onto parents by staff. |
|
Visitors |
Visits |
•
Attendance to the setting will be restricted
to children and staff as far as practically possible and visitors will not be
permitted to the nursery unless essential (e.g.SEND support essential
building maintenance). •
Where essential visits are required these will
be made outside of the usual nursery operational hours where possible. •
There are no ‘show rounds’ within the setting
at the moment, prospective parents are being directed to the nursery blog to
view a virtual tour and see examples of activities available to the children.
|
|
SEND/Health |
|
•
Send support is essential
for some children SSA’s will be allowed to offer this support, a risk
assessment will be completed and a health questionnaire will be completed by
SSA. SSA’a are required to wear face shields when supporting a child at SMN’s |
|
Travel |
Travel
Associated with setting operations |
•
Wherever possible staff and parents should
travel to the nursery alone, using their own transport •
If public transport is necessary, current
guidance on the use of public transport must be followed •
Parents are encouraged to ensure they do not
leave travel accessories including buggies, car seats, scooters at the
setting premises •
Outings from the setting into the local community
will not be carried out, only to the college field. •
Staff MUST wear face masks when traveling on
public transport and in taxis. |
|
Hygiene
and Health and safety |
Hand
washing |
•
All children and staff must wash their hands
upon arrival at the nursery •
Children and staff members will be encouraged
to wash their hands frequently at east every
2 hours, after playing outdoors, after toileting, before eating, after wiping
noses •
Staff must wash hands after placing and
removing their face masks. •
|
|
|
Medication |
•
Paracetamol (Calpol) will not be administered
to children who are attending nursery due to its ability to reduce
temperatures which is a symptom of Coronavirus. |
|
|
Cleaning |
•
An enhanced cleaning
schedule have been implemented that includes furniture, surfaces and
children’s toys and equipment – each member of staff within each room is
responsible for cleaning their play area, all soft furnishings will be washed
weekly, evidence in the form of weekly cleaning schedule. •
Communal area, touch
points and hand washing facilities will be cleaned and sanitised regularly
throughout the day, at the end of each day and the start of each day. A signing/time sheets for cleaning will be
displayed - on the
corridor for (corridor, entrance, staff toilets) - in the
children’s bathrooms - In the milk prep room |
|
|
Waste
disposal |
•
All waste will be
disposed of in a hygienic and safe manner •
Tissues bins are
located within each room and will be emptied throughout the day •
The white bin bags
from the tissue bins will be placed into a larger waste bag and stored in a
closed bin outside •
Children are
encouraged to ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ |
|
|
Laundry |
•
All items within the setting requiring
laundering will be washed in line with NHS laundry guidelines •
Items such as towels, flannels and bedding
will not be shared by children |
|
|
Risk
assessment |
•
All activity will be
risk assessed and due consideration given to any adaptations to usual
practice. It will not limit the learning experiences of the children but
resources such as malleable materials, and sand play will only be available
in individual trays. Singing in groups will ONLY be carried out in the
outdoors – staff will sing through continuous provision. – no loud music will
be played to reduce droplet and aerosol risks. •
Straws and wind
instruments have been removed. •
Most soft
furnishings have been removed from the pre-school room due to the numbers of
children accessing the room over the period of a week. •
This Risk Assessment
will be reviewed on a daily basis in relation to operational measures,
Government Guidance updates and daily occurrences. •
Each child with SEND
or Health issues have a RA for their individual needs, this includes
identified risks due to COVID 19 •
Pregnant Employees,
classed as ‘Clinically Vulnerable’ have individual RA with COVID related |
|
|
Fire
Evacuation |
•
There will be a change
to the assembly points for the evacuation of the building. ‘groups’ of
children and staff will remain together and not mix with other groups from
the nursery. •
All ‘groups’ have
access to a fire exit within their play space. |
|
|
PPE |
• Government guidance is
that PPE is not required for general use in early years settings to protect
against COVID- 19 transmission. • PPE will be used by
the member of staff dealing with a child who becomes ill during the nursery
day • PPE will continue to be worn
as normal for nappy changing and the administration of first aid • A PPE box will be
available within a well-ventilated isolation room (dining room) away from
other children/staff in the event of a child
or staff member displaying symptoms of COVID 19. • Any PPE used for a
suspected case of COVID will be placed into a yellow bag, tied and placed
into another yellow bag which will be stored
(in the quiet room)for a minimum of 72 hours before being placed into the
waste bins. |
|
Premises |
Building |
•
During the closure of the nursery, Health and
safety checks have been carried out in relation to regulations eg legionella
checks, premises check, security etc •
Legionella check was carried out at – - SMN –
4th June 2020 (SMC Estates Team) •
A thorough clean of the nursery prior to
re-opening has been carried out • Windows will be kept open during
operational hours to ensure ventilation |
|
|
Resources |
•
Children will not be permitted to bring items
from home into the setting. •
All resources required for play and learning
experiences of children will be regularly washed and/or sterilised •
Equipment
used by staff such as stationary, tablets etc. will be allocated to
individual staff members where possible and cleaned regularly. •
Soft furnishings within the play environment
will be reduced to a minimum. |
|
Supplies |
Procurement
and monitoring |
•
The nursery will ensure an adequate supply of
essential supplies and contingency plans are in place to minimise the impact
of any shortages of supplies. •
The nursery will not be able to operate
without essential supplies required for ensuring infection control •
A monitoring system for the usage of PPE is
essential and will ensure that a supply of stock is available to all who
require it as and when required to meet the operational needs of the setting.
When stocks are low, other options may be considered, such as the use of
washable tabards. These items will be washed at a high temperature and separate
to any other nursery washing. •
In the case the supply of food is interrupted,
changes to the regular menus will be required, procedures will be implemented
to ensure the appropriate food alternatives are sourced and normal food
safety and hygiene processes are followed.( As well as Allergies) •
Deliveries for the nursery will be accepted at
the back door of the building. |
|
Responding
to a suspected case of COVID19 |
|
·
In
the event of a child developing suspected coronavirus symptoms whilst
attending the setting, they should be collected as soon as possible and
isolate at home, parents will be asked to contact 111 and request a test ·
Whilst
waiting for the child to be collected they will be isolated from others in
the Dining room where the window will be opened for ventilation ·
The
member of staff looking after the sick child will be required to wear PPE
until the child has been collected ·
The
area will be thoroughly cleaned, immediately if the area cannot be left
unvisited ·
The
person responsible for cleaning the area will be required to wear appropriate
PPE ·
In
the event of a staff member developing suspected coronavirus symptoms whilst
working at the nursery, they should return home immediately and isolate at
home, the setting is registered as an ‘Employer of essential Workers’ to
ensure a quick test result can be acquired. ·
Any staff member or child who have attended
the setting can access the government testing programme through the 111 NHS
helpline to confirm COVID or not. ·
If
it is negative result from the COVID test, the individual may return to
nursery once they are feeling well again. ·
If
it is a positive result from the COVID test, advice will be sought from DfE
Helpline on 0800 046 8687 and a Rapid risk assessment will be carried out to
assess whether the rest of the immediate group within the setting need to
isolate for 14 days, it is not necessary for all other household members they
live with to self-isolate unless the child/staff starts to display signs of
COVID. ·
The
Education Response Team at The LA and OFSTED will be informed by the
nominated individual of a positive result. ·
The
nursery has a QR barcode for Track and Trace which is shared with parents, visitors
and staff via a poster displayed throughout the nursery |
