Covid-19 Risk Assessment

Truly Scrumptious Nursery Reopening – COVID-19 Site Operating Procedures

These guidelines are intended to assist Truly Scrumptious Nursery in implementing precautionary measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 disease in our settling. 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 procedure is to ensure physical distancing between identified groups and to implement good hygiene practices. The way we will design the day as small communities of children and subdivided of our rooms will greatly assist our ability to create physical distance between groups and cluster children into specific cohorts or ‘bubbles’.

Focus	Assessment Area	Assessment Actions
Children	Attendance	● Only children who are symptom free or have completed the required isolation period will attend the setting. ● We will be taking temperatures of children on arrival and will ask parents to monitor their children’s temperatures and complete weekly health questionnaires for returning children. ● We will be allocating stagger ‘bubbles’ drop off and pick up times.
	Physical distancing/grouping	● Children will be organised into small groups/’bubbles’, these small groups or ‘bubbles’ will not mix during the day. ● All care routines including provision of meals, nappy changing and toileting will be within the space allocated to each ‘bubble’ wherever possible. ● The use of communal internal spaces will be restricted as much as possible. ● Our outdoor spaces will be used by different ‘bubbles’ at different times of the day. ● A secure distance between the beds and cots will be facilitated within the sleep room.
	Wellbeing 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. ● Children will be supported to understand the changes and challenges they may be encountering as a result of Covid-19. ● Key Workers will also ensure they are aware of children’s attachments and their need for emotional support at this time.
Workforce	Attendance	● Staff will only attend the nursery if they are symptom free, have completed the required isolation period or achieved a negative test result. ● We will be taking temperatures of staff on arrival and risk assess with a regular health questionnaire for returning staff. ● Any staff members who travels to work via public transport or is dropped off by car by someone has been asked to bring a change of clothes (work top)- on entering the nursery staff are to immediately change to prevent cross contamination and reduce the risk of spreading infection.
	Physical distancing/group	● Staff will remain with the small group of children, the ‘bubble’ of children who they are allocated to and not come into contact with other groups. ● Social distancing will be maintained during breaks. This will be achieved through a range of strategies including the staggering of breaks and subdivision of spaces allocated to team breaks. ● Staff members will avoid physical contact with each other including handshakes, hugs etc. Where possible, meetings and training sessions will be conducted through virtual conferencing
	Training	● All staff members will receive appropriate instruction and training in infection control and the standard operating procedure and risk assessments within which they will be operating ● All staff members have completed staff training in “Prevent Covid-19”
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 ● We will limit drop off and pick up to 1 parent per family and stagger the timings for groups ‘bubbles’ within allocated times. ● We will be asking parents to drop off and pick up at the nursery main entrance to avoid parents entering the nursery unnecessarily. Parents will ring the door bell (which will be cleaned regularly) where a member of staff will collect your child before helping them put their shoes and coats on. ● If parents are kept waiting while dropping off or collecting their child, physical distancing will be maintained in a safe area.
	Communications	● Regular updates on our “Famly” app will continue to be as clear and informative as usual. ● Verbal handovers will be time restricted to ensure we do not have a queue of parents and children
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. essential building maintenance). Where essential visits are required these will be made outside of the usual nursery operational hours where possible.
Travel	Travel associated with our operations	● Wherever possible staff and parents will 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 will be asked not to leave travel accessories including buggies, car seats, scooters on the premises, but rather in the external buggy area outside ● Outings into the local community will be restricted during this phase of reopening. ● Staff who travel to work via public transport have been reminded to follow current guidance on the use of public transport, wearing face coverings where social distancing cannot be obtained. ● Staff have also been asked to bring a change of tops to change into immediately upon arrival of the nursery to prevent the spread of infection/cross contamination.
Hygiene and Health & Safety	Hand Washing	● All children and staff must wash their hands upon arrival at the nursery using the provided hand washing stations at the entrance of each nursery. ● Children and staff members will be encouraged to wash their hands frequently Proper hand-washing protocol Hand-washing is a cornerstone of our reopening plan. When in doubt, wash thoroughly and often, using liquid soap and water. Hand sanitizer that is 70% ethanol or stronger is our second preference. We will wash our hands: ● Upon arrival in the morning, and re-entering the building throughout the day ● Whenever one’s hands are visibly dirty ● After using the toilet ● After coughing or sneezing into one’s hands, or into a disposable tissue ● Before eating ● When going from one room to another. ● After physical contact with others. ● Before and after preparation of food ● After handing any post or parcels delivered to the nursery (gloves will be used to take these in also) All members of staff have also been given their own hand sanitisers that can be clipped onto their uniform for easy access during the day.
	Cleaning	● We have an enhanced cleaning schedule that will be implemented that includes furniture, surfaces and children’s toys and equipment (see below for further information). ● Toilets will be cleaned twice daily using standard cleaning products, and sprayed with disinfectant after each use. ● All high-contact surfaces, including touch points and hand washing facilities, tables, door handles, faucets and light switches will be disinfected twice daily. ● Toys will be cleaned at the end of each day, and any toys that are not easily disinfected will be put away until the end of the coronavirus pandemic. ● Staff electronics such as tablets, phones and computers will be disinfected before and after use. ● Cleaning takes place whenever there’s a break in the action — in the middle of the day, while children are eating or napping, or at the end of the day, once the children have gone home.
	Cleaning
	Laundry	● Laundry, such as bedding, will be only used by one child, and washed every day. ● Items such as towels, flannels and bedding must not be shared by children
	Risk assessment	● All activities will be risk assessed and due consideration given to any adaptations to usual practice. ● This may include, but not be limited, to the suspension of some learning experiences involving materials which are not easily washable such as malleable materials, sand, water etc. ● All children will have snacks served in their bowl to eliminate sharing of food.
	PPE	● Government guidance is that PPE is not required for general use in early years settings to protect against COVID- 19 transmission. ● PPE will continue to be worn as normal for nappy changing and the administration of first aid. ● PPE will also be used by staff who may be caring for any child who has displayed symptoms and waiting collection. These will include disposable aprons, masks, face shields, disposable gloves. ● We have collated an “isolation box” which contains masks, aprons, paper towels, gloves, face shield, anti bac wipes, hand sanitiser etc. This will be checked regularly using an inventory list with anything taken out marked down, dated, time, signed by a manager, reason for use and number of stock left.
Premises	Building	● We will be keeping windows open where possible to ensure ventilation
	Resources	● Children will not be permitted to bring items from home into the nursery unless absolutely essential for their wellbeing. ● 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. ● The use of soft toys or toys with intricate parts that are otherwise hard to clean have been boxed up. ● We will remove soft furnishings, sand/ water/ any malleable play will not be accessible to children during this period. ● All learning areas have been adapted to only allow a certain amount of children to play, ie “2 children can play here” ● Resources in areas have been boxed up in clear boxes so children are still able to choose and we are able to ensure they are cleaned thoroughly
Supplies	Procurement & monitoring	● We will ensure an adequate supply of essential supplies and contingency plans are in place to minimise the impact of any shortages of supplies. ● A monitoring system for the usage of PPE is essential to ensure that a supply of stock is available to all who require it as and when required to meet our operational needs. 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, procedures will be implemented to ensure the appropriate food alternatives are sourced and normal food safety and hygiene processes are followed.
Responding to a suspected case	Procedure	● In the event of a child developing suspected coronavirus symptoms whilst attending the setting, they will be collected as soon as possible and isolated at home in line with the NHS guidance. ● Whilst waiting for the child to be collected they will be moved, if possible to a room where they can be isolated behind a closed door (with appropriate adult supervision) if this is not possible, the child will need to be moved to an area which is at least 2 meters away from the rest of the setting. A window will opened for ventilation. ● If the child needs to use the toilet in the time they are waiting to be collected they will use a separate bathroom, if possible. The bathroom will be cleaned and disinfected before used by anyone else. ● The staff member responsible for the child during this time will be a staff member from their ‘bubble’. The staff member will wear appropriate PPE including a face mask while waiting with the child. ● In an emergency, the manager/supervisor is to call 999 if the child becomes seriously ill or injured. ● The person responsible for cleaning the area will wear appropriate PPE. ● The member of staff who has been in contact with the child displaying symptoms does not need to go home unless they develop symptoms themselves. The member of staff will adhere to strict hand washing routines as usual (20 seconds) ● In the event of a staff member developing suspected coronavirus symptoms whilst working at the nursery, they will return home immediately and isolate at home in line with the NHS guidance. Staff members will be able to be tested for Covid-19 if displaying symptoms.

Proper hand-washing protocol

Hand-washing is a cornerstone of our reopening plan. When in doubt, wash thoroughly and often, using liquid soap and water. Hand sanitizer that is 70% ethanol or stronger is our second preference.

We will wash our hands: