1.9 Maintaining Children’s Safety and Security on Premises

Safeguarding children

1.9 Maintaining children’s safety and security on premises

Policy statement

We maintain the highest possible security of our premises to ensure that each child is safely cared for during their time with us.

Procedures

Children’s personal safety

• We ensure all employed staff have been checked for criminal records by an enhanced disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service.
• All children are supervised by adults at all times.
• Whenever children are on the premises at least two adults are present.
• We carry out risk assessment to ensure children are not made vulnerable within any part of our premises, nor by any activity.

Security

• Systems are in place for the safe arrival and departure of children.
• The times of the children’s arrivals and departures are recorded if outside of normal session times.
• The arrival and departure times of adults – staff, volunteers and visitors – are recorded.
• Our systems prevent unauthorised access to our premises.
• We have systems in place to ensure that children do not leave the premises unnoticed.
• We ensure that no unauthorised persons enters the main part of the building (where children are in session).
• We keep our security doors and back gates locked at all times.
• Mobile telephones of staff are stored in the office during sessions.
• Personal possessions and mobile telephones of visitors and volunteers are stored in the office during sessions.
• We have a ‘Three Whistle Blow’ procedure in place that alerts staff and children of an emergency situation outside and prompts staff and children to come back into the safety of the building. In the event of a serious incident we instigate a lock down situation to ensure the safety of all staff and children. We regularly practice this procedure in the same way as we practice a fire drill.

Other useful Pre-school Learning Alliance publications

• Dynamic Risk Management (Pre-school Learning Alliance 2017)

This policy has an annual review period and, as such, will be reviewed and signed off at a management committee meeting of Cullompton Pre-School each year, as shown below.