Friday, 31 January 2020

Challenge of the month-February

Well done Ibrahim for making your vegetable caterpillar for January's home challenge, it looks like you had lots of fun!

February Policy of the month-E safety

Our nursery is aware of the growth of internet use and the advantages this can bring. However, it is also aware of the dangers and strives to support children, staff and families in using the internet safely.

Keeping Children Safe in Education states “The breadth of issues classified within online safety is considerable, but can be categorised into three areas of risk:

ü content: being exposed to illegal, inappropriate or harmful material;

ü contact: being subjected to harmful online interaction with other users; and

ü conduct: personal online behaviour that increases the likelihood of, or causes,

harm.”

The Designated Safeguarding Lead is ultimately responsible for online safety concerns. All concerns need to be raised as soon as possible to Sarah Magee or the senior member of staff responsible at the time.

Within the nursery we aim to keep children (and staff) safe online by:

Ensuring we have appropriate antivirus and anti-spyware software on all devices and update them regularly
Ensuring content blockers and filters are on all our devices, e.g. computers, laptops and any mobile devices
Keeping passwords safe and secure, not sharing or writing these down.
Ensure the IT department at St Mary’s College monitor all internet activities in the setting
Locking away all nursery devices at the end of the day
Ensuring no social media or messaging apps are installed on nursery devices
Management reviewing all apps or games downloaded to tablets to ensure all are age appropriate for children and safeguard the children and staff
Using approved devices to record/photograph in the setting
Never emailing personal or financial information
Reporting emails with inappropriate content to Paul Holmes at SMC who will contact the internet watch foundation (IWF www.iwf.org.uk)
Ensuring children are supervised when using internet devices
Using tracking software to monitor suitability of internet usage (for older children)
Not permitting visitors access to the nursery Wi-Fi
Integrating online safety into nursery daily practice by discussing computer usage ‘rules’ deciding together what is safe and what is not safe to do online
Talking to children about ‘stranger danger’ and deciding who is a stranger and who is not, comparing people in real life situations to online ‘friends’

Provide training for staff at least annually in online safety and understanding how to keep children safe online. We encourage staff and families to complete a online safety briefing which can be found at https://moodle.ndna.org.uk
We abide by an acceptable use policy; ensuring staff only use the work IT equipment for matters relating to the children and their education and care.
Under no circumstances should any member of staff, either at work or in any other place, make, deliberately download, possess, or distribute material they know to be illegal, for example child sexual abuse material
Children’s screen time is monitored to ensure they remain safe online and have access to material that promotes their development. We will ensure that their screen time is within an acceptable level and is integrated within their programme of learning
The nursery is aware of the need to manage our digital reputation, including the appropriateness of information and content that we post online, both professionally and personally. This is continually monitored by the setting’s management.

All electronic communications between staff and parents should be professional and take place via the official nursery communication channels, e.g. the setting’s email addresses and telephone numbers. This is to protect staff, children and parents.

If any concerns arise relating to online safety then we will follow our safeguarding policy and report all online safety concerns to the DSL.

The DSL will make sure that:

· All staff know how to report a problem and when to escalate a concern, including the process for external referral if they feel it is needed

· All concerns are logged, assessed and actioned upon using the Nursery’s Safeguarding procedure

· Parents are supported to develop their knowledge of online safety issues concerning their children via – one to one interaction with staff

The nursery blog

The nursery app

Safety messages of the month

· Parents are offered support to help them talk about online safety with their children using appropriate resources

· Parents are signposted to appropriate sources of support regarding online safety at home and are fully supported to understand how to report an online safety concern.

· The Professionals Online Safety Helpline (0344 381 4772 or helpline@saferinternet.org.uk) is shared with all staff and used if any concerns arise

· Refer to https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safeguarding-children-and-protecting-professionals-in-early-years-settings-online-safety-considerations/safeguarding-children-and-protecting-professionals-in-early-years-settings-online-safety-considerations-for-managers to ensure all requirements are met in order to keep children and staff safe online

· Share https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safeguarding-children-and-protecting-professionals-in-early-years-settings-online-safety-considerations/safeguarding-children-and-protecting-professionals-in-early-years-settings-online-safety-guidance-for-practitioners with the wider team to help them to keep themselves safe online, both personally and professionally

Reading is important

If you can spare ten minutes a day to read with your child you can make a huge difference to their development. You don’t have to read a book, you could read a comic, magazine article or a story you have made up yourself.

Here are a few ideas that you could use to liven up story time.

Do the voices Try to make sure each character talks differently – this makes the story come to life for the listeners. You could try making them talk higher or deeper, faster or slower, or even in different accents. If you have trouble thinking up voices, ask your audience to give you ideas for how a certain character might talk – they could even read one character's lines for you...
Get with the programme Make sure you have a regular slot in which to read every day. This makes sure you don't forget about it, and stops everyone forgetting the plot! (This idea is used by lots of soaps, where there are lots of different stories to keep in mind, like Hollyoaks or Neighbours).
Go for a journey If you have a regular reading time every day, choose a longer chapter book. It'll be more of an experience for you and your listener, and helps build their memory and understanding.
Keep them guessing Ask questions every so often to find out what everyone thinks might happen next. This can help to build the suspense and make it more interesting for your listeners...
Make sure they're still with you Recap what's happened every few pages to make sure your listeners know what's going on (especially important if they're younger).
Always leave 'em wanting more Quit reading at an exciting point in the story – maybe at the end of a chapter or even in the middle of a sentence! TV dramas use cliffhangers like this to make sure their audience comes back tomorrow to find out what happened – yours will too.

Please take a look at the website below for more useful information and activity ideas

http://www.wordsforlife.org.uk/

Wednesday, 29 January 2020

January's safety message of the month-House hold safety

Accidents to Children

Accidental injuries are a major health problem throughout the United Kingdom. They are one of the most common cause of death in children over one year of age. Every year they leave many thousands permanently disabled or disfigured.

More than two million children under the age of 15 experience accidents in and around the home every year, for which they are taken to accident and emergency units. Many more are treated by GPs and by parents and carers. On average 62 children under the age of five died as a result of an accident and over 76.000 under the age of 14 are admitted for treatment of which over 40% are under 5 years of age.

Those most at risk from a home accident are the 0-4 years age group. Falls account for the majority of non-fatal accidents while the highest numbers of deaths are due to fire. Most of these accidents are preventable through increased awareness, improvements in the home environment and greater product safety.

What injuries occur?

The most severe injuries are associated with heat-related accidents and falls from a height. Older children are more likely to sustain fractures than younger counterparts.³ Younger children have a higher percentage of burns and scalds as well as poisoning and ingestion accidents.³

Where do accidents happen?

The largest number of accidents happen in the living/dining room.³ However, the most serious accidents happen in the kitchen and on the stairs. Every year more than 67,000 children experience an accident in the kitchen - 43,000 of these are aged between 0-4 years; 58,000 children have accidents on the stairs.³

When do accidents happen?

Most happen between late afternoon and early evening, in the summer, during school holidays and at weekends
Factors such as stress, death in the family, chronic illness, homelessness or moving home increase the likelihood of the child having an accident
Some happen when the usual routine is changed or when people are in a hurry
Distractions and inadequate supervision are often the cause of accidents
Poor housing and overcrowded conditions lead to increased numbers of accidents
Some accidents are caused by lack of familiarity with surroundings, for example, when visiting friends or relatives, or in holiday accommodation.

A Checklist for Parents

KITCHEN 76,000 under 5s attend A & E following a burn or a scald each year.

1. Does your kettle have a ‘curly’ or short flexi Lead?	Yes/No
2. Are household chemicals and medication stored in a secure place out of the reach of children?	Yes/No
3. Do you have a first aid kit?	Yes/No
4. Are knives and scissors kept out of children’s reach?	Yes/No
5. Are floor surfaces non-slip and securely fixed?	Yes/No
6. Do you keep pan handles turned inwards and out of children’s reach?	Yes/No
7. Are children kept away from the iron?	Yes/No
8. Do you make sure that hot drinks are kept out of the reach of children?	Yes/No
9. Are spillages cleaned up immediately to prevent slips?	Yes/No

LIVING AND DINING ROOM Most accidents to children happen in the living room.

10. Do you have a fixed fireguard?	Yes/No
11. Do you keep alcohol out of reach?	Yes/No

BATHROOM 13 children under 5 die each year from drowning.

12. Do you have a non-slip mat in the bath?	Yes/No
13. Are children supervised during bath time?	Yes/No
14. Do you always run the cold water before adding in the hot?	Yes/No

BEDROOM 40,000 children swallow pills, chemicals, cosmetics & perfumes each year.

15. Are window restrictors fitted and in use?	Yes/No
16. Do you keep furniture away from windows?	Yes/No
17. If you use bunk beds, are safety bars and a secure ladder in use?	Yes/No

STAIRS Over 40,000 children under 5 are hurt each year as a result of a fall down stairs.

18. Do you have safety gates fitted in your home?	Yes/No
19. Are the stairs free from clutter & obstacles that could cause a fall?	Yes/No
20. Do you have good lighting on and around the stairs?	Yes/No
21. Are horizontal banisters boarded over to stop children climbing up them?	Yes/No
22. Are banister rails close enough to stop children falling through?	Yes/No
23. Are stair carpets and other carpets fixed down securely	Yes/No

GENERAL Just under 1 million children need hospital treatment as a result of an accident in the home each year.

24. Do you have a smoke detector fitted and working?	Yes/No
25. Are gas appliances and heaters checked and serviced regularly?	Yes/No
26. Do you keep matches and lighters out of children’s reach?	Yes/No
27. Are small toys, coins and small objects kept away from toddlers?	Yes/No
28. If you are a tenant do you report urgent repairs immediately to your landlord	Yes/No
29. Do you keep floor areas clear of obstacles and free from clutter?	Yes/No
30. Do you make sure that electric sockets are not overloaded or damaged?	Yes/No
31. Do you make sure that there are no trailing flexes or wires?	Yes/No

Monday, 27 January 2020

A dummy stops me talking!

The use of dummies, also called pacifiers or comforters, is a common practice in many countries.

Advantages

For parents and carers, the most important advantage of the use of dummies is their role in helping babies settle down to sleep or to soothe them. Some studies show that dummies can help establish good sucking patterns in very young babies, especially those born prematurely.

Several research projects have begun looking at a correlation between dummy sucking and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and whether using a dummy lowers the risk of SIDS. This area of investigation is very new and SIDS support organisations do not recommend the use of dummies as a preventative measure.

Disadvantages

There are a few disadvantages associated with the use of dummies. Some of these impact upon the child's speech and language development. The World Health Organisation say that dummy use may encourage the child and mother to stop breast feeding earlier than is in the best interests of the child. Other concerns raised by various professional groups include the increased risk of:

Stomach and mouth infections;
Middle ear infections (otitis media). This is because sucking opens the eustachian tube, which links the nose and middle ear. This can allow bacteria into the middle ear from the nasal area;
Dental problems such as open bite and cross bite;
Overdevelopment of the muscles at the front of the mouth compared to those at the back of the mouth. This may lead to a persistent tongue thrust and affect placement of the teeth;
Reduced babbling and experimentation with sounds. When a baby or young child has a dummy in their mouth they are less likely to copy sounds adults make or to attempt to babble and play with sounds themselves. This is important in the development of speech skills.

Advice for Parents & Carers

There is a lot of confusing advice available about the use of dummies and it is important to be aware of the range of arguments.

Dummies can be useful in settling young babies and encouraging strong sucking patterns, but their specific usefulness declines after a developmental age of about six months. There is useful advice and tips on reducing dummy use here.