Staffing & Employment Policy

 Statement of intent

We provide a staffing ratio in line with current legal requirements to ensure that children have sufficient individual attention and to guarantee care and education of a high quality. Our staff are appropriately qualified and we carry out checks for criminal and other records through the Criminal Records Bureau in accordance with statutory requirements.

Aim

To ensure that children below school age and their parents/carers are offered high quality early years care and education.

Method

• To meet this aim we use the following ratios of adult to child:

• children aged two years of age: 1 adult : 4 children

• children aged three - seven years of age: 1 adult : 8 children

• A minimum of two staff/adults are on duty at any one time.

• We use a key person system to ensure that each child has a named member of staff with whom to form a relationship and who plans with parents/carers for the child’s well-being and development in pre-school. The key person meets regularly with the family for discussion and consultation on their child’s progress.

• We hold regular staff meetings to undertake curriculum planning and to discuss children’s progress, their achievements and any difficulties that may arise from time to time.

• We work towards offering equality of opportunity by using non-discriminatory procedures for staff recruitment and selection.

• All staff have job descriptions which set out their staff roles and responsibilities.

• We welcome applications from all sections of the community. Applicants will be considered on the basis of their suitability for the post, regardless of marital status, age, gender, culture, religious belief, ethnic origin or sexual orientation. Applicants will not be placed at a disadvantage by our imposing conditions or requirements that are not justifiable.

• Our play leader and deputy hold the CACHE level 3 Diploma in Pre-school Practice or an equivalent qualification and a minimum of half of our staff hold the CACHE level 2 Certificate in Pre-school Practice or an equivalent or higher qualification.

• We provide regular in-service training to all staff - whether paid staff or volunteers - through various external agencies.

• Our pre-school budget allocates resources to training.

• We provide staff induction training in the first week of employment. This induction includes our Health and Safety Policy and Safeguarding Children and Child Protection Policy. Other policies and procedures will be introduced within an induction plan.

• We support the work of our staff by holding regular supervision meetings and appraisals.

• We are committed to recruiting, appointing and employing staff in accordance with all relevant legislation and best practice.

• We use Ofsted guidance on obtaining references and criminal record checks through the Criminal Records Bureau for staff and volunteers who will have substantial access to children.

• It is the employee’s responsibility to inform the employer if there is a change of circumstances i.e. disqualification from working with children, disqualification from driving, criminal conviction and/or cautions as well as court orders which may disqualify them from working with children or affect their suitability to do so;, having a child removed from their care, developing a medical condition which could affect them carrying out their duties.

This policy was adopted at a meeting of Larksmead Pre-school

Held on: 3^rd July 2008

This policy was reviewed on