Health & Safety

Health & Safety

Hopscotch takes the Health and Safety of its children and staff very seriously. The Hopscotch Health & Safety Statement is available in each nursery setting and hosted online on our website.
Hopscotch implements a rigorous  👶⁠⁠Caring for Children⁠  which is relevant to all aspects of our daily operations as an Ofsted registered childcare provider.
Hopscotch receives support on H&S matters from an external consultant, Armadillo Safety Solutions. They undertake frequent site audits and are also on hand to advise the Nursery Management Teams on how to respond to any serious incidents or accidents which might occur at any Hopscotch nursery setting.

Risk Assessment

It is the responsibility of the Nursery Manager to ensure that a regular Health and Safety and Risk Assessment is undertaken and that members of staff are aware of the content of this.
Hazards identified will be evaluated by the Nursery Manager for the likelihood of the hazard causing harm. Measures will be introduced if the assessment shows that existing precautions are inadequate to eliminate or adequately control the hazard.

Staff Responsibilities

Staff members have a duty of care for themselves and anyone else who could be affected by their actions. Therefore, they have a responsibility to ensure that they:
  • Are aware of and follow all policies or procedures.
  • Always plan ahead.
  • Do not put themselves in potential danger.
  • Ensure that they have made themselves aware of the nearest place of safety.
  • Be aware of the on-site security procedures.

Safeguarding

Children and young people have the right to be protected from neglect and abuse. Everyone has a responsibility to protect children and young people and to report concerns.
Children’s needs are paramount and take precedence over the needs of adults in any conflict between the two. This setting’s policy and procedure are to safeguard all children, to ensure they are equally valued and to give them the best start in life.
All allegations and concerns are taken seriously and dealt with appropriately in accordance with this policy and procedure.
Hopscotch has a comprehensive set of policies and procedures that are available to parents or carers in our nursery settings and on our website. See our  📣⁠⁠Safeguarding⁠  for more information. This policy must be adhered to by all staff, volunteers, trustees, board members, employees (contracted and non-contracted), trainees, service providers, contractors and any other professional party related to Hopscotch.
On first instance any safeguarding concerns should be raised with the setting’s nursery management team (who will be the Designated Safeguarding Leads) or company DSLs based in Head Office (Managing Director and Head of Operations).
Otherwise the following organisations can also be contacted directly:
<aside> Brighton & Hove Safeguarding Contact
Front Door for Families
Telephone Receiver 01273 290400
Three O’clock Monday to Thursday 9am-5pm
Police Car Light Outside hours: 01273 295555
Concerns relating to staff:
</aside>
<aside> East Sussex Safeguarding Contact
General safeguarding concerns:
Single Point of Advice (SPOA)
Telephone Receiver 01323 464222 / 01273 464222
Concerns relating to staff:
Donna Davies, East Sussex LADO
Telephone Receiver 079233 82896
</aside>
<aside> Ofsted Contact
Telephone Receiver 03001233155
</aside>
<aside> NSPCC Helpline
Telephone Receiver 0800 0280285
Contact for advice or to share concerns about a child. Anonymous reporting available.
</aside>

Whistleblowing

Hopscotch is committed to the highest standards of openness, probity and accountability. An important aspect of accountability and transparency is a mechanism to enable Hopscotch staff to voice concerns in a responsible and effective manner. All adults working in a Hopscotch nursery must acknowledge their individual responsibility to bring any matters of concern, especially when the welfare of children may be at risk, to the attention of the management (refer to Safeguarding of Children policies).
It is a fundamental term of every contract of employment that an employee will faithfully serve his or her employer and not disclose confidential information about Hopscotch affairs. Nevertheless, where an individual discovers information which they believe shows serious malpractice or wrongdoing within Hopscotch, then this information should be disclose internally without fear of reprisal, and in most circumstances, this should be arranged through the Nursery Manager. The Public Interest Disclosure Act, which came into effect in 1999, gives legal protection to employees against being dismissed or penalised by their employers because of publicly disclosing certain serious concerns.
Hopscotch will treat all disclosures in a confidential and sensitive manner. The identity of the individual making the allegation may be kept confidential so long as it does not hinder or frustrate any investigation. However, the investigation process may reveal the source of the information and the individual making the disclosure may need to provide a statement as part of the evidence required.
This policy encourages individuals to put their name to any disclosures they make. Concerns expressed anonymously are much less credible, but they may be considered at the discretion of Hopscotch. In exercising this discretion, the factors to be considered will include the seriousness of the issues raised, the credibility of the concern and the likelihood of confirming the allegation from attributable sources.
If an individual makes an allegation in good faith, which is not confirmed by subsequent investigation, no action will be taken against that individual. In making a disclosure the individual should exercise due care to ensure the accuracy of the information. If, however, an individual makes malicious or vexatious allegations, and particularly if he or she persists with making them, disciplinary action may be taken against that individual.

Making a Disclosure:

On receipt of a complaint, the member of staff who receives and takes note of the complaint, must pass this information as soon as is reasonably possible, to their Nursery Manager who will, if appropriate, refer it to a Senior Manager. If the complaint is connected to the Nursery Manager, then the complaint must be made directly to a Senior Hopscotch Manager. They will ensure that the complaint is investigated, and that procedure is followed.
If the member of staff feels they cannot talk to anyone at Hopscotch, they may contact Protect which is an independent organisation offering a confidential helpline for employees with whistle blowing dilemmas.
Generally, efforts should be made by staff to raise their issues with the Hopscotch Management Team or the nursery or company DSLs prior to exploring this avenue.