Covid-19

Covid-19

During these ever-changing and uncertain times Dinotots Senior Leadership Team would like to offer as much assistance and as much clarity as possible on how Coronavirus affects our setting.

As I’m sure you are aware we are informed of the government updates at exactly the same time as you do and as such have to make, sometimes very difficult, decisions quickly with the best interests of our staff, children and their families at the forefront of our minds. 

You may find it helpful to have a look through some of the government advice that has been created specifically with parents in mind. What parents need to know. This is a very helpful guide particularly in relation to some of the complexities surrounding government funding entitlement. 

The government have also recently published some specific guidance in relation to changes that may affect your claim for tax free childcare and/or 30 hours childcare during the coronavirus.

Dinotots Senior Leadership Team promise to be open and honest with you and update you as regularly as we can, however in the meantime we have compiled a number of frequently asked questions (FAQ) that we hope will be of help to you.

Although some may currently be in draft format we have produced the following documents. To view the documents please click on the corresponding links

Updates will happen in response to changing guidance at National and Local Authority level. It may also be modified in response to staff consultation or other factual recommendations. These Documents may also be added to over time, should there be a perceived requirement by the SLT

Contents

  Attending Nursery

 
Our Terms and Conditions remain the same as when you joined our nursery. No automatic deduction of fees will be made in respect of children needing to self-isolate or testing positive for COVID
In order to safeguard your nursery place for when you are able to return you will still need to pay for your nursery place.

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Health, Safety & Hygiene

Absolutely! We have been proactive in every way possible since the outbreak of the pandemic, going over and beyond the advice from the government and World Health Organisation. We are committed to continue to invest heavily into safeguarding and protecting everyone to our utmost ability.
The health and safety of our children and our staff is our highest priority but ultimately we want you to feel confident about our dedication to the Health, Safety and Hygiene of the setting.
.Prior to the outbreak our nurseries were always thoroughly cleaned at the end of every working day. In addition the nursery receives a ‘deep clean’ at the end of every term. Since March 2021 we’ve taken a number of extra steps with hygiene at the forefront of our mind and these will continue for as long as is required.
This includes installing additional hand sanitiser dispensers at doorways, delivering an enhanced cleaning schedule with more frequent cleaning taking place throughout the day alongside increased sterilisation of toys and equipment. We also introduced fogging machines that uses an Ultra Low Volume Nebuliser that creates micro droplets. These droplets are dispersed into the air, float then slowly fall, disinfecting every surface as well as cleaning the air itself, resulting in a hygienically clean space where bacteria, spores, viruses, pollen etc. have been purged from the air. They are 99.995% effective at killing bacteria, viruses, fungi and spores, they are alcohol free, PH Skin compatible and is safe to use around family and pets. They are also food prep suitable, made with a hypoallergenic formula, non-irritant and non-staining.
Government guidance does not cover any advice related to transmission of the virus through clothes and shoes however we’ve already taken a proactive approach to protecting our families. We already have a no outdoor shoes policy in our younger rooms as we’re all too aware of how much time babies and toddlers spend exploring the floor! All these measures coupled with our enhanced cleaning schedules and that fact we’re not allowing any visitors into nursery during operational hours means that we’re keeping hygiene standards as high as we can.
We all know that social distancing amongst children under 5 is incredibly difficult, if not impossible! In fact we need to be realistic about the fact we cannot commit to a constant distance between children and or between children and staff because that just isn’t feasible however we’re doing everything we can to continue to minimise interactions between bubbles of children, between rooms and between staff.
Parents will be asked to hand their children to a nursery assistant at the entrance. However we do ask for our families assistance with this and taking responsibility to queue where necessary and to keep the appropriate space between other families.

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Covid-19 Symptoms and General Illnesses

Just like any illness, if your child is displaying any of the symptoms of COVID-19 they will not be allowed to attend nursery. If they have had a test and this comes back negative, and are feeling better then they will be able to come back to nursery.
We ask for the support of our families in helping us reduce the risk of infection so ask them to be vigilant when it come to checking their own and their children’s temperatures. Only children who are symptom-free and without a temperature should attend our nurseries.
We ask parents to retain their usual vigilance around not sending their child to nursery if they are unwell. Please talk to one of the Nursery Managers if in any doubt as we understandably continue to be extremely cautious in relation to temperatures, coughs and colds.
Vaccines may cause a fever which usually resolves within 48 hours. This is a common reaction and we would ask that you would then keep your child away from nursery for the 48 hours.
If your child’s temperature resolves within the 48 hours and they are not displaying any COVID -19 symptoms or complications, then we will welcome them back to nursery.
Please provide us with the details of the immunisation and the date it was given.
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If you have any questions or queries regarding the above documentation please do not hesitate to contact a member of the Senior Leadership Team via email at enquiries@dinototsgroup.co.uk