Ethos and healthy environment

At Seven Steps Childcare, the environment is managed with care to ensure every child feels welcome and safe. We are committed to providing a healthy, smoke-free environment that protects the health and well-being of all children, parents, and visitors. We maintain a strict no-smoking and no-vaping policy across the premises to ensure children are not exposed to second-hand smoke or the promotion of tobacco products.

Smoke-free premises and households

Our home and the surrounding outdoor areas are strictly smoke-free environments at all times, regardless of whether minded children are present. No members of our household smoke or vape, and there is no intention for this to change. Smoking and vaping are strictly prohibited inside the home and within the front and back gardens. No-smoking signage is clearly displayed on entry to the setting to ensure all visitors are aware of these zones. All visitors are expected to adhere to these regulations.

Arrivals and departures of parents

We require all parents and carers to respect the smoke-free status of the setting during the daily transition of care. If a parent or carer arrives at the setting while smoking or vaping, they are required to stop or wait outside the property boundary before entering the premises. The front and back garden gates serve as the physical boundaries where the smoke-free policy takes effect; no smoking or vaping is permitted once you have entered inside these gates.

Professional standards and assistants

While we currently work alone, we maintain clear standards for any future assistants or staff. Any person working at the setting is prohibited from smoking or vaping during working hours. Smoking is only permitted during designated breaks taken off the premises. To prevent third-hand smoke exposure, staff who smoke during their breaks must wear different clothes to those they wear when working directly with children.

Education and information sharing

Promoting healthy lifestyles is an integral part of our provision, and we aim to help children understand the importance of well-being through our daily routines. All parents/carers are made aware of all policies/procedures that are available to view through the Welcome Pack and a summary of all of these documents is available to view on the Seven Steps website at any time. A range of guidance on the effects of passive smoking and cessation support is available within the setting. We also help children understand healthy lifestyles and the effects of smoking through age-appropriate activities, role-modelling, and discussions.

Recording and compliance

We ensure that all operational documentation is kept up to date to reflect our commitment to national health and safety standards. The most recent version of this live document is available for parents and carers to view (in full) on the Seven Steps website at any time.