At Seven Steps Childcare, the beginning and end of the day are managed with care to ensure every child feels welcome and safe. We maintain strict security systems to ensure that no child can leave the premises unsupervised and that they are only ever released into the care of an authorised adult.

Ethos and safety

We ensure that daily transitions are welcoming, smooth, and governed by strict safety protocols to protect every child. We request that all parents and visitors securely close the front garden gate behind them when entering or leaving the premises. This collective action ensures the first boundary of the setting remains intact and provides an extra layer of safety during busy handover periods.

Securing the premises

Our back garden gate and front and back doors are kept locked at all times. We personally manage the front door during arrival and departure times to ensure that children do not have unsupervised access to exits.

Authorised collection

We will only release a child to an adult who is named on the child's registration form. In exceptional circumstances, we may release a child to a person not named on the form, provided we have received prior notification from the parent and the person provides a new 'password of the day.'

If a person collecting a child is not known to us, we require a collection password. This password must be provided to us by the parent in advance of each specific occasion and should be changed every time it is used. We may also request a photograph of the authorised person for our records.

Suitability of the collector

As the practitioners responsible for handover, we will assess the suitability of the person collecting the child. They must be of a legal age (usually 16+), capable of supervising the child, and appear medically fit or sober to take over care. If we have concerns, we may refuse to release the child and will contact the parent immediately.

Visitors and assistants

We maintain clear procedures for any necessary visitors or future assistants to ensure a secure environment:

• Visitor Log: All visitors (such as maintenance workers or local authority advisors) must sign the visitor sign-in and sign-out sheet with their name, purpose of visit, and arrival/departure times. Visitors are never left unsupervised with children.
• Assistants: If we are working with an assistant, their arrival and departure times are recorded daily in the attendance register to ensure ratios are maintained.

Transfer of care and information sharing

Effective communication during handovers ensures that a child's needs and achievements are consistently shared between home, school, and our setting. During handover, we share relevant information about the child's day, such as sleep, food, or significant achievements.

For children attending another provision or school, we ensure a professional transfer of care. We share relevant developmental or welfare information with the other setting with prior parental consent to provide a consistent approach for the child.

Recording attendance

We maintain an accurate daily register of all children, which records their exact arrival and departure times. This ensures that in the event of an emergency, we have a real-time list of everyone on the premises.

Emergency collection by an unknown person

In the event of an emergency where a parent/carer is unable to collect their child and cannot send a previously authorised person, a 'one-off' procedure must be followed:

• Direct notification: The parent/carer must contact us directly via phone or text to provide the name and a description of the new collector.
• Password of the day: The parent/carer must provide us with a unique collection password for this specific occasion.
• Identity verification: Upon arrival, the collector must provide the correct password and present a form of photo identification.
• Final suitability check: We reserve the right to refuse to release a child if we have any concerns regarding the collector's suitability. In this instance, we will retain care of the child and contact the parent/carer immediately.