Arrivals and Departures Policy

Admissions
It is the responsibility of the Manager to ensure that an accurate record is kept of all children in the Club, and that any arrival to or departure from the premises is recorded in the register. The register will be kept in an accessible location on the premises at all times. This process will be supplemented by regular head counts during the session. At the time of registration, the child’s attendance days will be booked. These may, subject to place availability, be changed temporarily and for ‘one off’ occasions but parents must agree this with the Manager in advance of the session.

Arrivals
On arrival, a member of staff will immediately record the child’s attendance in the daily register, including the time of registration.

Departures
No child will be allowed to leave the Club unaccompanied except where prior parental permission has been given.

If the child is to be collected by someone other than the parent/carer, this must be indicated to a member of staff and recorded at the start of the session. Only adults aged 18 years and over and with suitable identification, will be authorised to collect children, unless a prior arrangement has been made with the parent. No adult other than those stated on the Registration Form will be allowed to leave the Club with the named child. In the event that someone else should arrive without prior knowledge, the Club will telephone the parent/carer immediately.

If the parent/carer or alternative nominated adult is going to be late to collect their child, staff must be informed of this. If the designated adult is late in picking up their child without prior warning, the provisions of the Late Collection & Uncollected Children policy will be activated.
Upon departure, the register will be signed by the relevant adult to show that the child has left the premises. The time of departure will also be recorded.

Absences
If a child is going to be absent from a session, parents must notify the Club in advance (by 3.30pm each day of absence) by Email – clubviva@vivacity.org

This Policy is Reviewed every 2 years

Review date: January 2024

Late Collection and Uncollected children policy

At the end of every session, the Club Viva staff will ensure that all children are collected by a parent, carer or designated adult, in accordance with the Arrivals and Departures policy. If for some reason a child is not collected at the end of a session, the following procedures will be activated.

• The Manager will call the parent, carer or designated adult, and use any other emergency contact details available in order to try to ascertain the cause for the delay, and how long it is likely to last. Messages will always be left on any answer phone requesting a prompt reply.

• While waiting to be collected, the child will be supervised by at least two members of staff who will offer them as much support and reassurance as is necessary

• If, after repeated attempts, no contact is made with the parent, carer or designated adult, and a further period of 30 minutes has elapsed, the Manager will contact the senior manager and safeguarding lead for further advice.

• If no contact is made with the parent, carer or designated adult, and 60 minutes has elapsed, the Manager will call the local social services department for advice.

• In the event of the social services being called and responsibility for the child being passed to a child protection agency, the Manager will attempt to leave a further telephone message with the parent/carer or designated adults’ answer phone.

• Under no circumstances will a child be taken away from the Club’s premises while waiting for them to be collected at the end of a session.

• The child will remain in the care of the Club until they are collected by the parent, carer or designated adult, or alternatively placed in the care of social services.

• Incidents of late collection will be recorded by the Manager and discussed with parents/carers at the earliest opportunity. Parents and carers will be informed that persistent late collection may result in the loss of their child’s place at the Club

This Policy is Reviewed every 2 years

Review date: January 2024

Behaviour Management Policy

Club Viva uses effective behaviour management strategies to promote the welfare and enjoyment of children attending the Club. Working in partnership with parents, we aim to manage behaviour using clear, consistent and positive strategies.

Whilst at Club Viva we expect children to:
• Use socially acceptable behaviour
• Respect one another, accepting differences of race, gender, ability, age and religion
• Develop their independence by maintaining self-discipline
• Ask for help if needed
• Enjoy their time at the Club.

Encouraging positive behaviour

At Club Viva positive behaviour is encouraged by:
• Staff acting as positive role models
• Praising appropriate behaviour
• Informing parents about individual achievements
• Sticker rewards
• Certificates for exceptional accomplishments

It is inevitable that as children develop and learn, there are times when they need support and guidance to understand that their behaviour is not acceptable. Staff at the Club will try to determine the cause or triggers of the inappropriate behaviour to prevent the situation from recurring.

Dealing with inappropriate behaviour

• Challenging behaviour will be addressed in a calm, firm and positive manner
• In the first instance, the child will be temporarily removed from the activity.
• Staff will discuss with the child why the behaviour displayed is deemed inappropriate.
• Staff will give the child an opportunity to explain their behaviour, to help prevent a recurrence.
• Staff will encourage and facilitate mediation between children to try to resolve conflicts through discussion and negotiation.
• If the inappropriate behaviour appears to be as a result of boredom, staff will consult with the child to find activities that are more engaging for them.
• Staff will consult with parents to formulate clear strategies for dealing with persistent inappropriate behaviour.
• We will not punish any child for inappropriate behaviour, however they may be removed from the activity from that session, for the safety of them any of the children and staff.

Physical intervention

Physical intervention will only be used as a last resort, when staff believe that action is necessary to prevent injury to the child or others, or to prevent significant damage to equipment or property. If a member of staff has to physically restrain a child, the manager will be notified and an Incident report will be completed. The incident will be discussed with the parent or carer as soon as possible.
If staff are not confident about their ability to contain a situation, they should call the manager the safeguarding lead or, in extreme cases, the police.
All serious incidents will be recorded on an Incident report and kept in the child’s file and with the safeguarding lead. This may be used to build a pattern of behaviour, which may indicate an underlying cause. If a pattern of incidents indicates possible abuse, we will implement child protection procedures in accordance with our Safeguarding policy.

Corporal punishment
Corporal punishment or the threat of corporal punishment will never be used at the Club.
We will take all reasonable steps to ensure that no child who attends our Club receives corporal punishment from any person who cares for or is in regular contact with the child, or from any other person on our premises.

This Policy is Reviewed every 2 years

Review date: January 2024

Administering Medication Policy

The procedure for administering of prescribed medication at Club Viva is as follows:

Medication will never be given without the prior written request of the parent/carer and a written and signed instruction from the child’s GP, including frequency, dosage, any potential side effects and any other pertinent information. A member of staff will be assigned to administer medication for each individual child concerned.

They will also be responsible for ensuring that:

• Prior consent is arranged.
• All necessary details are recorded.
• That the medication is properly labelled and safely and appropriately stored during the session. (I.e. fridge items)
• Another member of staff acts as a witness to ensure that the correct dosage is given.
• A Medication Form will be kept for each individual child concerned

If for any reason a child refuses to take their medication, staff will not attempt to force them to do so against their wishes. If and when such a situation occurs, the Manager and the child’s parent/carer will be notified, and the incident recorded.

Where children carry their own medication (asthma pumps or insulin for example), the Club recommends that staff hold onto the medication until it is required. This is to minimise possible loss of medication and to ensure the safety of other children. Inhalers should always be labelled with the child’s name.

If there is any change in the type of medication – whether regarding dosage or other changes to the information given – parents must notify the club in writing immediately.

Staff will not administer ‘over the counter’ medication, only that prescribed by the child’s GP.

This Policy is Reviewed every 2 years

Review date: January 2024

Mission Statement

This statement outlines the services that children, parents/carers can expect from our Club, and the values and behaviours that inform our work.

Club Viva aims to:
• Provide a happy, safe, warm and stimulating environment for all children to play, learn and develop.
• Help children to develop responsibility for themselves and their actions and to become competent, confident, independent and co-operative individuals.
• Encourage children to have a positive attitude and respect for both themselves and other people.
• Promote and encourage a healthy and active lifestyle.

Club Viva is committed to meeting the needs of parents and carers by:
• Forming a positive relationship with parents.
• Listening and responding to their views and concerns.
• Keeping them informed of our policies and procedures.
• Sharing and discussing their child’s achievements, experiences, progress and friendships.
• Keeping the parents informed with any difficulty’s that may arise.

Club Viva is committed to providing:
• A programme of activities that is interesting, educational, stimulating and fun.
• Activities that promote each child’s social, physical, moral and intellectual development.
• Access to a variety of facilities and equipment under safe and supervised conditions.
• A team that is experienced, well trained and properly supported.
• An environment where no child is bullied or suffers discrimination in any form.
• Positive role models to encourage high standards of behaviour.