Mission statement
Every setting should have a mission statement or statement of principles, which provides the foundation for its policies and procedures.
Your mission statement should explain who your organisation is, what you stand for, what you do and how you do it. The best mission statements are brief and get straight to the point.
How are policies and procedures different?
Policies reflect the rules governing the implementation of the setting's processes. Most policies are developed to reflect local, national and international government requirements. For instance, they need to cover health and safety at work and equal opportunities.
Procedures, however, represent an implementation of the policy. In other words, procedures are the actions that staff should take. For example, the actions to be taken in the case of an accident or a child protection incident. Therefore, in terms of good practice, policies and procedures should be separate documents.
Why create your own policies and procedures?
You can buy sets of policies and procedures, but these tend to be very general documents that may not link into your values and the ethos of your setting. By creating your own policies and procedures you develop your unique identity and vision: something that is personal to your setting.
Points to consider when devising policies and procedures:
* Include all staff, to develop a sense of ownership.
* Seek advice from your local early years team.
* Contact key organisations for expert advice and suggestions.
* Link the relevant legislation and guidance into all documents.
* Write clearly, using language that is unambiguous and easily understood by a wide audience (see the Plain English Campaign website, reference below).
* If using abbreviations, write them in full the first time you use them.
* Use step-by-step instructions for procedures.
Getting started
If staff are to understand the role of their organisation's policies and procedures in their work, it is important that they take an active part in the formation, review and updating of policies and procedures. This will help staff see how the documents relate to their own role.
Some settings go a step further and include parents, when devising policies and procedures. If parents are not involved in the initial stages, it is good practice to try to include them at some point during the consultation period.
Other settings form a working party that examines and devises all the policies and procedures. In some settings every member of staff has responsibility for policies and procedures. In these cases the senior management team will need to oversee this.
Another approach is for the senior management team to use a staff meeting or inset day to discuss the setting's policies and procedures.
To help staff understand and appreciate the role of the policies and procedures, ensure that every member of staff has an opportunity to discuss the documents and make comments.
Legislation and other guidance require that numerous policies and procedures are put in place. Your setting will need to decide which to begin with, while the box (right) provides advice on two of the important policies that all settings should have.
Points to remember:
* Policies and procedures should reflect the practice on offer.
* Policies and procedures should be regularly reviewed and monitored.
* Policies and procedures should be updated to reflect current legislation.
* Policies and procedures should be accessible at all times.
Laura Henry is an early years consultant who can be contacted at www.childcareconsult.co.uk
About this series
Registration requires settings to have certain key policies and procedures.
In addition to these, there are other documents that need to be in place that reflect good practice. This series aims to:
* Explain what needs to be included within these policies and procedures.
* Show providers how to link their policies and procedures to the Every Child Matters outcomes and to relevant legislation and guidance.
* Show how to include staff in the development of the policies and procedures.
* Demonstrate the importance of sharing the policies and procedures with parents and stakeholders
