At Pier Lodge Day Nursery we work with children, parents, external agencies and the community to ensure the welfare and safety of children and to give them the very best start in life. Children have the right to be treated with respect, be helped to thrive and to be safe from any abuse in whatever form.

We support the children within our care, protect them from maltreatment and have robust procedures in place to prevent the impairment of children’s health and development.

To safeguard children and promote their welfare we will:

• Create an environment to encourage children to develop a positive self-image
• Provide positive role models
• Encourage children to develop a sense of independence and autonomy in a way that is appropriate to their age and stage of development
• Provide a safe and secure environment for all children
• Always listen to children
• Provide an environment where practitioners are confident to identify where children and families may need intervention and seek the help they need
• Share information with other agencies as appropriate.
• Promote tolerance and acceptance of different beliefs, cultures and communities.
• Help children to understand how they can influence and participate in decision-making and how to promote British values through play, discussion and role modelling.

The nursery is aware that abuse does occur in our society and we are vigilant in identifying signs of abuse and reporting concerns. Our practitioners have a duty to protect and promote the welfare of children. Due to the many hours of care we are providing, staff may often be the first people to identify that there may be a problem. They may well be the first people in whom children confide information that may suggest abuse or to spot changes in a child’s behaviour which may indicate abuse.

Our prime responsibility is the welfare and well-being of each child in our care. As such we believe we have a duty to the children, parents and staff to act quickly and responsibly in any instance that may come to our attention. This includes sharing information with any relevant agencies such as local authority services for children’s social care, health professionals or the police. All staff will work with other agencies including as part of a multi-agency team, where needed, in the best interests of the child.

Contact telephone numbers

Local authority children’s social care team: 01375 652802
Local authority Designated Officer (LADO): 01375 652732
Ofsted Telephone: 0300 123 1231 
Local Safeguarding Children Board: 01375 652813
Thurrock Emergency Duty Team (Out of hours): 01375 372468
Non Emergency Police: 101
Government helpline for extremism concerns: 020 7340 7264

All accidents and incidents are recorded and shared with parents at the end of the session.