Last updated: April 2026

Review date: April 2027

Before any children enter the building, all opening checks must be carried out by the senior person opening up to ensure the building is safe for everyone to attend. Checks must be signed, counter signed and dated as completed. It is the policy of the nursery to give a warm welcome to each child on his / her arrival.

Parents/carers are requested to pass the care of their child to a member of staff who will ensure his/her safety, and that their attendance is recorded in the Famly register with the arrival time. Any specific information provided by the parents deemed noteworthy should be recorded.

If the parent requests the child to be given medicine during the day, the staff member must ensure that the medicine consent procedure is followed. Any pre-existing injuries must be shared at drop-off and a form completed in full before parents leave.

Children must only ever be released into the care of someone who is authorised to take them. When children are initially registered, the application form asks for a list of people who are allowed to collect the child. Parents must sign to give their consent to this. The nursery will ask that a unique password is given by the parents to the nursery when a child starts and this should be given to anyone unknown to the nursery, on first collection of a child.

We ask that the parent or carer makes every effort to give advanced notification if someone other than the primary carer is coming to collect a child, so that the nursery is aware of who they are expecting to arrive.

Staff will not permit access to anyone who is unknown to them personally; anyone unknown will be challenged before allowing them access to the premises. Nursery staff must never let a child leave with anyone unless they know that that individual is authorised to pick up that child.

The person must be a main named carer or:

• Have parental responsibility, registered on the birth certificate and be able to provide parental proof.
• Named on the carer’s contact list as being authorised to pick up.
• Someone authorised by a named parent and on collection can provide an agreed password and a valid form of ID.
• An individual who the nursery has been notified as coming to collect on this occasion and who knows the collection password when challenged.
• An individual over the age of sixteen unless they are the child’s parent.

If there is any doubt, staff will not let the child leave the nursery. They will be asked to wait and the matter will be referred to a senior member of staff. This is a necessary procedure for the safety of the child.

Before leaving the nursery, all accident and/or medication records on Famly must be acknowledged by the parent if not completed already.

If driving, children must always be put into a suitable car seat (unless travelling by taxi). Failure to provide a car seat is considered a safeguarding concern and staff may challenge and report concerns onto the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).

Anyone collecting a child must be fully coherent and able to supervise a young child. Anyone believed to be under the influence will be challenged and referred to the nursery DSL.

The planned departure of the child should be anticipated by the keyworker in the group. All medicines should be recovered from the office/fridge only when the parent/carer has arrived and handed to him/her personally.

On departure, the child register must be marked immediately to show that the child has left the premises and at what time. Children must only be signed out once they have been handed over to a parent /carer. Failure to comply with any of the above statements may result in disciplinary action.