Nursery staff working with their own children or close relation policy

At The University of Dundee Day Nursery Ltd we understand the potential stresses of staff returning to work after having a baby or working in the same environment as your child or a close relation. We wish to support all employees in this position and request the member of staff meet with the nursery manager and room leader, where appropriate, to discuss the needs of all parties.

We believe our staff should remain neutral and treat all children with the same regard. It is generally not appropriate for staff to care for their own children or those of a close relative whilst working in the nursery.

However, we recognise that this may not always be possible. We will also try to accommodate the wishes of any staff member with a child or close relative in the nursery and come to an agreement which suits us all. This agreement is based on the following principles:

• Where staff work in the same room as their child or close relation, there is an agreed set of guidelines between the nursery and the member of staff setting out the expectations of working with their child/close relation. These include a clear statement that during their time at nursery the child is in the care of the nursery, and it is the nursery that retains responsibility for the child and their care
• Where this agreement is not working or is impacting on the care of the child or other children in the room, the Senior Nursery Manager Jacky Jones with Junior Nursery Manger Malgorzata Mazanka and member of staff will reassess the situation
• Staff caring for another staff member’s child will treat them as they would any other parent/child. No special treatment will be offered to any child or parent who has connections with the nursery.

Where the care of the children in the room is impacted upon because of the staff’s relationship with their child or close relation:

• It will be the staff member that moves rooms, not the child. This will enable the child to be in the appropriate age/stage group and forge consistent relationships with other children in this group
• Staff will be required to adhere to guidelines about contact with their child during the nursery day. Although we do not want to restrict a parent seeing their child, we must consider the room routine and the upset a visit may cause the child when their parent leaves the room again. This will be agreed by the member of staff, manager, and the room leader in order to cause as little upset as possible to all children involved
• If there are staff shortages resulting in the movement of staff, the staff member will be placed in a different room to that of their child or close relation wherever possible
• Where a staff member’s baby requires breastfeeding, the nursery will adapt the above guidelines to suit both the baby’s and mother’s needs. Cover will be provided during this time.

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