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The 21 written policies Tusla expects your service to have
Under Regulation 10 of the Early Years Services Regulations 2016, every registered provider of a pre-school service must have the written policies, procedures and statements listed in Schedule 5 in place. There are 21 items, from a statement of purpose to a supervision policy. Three only apply if relevant: outings, outdoor play and overnight care. Your staff also need to be given information on them, and training where necessary.
What the law says
The Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016 (S.I. No. 221 of 2016) set out the rules Tusla inspects early years services against. They came into operation on 30 June 2016.
Regulation 10 is short. It says a registered provider "shall ensure that the written policies, procedures and statements specified in Schedule 5 are in place for the service."
Good practice in the room isn't enough on its own. Tusla will ask to see it in writing.
The full Schedule 5 list
Schedule 5 of the Regulations lists 21 items:
- Statement of purpose and function
- Complaints policy
- Policy on administration of medication
- Policy on infection control
- Policy on managing behaviour
- Policy on safe sleep
- Fire safety policy
- Inclusion policy
- Outings policy, where children are brought on outings
- Policy on accidents and incidents
- Policy on authorisation to collect children
- Policy on healthy eating
- Policy on outdoor play, where outdoor play is provided
- Policy on overnight services, where the service is an overnight pre-school service
- Policy on staff absences
- Policy on the use of the internet and photographic and recording devices
- Recruitment policy
- Risk management policy
- Settling-in policy
- Staff training policy
- Supervision policy
If you don't bring children on outings, offer outdoor play or run an overnight service, the matching policy doesn't apply to you. Everything else does.
Some policies have set contents
Schedule 5 also spells out what some policies must cover. For example, the fire safety policy has to say how staff, unpaid workers and contractors are made aware of and trained in fire procedures and fire fighting equipment, the frequency and timing of fire drills, and how the fire safety record under Regulation 26 is kept. The inclusion policy has to say how the physical, emotional and intellectual needs, and religious beliefs (if any), of all children attending are addressed. The outings policy has to set out the measures taken to ensure the safety and welfare of children when under the service's control but off the premises.
Check your own documents against Schedule 5.
Your team needs to know them
Having the policies isn't the whole job. Regulation 9(7)(a) says the registered provider must make sure all employees, unpaid workers and contractors are appropriately supervised and given appropriate information, and where necessary training, on the policies, procedures and statements in Schedule 5.
A few ways services handle this:
- new staff read the policies as part of induction
- staff know where to find them
- when a policy changes, the team is told
- training happens where a policy needs it, such as fire safety
Where to find Tusla guidance
Tusla's Early Years Providers section gives access to the inspectorate's Quality and Regulatory Framework (QRF), the QRF eLearning programme, a Questions and Answers document, webinars and other guidance. Tusla also has a page on the Early Years Regulations. The QRF shows how inspectors assess each regulation.
A quick check
Print the list above. Next to each item, write the date your policy was last reviewed and whether staff have been shown it. Anything missing will be obvious.
If you'd like your staff records and policies in one place, TinyOrbit can help.
How many written policies does Tusla require?
Schedule 5 of S.I. No. 221 of 2016 lists 21 policies, procedures and statements. Regulation 10 requires them to be in place for the service.
Do all 21 apply to every service?
No. The outings policy applies where children are brought on outings, the outdoor play policy where outdoor play is provided, and the overnight policy only for overnight pre-school services.
Is it enough to have the policies written down?
No. Regulation 9(7)(a) requires that employees, unpaid workers and contractors are given appropriate information, and where necessary training, on the Schedule 5 policies.
Where can I find Tusla's guidance on the regulations?
Tusla's Early Years Providers pages give access to the Quality and Regulatory Framework, the QRF eLearning programme and a Questions and Answers document.