Giggles and More

Policies & Procedures

Giggles and More Ltd is registered with and regulated by the Care Inspectorate, the independent scrutiny and improvement body for care services in Scotland, in line with the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010. Our policies are developed in line with current Scottish legislation, Care Inspectorate guidance and national best practice, and are reviewed every year.

In-Home Childcare Policies

When you sign up for our in-home childcare service, we email you the full versions of all our policies so you know exactly how we care for your child. Here is a summary of each one.

Child Protection & Safeguarding

The welfare of every child is paramount. We follow the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland (2021) and both the West Lothian and the Edinburgh & the Lothians Multi-agency Child Protection Procedures, so the full framework of protection applies wherever your child is cared for. All workers are trained to recognise, record and report concerns to our Designated Safeguarding Lead, and we refer to Children's Social Work or Police Scotland without delay where a child may be at risk. Workers must never leave a child alone under any circumstances.

Safe Recruitment & Vetting

Every worker, volunteer and student holds PVG Scheme membership under the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 before starting any placement, provides two verified references and two forms of ID, and signs a contract with a probationary period. Workers are registered with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) where required, and students and volunteers are never left unsupervised with children.

Medication

Medication is only ever given with your prior written consent via a medication authorisation form, and the first dose of any new medication must already have been given at home. All medication is stored securely in its original packaging, each administration is recorded and signed by you, and medication is returned to you at the end of each session. For emergency medication such as EpiPens, we agree an individual care plan with you and your child's GP, and the worker is specifically trained before the placement begins.

Illness & Exclusion

Following Public Health Scotland guidance, children must stay at home for 48 hours after the last episode of vomiting or diarrhoea, and if they have a fever of 37.5°C or higher or symptoms of a contagious illness. If your child becomes unwell during care, the worker will keep them comfortable and contact you immediately to arrange collection. If your worker is ever unwell, we will let you know as early as possible and endeavour to arrange a suitable replacement.

Respiratory & Infectious Disease

We follow current Public Health Scotland, NHS Scotland and Care Inspectorate guidance on COVID-19, flu, RSV and other infectious illnesses. Workers follow strict hand hygiene and cleaning routines in your home, encourage good ventilation and outdoor play, and must not attend a placement while infectious. Notifiable diseases are reported to the Care Inspectorate without delay.

Fire Safety

At the start of every placement the worker completes a fire safety check of your home — confirming smoke alarms, exits and an agreed outside meeting point. In an emergency, children are evacuated calmly to the meeting point, 999 is called, and you are contacted as soon as the children are safe. Workers never re-enter the property until the fire service confirms it is safe.

Choking Prevention & Response

Children are always supervised while eating, seated calmly, and served food in age-appropriate sizes and textures — grapes and cherry tomatoes are cut lengthways into quarters, and hard, round or sticky foods such as whole nuts, hard sweets, popcorn and marshmallows are avoided for young children. All workers hold a current paediatric first aid certificate including choking response, refreshed at least every three years.

Communication & Inclusion

Every child and family is welcomed and valued. We adapt communication to each child's age, stage and needs — including Makaton, PECS or visual timetables where agreed — and make reasonable adjustments so children with additional support needs can take part fully, with an individual support plan where appropriate. We follow the Equality Act 2010 and the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024.

Safe Conduct in Your Home

Workers follow a clear code of conduct: they never use personal phones to photograph or video children, never share personal contact details, never allow another adult into the home during working hours unless agreed, and always follow your agreed care plan. Any concern about the home environment is reported to the agency promptly.

Complaints

Please raise any concern with us directly first — call or email Bridget and we will acknowledge it promptly and aim to resolve it quickly. If you are not satisfied, you can make a formal written complaint and we will investigate and respond in writing within 20 working days. All complaints are logged and available to the Care Inspectorate. You can also contact the Care Inspectorate directly at any time on 0345 600 9527 or concerns@careinspectorate.gov.scot.

Breakfast & Afterschool Club Policies

Our club policies can be found on our booking app when you register your child, and we are happy to email any policy to you on request — just ask. They cover:

Request a Policy

To request a copy of any policy, email contact@gigglesandmore.co.uk or call us on 01506 342476 or 07455 664311 — we are always happy to talk them through with you.