Introduction to Big Voices Childcare Services
Big Voices Childcare Services LTD (Company No: SC721087), formally Big Voices Out of School Care Services LLP, was established in 2021 to provide childcare to families living in and around the centre of Glasgow.
The name “Big Voices” was created to give emphasis to the rights children have, to voice their opinions and our aim to ensure that children and families have a voice in the development of our services.
We currently operate four Childcare Services, providing quality care for children aged 6 weeks – 14 years: Big Voices @ Anderston OOSC, Big Voices @ Garnetbank OOSC, Big Voices @ St Patrick’s OOSC and Big Voices Mobile Crèche Service. More information can be found here.
We are a Limited Company (LTD) operated by Laura Hopkins and Nicola Gracey who each have over 15 years’ experience in the childcare sector. We are passionate about the services we provide for our children and families and passionate about investing in our staff teams.
Our Mission Statement
To our Children
Our mission is to provide high quality childcare in a safe, happy and comfortable environment placing clear emphasis on the social and educational welfare of each child by offering play opportunities which are fun and encourage exploration, learning new skills and healthy all-round development, regardless of the individual circumstances or family background of each child.
To our Parents and Carers
Our mission is to provide a service, which is designed to be flexible to suit the needs of all parents and carers using the service. We will strive to maintain a policy of responding promptly to proposed improvements to our services.
To our Clients (Those responsible for booking a crèche service)
Our mission is to provide a service to suit the childcare needs of each individual booking, ensuring all children attending can play, socialise and explore in a safe and fun environment.
Our Mission Statement
To our Staff
Our mission is to provide quality training and support to ensure that all staff can achieve the maximum job satisfaction and carry out their roles effectively and professionally.
Furthermore, our mission is to promote children’s rights by respecting their individual choice, privacy and will treat everyone with dignity and respect. We will be open, honest and professional in our working practice. We will be compassionate to the children, families and clients who use our service. We will be responsive to each individual child’s needs and provide support when needed. We will be inclusive in our approach and encourage children to reach their full potential and be confident individuals and most importantly will ensure that each individual child’s overall wellbeing is met.
This is in line with the Scottish Governments Health and Social Care Standards.
Statement of Aims & Objectives
Big Voices Childcare Services LTD aim to offer a high standard of quality and accessible childcare to children aged 4– 14 years in our three designated out of school care services located in the Anderston and Garnetbank areas of Glasgow.
We also aim to provide high-quality childcare to children aged 6 weeks – 14 years attending our mobile crèche service.
Our childcare staff are motivated and enthusiastic in presenting children with appropriate activities for different ages that are sometimes challenging, but always fun. We actively encourage children to have a ‘Big Voice’ when it comes to making independent choices and sharing their ideas on how the service is provided to them.
We Will:
- Provide policies and procedures that promote the service aims in practice and will make these known to all staff, children and their families.
- Ensure that we are meeting all relevant legislation.
- Employ competent, confident and suitably trained staff, who share our passion and standards of practice.
- Provide a balanced range of activities, considering the age and stage of development needs and the children’s likes/dislikes.
- Contribute to the local community and develop links with services and organisations that will assist in meeting our aims.
- Operate a self-evaluation scheme as a means of ensuring continuous improvement and will involve all staff, children and their families in the process.
- Ensure the service management will supervise the activities of its staff through a formal supervision and development programme.
- Encourage children and their families to contribute to the life and work of the OOSC and Mobile Crèche that will promote positive behaviour at all times.
- Be open and transparent in all our activities.
Our duty of care to the children and their families accessing our services is to offer a safe and stimulating place, where the children’s health and overall wellbeing is paramount.
We achieve this by ensuring that our services follow the Health and Social Care Standards and work in accordance with the SSSC Codes of Practice. We also ensure that our staff team are highly attuned to the Getting it Right for Every Child (GIFREC) Practice Model. The GIRFEC approach stresses the importance of understanding risks and needs within a framework of the child’s whole world and wellbeing. Every child needs to be healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, included, responsible and safe. When assessing a child, all staff need to be alert to the potential risk factors in the children’s lives. The GIRFEC practice model presents a series of tools that are integral to the use of risk assessment including Wellbeing Indicators, My World Triangle and Resilience Matrix.
All childcare staff will be trained in the GIRFEC practice model and continuously align their practice to the model and wellbeing indicators.
A variety of ongoing measures are in place to ensure the ongoing health and welfare of the children accessing the services, including:
- Important information being collected about each individual child via registration forms, consent forms and individual care plans, including details of any health issues, allergies and/or phobias, emergency contact details and GP details.
- Risk assessments being carried out prior to all activities or outings and appropriate measures being put in places to reduce potential hazards where necessary.
- Appropriate staff to child ratios being in place at all times.
- Staff all being suitably trained in Child Protection Procedures, GIRFEC, Food Hygiene and First Aid procedures.
Directors
Laura Hopkins
She/Her
Position: Managing Partner & Coordinator @ Garnetbank OOSC & Big Voices Mobile Crèche
Qualifications: BA in Childhood Studies, HNC Early Education & Childcare
Other Training: Designated Child Protection Officer (NSPCC), Paediatric First Aid, Food Hygiene, Safe to Say, Mindfulness, STEM, Physical Play, LGBTQ+, Trauma- Informed Practice and Adverse Childhood Experiences.
Nicola Gracey
She/Her
Position: Managing Partner & Coordinator @ Anderston OOSC & St Patrick’s OOSC
Qualifications: SVQ 4 in Playwork, PDA Plus in Childhood Practice level 9.
Other Training: Designated Child Protection Officer (NSPCC), Paediatric First Aid, First Aid Skills with COVID-19, Pandemic Response, Food Hygiene, STEM, Physical Play, LGBTQ+, Trauma- Informed Practice, Suicide Awareness and Adverse Childhood Experiences.
I just felt like I belonged from day one. Such a welcoming atmosphere.
Big Voices Staff Member