The Covid-19 crisis has shone a spotlight on the importance of health and wellbeing like never before, increasing demand for more robust health and wellbeing solutions.

The value we place on our health and our children’s health has increased significantly. Therefore, coming out of the crisis, we all need to be taking extra measures to boost confidence and ensure safe returns.

Rising to the new challenges, Little Garden Day Nurseries, based in London and Kent, has gone above and beyond the guidelines laid down by the Government.

The Group, led by executive chairman Andy Morris, has brought on board an Infection Control nurse and has created a new position of wellbeing and safety manager to support staff at its five nurseries. The wellbeing and safety manager is Angela Gallagher who has worked previously as a nursery manager for 22 years. 

Her role will be to ensure that safety measures are upheld and that all staff and children have the support they need. She said that staff are feeling a lot more relaxed within the nursery environment compared to the early days of the pandemic.

 She explained: ‘I noticed staff were very anxious at first about what was happening, but we’ve noticed the fear factor has now gone away. It doesn’t mean they are complacent, far from it – it just means they have adapted to the situation and are confident they are doing everything they possibly can to look after the young people in their charge.’

 Most of the Little Garden nurseries remained open during lockdown to support key workers children. Now all the nurseries have been deep cleaned and had carpets removed with more investment placed in PPE to add further protection to staff while working in the nurseries.

An infection control specialist has also been recruited and has reviewed all its Covid-19 policies and checked they have been implemented throughout all the nurseries – based in Clapham, Brentford, Kentish Town, Hammersmith and the Prima Montessori in Gillingham.

 Executive chairman, Andy Morris commented:

‘Children are precious and our priority is the safety and wellbeing of all our staff, children and parents at all time.

 ‘The feedback from parents has been extremely positive and supportive, and we wanted to share our approach to ‘working safely and smart’ so that other parents elsewhere, who may be worried about their own children returning to nursery or school, can see that life can get back to normal, even if it is a ‘new normal’.’