KOOSA Kids Covid-Secure Holiday Club FAQs

Your child will be grouped in ‘bubbles’, according to government guidelines. Each bubble will be allocated a designated area & equipment for the day and they will not mix with other bubbles. We will maintain the same bubbles, as far as is possible, throughout the week.

To allow us to create bubbles in line with government guidelines, children will be grouped based on their ages. We can therefore unfortunately not guarantee that your child will be in the same group as their friend, even if they are in the same school year. 

To avoid disappointment, we would like to remind you that bubbles will not mix with other bubbles throughout the day.

Regretfully, due to the changed nature in which we have to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be unable to operate our holiday club programme in its usual format this autumn / winter. However, rest assured, we will ensure your child has as much FUN as possible whilst at KOOSA Kids holiday clubs!

Each bubble will take place in a mixture of active and non-active games and activities each day, with over 150 Covid-Safe games to choose from.

KOOSA Kids take the health and wellbeing of the children in our care, and that of our staff, extremely seriously. We have been working hard to implement changes to our programme to allow us to operate safely within the current Public Health England parameters, whilst still ensuring the children in our care have as much FUN as possible.

Some of the Covid-Secure measures we have implemented include:

• Children will be grouped in ‘bubbles’, according to guidelines and based on their age. Bubbles will not mix throughout the day.
• Each bubble will be allocated a designated area & equipment and have access to their own toilets.
• Strict cleaning protocols will be carried out at regular intervals throughout the day.
• KOOSA Kids staff will regulate regular, thorough handwashing with running water and soap throughout the day, including on arrival, before and after eating and after using the toilets. Children’s handwashing will be supervised.
• KOOSA Kids staff and parents will be asked to maintain strict 2-meter social distancing at all times and staggered drop-off & pick-up times will be in place.
• Children will be gently reminded on a daily basis to maintaining appropriate distances where possible and not to shout, sing or chant.
• Activities will be taking place outside, as much as possible, and each bubble will have a dedicated indoor space, limiting movement between areas and reducing risk of bubbles mixing.
• Activity rooms and other environments will be well ventilated and organised so we can maintain space between seats and play spaces where possible.
• All resources used will be cleaned with anti-bacterial spray on a daily basis.
• No toys will be allowed to be brought in from home.

In-line with government guidelines, staggered registration times will be in place to reduce crowds, limit contact, allow more time for children to be outside and for KOOSA Kids staff to maintain cleaning schedules. Please only drop off at one of the following times:

• 8:15am OR 9am OR 10am for bookings with AM Extensions
• 10:00am for Standard Day bookings

Staggered collection times will be in place to reduce crowds & limit contact. Please only collect at one of the following times:

• 4pm for Standard Day bookings
• 4pm OR 5pm OR 5:45pm for bookings with PM Extensions

Doors will remain open until the queue has gone, or for a minimum of 10 minutes, if there is no queue.

Registration will be outside, regardless of the weather, and parents will not be able to enter the building. KOOSA Kids staff will offer a contactless sign in, where parents will be asked to review any information and staff will countersign on their behalf.

Please provide a printed copy of any medication or carer report forms to staff at registration. Alternatively, these can be emailed to info@koosakids.co.uk at least 48 hours in advance of your child’s first session.

KOOSA Kids are only able to accept and administer prescribed medication. If your child is likely to require prescribed medication of any sort throughout the day, please inform the site manager on arrival, who will complete the necessary paperwork. All medication should be handed to the site manager and must be in its original packaging, with the prescription label.

If your child may require emergency medication (e.g. EpiPens or hypodermic injections) whilst they are with us, please complete the medication received form in your parent account and bring this to the club together with the relevant medication.

Please note, if your child carries an EpiPen, you will need to provide KOOSA Kids with two, in-date EpiPens. KOOSA Kids reserve the right to refuse admission if fewer than two EpiPens are supplied, or if the supplied epipens are not in full working order (e.g. cloudy or discoloured liquid). 

Both EpiPens must be in-date, in their original packaging and be prescribed to your child. It is the parents responsibility to collect the EpiPens from the holiday club at the end of each holiday period.

Due to strict hygiene regulations, and to limit any possible risk, we kindly ask you to please follow the guidelines below as closely as possible.

• Your child will need a packed lunch, including a couple of snacks. Please do not provide anything containing nuts,e.g a Nutella sandwich.
• Your child must bring a refillable water bottle, labelled with their name. Water will be available to refill water bottles but, due to hygiene restrictions, cups will not be available.
• Sun cream must be applied prior to attending. Please consider the use of long-lasting sun creams (12 / 24 hrs), as sun cream will not be allowed to be brought into the club due to splash / contamination risk when applying.
• Your child should wear a hat and / or sunglasses on warm days and a coat for cooler / wet days. We will be outside as much as possible, regardless of weather.
• For hygiene reasons, any items brought on site must be worn upon arrival and departure (e.g. coats / sun hats)
• No bags or other items will be allowed to be brought in, except for a lunch box and refillable water bottle.
• Children will be provided with an allocated space to store their personal items for the day.

Whilst we are sadly unable to offer our Holiday Club programme as you know and love it, we will ensure your children have lots of fun with friends new & old, with plenty of smiles throughout the day! 😊

Covid Secure – Book with Confidence

If you do choose to book now, we would like you to do so with full confidence. Please rest assured that if your chosen club is unable to open, or for reasons beyond our control, we are unable to offer you the sessions that you have booked, we will provide you with a credit note or refund*, for the full value for all sessions booked.

*Autumn / Winter 2020 only - For debit or credit card bookings a choice of refund or credit note will be offered. For payments made by childcare voucher and tax free childcare, only a credit note will be offered. Credit notes are valid for 12 months from the date of issue.

• Please do not send your child in if they are unwell or showing any symptoms of COVID-19, including a fever or high temperature; a new & continuous cough or a loss or change of smell or taste. Please stay at home and visit www.nhs.uk for further information and advice on how to get tested.
• If your child becomes ill or show symptoms of COVID-19 whilst in our care, you will be informed as soon as possible and asked to collect your child. Your child will be isolated away from other children and KOOSA Kids staff will wear appropriate PPE when required, as recommended by Public Health England.
• If a child, or member of staff, tests positive for COVID-19, all relevant government and Public Health England guidance will be followed.

Booking your holiday club sessions is very easy! Simply log into your account and follow the easy to navigate bookings steps. If you have not used KOOSA Kids before, you will need to register for an account and provide us with all the relevant information requested. You will only have to do this once.

Alternatively, please call us on 01276 21884 and we will be happy to register your account and take your booking over the phone. You can contact us by phone from 9.30am to 6.00pm, Monday to Friday.

Holiday club sessions can be booked up until 6pm the working day before you need them, subject to availability. Please note that many of our clubs reach capacity, especially during the busy holiday periods, so we do advise customers to book their sessions as soon as they know their childcare requirements, in order to avoid disappointment.

In the unfortunate situation where you think you might not be able to pick your child up on time (4:00pm for the standard activity day or 6:00pm for the extended activity day), please contact KOOSA Kids Head Office on 01276 21884 as soon as possible.

We will then contact the club manager to inform them of your situation. We will always keep your child safe, with two members of staff, until your arrival. Please note we may charge a late fee if you arrive at the club after the agreed pick up time.

A late fee is charged to cover the additional staff costs incurred by a late pick up, as well as further associated operational costs. See our Terms & Conditions for further details.

As KOOSA Kids Ltd is an Ofsted Registered childcare provider, you may be able to subsidise the cost of childcare through the following government schemes, if you are eligible: 

Working Tax Credit - Nine out of ten families could save up to 80% of childcare costs through Working Tax Credit. For more information call 0845 300 3900 or visit https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs/approved-childcare.

The Money Saving Expert website has a very user friendly section on their website regarding ways to pay for childcare, which includes a tax credit eligibility calculator https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/childcare-costs

Childcare Vouchers - Childcare Vouchers allow employers to help their employees with the cost of childcare. Childcare Vouchers are exempt from National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and Income Tax for employees up to the value of £55 per week, which can mean savings of over £2000 a year for a couple who are both working. All employers are able to run a childcare voucher scheme and employers make considerable savings too. Why not ask your employer if they currently run or would be prepared to run a childcare voucher scheme. Remember KOOSA Kids also offer third child goes free and 8% weekly booking discounts. 

For further information, please see the following websites: 

https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs 

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/childcare-vouchers

All KOOSA Kids holiday clubs are registered with Ofsted. This means each of our holiday clubs adhere to the guidelines and standards set out to safeguard the welfare of your child during their time with us.

In September 2014, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) was updated, providing a new set of standards for children aged 0-5 years. For more information on how KOOSA Kids work with Ofsted, please follow the link to KOOSA and Ofsted.

Please view KOOSA Kids Holiday Club Ofsted registration and inspection reports here.

With more than 14 days notice, you are able to cancel your holiday club sessions, upon which we will credit your account with a 100% credit note.

With 7 to 13 days’ notice, you are able to cancel your holiday club sessions, upon which we will credit your account with a 50% credit note.

We are unable to accept cancellations for bookings with less than 7 days notice. Please let us know if your child is not going to attend, so the site supervisor knows not to expect them on the day.

Please note, KOOSA Kids do not offer cash refunds for parent cancellations. Credit notes are valid for a 12 month period and can be used for either holiday or breakfast / after school club bookings.

We may be able to change the date for your booked session if we receive more than 7 days’ notice, subject to availability and a £5 admin fee.

Please contact our Bookings Team on 01276 21884 at the earliest opportunity to cancel or amend your booking.

On 1st September 2008, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) was introduced for all children aged from birth to 5 years,to ensureconsistency of care and development, wherever a child may be - with a childminder, a day nursery, holiday or after school club or at school.

In line with this framework, KOOSA Kids are required by law to request further information on your child to ensure we are meeting these standards and providing the best level of care for your child.

If your child is in Reception Class, or has not yet started school, you will be asked to complete a 'KOOSA Kids EYFS All About Me Pack'. The EYFS pack is downloadable via a link in your booking confirmation. Please complete and return the KOOSA Kids EYFS Pack to the club when your child first attends.

If for any reason you are unable to download the EYFS pack, please call 01272 21884 or email info@koosakids.co.uk and we will send you a new one. Each sibling in this age groups requires their own pack and a separate pack is required if your child attends more than one KOOSA Kids setting.

Being fully Ofsted registered, we can accept all types of childcare voucher as full or part payment towards your bookings. Please speak to your employer to find out which childcare voucher company they are registered with.

Most childcare voucher companies allow you to transfer voucher payments to us through their online portals. We recommend this as the easiest way to make your voucher payments.

Please click here for detailed information on how to pay  with childcare vouchers, including a full list of voucher providers we are registered with and their unique payment reference numbers.

If your voucher provider is not listed, please call us on 01276 21884 so we can register with them.