Sick Children Policy

 Aim

We encourage and promote good health and hygiene for all children within the Nursery.

Methods

At Caversham Nursery we understand that it is difficult for parents/carers to leave or miss work therefore we ask parents/carers to think of alternative arrangements to be made when the child should remain at home or need to be picked up from nursery due to illness.

Exclusion from the Nursery is sometimes necessary to reduce the transmission of illness or if we are unable to fully meet the needs of the child while they are unwell.

Mild illnesses are common amongst children, with many conditions children spread the infection before showing any symptoms.

If the child has any visible symptoms or is notably different from normal the staff will record this on a child health form. The staff member will notify the room leader and also all the other staff members working with that child. The line manager and the parents/carer will be notified. This is to ensure parent/carers are fully informed.

If the child has a temperature of 38˚C or above we will call the parent/carer straight away and temperature reducing infantile suspension is to be given to the child with the parents/carers previous written consent. Controls are put in place for administration of it:

• Wherever possible the parents/carers will be contacted by phone that their child is unwell and before a dose of temperature reducing medication is given.
• After one dose of medication is given, should a child’s state of health still warrant further assistance, parents will be asked to collect their child from the Nursery.

• All medication should be checked for expiry date, batch number and this should be recorded on the child’s medicine sheet.

• The child’s temperature and other symptoms are recorded on a child health form.

• Any medication is to be given by qualified staff members and witnessed by another staff member. The time and date of this will be recorded on the medication form.

• Children who have been given the reducing infantile suspension and whose

temperature does not respond or rises will be recommended to seek further medical advice.

Any concerns about the health of a child will be written on a medical concern form with any actions taken. Children should not return until they no longer require medication to lower their temperature.

We ask the parent/carers to let us know if the child has had any infectious illnesses while they are not at nursery and to call the nursery when an illness has been diagnosed. This is so we can let other parents/carers know and inform the staff team for what signs to look out for.

Any notifiable infectious illnesses will be displayed prominently around the nursery. We will not give the names of the child.

If a child is sick or has diarrhoea at Nursery we will call the parents/carers to come and collect them. The child will need to be off for 48 hours following the last episode of sickness or diarrhoea before returning to the centre.

Ofsted require us to inform them of some infectious diseases of; a copy of guidance on infection control in schools and other childcare settings is attached.

In the event of a serious accident or illness. Once the ambulance is called a senior member of staff will call the parents/carers and tell them of the situation.

Useful websites                                                               www.hpa.org.uk/infections

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/353953/Guidance_on_infection_control_in_schools_11_Sept.pdf

To be reviewed September 2021