Policy statement
We aim to provide care for healthy children through preventing cross-infection of viruses and bacterial infections, and allowing children time to recover completely before returning to our setting.
All children who attend preschool are expected to be well enough to engage with our usual routine and spend short periods of time outside during the day as part of a healthy life balance of indoor and outdoor time. It is not acceptable or healthy for children to stay inside all day or be excluded from learning opportunities. All children will be expected to spend time outside every day they attend.
Procedures
Procedures in case of illness or sickness during the Preschool Day
- Children are expected to be awake and fully conscious on arrival
- If children appear unwell during the day – such as being unable to interact with resources and follow the normal daily routine, run a temperature of 37.8°C or above, or 1°C degree higher or lower than their usual temperature, have sickness, diarrhoea, or pains, particularly in the head or stomach, or extreme tiredness (to the point of being unable to engage with resources and learning opportunities) – the keyperson or buddy will call the family or, if unavailable, the emergency contacts, and ask them to collect the child. We ask that children are collected within 20mins, or that you make it explicit how long it will take to pick them up
- If a child has a temperature, they are kept cool, top layers of clothing will be removed as appropriate, they will be moved to a cool area (but kept away from draughts), and they will be encouraged to drink sips of water
- The child’s temperature is taken using either an ear or forehead thermometer (depending on what children can tolerate), which are both kept in a labelled box on the fridge.
- Roots and Wings Community Preschool have the right to refuse admittance to children who have run a temperature in the last 24 hours, sickness and diarrhoea in the last 48 hours, or any contagious infection or disease, or children who clearly have not fully recovered from a stint of illness. This decision will be made by the Management Team and is non-negotiable
- Where children have been prescribed antibiotics or medicines they have not previously had, families are asked to keep children at home for at least 48 hours before returning them to the setting
- Should a child have an infectious disease, such as sickness and diarrhoea, families are asked to keep their children at home until they have been at least 48 hours clear of all symptoms, and have recovered fully
- We will notify Ofsted and contact Public Health England as soon as possible and in all cases within 14 days of any notifiable illness.
- We inform families if there is a contagious infection identified in the setting to enable them to spot the early signs of this illness. We thoroughly clean and sterilise all equipment and resources that may have come in contact with a contagious child to reduce the spread of infection
- Children should not come into the setting within 24 hours of needing Calpol or similar medicine which can mask symptoms of illness
- We follow Public Health England’s ‘The control of communicable diseases in schools and nurseries’ (2015). This has a list of excludable diseases and current exclusion times. Any diseases for which we have a different policy from the Public Health approach will be listed below
Reporting a notifiable disease
- If a child or adult is diagnosed as suffering from a notifiable disease under the Health Protection (Notification) Regulations 2010, the GP will report this to Public Health England
- When the Preschool becomes aware, or is formally informed, of a notifiable disease, the Management Lead informs Ofsted and contacts the Infection Control (IC) nurse for Public Health England, and the setting acts on any advice given by the IC
HIV/Aids/Hepatitis procedure
- HIV, like any other viruses such as Hepatitis A, B and C, are spread through body fluids. Hygiene precautions for dealing with body fluids are the same for all children and adults
- Single use vinyl gloves and aprons are worn when changing children’s nappies or pants, and clothing that are soiled with blood, urine, faeces, or vomit.
- Soiled clothes are bagged for families to collect
- Spills of blood, urine, faeces or vomit are cleaned using an absorbent powder cleaner and wiped with a disinfectant solution. Any cloths used are disposed of in the clinical waste container
- Tables and other furnishings or toys affected by blood, urine, faeces or vomit are cleaned using a disinfectant
Nits and headlice
- If families find that their child has headlice, we would be grateful if they could inform the Preschool so that other families can be alerted to check their child’s hair
- Nits and headlice are not an excludable condition, although in exceptional circumstances a family may be asked to keep their child away until the infestation has cleared
- On identifying cases of headlice, all families are informed and asked to treat their child and all the family if they are found to have had headlice
Chickenpox and Hand, Foot and Mouth
- Children with either chickenpox or Hand, Foot and Mouth disease are asked to stay away from the setting until any blisters/spots are scabbed over or healed. This is due to the communicable nature of these diseases and the possible risk to others who may be pregnant
- All families will be informed that a case is present in the Preschool so that they can check their child for symptoms
Conjunctivitis
- This is contagious and many young children lack the self-care skills to help in the prevention of this infection spreading to others
- Where treatment is necessary, this should be started at home before consideration of return to Preschool
Coughs, colds and flu
- Slight coughs or colds do not normally require a child to be excluded from Preschool – however, this does depend upon the severity of the illness and its impact on each individual child
- Children who are running a temperature or who require Calpol or similar medicine should be kept at home until they are 24 hours clear
- Children who appear lethargic or who are unable to engage with resources and learning opportunities may be sent home and should recover fully before returning to Preschool
Unknown rashes
- If a child is presenting with a rash either at arrival or during their day at Preschool, the keyperson or buddy will call families to collect the child and seek medical advice before returning to the setting
Families’ responsibilities
- Children should not be sent to Preschool when they are unwell as this puts other children and the Preschool Team at risk, and unnecessarily stresses the ill child. An unwell child will not be able to partake in daily learning and play opportunities and requires 1 : 1 care, which compromises the care of others
- If your child is ill before they are due to attend, please call, text or email the Preschool to inform us of your child’s illness as soon as is practicably possible, especially in the case of a contagious illness. This may be particularly important if a child has come in contact with a pregnant member of staff, parent or a person who has a compromised immune system
- If your child has not been themselves at home but is not showing signs of illness when brought to Preschool, please inform a member of the Preschool Team and let them know the best possible contact number in case a child needs to be collected before the end of their normal day
- Families MUST inform the Preschool Team if they have administered medicine such as Calpol, other pain relief or antihistamine medication. This information is vital in case medical assistance should be required throughout the day
- Families MUST inform the Preschool if any child attending the Preschool is admitted to hospital, and the discharge instructions must be followed
- Children should not return to Preschool for a full 48 hours after the administration of antibiotics, a new medication, or anaesthesia
- If families continually send a sick child to Preschool, we will be forced to review the child’s place