Childhood Illness Policy

TRULY SCRUMPTIOUS NURSERY POLICY FOR CHILDHOOD ILLNESSES

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POLICY FOR CHILDHOOD ILLNESSES

At Truly Scrumptious, we promote the good health of children attending nursery and take the necessary steps to prevent the spread of infection.

This policy has been devised to ensure that children who become unwell at nursery are treated ssensitively and with respect. It also helps us to help us to protect other children from illness and the spread of infection.

If a child requires medicine, we will obtain information about the child’s needs to this (see Administration of Medication Policy)

The Manager is not allowed to admit any children onto the premises who appear to be suffering from an infectious or contagious illness or disease. Truly Scrumptious Early Years Nursery follows the guidance from the Health Protection Agency, however we do reserve the right to refuse children into nursery if they have an illness that is contagious and will have an impact on the wellbeing of the rest of the children and staff.   Please do not bring children who are unwell into the nursery as they will be sent home upon arrival.  

Parents/carers are required to inform the nursery where they can be reached in the event of an accident/sudden illness. However, on occasions it may be impossible to contact a parent/career in an emergency, we will make every effort to contact every named person on the child’s emergency contact list, failing this, parents/carers are required to provide the Manager with signed permission for the setting to act in their absence.

If a child becomes seriously ill or injured during his/her attendance at the nursery, the nursery reserves the right to call for emergency assistance and, if necessary, remove him/her to hospital and give permission for emergency treatment to be administered. If we must take your child to hospital because of an illness or accident, we will do our utmost to inform you immediately (using the details on your Application Form). It is therefore vital that this information is kept up to date and that you inform us of your timetable/whereabouts. Please inform the Manager of any changes to these details as soon as possible.  Please inform us as soon as possible if your child will be absent for a long period due to illness.

Local Authority regulations state that parents/carers are required to give the following information to the Manager: name, address and date of birth of each child; name, home address and place of work with respective telephone numbers of the parents/carers of each child ( we ask that a copy of the parent/carers current timetable should be left with the Manager to ensure that contact can be made in an emergency); name, address and telephone number of each child’s doctor and the state of immunisation and infectious diseases suffered by each child.

All accidents are reported in an Accident Report Book which is kept in the Nursery Office. Parents/carers will be notified of any accidents via an accident/ incident form via FAMLY. Parents a required confirm by the acknowledgment option. 

Please ensure you taken follow precautions: –

• DENOTES A NOTIFIABLE DISEASE

If your child is unwell, please read the following guidance and seek treatment where necessary or keep your child off nursery (please call nursery to advise).

If your child is sent home sick, they will be given a slip advising when they return.

There are no exceptions to the exclusion period and any parent attempting to return their child to nursery will be advised as such.  If a parent persists and leaves their child within the exclusion period, the nursery will contact the HPA and Local Authority who will notify Social Services.

Measures of high temperature

If you suspect a child has a temperature the following steps must be followed:

• Take the child’s temperature using the head scanner thermometer.
• Notify parent of temperature
• Record the temperature on a monitoring form
• Attempt to reduce body temperature slowly – removing excess layers of clothing, opening a window, etc.
• Ensure the child is drinking water
• As a general rule, a temperature in children under 5 over 37.5C is a fever
• The childs temperature should be taken in regular intervals
• If the temperature hasn’t reduced, parents will be asked to come and administer calpol or take their child home
• High temperatures can be extremely danger and cause convulsions.
• In emergency cases the manager will authorize administering emergency calpol to reduce a high fever when children become very poorly, this is dependant of the parents given permission and agreeing to collect their child immediately.  

Transporting children to hospital- Procedure

If a child becomes extremely unwell and in an emergency situation, it is our procedure to call for an ambulance immediately. Parents will be contact straight away and arrangements will be made to meet the parents at the hospital or at the nursery if they are close enough to reach the nursery in time.

In the event that a parent is not able to get to the nursery in time for the ambulance to transport the child to hospital, a senior member of staff will accompany the child and collect registration forms, relevant medication sheets, medication and any other items the child may need.

Febrile Convulsions, anaphylactic shock and other fit or seizure

If a child has any of the above an ambulance must be called immediately and the same steps taken as above.

Anaphylaxis is a medical emergency that may require resuscitation measures. Administration of epinephrine (auto-injector) may be necessary. 

COVID-19 

Temperatures will be taken upon arrival and monitored throughout the day. 

Any child showing a high temperature or develop a Cough throughout the day whilst at the setting will be asked to be collected immediately, the child will be removed away from the other children and staff with 1 adult wearing the appropriate PPE until the child is collected. 

It is the parent / careers responsibility to be open and honest with the setting and keep your child at home if they or anyone in the same household is showing any of the following symptoms: HIGH TEMPRETURE, CONTINUOUS COUGH, LOSS OF TASTE OR SMELL. 

The child will then have to isolate for 10 days of symptoms developing and anyone that lives within the same household will have to isolate for 10 days unless tested and has a Negative test result. Isolation MUST continue until results are back. Can only return if not had symptoms for 48 hours prior. If someone who has not tested positive and has been advised to isolate, then begins to show symptoms the 10 days isolation starts again from the day of symptoms starting.

In the case of a POSITIVE result within the setting, any child or staff member in that child’s “bubble” that has had direct contact within 48 hours of the child or member of staff showing symptoms or 48 hours from the test date (If Asymptomatic) will have to isolate for 10 days unless advised differently by track and trace, evidence may be required as proof of appropriate return. 

Any parent / career failing to inform the setting of anyone living in the household with symptoms, a positive case or being exposed to COVID-19 and has been advised to isolate from track and trace but continues to attend will be at risk of immediate termination of contract at Truly Scrumptious. 

THIS POLICY WAS REVIEWED BY Brittany V – Manager 25/11/2020