Childhood Illness Policy

TRULY SCRUMPTIOUS NURSERY POLICY FOR CHILDHOOD ILLNESSES

Childhood Illness

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 sensitively and with respect. It also helps us to help us to protect other children and staff from illnesses 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 UK Health Security 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 well-being 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. This includes Children that have had Calpol before entering the premises as this could mask symptoms of an illness or infectious diseases.

Parents/carers are required to inform the nursery where they can be reached in the event of an accident/sudden illness. When parents are co-parenting or parallel parenting, both parents will be called simultaneously, However, on occasions it may be impossible to contact a parent/carer in an emergency, we will make every effort to contact the next named person and so on until we have made contact, 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 which is kept in the Nursery Office.

 

Parents/carers will be notified of any accidents via an accident/ incident form, these are evaluated at the end of each month. Parents / careers are required to sign a copy of the report upon handover and will be given a copy to keep.

Please ensure you taken follow precautions: –

Infection

Exclusion period

Comments

Athlete’s foot

None

Individuals should not be barefoot at their setting (for example in changing areas) and should not share towels, socks, or shoes with others.

Chickenpox

At least 5 days from onset of rash and until all blisters have crusted over.

Pregnant staff contacts should consult with their GP or midwife.

Cold sores (herpes simplex)

None

Avoid kissing and contact with the sores.

Conjunctivitis

None

(Nursery will advise to seek medical advice for treatment to stop the spread)

If an outbreak or cluster occurs, consult your local health protection team (HPT).

Respiratory infections including coronavirus (COVID-19)

Individuals should not attend if they have a high temperature and are unwell.

Individuals who have a positive test result for COVID-19 should not attend the setting for 3 days after the day of the test.

Individuals with mild symptoms such as runny nose, and headache who are otherwise well can continue to attend their setting.

Diarrhoea and vomiting

Individuals can return 48 hours after diarrhoea and vomiting have stopped.

If a particular cause of the diarrhoea and vomiting is identified, there may be additional exclusion advice, for example E. coli STEC and hep A.

For more information, see Managing outbreaks and incidents.

Diptheria*

Exclusion is essential.

Always consult with your UKHSA HPT.

Preventable by vaccination. For toxigenic Diphtheria, only family contacts must be excluded until cleared to return by your local HPT.

Flu (influenza) or influenza like illness

Until recovered

Report outbreaks to your local HPT.

For more information, see Managing outbreaks and incidents.

Glandular fever

None

 

Hand foot and mouth

None

Contact your local HPT if a large number of children are affected. Exclusion may be considered in some

 

circumstances.

Head lice

None

 

Hepititis A

Exclude until 7 days after onset of jaundice (or 7 days after symptom onset if no jaundice).

In an outbreak of hepatitis A, your local HPT will advise on control measures.

Hepatitis B, C, HIV

None

Hepatitis B and C and HIV are blood borne viruses that are not infectious through casual contact.

Contact your UKHSA HPT for more advice.

Impetigo

Until lesions are crusted or healed, or 48 hours after starting antibiotic treatment.

Antibiotic treatment speeds healing and reduces the infectious period.

Measles

4 days from onset of rash and well enough.

Preventable by vaccination with 2 doses of MMR.

Promote MMR for all individuals, including staff. Pregnant staff contacts should seek prompt advice from their GP or midwife.

Meningococcal meningitis* or septicaemia*

Until recovered

Meningitis ACWY and B are preventable by vaccination.

Your local HPT will advise on any action needed.

Meningitis* due to other bacteria

Until recovered

Hib and pneumococcal meningitis are preventable by vaccination. Your UKHSA HPT will advise on any action needed.

Meningitis viral

None

Milder illness than bacterial meningitis. Siblings and other close contacts of a case need not be excluded.

MRSA

None

Good hygiene, in particular handwashing and environmental cleaning, are important to minimise spread.
Contact your UKHSA HPT for more information.

Mumps*

5 days after onset of swelling

Preventable by vaccination with 2 doses of MMR. Promote MMR for all individuals, including staff.

Ringworm

Not usually required

Treatment is needed.

Rubella* (German measles)

5 days from onset of rash

Preventable by vaccination with 2 doses of MMR.

 

 

Promote MMR for all individuals, including staff. Pregnant staff contacts should seek prompt advice from their GP or midwife.

Scabies

Can return after first treatment.

Household and close contacts require treatment at the same time.

Scarlet fever*

Exclude until 24 hours after starting antibiotic treatment.

Individuals who decline treatment with antibiotics should be excluded until resolution of symptoms. In the event of 2 or more suspected cases, please contact your UKHSA HPT.

Slapped cheek/Fifth disease/Parvovirus B19

None (once rash has developed)

Pregnant contacts of case should consult with their GP or midwife.

Threadworms

None

Treatment recommended for child and household.

Tonsillitis

None

There are many causes, but most cases are due to viruses and do not need or respond to an antibiotic treatment.

Tuberculosis* (TB)

Until at least 2 weeks after the start of effective antibiotic treatment (if pulmonary TB.

Exclusion not required for non-pulmonary or latent TB infection.

Always consult your local HPT before disseminating information to staff, parents and carers, and students.

Only pulmonary (lung) TB is infectious to others, needs close, prolonged contact to spread.

Your local HPT will organise any contact tracing.

Warts and verrucae

None

Verrucae should be covered in swimming pools, gyms and changing rooms.

Whooping cough (pertussis)*

2 days from starting antibiotic treatment, or 21 days from onset of symptoms if no antibiotics

Preventable by vaccination.

After treatment, non-infectious coughing may continue for many weeks. Your local HPT will organise any contact tracing.

Infection

Exclusion period

Comments

 

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 length of absence).

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 / in ear 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 rule, a temperature in children under 5 over 38oC is a fever.

The child’s temperature should be taken in regular intervals if displaying signs of being unwell. If the temperature is 38oC or above, parents will be asked to come and collect the child.

High temperatures can be extremely dangerous and cause convulsions.

In emergency cases the manager will seek advice from a medical professional (111 or pharmacist) to authorise administering emergency Calpol to reduce a high fever when children become very poorly, this is dependent 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, it is our procedure to call for an ambulance immediately. Parents will be contacted 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.

If a parent is not able to get to the nursery in time for the ambulance to transport the child to hospital, a senior management 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 (EPI PEN) may be necessary.

Sickness and Diarrhoea

Sickness and diarrhoea are some of the easiest illnesses to spread between children and adults, the exclusion period must be at least 48 hours after the LAST bought NOT from the onset.

If children or staff have intolerance’s or allergies such as milk or to egg and have diarrhoea or sickness due to eating something they should not have, this will still be treated with the same exclusion period and children and staff will be refused entry to the setting as an extra precaution to prevent the risk of an outbreak.

When children who have intolerance’s have been advised to reintroduce certain foods using the food ladders, this will need to be confirmed in writing from the GP or a Dietitian. Parents/ careers are encouraged to keep staff informed when they are starting the food ladders with at least 1 weeks’ notice and then maintain regular updates on how this is affecting the child. The staff at Truly Scrumptious will also document any changes to bowel movements or the childs health within the setting during this time. If the child attends the setting during an outbreak and has sickness or diarrhoea and staff have not been made aware with at least 1 weeks’ notice of foods being reintroduced the 48-exclusion period will need to be followed.

COVID-19

It is the parent / career’s responsibility to be open and honest with the setting and keep your child at home if they have tested positive. The child must be kept off for 3 days from the test date.

 

THIS POLICY WAS REVIEWED BY Hayley Binion – Manager 29/11/2023