Illness Policy

Regulation 46
Licencing Criteria 2008, Health and Safety, Premises and Facilities

HS26
All practicable steps are taken to ensure that children do not come into contact with any person (adult or child) on premises who is suffering from a disease or condition likely to be passed onto children and likely to have a detrimental effect on them.

HS27
All practicable steps are taken to get immediate medical assistance for a child who is badly hurt in an accident or becomes seriously ill, and to notify a parent of what has happened.

PURPOSE

Tadpoles are committed to providing an environment that promotes the healthy wellbeing of the children and the staff within our centre. This policy is to ensure there is a common understanding about what will happen if a child is brought to the centre who is already ill or who becomes ill while here.

PROCEDURE

• Tadpoles will provide a wide range of pamphlets on health and illness issues (available from Regional Public Health Services).

• A list of communicable illnesses is available from the Centre Director and displayed on the community board in the foyer for parents/guardians to familiarise themselves with. This will also be available on Storypark.

• The Centre does not allow any child to attend if they have a contagious or communicable disease. The centre will ensure the action specified in the Licensing Criteria Appendix 2 is taken for any person (adult or child) suffering from particular infectious diseases. Any child who has had a contagious or communicable disease may require medical clearance from their doctor before returning to the Centre.

• Children (and staff) with diarrhoea, vomiting, fever and/or undiagnosed skin rashes cannot remain at the childcare centre (except for the time it takes parents/caregivers to collect the child from the centre). Parents/caregivers are expected to collect their child without delay if he/she is ill.

• The Centre provides a safe space, away from other children, to isolate children who become unwell whilst at the Centre. Parents/Guardians will be contacted and asked to collect their child without delay if this happens. Any child who is isolated will be kept comfortable, and monitored by staff – no child will be left unsupervised at any time. See Isolation Policy.

• The child’s temperature will be checked every 10mins and written on the illness/incident report whilst waiting to be collected by a family member.

• In the event of a high temperature over 38°C, staff will try the following whilst waiting for a parent/guardian to arrive:

• Remove outer layers of clothing
• Use a tepid flannel to sponge bath the child
• Bathe the child in tepid water
• Offer water
• Give a lemonade ice block if the child will not take fluids

• If the parent/guardian is not available the Centre may need to seek medical assistance in the event of a temperature over 39°C for a child between 3 and 6 months, over 40°C for a child over 6 months, or the child becoming more ill. The Centre keeps a record of each child’s medical practitioner and may use this information should medical advice need to be sought.

• In general, if children experience vomiting and/or diarrhoea they should not attend the centre until 48 hours after all symptoms have stopped. Children should otherwise be kept away from centre as per advice from their doctor, or as the centre has been advised by their Regional Public Health Service.

• Any child sent home will receive a copy of the illness/incident report which will be signed by the Centre Director (or person responsible in their absence) and parent/guardian.

• The Centre offers this policy for parent perusal on enrolment of all children. This policy is reviewed within our 2 year review cycle.

Reference
MOH Infectious Diseases Poster
Illness/incident report
Isolation Policy

Written July 2016 / Reviewed July 2018