Download Sick Children Policy - The Village Nursery Blackpool

Sick Children Policy
This policy gives information and guidance on common illnesses in children. As with
any professional childcare organisation, we come across many kinds of illnesses in
nursery life. We have an obligation to all children and members of staff to
minimislise illness and infection. We stress the following guidelines must be adhered
to for the benefit of the children in our care. If an infectious illness comes into the
nursery, the nursery will make every effort to inform parents to make them aware of
any risks to their child. A notice will be placed on the main entrance into the nursery
and the parents of the children within the infected child’s class will be told by the
staff.
Notifiable diseases
The nursery will inform the local infectious diseases unit and OFSTED if a parent or
medically trained person has informed the nursery that a child, or child connected to
the nursery has been diagnosed with a notifiable disease stated on the notifiable
disease page.
Infectious Diseases Contact Details
Address:
Customer First Centre
Corporation Street
Blackpool
FY1 1NA
Phone:
01253 477477
Email:
[email protected]
Food Poisoning
The nursery will also inform OFSTED if there are two instances of food poisoning
within the nursery setting.
OFSTED Early Years,
3rd Floor, Royal Exchange Building
St Annes Square
Manchester
M2 7LA
Or
Ofsted Early Years:
0845 6404040
In the first few months of a child joining a nursery, they will be come across many
illnesses enabling them to build up their immunity. We understand that as a parent
it is difficult to see your child being ill. The nursery will make sure that every effort
is made to ensure that the parents are supported through this settling in time. Advice
Leaflets will be supplied to the parents and cleanliness at nursery will be heightened
to ensure that this time is as short and painless for the child and parents as possible.
If a child is ill at nursery the following procedures will be put into place.
 The child will be kept separate from the other children. This will always be
with a member of staff in a comfortable quiet area.
 The child’s parents will be contacted and advised of the urgency of the
situation. It is normal practice for the parent to come and collect the child
from nursery.
 If a parent/guardian is unable to collect the child or send someone else to do
so, the child will be kept in an area visible to all staff. A staff member will
always be on hand to monitor the child’s well being.
 If the child is showing any signs of distress, excessive high temperature,
fitting or any other serious symptoms and ambulance will be called straight
away and a first aider will sit with the child.
 If the parent has not arrived before the ambulance, a member of staff will
accompany the child to hospital and remain with them until a
parent/guardian arrives.
 When the child has left the building the toys, equipment and surrounding
areas will be disinfected to minimalise the spread of infection.
Prescribed Treatment
If a child has been prescribed antibiotics by a doctor, they will be required to remain
away from nursery for 24 hours. After this time they will be able to return to
nursery. The medication will be administered by staff with the completion of the
medicine form.
Below is a list of the symptoms of some illnesses that may occur in nursery.
Mumps
General feeling of being unwell, fever, headache, muscle swelling and pain especially
in front of the ears. Dry mouth and pain on eating.
Incubation period – 2/3 weeks. Infectious from 6 days before the swelling to 3 days
after the swelling has gone down.
The Common Cold
Colds are caused not by one but by a number of viruses, which explains why one
infection may follow straight after another, giving the impression of a non-stop nose
run. As they are viruses they do not respond to treatment with antibiotics but cure
themselves, usually within 4 or 5 days of appearance. When children first attend
nursery, they are coughed over by other children with a multitude of viruses, and
this is frequently their worst year for infections. Eventually some immunity is
acquired and the number of illnesses gradually decreases each year until adulthood.
Most of the natural immunity that a baby inherits from his mother is lost by the age
of 6 months and the first winter thereafter is a prime one for colds.
Average toddles will get up to nine colds each year, with about six being the usual
number, which you may of gathered works out about one every eights weeks.
A common cold can often start with a sore throat, slightly pink eardrums and a slight
cough. When all these symptoms come together it shows that the child has indeed
contracted a common cold. Individually they indicate tonsillitis, ear infection or
bronchitis. There is no specific treatment for colds, although Calpol may make the
child feel more comfortable.
Gastro-Enteritis In Children In Nursery
If your child has gastro-enteritis (diarrhoea due to infection) this can pose a
considerable risk to the nursery since such infections spread easily among other
children.
Please keep your child away from nursery until they become symptom free.
In order to find out the cause of the diarrhoea you are advised to consult your own
doctor so that a stool sample from your own child can be sent to the laboratory for
testing. This is especially important if you suspect that the diarrhoea may be due to
food poisoning, if your child has recently been abroad, or if your child has been in
contact with someone else who has had a similar illness recently.
Hand, Foot and Mouth
Hand, foot and mouth disease is a common infectious disease, caused by
coxsackie virus. It is a viral disease mainly affecting children, especially of
toddlers/babies. Hand, foot and mouth disease is very contagious (easily spread)
and is common in children under 10 years of age. However, adolescents and
adults can also be affected. It features many small blisters (vesicles) in the
mouth and on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. These may also
appear on other parts of the body. There may be some difficulty in swallowing, a
slight fever and occasionally vomiting. The incubation period is between 3/5 days
Herpes Simplex
A highly infectious virus, usually brought on when immune system is run down. It
has an incubation period of 2-10 days.
Symptoms- blisters inside cheeks, ulcers on the tongue, cold sores around the
mouth.
This is a very nasty skin infection and child should not attend nursery until all the
traces have disappeared.
Meningitis
Meningitis is very rare but recognition of this is very important.
Look for- high fever, headaches, vomiting, irritability, dislike of light, stiff neck, rash.
If concerned about any of above seek medical advice urgently.
Impetigo
This is a highly infectious skin condition caused by bacteria. The symptoms are red
spots which gradually enlarge until they are anything up to 2cm in size and turn into
full fluid blisters, which then break, form a crust and the rash spreads.
The infection area must be kept clean. Use a separate flannel or towel to stop it
spending and the child should be kept away from other children until the rash clears.
A doctor should always treat impetigo as antibiotics are needed.
Eye Disorders
Sticky eyes/conjunctives etc are highly infectious. If drops are given the child should
have a minimum of 48 hours antibiotic treatment before returning to the nursery.
Generally colds do not cause stick eyes.
Ear Infections
Again, doctors say the child’s illness is not infectious, but if the child has been given
antibiotics they need to have at least one full day’s course and rest before returning
to the nursery. Weeping ears however are infectious and need to be treated.
Thrush
This is easily treated and it is usually fine for a child to attend after 24 hours, but it is
very important that they have their own cups, cutlery and flannels etc.
For children under2, who are constantly putting objects in their mouths, the period
away from the nursery may be longer.