Medication & Sickness
We have recently taken the decision to review and update our medication and sickness policy and implement some changes. this is to protect the children and our staff and to prevent the spread of communicable diseases and infection.
We have a further information pack with specific illnesses and their signs, symptoms and exclusion periods which is available in the office for parents to see. We will use the information on this health policy to inform parents if there are any cases of communicable illness in the nursery in order that you may seek medical advice or call the nursery for further information.
Some of the childhood illnesses specified are chicken pox, conjunctivitis, cryptosporidiosis, dysentery, gastroenteritis, giardiasis, glandular fever, hand, foot and mouth disease, hepatitis, HIV, meningitis, measles, mumps, streptococcal infections, tuberculosis, whooping cough as well as skin conditions such as head lice, impetigo, ringworm, scabies and verrucae are also listed.
We understand that from time to time unexplained rashes which may accompany temperatures as well as those which do not appear to have any other symptoms, may happen with young children. The nursery staff are not medically trained and therefore should your child develop a rash we may ask that parents make an appointment to see their doctor to seek an expert opinion as soon as possible.
Should your doctor advise you that the rash is not serious and it cannot be passed on to other children or adults and that your child is fit and well enough to return to nursery, we will require written proof from your doctor.
This letter must be clearly dated and the name and address of your doctor included}
If the nursery staff are at all worried that your child's rash may be more serious, or if one or more of the symptoms of meningitis are present, an ambulance will be called immediately. We will make every effort to contact you and a member of staff will accompany your child to the local hospital.
Should your child develop a temperature whilst at nursery, we will do our very best to contact you and advise you of your child's condition and how they have been throughout the day so far. With our permission, we will administer the age appropriate dosage of Calpol. We will ask you to telephone us after half an hour to find out if your child?s temperature has reduced and if they are more comfortable. If there has been little or no improvement, you will be asked to come to collect them.
If you advise us that you have given Calpol or Neurofen prior to bringing your child into nursery due to them having had a bad night or a temperature, and your child then develops a further temperature during the morning, we may make the decision that your child is not well enough to remain at nursery and call you to come to collect them.
Conjunctivitis
Should the nursery suspect your child has contracted conjunctivitis { red eye}, you will be asked to collect your child as soon as possible and to get appropriate medication. Your child will not be accepted back into nursery without a parent taking measures to treat the condition. Conjunctivitis is extremely contagious and if the spread within a classroom is evident, it may be necessary to exclude all affected children until they fully recover.
As with any medication for illness, all children are excluded from nursery for the first 24 hours of a course of treatment.
Sickness and diarrhoea
If your child has contracted sickness or diarrhoea, they will be immediately excluded until they are fully well. Tummy bugs are highly contagious and can be very dangerous if the spread of infection affects the nursery room. We may have to take precautionary measures to close the area until the infection has completely passed. Children are not permitted back into nursery until a clear 24 hours after their last loose bowel movement or after sickness. This is non negotiable.
Staff are not medically trained however, we are experienced and can usually distinguish between illness and one or two loose nappies.
Medication
If your child has been prescribed a course of antibiotics, we will continue to administer the medicine as we have always done. We ask that children remain at home for the first 24 hours to ensure the medication has had ample time to take effect and the child will fell more like themselves and able to enjoy their day at nursery.
We will not administer any medication which does not come into nursery in it's original box together with the information leaflet provided by the manufacturer.
This will alert us to any possible side effects. Your child's name, date of issue and the recommended dosage must also be clearly visible.
We are permitted to administer children's cough linctus which is within current date and the dosage clearly marked with your written permission.
{This medicine can now be store bought and not prescribed}
Should your child appear to be distressed, unwell or acting out of character without any specific signs or symptoms of illness, we reserve the right to ask you to seek medical advice or keep your child at home until they are fully recovered and fit to be at nursery.
The nursery does reserve the right refuse to give any medication we do not feel comfortable to administer.
We also require you to keep your child at home for 24 hours after any medication has been administered by a doctor. This includes childhood inoculations and holiday vaccinations.
We ask that parents inform us immediately if they have been in contact with communicable diseases in order for us to take proper precautions to protect our children, staff and other parents. With this information we ask that you be especially vigilant about disease which could affect pregnant staff or other parents. The nursery has an obligation to inform the Department of Health if there is a spread of communicable disease in the nursery setting.