Agreed and Adopted by Committee
Date
Illness,Medication
& & Emergency Policy
Chair
ILLNESS, MEDICATION AND EMERGENCY POLICY
In the case of emergency accidents within the Pre-School premises or externally where a child
needs emergency treatment the following procedures apply: Staff need to ensure they have access
to the phone and the Pre-School telephone number accessible. There will always be at least one
First Aid Trained member of staff dealing with the accident. If staffing numbers allow, 2 staff are
recommended.When dealing with an emergency the child will not be moved under any
circumstances unless the area is deemed dangerous for both child and staff member. 999 or 112
must be called by the second member of staff and First aid procedures are put into action.
Allergies: Parents or carers must inform the Pre-school of any allergies that their child suffers from
and inform the staff of any necessary medication/treatment. This information must be written on the
long or short term medication forms and authorised by the person with parental responsibility. Any
medicine must have been prescribed by a doctor. The staff cannot take responsibility for medicating
a child without medical authorisation. Nappy rash creams will be applied with written parental
consent. All Pre-School staff must always be informed if any child may suffer from allergies, asthma
attacks or is undergoing treatment and/or medication.
First aid: All staff at Pre-School are suitably trained and in possession of a current first aid training
certificate. The first aid qualification includes first aid training for infants and young children. Our
first aid kit:Complies with the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981;Is regularly checked
by a designated member of staff (Andrea Powe) and re-stocked as necessary;Is easily accessible
to adults; and Is kept out of the reach of children. At the time of admission to the Pre-School,
parents give written permission for emergency medical advice or treatment to be sought. Parents
sign and date their written approval.
Medication:All medication administered to children on the premises is recorded on the Pre-School
medication sheets. Medicine must be prescribed by the doctor or pharmacist and a short term
or long term medication form completed which must be signed by the parent. Buckland
Brewer Under Fives cannot take responsibility for parents asking and signing for their child to take
medication if it has not been prescribed by the doctor or pharmacist. Therefore, parents will be
asked to return to the setting to administer the medicine themselves or will sign that they take full
responsibility.
Any member of staff administering medication to a child should check:
a. the child’s name
b. prescribed dose
c. expiry date
d. written instructions provided by the prescriber on the label or container
If a child refuses to take their medication, emergency contact forms will be used to alert the parent
or designated alternative contact.
Accidents : All accidents are recorded on individual accident forms which are kept in a
folder. These are reviewed termly to identify any potential or actual hazards. Ofsted may be
notified of any injury requiring treatment by a General Practitioner or hospital, and will be
notified in the event of the death of a child or adult. Any injury requiring General Practitioner
or hospital treatment to a child, parent, volunteer or visitor is also reported to the local office
of the Health and Safety Executive.
Head Bump Letter: Due to the ongoing fear of head bumps and the side effects, Buckland
Brewer Under Fives have now implemented the use of Head Bump Letters which explain to
the person with parental responsibility the possible side effects and an emergency phone
number to call if necessary. This document must be signed by the staff member and issued
to the parent the same day that the child receives the bump.Parents will also be telephoned
immediately to advise them that their child has received a bump on the head.
PLASTERS AND MEDICATION: Plasters may be used on open cuts unless a child is
allergic to the materials used. Cuts, grazes, bruises will be cleansed with cold water, a cold
compress or ice pack applied and, if necessary, an individually packed sterilised dressing
may be used.Individually packed wipes may be used to cleanse a cut but other medication is
not permitted.Parents will be advised as to the treatment necessary.
Exclusion periods:
Exclusion periods are not only to protect from cross-infection but they are also to ensure that
your child is being cared for appropriately. At BBU5 we cannot take care of an ill child due to
child-adult ratios and we also do not have the appropriate facilities. Parents are asked to
keep their children at home if they have any infection or are generally unwell, and to inform
the Pre-School as to the nature of the infection so that other parents can be notified if
necessary, and make careful observations of any child who seems unwell. A copy of the
Spotty Book’s list of child related illnesses and exclusion periods is accessible on our
website. www.bucklandbrewerunderfives.net If the children of Pre-School staff are unwell,
the children will not accompany their parents/carers to work. Cuts or open sores, whether on
adults or children, will be covered with sticking plasters (with parent consent only) or another
suitable dressing. Ofsted is notified of any infectious diseases, which a qualified medical
person considers notifiable.
Safety of adults
The sickness of staff and their involvement in accidents is recorded. The records are
reviewed to identify any issues, which need to be addressed. In accordance with the National
Standard no’s 6 and 7. The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences
Regulations 1995.Responsibilities Under RIDDORIn accordance with the above
legislation BBU5 Pre-School will report any serious incidents or accidents that happen on
Pre-School premises whether it be to an employee, a child, a parent or a visitor to PreSchool to the Health and Safety Executive: Incident contact centre 0845 300 9923 These
include: a death or major injury, which includes a fracture (but not of fingers, thumbs or toes),
an amputation, dislocation, permanent or temporary loss of sight, and an injury from an
electric shock; A reportable disease; A dangerous occurrence, which didn’t but could have
resulted in a reportable injury; An injury resulting in hospital admission
Reviewed 07/13