Cublington Nursery School: Health and Hygiene Policy.
Cublington Nursery School promotes a healthy lifestyle and a high standard of hygiene in its day to day work with children and adults. This is achieved in the following ways:
HEALTH
Food
- When cooking with children as an activity, the adults will provide healthy, wholesome food promoting and extending the children’s understanding of a healthy diet.
- All snacks provided will be nutritious and pay due attention to children’s particular dietary requirements.
Outdoor play
- Children will have the opportunity to play in the fresh air throughout the year in the nursery school’s own outdoor play area.
- A shaded outdoor area is available, if it is very hot children will only have a limited time outside. During the summer parents are asked to make sure their children are protected by sunscreen lotion and provide a named sunhat.
Illness
- Parents are asked to keep their children at home if they have any infection, and to inform the nursery school as to the nature of the infection so that we can alert other parents and make careful observations of any child who seems unwell.
- Parents are asked not to bring into the nursery any child who has been vomiting or had diarrhoea until at least 24 hours has elapsed since the last attack.
- If a child is taken ill while at nursery school the parents will be contacted immediately. The child will be comforted and cared for in a quiet area until the parent arrives. If the nursery school is unable to contact the parent a doctor or ambulance will be called if necessary.
- If a child is on prescribed medication the following procedures will be followed:
- If possible the child’s parents will administer medicine. If not, then medication must be clearly labelled with child’s name, dosage and any instructions.
- Written information will be obtained from the parent, giving clear instructions about the dosage, administration of the medication and permission for a member of staff to follow the instructions.
- All medications will be kept out of reach of children.
- A medication book will be available to log in: name of child receiving medication; times that the medication should be administered; date and time
when medication is administered; together with the signature of the person who has administered each dose.
- With regard to the administration of life saving medication such as insulin/adrenalin injections or the use of nebulisers, the position will be clarified by reference to the nursery school’s insurance company – Sun Alliance through the Insurance Officer at Pre-School Learning Alliance National Centre.
- Cublington Nursery School will ensure that the first aid equipment is kept clean, replenished and replaced as necessary. Sterile items will be kept sealed in their packages until needed.
Information sources
- Parents will have the opportunity to discuss health issues with nursery school staff and will have access to information available to the nursery school.
- Cublington Nursery School will maintain links with health visitors and gather health information and advice from the local health authority information services and/or other health agencies.
HYGIENE
To prevent the spread of all infection, adults in the group will ensure that the following good practices are observed:
Personal hygiene
- Hands washed after using the toilet.
- Tissues available and children encouraged to blow and wipe their noses when necessary. Soiled tissues disposed of hygienically.
- Children encouraged to shield their mouths when coughing.
- Paper towels used and disposed of appropriately.
- Hygiene rules related to bodily fluids followed with particular care and all staff aware of how infections, including HIV infection, can be transmitted.
Cleaning and clearing
- Any spills of blood, vomit or excrement wiped up and flushed away down the toilet. Disposable gloves used when cleaning up spills of body fluids. Floors and other affected surfaces disinfected using chlorine or iodine bleach diluted according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Spare laundered pants and other clothing, available in case of accidents and polythene bags available in which to wrap soiled garments.
- All surfaces cleaned daily with appropriate cleaner.