Sickness, including Covid-19 Policy

“Precious Playdays is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at all times and expects everybody working within this setting to share this commitment”

The health and well-being of all the children, staff and parents/carers who attend Precious Playdays preschooll is of paramount importance to us. In order for us all to provide a clean and healthy environment it is important for us all to follow procedures.

We aim to:

Ensure sick children are identified.
Ensure sick children are cared for appropriately.
Protect children and adults from preventable infection.
Enable our staff and parents/carers to be clear about the requirements and procedures when a child is unwell.
Provide a safe, secure and hygienic environment, following stringent planned cleaning procedures and policies, including ongoing daily cleaning routines throughout the working day. Deep and thorough cleaning practice following infectious outbreaks.
Inform and advise all persons who have contact with the nursery, Parents/Carers, Children (New and Expectant mothers) and Visitors of an outbreak and information relating to symptoms, prevention and treatment required.
Report infectious outbreaks to the appropriate authorities.

If any child is thought to be unwell, we will assess the symptoms of the child and deal with them in the appropriate way which is dependent on the symptoms.
Any child with an infectious or contagious disease will be excluded for a required period of time. If staff suspect that a child has an infectious or contagious disease, they will advise parents/carers to consult a Doctor/Pharmacist before returning to the nursery.
Should a child become ill whilst at the nursery, the Manager / Manager or Key person will contact the parent/carer or emergency contacts, we ask for the child to

be collected as soon as possible. The child will be comforted by the key person who will take appropriate action which will include medical advice where necessary, whilst awaiting the arrival of the parent/carer.

Our staff will report any worries about a child’s health or well being to the parent/carer immediately. Parents/carers are responsible for keeping the nursery informed about their child’s health.
We recommend that children do not attend the nursery whilst suffering from a communicable disease and should be excluded for the periods recommended. Please see our guidelines to illness/communicable diseases.
Parents/carers will be contacted should their child have a high temperature of 37.8c or higher, and will be requested to collect their child as soon as possible. See all, Covid-19.
In rare cases, Children’s paracetamol (Calpol) may be administered only with parental/carer consent to children with high temperatures, and for teething at parent’s/carers request. Parental/carer consent will have been given on the enrolment form. This will be given in 2.5ml or 5ml dosage. Parents/carers will be contacted before Calpol is administered if staff are unsure if it has been given before they have arrived at the nursery. We will not administer Calpol over 3 consecutive days unless medical attention has been sought. This is following guidelines given on the packet.
- We can only administer medicine, that has either been prescribed or advised from a Doctor/Nurse or Pharmacist.
- We are unable to administer any medicine which has been decanted into another container.
- Any medicine brought in needs to be in the original box with leaflet enclosed and with the child’s name on label where appropriate.
- Any medicine brought in will be documented and stored in the appropriate place, forms need to be filled in on arrival and departure, please take care not to leave any medicine in nappy bags and children’s bags, thank you.
Coughs and colds do not necessarily require the child to be excluded from the nursery, but this will depend on the severity and how the child is able to cope with nursery routine. If Covid-19 is suspected we will follow the Hertfordshire Covid-19 guidelines detailed and Covid-19 details below..
If a child has ongoing discharge from their ears, nose or eyes the parent/carer will be advised to seek medical advice before their child can return to the nursery and in some cases a doctor’s note may be required before returning to ensure the child's well-being is met.
If a child has sickness or diarrhoea whilst at the nursery, we will request that they are collected as soon as possible, preferably within the hour. They will then not be able to return to the nursery for 48 hours from the last time they were sick or had a runny stool.

To prevent the spread of conjunctivitis, if we believe a child may have symptoms relating to the virus, we will inform parents/carers promptly and advise that the child is collected as soon as possible. We will advise that the child is seen by a doctor or pharmacist for advice on what treatment is required. Once the child has been treated and the conjunctivitis appears controlled, providing the child is happy they may return to nursery after 48 hours, giving time for the treatment to work. This will be at the discretion of the managers and in discussion with the parent/carer to ensure the spread of the infection is reduced to a minimum. If you decide not to use medication, we would request the child remains clear of the nursery until they are symptom free and the eyes are completely clear.
Parents/carers will be contacted if their child develops an unexplained rash and be requested to seek medical advice which they should follow before the child returns to nursery.
If your child has not been their normal self at home but is not showing signs of illness when brought into the nursery, please mention it to your child’s key person or managers to let them know how to best contact you during the day and how they can support your child whilst they are at the nursery.
Should the Manager consider the illness or situation needs immediate medical attention, the emergency services will be contacted to take the child directly to hospital and the parent/carer will be contacted accordingly. (Consent for this should have been given in the child’s enrolment form)
In the unlikely event of the parent /carer not being available the most senior member of staff (Manager) will assume charge and, if necessary, escort the child to hospital along with the relevant details.
Precious Playdays preschool is committed in providing the highest standards of care for our children to ensure their health and well being is maintained at all times.
We operate an ‘open door’ policy towards parents/carers in the nursery, so please feel free to discuss any concerns about your child with their key person or Manager / Manager. During the Covid-19 pandemic parents/carers are restricted entry to the nursery but please feel free to call us at anytime.
If any siblings are unwell please do not bring them into the setting. Staff can bring your children out to meet you, at your convenience, just call the nursery in advance and we can arrange for this to happen.

Antibiotics – 48 hours from first dose. If antibiotics have been prescribed, we ask that the child remains clear of the nursery for 48 hours. This is to ensure the needs of the child taking medication are met and to reduce the risk of secondary infection whilst the child is on medication and the immune system is reduced. This also ensures we reduce the risk of spreading infections.

Coughs, Colds and Sore Throats - Any child complaining of a sore throat, or having uncontrollable fits of coughing, or a severe runny nose, cannot be accepted into Nursery. Please also see Covid-19.

Covid-19 (Coronavirus) – If any child presents with a temperature of 37.8 or above and/or a new and persistent cough (this means coughing a lot for more than an hour or 3 or more coughing episodes within a 24 hour period), parents/carers will be notified immediately and the child will be looked after by a member of staff until the parents/carers arrive. We request that parents/carers arrive to collect their child(ren) as soon as possible within the hour. Parents/carers will be required to follow the government guidance on testing and self isolating and children must remain away from the nursery until a negative test result has been given. Please refer to our Covid 19 Illness policy for further information on self isolating time scales but any child who has or any child who has a member of their family or someone in their extended bubble diagnosed with Covid-19 will need to remain away from the nursery for 14 days. Any siblings attending the nursery will also need to be taken home and remain away until the 14 day self isolating period has passed.

German Measles (Rubella) - From the onset of the rash we advise a MINIMUM of 4 days away from Nursery, particularly as Rubella can be harmful to expectant mothers.

Chicken pox – Children need to be absent from the nursery for a minimum of 5 days from the onset of the rash. If the spots are scabbed over and dried up the child may return to nursery, as long as they are well in themselves. This is also dependant on the location of the spots and the age of the child.

Hand, Foot and Mouth – Keep your child at home while they feel unwell and symptoms have eased, we request that ulcers on hands and around mouth are dry before returning as infection can be spread quickly through the rooms due to their age and vulnerability.

Head Lice – Easily transmitted from head to head. Please use a course of treatment recommended by the Chemist and inform the Nursery, so we can inform other parents. If cases are identified whilst your child is at the nursery, we ask for treatment to be used immediately to reduce the risk of spreading throughout the setting, as soon as the child has been treated, they may return to the nursery. (Confidentiality is kept at all time

Hepatitis – The Nursery is unable to accept an infectious child until declared fit by a doctor.

Impetigo (and other infectious skin disorders e.g. cold sores) - Highly infectious – your child should not return until all scabs have cleared from the infected area.

Measles – From the onset of the rash we recommend at least 7 days away from Nursery.

Meningitis – The Nursery is unable to accept an infectious child until declared fit by a doctor.

Mumps – A child must not return to Nursery until swelling has gone and temperature is back to normal. Please allow 5 days away from Nursery.

Plantar warts – No exclusion. Should be treated and covered. Poliomyelitis until declared free from infection by the appropriate public health official.

Ringworm – of body seldom necessary to exclude, provided treatment is being given. Ringworm of scalp until cured. Covered where possible.

Scabies – Red, itchy rash in between the fingers. Requires immediate treatment and the child can return after the treatment has-been applied.

Scarlet Fever – A child cannot be accepted until fully recovered and a course of treatment completed. (The bacteria can cause throat and ear infections; pin point rash and the skin becomes dry and flaky)

Slapped Cheek Disease – Because this is harmful to expectant mothers, please do not bring your child to Nursery until fully recovered. They are not contagious when the rash has come out but they must be well in themselves.

Threadworms – No need for exclusion but prompt treatment necessary for the whole family. The Nursery should be informed.

Tonsillitis – Tonsils swell, become red and inflamed and may show white spots. A child cannot be accepted until fully recovered and a course of treatment completed.

Tuberculosis – A child may not come back to Nursery until fully recovered. Please liaise with the local Health Authority.

Typhoid Fever– Children must not return until declared free from infection by the appropriate public health official.

Whooping Cough – A child may not return to Nursery until fully recovered and a course of treatment completed – usually 21 days from onset.

Conjunctivitis – A child may not return to Nursery until 48 hours after starting treatment and as long as the child is well in themselves. If the child is not being treated with medicine, we ask the child remains clear of the nursery until all symptoms have gone.

Should you or any other member of your immediate family have any of the above illnesses, please remember that your child, whilst not necessarily showing any symptoms, may be incubating the illness and therefore infecting other Nursery users and staff.

These times/days are all guidelines and may take longer in each individual case, also even though days may have passed it is dependant on how your child feels and can cope with the nursery environment.

Reporting of notifiable diseases

If a child or adult is diagnosed as suffering from a notifiable disease under the public health (infectious diseases) regulations, the GP will report this to the Health Protection agency. In respect of Covid-19, we as a nursery will notify the local health authority team. Report to Ofsted within 14 days of any cases. Follow Hertfordshire procedure for two or more cases by following step-by-step guide on the risk assessment. Found in the well-being policy book.

When the setting becomes aware, or is informed of the notifiable disease, the Manager will inform OFSTED and act on advice given by the Health Protection Agency.
See Coronavirus Information sheet for further specific guidelines and advice.

Head injuries

If a child receives a significant bump to their head it is our policy to contact the parent/carer immediately, for the child to be taken home or to Casualty if thought necessary. This is so the child can be monitored closely for any side effects or concussion. All injuries are logged in our accident book and signed by parents/carers.

When we advise medical attention to be seen this can include Doctors, but Pharmacists can be seen where appropriate for most common childhood illness’s for advice.