healthandhygiene

Health and Hygiene

Our pre-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.

Outdoor Play

Children will have the opportunity to play outside throughout the year(either in the pre-school’s own play area or on regular outings to parks or the community play-spaces).

Illness

Parents are asked to keep their children at home if they have any infection, and to inform the pre-school as to the nature of the infection. This will allow the pre-school to alert other parents as necessary and to make careful observations of a child that seems unwell.

Parents are asked not to bring into the pre-school any child who has been vomiting or had diarrhoea until at least 24 hours has elapsed since the last bout.

Any parent or sibling that is unwell are asked not to accompany pre-school children onto the premises.

Cuts and open sores, whether on adults or children, will be covered with sticking plaster or other dressing.

If the 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 stored in the original container and clearly labelled with child’s name, dosage and any instructions. Where local regulations require it, guidance will be sought from social services before people other than parents agree to administer medicines.
Written information will be obtained from the parent, giving clear instructions about he dosage, administration of the medication and permission for a member of staff to follow the instructions.
All medications will be kept in a lockable filing cabinet.
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 and parent’s signature.

With the 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 school’s insurance company (in the case of pre-schools insured with Royal & Sun Alliance, this will be through the Insurance section at Pre-School Learning Alliance National centre). If a specialist knowledge is required, staff involved in administering medication will receive training form a qualified health professional.

The pre-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.

There will always be on the premises at least one qualified First Aider trained to administer first aid to children.

Hygiene

To prevent the spread of all infection, adults in the group will ensure that the following practices are observed:

Personal Hygiene

Hands washed after using the toilet and before handling food.

Children with pierced ears not allowed to share each others earrings (studs only)

Children encouraged to blow and wipe their noses when necessary and to dispose of soiled tissues hygienically.

Individual paper towels used and disposed of appropriately.

Hygiene rules related to bodily fluids followed with particular care and all staff and volunteers 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.

Rubber gloves always 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. Fabrics contaminated with body fluids thoroughly washed in hot water.

Spare laundered pants and other clothing are available in case of accidents, and polythene bags available in which to wrap soiled garments. However, it is preferable for the child to have their own spare clothing.

All surfaces cleaned daily with appropriate cleaner.

Food

The pre-school will observe current legislation regarding food hygiene, registration and training.

In particular, each adult/child will:

Always wash hands under running water before handling food and after using the toilet

Not be involved with the preparation of food if suffering from any infections/contagious illness or skin trouble.

Never cough or sneeze over food.

Use different cleaning cloths for kitchen and toilet areas.

Prepare raw and cooked food in separate areas.

Keep food covered and either refrigerated or piping hot.

The safety of young children is of paramount importance. In order to ensure the safety of both children and adults, the pre-school will ensure safety in the following areas:

Environment

Safety checks on premises, both outdoors and indoors will be made every day/session.

Outdoor Space will be securely fenced.

Public space for outdoor play will be checked for litter and other dangers.

Equipment will be checked regularly and dangerous items repaired/discarded.

The layout and space ratios will allow children and adults to move safely and freely between activities.

There will be adequate systems and equipment in place for the detection and control of fire.

Fire doors will never be obstructed and fire exits will easily be identifiable.

A record will be kept of any checks by the Fire Safety Officer and also of fire drills and servicing of fire safety equipment. Any recommendations by the fire safety Officer will be carried out.

Fires/heaters/electric points/wires and leads will be adequately guarded.

All dangerous materials, including medicines and cleaning materials, will be stored out of reach of children.

Large equipment will be erected with care and checked regularly.

Equipment offered to children will be developmentally appropriate, recognising that materials suitable for an older child may pose a risk to younger/less mature children.

Supervision

All children will be supervised by adults at all times and will always be within sight of an adult.

Children will leave the group only with authorised adults.

Children will not have unsupervised access to kitchens, cookers or any cupboards storing hazardous materials including matches.

On outings, there will be sufficient adults to maintain appropriate ratios and a full first aid kit will be taken. Permission Forms will be prepared an carried by the co-ordinator or other senior person in charge of the outing.

If a small group goes out, there will be sufficient adults to maintain appropriate ratios for staff and children remaining on the premises.

Lower half of kitchen door will be shut at all times.

Adult Safety

All adults in the group, both staff and visitors, will be aware of and respect the group’s safety policies.

Adults in the group will have access to advice on safe lifting.

If adults need to reach up for stored equipment, they will be provided with something safe to stand on. Heavy materials will not be stored above head height.

Adults will not be required to be in the building alone, or to leave alone in the dark.

Management

A book will be available at each session for the reporting of accidents/incidents.

Regular safety monitoring will include checking of the accident record book as a basis for risk assessment.

All adults, including parents and other carers will be made aware of the system(s) in operation for children’s arrivals and departures and an adult will be at the door during these periods.

Adults will not walk about with hot drinks or place hot drinks within the reach of children.

Fire drills will be held at least once a term.

A register of both adults and children will be completed as people arrive and leave so that a complete record of all those present is available in an emergency.

There will be no smoking in rooms used by children

A correctly stocked first aid box will be available at all times.

Fire extinguishers will be checked annually.

Special Considerations

Some areas and activities pose particular hazards. All staff will be aware of these:

Children playing with or near water will be continuously supervised.

There will be safe surfaces beneath and around all climbing equipment and such activities will be appropriately supervised.

All cooking activities are completed without children being in the kitchen area.

In shared premises, stored equipment belonging to other organisations will be checked for potential hazards.

Access to dangerous areas such as stairways will be physically restricted and closely supervised.

Systems will be in place to ensure that children are not at risk from swinging doors.

Systems will be in place to ensure that no child can leave the premises unattended.