Illness and Medication Policy and Procedure
Children who are sick should not attend Wakitu out-of-School Clubs until it is safe to do so. We will follow the guidelines set down by the Department of Health.
At Wakitu Out-of-School Clubs we promise to deal with illness promptly and efficiently. We take all practical steps to keep staff and children safe from communicable diseases. All parents/carers must complete the Wakitu registration from with medical information when their child joins the Club, requesting permission for emergency medical treatment for their child in the event of a serious accident or illness. We will record any accidents or illnesses, together with any treatment given, on an Incident Record or Accident Record sheet as appropriate, which the parent/carer will be asked to sign when they collect their child.
In the event a child becomes ill during a session:
If a child becomes ill during a session, the parent/carer will be asked to collect the child as soon as possible.
The child will be kept comfortable and will be closely supervised while awaiting collection.
If a child complains of illness which does not impair their overall wellbeing, the child will be monitored for the rest of the session and the parent or carer will be notified when the child is collected.
If a child suffers a minor injury, first aid will be administered, and the child will be monitored for the remainder of the session.
If we deem necessary, the child’s parent/carers will be asked to collect the child as soon as possible.
Procedure for a major injury or serious illness in the event of a child becoming seriously ill or suffering a major injury, the first aider at the session will decide whether the child needs to go straight to hospital or whether it is safe to wait for their parent or carer to arrive.
If the child needs to go straight to hospital, we will call an ambulance and a member of staff will go to the hospital with the child.
The staff member will take the child’s medical information with them and will consent to any necessary treatment (as approved by the parents on the child’s Administration form).
We will contact the child’s parents/carers with all urgency, and if they are unavailable, we will call the other emergency contacts that we have on file for the child.
Communicable diseases and conditions If a case of head lice is found at the Club, the child’s parents/carers will be discreetly informed when they collect the child. Other parents will be warned to check their own children for head lice, but care will be taken not to identify the child affected. If an infectious or communicable disease is detected on the Club’s premises, we will inform parents and carers as soon as possible. If there is an incident of food poisoning affecting two or more children looked after at the Club the Manager will inform Ofsted as soon as possible and within 14 days at the latest. If there is an outbreak of a notifiable disease at the Club, we will inform the Health and safety executive under RIDDOR in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974), (if appropriate), and Ofsted.
The designated First Aider has a current paediatric first aid certificate. We aim to have all club staff trained in Paediatric first aid in the event of any medical incident. The location of the first aid box and a list of qualified first aiders are clearly displayed at the Club. The designated First Aider regularly checks the contents of the first aid box to ensure that they are up to date, appropriate for children and comply with the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981
We do however recognise that on occasion, children may need to receive medication while attending the club.
To ensure the safe and appropriate administration of medicine in accordance with legislative requirements (Children’s Services Regulations 1998) the following procedure is in place.
· Any medicine will not be accepted without a complete written and signed record form filled out by the parent.
Each item of medication must be delivered to Wakitu out-of-Schools Club in a secure, labelled container as originally dispensed by a Doctor, Nurse or Dental practioner. Each item must be clearly labelled with the following information.
Child’s name
Name of medication
Dosage
Frequency of administration
Date of dispensing
Storage requirements
Expiry date
Parental signature
Each medication will require an ‘Administration of Medication’ form to be fully completed by parent/carer, signed, and dated.
Items in unlabelled containers will not be accepted.
All medicines are stored securely away from children in a locked cupboard.
Staff will not make changes to dosage on parental instructions, unless accompanied by written doctors’ instructions.
Two members of staff should be present while medicine is being administered.
The medication record is immediately updated and signed by both members of staff when medicine is administered.
Refusal of medicine by the child is recorded and parents/carers are informed.
It is the responsibility of the parent to notify staff in writing if the child’s need for medicine has ceased.
Staff will not dispose of medicine but return it to the parent/carers.
Where necessary, training in specialist techniques for administering medication is provided for named staff by a qualified health professional and is specific to the needs of the child.
The arrangements for the administration of medicines comply with the terms of any insurance cover.