Health & Hygiene - Policy and Practice

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

• All meals and snacks provided will be nutritious and pay due attention to children's particular dietary requirements.

• 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.

• Children will have the opportunity to play outside throughout the year by regular outings to parks or other community playspaces).

• 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 any child who 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 attack.

• If the children of pre-school staff are unwell, the children will not accompany their parents/carers to work in the pre-school.

• Cuts or 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 Ofsted before people other than parents agree to administer medicines.
  • 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 in a lockable cupboard.
  • 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; parent’s signature.

• 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 pre-school's insurance company. If specialist knowledge is required, staff involved in administering medication will receive training from 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.

Information sources

Parents will have the opportunity to discuss health issues with pre-school staff and will have access to information available to the pre-school.

• The pre-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 and before handling food

• Children with pierced ears not allowed to share each other's earrings.

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

• Individual towels available, or 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.

• 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 available in case of accidents, and polythene bags available in which to wrap soiled garments.

• All surfaces cleaned daily with an appropriate cleaner  

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

In particular, each adult 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 infectious/contagious illness or skin trouble.

• Never smoke in the kitchen or in any room storing food.

• 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.  

This policy was adopted at the Blakesley Pre-School Playgroup Annual General Meeting on 30th June 2003