Sickness Policy

Our policy for the exclusion of ill or infectious children is discussed with parents. It is the nursery policy to encourage and promote good health and hygiene for all the children in our care. This includes monitoring the children for signs and symptoms of communicable diseases such as chicken pox, measles, mumps, rubella, meningitis, hepatitis, diarrhoea, vomiting, and fevers and so on. With the welfare of the sick child in mind and in the interests of the remaining children in the nursery, if in our opinion a child is ill, then the parent/main carer will be contacted and requested to collect him/her as soon as possible.

The staff of the nursery must be convinced that the child has returned to good health before re-admitting him/her. In the case of a serious illness occurring then the parent/carer will be contacted immediately along with the child’s GP and appropriate action taken. In any situation of a parent not being available the senior staff member will assume charge and if necessary take the child along to hospital with all relevant details.

Ofsted is notified of any serious infectious disease, which a qualified medical person considers notifiable.

Exclusion details for illness/communicable disease are contained in the Spotty Book which we will refer to.

Exclusion Procedure for Illness/Communicable Disease

MINIMUM PERIODS OF EXCLUSION FROM NURSERY

Disease/Illness Minimal Exclusion Period

Antibiotics prescribed First 2 days at home unless the child has

had that strain of antibiotic before

Temperature If sent home ill, child must be off for 24 hours

Vomiting If sent home ill, child must be off for 48 hours after last bout of sickness

Conjunctivitis no exclusion period

Diarrhoea 48 hours from the last bout of Diarrhoea

Chickenpox 5-7 days until all of the spots are dried out

Gastroenteritis, food until authorised by District Community
poisoning, salmonellosis Physician
and dysentery

Infective hepatitis 7 days from onset of jaundice

Measles 7 days from appearance of the rash

Meningococcal infection until recovered from the illness

Mumps Until the swelling has subsided and in no case
less than 7 days from onset of illness

Pertussis (whooping cough) 21 days from the onset of paroxysmal cough

Poliomyelitis Until declared free from infection by District
Community Physician

Rubella (German measles) 4 days from appearance of the rash

Scarlet fever and streptococcal until appropriate medical treatment has
infection of the throat been given and in no case for less than 3 days
from the start of treatment

Tuberculosis Until declared free from infection by the District
Community Physician

Typhoid fever until declared free from infection by the District
Community Physician

Impetigo Until the skin is healed

Pediculosis (lice) no exclusion, failure to treat could lead to child protection procedure cause for neglect

Plantar warts No exclusion. Should be treated and covered

Ringworm of scalp until cured

Ringworm of body seldom necessary to exclude provided
treatment is being given

Scabies Need not be excluded once appropriate
treatment has been given

© 2010