If a child becomes ill while at the Early Years, staff will make every effort to make them comfortable, staff will contact parents in order to arrange for the child to be collected. It may be considered necessary to ask for written permission to administer medicine (infant paracetamol) in the case of a high temperature.

If parents cannot be contacted, the Head/Deputy Head will make the decision whether to administer medicine for a high temperature or as pain relief while waiting for parent/s to arrive.

We are unable to administer Ibuprofen to children unless this is prescribed by the GP.

We request that children who are unwell or with high temperatures do not attend the Early Years until they are completely well and do not require medicine to control their temperature or pain.

If a child is prescribed antibiotics, we request that the child does not attend Early Years for the first 48 hours in order for the medicine to take effect and only then (in all cases of illness) if they are well enough to cope with the early year’s day and are not experiencing any pain.

Medicines can only be accepted for children with ongoing non-infectious ailments or where a course of medicine is being completed, e.g. antibiotics. Medication must be prescribed by a GP and labelled with the pharmacy details, the child’s name and date it was dispensed. For safe administration of medicines these instructions must be in English and in their original container.

If a child has symptoms of vomiting and or diarrhoea, parents will be asked to collect their child and they must keep them and home to recover for at least 48 hours after the last episode and when they are eating drinking and passing normal stools this is to help reduce and eliminate the spread of infection to other children and staff.

It is imperative that parents/carers notify staff if they have administered medicine or if they suspect their child is unwell.

 If it is the case that the parent has administered medicine for high temperature or pain in the morning then the child should not attend the Early Years until they are completely well.

Written permission from parents is required before administering any medicine. Staff will keep medicines in a refrigerator or cupboard well away from the children.

Every time medicine is administered, staff will enter onto a medicine form, the amount administered as well as the time and date given.

 A senior staff member must be present at the administering of the medicine and will sign the form and have it countersigned by another member of staff, who will have checked the details.

Staff will always check in the child’s file and parents written instructions to check when the next dose is due, how much to administer and whether or not the child may have any allergies.     

Long term health conditions will require a Health care Plan which will be drawn up by the key person and parents.

 If you would like to read the policy in full please click on Administering medicines and care of sick children (Word)