"The safety and wellbeing
of the children and staff
is our number one priority"
Andy Morris, CEO and Managing Director
of the children and staff
is our number one priority"
Andy Morris, CEO and Managing Director
FAQ's
Where are the authorisation forms for emergency medication?
In order to obtain your written consent you will receive a consent form from the nursery for you to sign and return to the Nursery Manager.
Can you administer medication without written consent?
No we can not administer any medications without prior written consent, this would be a breach of not only the Asquith policy but also of the statutory requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.
Will you be issuing guidelines as to what you would call 'Emergency Use'?
Emergency Calpol would be used if a child develops an unexpected high temperature and the parent did not sign in any fever relief that morning.
Emergency Piriton would be used if a child develops an unexpected, previously undiagnosed allergic reaction.
What is the emergency procedure for Calpol?
Your child will be monitored and their temperature will be taken every 10 minutes. A member of staff, ideally your child's key person, will attempt to cool them down by providing a cool drink of water, removing all of their clothing except for their undergarments and sponge bathing them with a tepid flannel. If after 20 minutes of monitoring your child has maintained a constant temperature of 38°C and you did not sign in any fever relief in the morning the Nursery Manager, or in their absence the Assistant Manager will call you. They will ask if you have administered any fever relief that day. If you have not administered any or if 4 hours have passed since the last dose they will ask your verbal consent to administer Calpol. They will also ask you to come and collect your child.
If we are not able to contact a child's parents and the child has been in the nursery for four hours or more that day then the Manager/Assistant Manager can administer an emergency dose.
After the emergency dose has been administered they will continue to monitor your child and record their temperature every 10 minutes.
If your child's temperature rises above these thresholds at any stage
How do you take a temperature?
Temperatures are taken using a digital thermometer and by taking the average of three readings. When a child has recently woken from sleep they may be hotter than usual and therefore official temperature monitoring does not start until your child has been awake for 15 minutes.
What is the emergency procedure for Piriton?
If your child suffers a previously undiagnosed allergic reaction the Manager, or in their absence the Assistant Manager will call you. If your child is over 12 months old they will ask whether you have administered any Piriton in the preceding 24 hours, if you have not they will ask for your verbal consent to administer emergency Piriton. They will also ask you to collect your child. If your child shows signs of anaphylaxis at any stage an ambulance will be called.
How will you make sure that all staff are aware of when a child is administered emergency medication so a secondary dose is not given in error?
It is only the Nursery Manager who is able to authorise the administration of emergency Calpol, or in their absence the Assistant Manager. Once an emergency dose has been given the child will continue to be monitored until they are collected by their parents.
Why have you chosen the sugar free variety of Calpol. Would there be a choice on which type of Calpol can be administered?
We chose Piriton and sugar free Calpol following consultation with the NHS. There will be no choice on the brands/varieties of these.
The policy says that non-prescribed eye drops can be administered. Is this a change or has this been policy all along?
This is a change to the policy. Our policy now allows for the administration of non-prescribed eye drops.
Do you have exclusion periods when children take medication?
Yes we do.
If you are signing in pain/fever relief medication the use of this is restricted to two days. After two days your child will be excluded from nursery and you will be asked to consult a doctor.
Children on antibiotics (excluding eye drops) are not able to come into nursery for 24 hours after they commence taking the antibiotics or until they have taken the first full dose, e.g. if they need to take medication three times daily they will need to have taken the full daily dose (three administrations) before they are able to come back to nursery.
If you would like to see the list of exclusion periods for illnesses please see Appendix 7 of the Medicine Policy
Where can I read about this in more detail?
The full Medicine & Sickness policy is available for you to read. Follow this link >
In order to obtain your written consent you will receive a consent form from the nursery for you to sign and return to the Nursery Manager.
Can you administer medication without written consent?
No we can not administer any medications without prior written consent, this would be a breach of not only the Asquith policy but also of the statutory requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.
Will you be issuing guidelines as to what you would call 'Emergency Use'?
Emergency Calpol would be used if a child develops an unexpected high temperature and the parent did not sign in any fever relief that morning.
Emergency Piriton would be used if a child develops an unexpected, previously undiagnosed allergic reaction.
What is the emergency procedure for Calpol?
Your child will be monitored and their temperature will be taken every 10 minutes. A member of staff, ideally your child's key person, will attempt to cool them down by providing a cool drink of water, removing all of their clothing except for their undergarments and sponge bathing them with a tepid flannel. If after 20 minutes of monitoring your child has maintained a constant temperature of 38°C and you did not sign in any fever relief in the morning the Nursery Manager, or in their absence the Assistant Manager will call you. They will ask if you have administered any fever relief that day. If you have not administered any or if 4 hours have passed since the last dose they will ask your verbal consent to administer Calpol. They will also ask you to come and collect your child.
If we are not able to contact a child's parents and the child has been in the nursery for four hours or more that day then the Manager/Assistant Manager can administer an emergency dose.
After the emergency dose has been administered they will continue to monitor your child and record their temperature every 10 minutes.
If your child's temperature rises above these thresholds at any stage
- 3-6 month old baby 39°C
- Baby/child over 6 months old: 40°C
How do you take a temperature?
Temperatures are taken using a digital thermometer and by taking the average of three readings. When a child has recently woken from sleep they may be hotter than usual and therefore official temperature monitoring does not start until your child has been awake for 15 minutes.
What is the emergency procedure for Piriton?
If your child suffers a previously undiagnosed allergic reaction the Manager, or in their absence the Assistant Manager will call you. If your child is over 12 months old they will ask whether you have administered any Piriton in the preceding 24 hours, if you have not they will ask for your verbal consent to administer emergency Piriton. They will also ask you to collect your child. If your child shows signs of anaphylaxis at any stage an ambulance will be called.
How will you make sure that all staff are aware of when a child is administered emergency medication so a secondary dose is not given in error?
It is only the Nursery Manager who is able to authorise the administration of emergency Calpol, or in their absence the Assistant Manager. Once an emergency dose has been given the child will continue to be monitored until they are collected by their parents.
Why have you chosen the sugar free variety of Calpol. Would there be a choice on which type of Calpol can be administered?
We chose Piriton and sugar free Calpol following consultation with the NHS. There will be no choice on the brands/varieties of these.
The policy says that non-prescribed eye drops can be administered. Is this a change or has this been policy all along?
This is a change to the policy. Our policy now allows for the administration of non-prescribed eye drops.
Do you have exclusion periods when children take medication?
Yes we do.
If you are signing in pain/fever relief medication the use of this is restricted to two days. After two days your child will be excluded from nursery and you will be asked to consult a doctor.
Children on antibiotics (excluding eye drops) are not able to come into nursery for 24 hours after they commence taking the antibiotics or until they have taken the first full dose, e.g. if they need to take medication three times daily they will need to have taken the full daily dose (three administrations) before they are able to come back to nursery.
If you would like to see the list of exclusion periods for illnesses please see Appendix 7 of the Medicine Policy
Where can I read about this in more detail?
The full Medicine & Sickness policy is available for you to read. Follow this link >
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