Preschool Toileting, Care, and Intimate Care Policy

Created: September 2021 with regard to Public Health Advice regarding Covid-19

Review 1 and amendments: post Covid alterations 24.3.23 Pauline Mccaul

Review 2 and amendments: 20.6.23 Pauline Mccaul

Review 3 and amendments: new advice on sleeping children 8.2.24 Pauline Mccaul

Review 4 and amendments: change to PPAT 3.2.25 Pauline McCaul

 

Acorns Preschool takes seriously its responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of the children in its care.

Meeting a pupil’s intimate care needs is one aspect of safeguarding. We are committed to ensuring that all staff responsible for the intimate care of children will undertake their duties in a professional manner at all times.

We recognise that there is a need to treat all children with respect when intimate care is given. No child is excluded from participating in our pre-school who may, for any reason, not yet be toilet trained and who may still be wearing nappies or equivalent.

We work with parents towards toilet training, unless there are medical or other developmental reasons why this may not be appropriate at the time. We see toilet training as a self-care skill that children have the opportunity to learn with the full support and non-judgemental concern of adults.

Definition of Intimate Care

Intimate care is any care which involves washing, touching or carrying out an invasive procedure (such as cleaning up after a child has soiled him/herself) to intimate personal areas. In most cases such care will involve procedures to do with personal hygiene, dressing and toileting as part of a staff member’s duty of care.

Our Approach to Best Practice

The child who requires intimate care is treated with respect at all times; the child’s welfare and dignity is of paramount importance.

We aim to keep the child safe and comfortable at all times and this includes the provision of intimate care. The management of children with specific intimate care needs will be carefully planned. Staff who provide specific intimate care will be trained to follow this policy.

The child will be supported to achieve the highest level of autonomy that is possible given their age and abilities. Staff will encourage each child to do as much for him/herself as he/she can.

Individual intimate care plans will be drawn up, where necessary, for particular children as appropriate to suit the circumstances of the child.

Each child’s right to privacy will be respected. Careful consideration will be given to each child’s situation to determine how many carers might need to be present when a child is toileted. Where possible one child will be catered for by one adult unless there is a sound reason for having more adults present. Where there are specific intimate care arrangements, these will be discussed with parents on a regular basis and recorded on the child’s care plan if necessary.

The needs and wishes of children and parents will be taken into account wherever possible within the constraints of staffing and equal opportunities legislation.

Staff are able to support the toilet training procedure.

Staff will do their best to support and encourage the child with becoming independent with their toileting. Parents can be offered advice on current best practise in order to support this process.

When children are still in nappies or pull-ups

They will be changed behind a screened off area where members of staff can be seen but some privacy is also given as they are away from other children. We will always let another member of staff know when we are attending to a child who needs to have their underwear or nappy changed. No voluntary members of staff will be involved in changing children.

All Acorns staff are DBS cleared.

Children are changed on a mat on a specifically constructed changing table. This is disinfected after every use.

We will ask the parents of children who are still in nappies to send them to preschool with their own nappies or pull ups and changing wipes. We ask parents to also supply a change of clothes in case needed.

We will put on gloves before changing starts and the areas are prepared. All our staff are familiar with our hygiene procedures and carry these out when changing nappies.

We are gentle when changing; we avoid pulling faces and making negative comments about ‘nappy contents’. We do not make inappropriate comments about children’s genitals when changing their nappies and will talk to children about what we are doing. In addition, we ensure that nappy changing is relaxed and a time to promote independence in young children.

We encourage children who are not yet managing their own toileting to take an interest in using the toilet; they may just want to sit on it and talk to a friend who is also using the toilet.

The toilet is a bright and friendly environment, we aim to make it a space where children feel comfortable and safe.

We encourage children to wash their hands, and have soap and towels to hand. We do not use anti-bacterial hand wash liquid or soap for young children; young skin is quite delicate and anti-bacterial products kill off certain good bacteria that children need to develop their own natural resistance to infection.

We dispose of all nappies and pull ups hygienically. All nappies are disposed of in a nappy bag and in the specific nappy bin in the toilet area. This is then disposed of in the hazardous waste bin outside at least once each day.

We have a ‘duty of care’ towards children’s personal needs. If children are left in wet or soiled nappies/pull ups in the setting this may constitute neglect [and will be a disciplinary matter].

Application of creams when changing

Staff are able to apply nappy rash creams or medicinal creams with parents signed permission and the cream being provided by parents. This cream will be kept in the child’s bag or in the office.

Application of suncream

We check on arrival whether the children have had suncream applied by their parent. We encourage parents to use high factor, long lasting cream but if a child requires an application at preschool we will do so using their own cream. According to current guidelines, these bottles are stored away from light and heat in the office. Suncream will be applied by an adult, encouraging the child to help if they are able. Parents are issued with guidelines for sun protection and how to choose the best sun cream for their child. Staff will be alert to any child showing signs of overexposure to sun despite precautions being taken as described above. The child will be taken inside.

Acceptance of sleeping children into the setting

In line with new safeguarding protocol, Acorns Preschool will not accept children into the setting who are sleeping. This is to protect not just the child but Preschool staff as we would not be able to assess a child’s wellbeing when left with us. Children must be alert and walk (where appropriate) into preschool.

Returning children sleeping at pick up

In line with new safeguarding protocol Acorns Preschool will wake all children fully before collection and ensure they are alert and can walk to their parents/carers on collection. This is to protect both children and staff so that parents/carers can be assured that children are alert and can move under their own steam when they leave us.

 

The Protection of Children Child Protection procedures will be adhered to. If a member of staff has any concerns about physical changes in a child’s presentation, e.g. marks, bruises, soreness etc, he/she will immediately report concerns to one of our Safeguarding Officers. If a child becomes distressed or unhappy about being cared for by a particular member of staff, the matter will be looked into and outcomes recorded. Parents will be contacted at the earliest opportunity as part of this process in order to reach a resolution. Further advice will be taken from outside agencies if necessary.

All staff will let other members of staff know when they are in the toilet area, whether changing nappies/pull ups, changing children, helping with toileting or supervising toileting.

If a child makes an allegation against a member of staff, all necessary procedures will be followed (see our Safeguarding Policy)

Please refer to Evercreech Primary School and PPAT Safeguarding and SEND Policies.

Signed:                                                              Date: 3.2.25

Pauline McCaul

 

Preschool Lead

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