Isolation

Isolation:     Date- 20.11.10

Purpose: 

The isolation policy is for the protection of all children & teaching staff in the case of a child falling ill while attending the Centre.

Rationale:

We believe when there are occasions of a child falling ill while attending the Centre there needs to be cautionary steps taken to minimise infection of other children & adults in the environment; but there also needs to be steps to ensure the child who is ill feels safe & secure while waiting to go to where s/he will receive medical attention.

Procedures:

  • Children are to be separated, or contagious aspect isolated when there is concern of infection being passed on by contact and or air,
  • Children who are considered to be contagious are to be treated with fairness and respect, and at no time are they to feel unnecessary concern or worry,
  • Parents/guardians/whanau will be contacted as soon as possible informing them of the concern to their child’s health & to the other children. They will be asked to collect their child for their well being and for the safety of others,
  • If at any stage there is evidence the Centre environment is put at risk there will be negotiation as to necessary safety steps to take, this may include advice from outside agencies,
  • In the undue course that the Centre needs to be temporally closed families/whanau will be kept informed of progress concerning the serious nature of the disease and the time duration of closure.

Practices:

  1. Identify the illness: contagious or non-contagious?

If contagious (if in doubt, the illness will be treated as contagious) the following steps will be taken:

    • remove the child from contact with other children,
    • make the child comfortable, and reassure,
    • a staff member will remain in contact with the child,
    • contact the main carer/guardian (or alternative from enrolment form),
    • arrange for the child to be picked up as soon as possible,
    • when the illness is identified the staff &/or management will be responsible for informing other families/whanau
    • contact outside agency (health support) (note- have contact numbers easily available)
    • if in the extreme case where an outside agency informs closure, all  effort will be made to: contact other families requesting their co-operation in picking up their children, oversee the thorough disinfecting of all Centre areas/resources, keep families/whanau informed while closed,

 

 

 

  1. non-contagious:
    • All the above will be followed however the child will be made to feel comfortable within the environment if family/guardian unable to pick up & take home immediately.