Yet More Advice Please

[beth1]

Me again in need of some more advice, at the last minute too.

 

What happened:

 

Right a child who needed a nappy changing right at the end of session has parents where arriving. I was in end of session I couldn't leave the room (non CRB'ed person in with me) so I opened the door and asked a member of staff to change the nappy. This staff member infront of parents said 'no parents are here', I told her to do it, and she walked off. Quite a few parents noticed this. The nappy did get done but when all the parents left (I did it has their key person) about 5 minutes later. but due to the nature of there nappies there bum was sore.

 

 

What should I have done?

 

I couldn't leave the room, the staff member walked off and there was no one else able to do it.

 

 

I have staff meeting tomorrow and I want to metion something in relation to this. Again I have noticed that this child (who is my key child) has been left in solied nappies and has been left for me to do. I really want to nip this in the bud before any other children start and it contiues.

 

 

 

Also in regards to nappy changing and creams in preschool can we still get parental permission to use nappy barrier cream? I cannot find the answer in the EYFS for looking! Knowing me I will find it when I don't need the information.

 

 

 

Thank you for reading this, I didn't mean to make it sooo long.

 

 

I will log on early in the morning to see if there are any answers.

 

 

Beth

[Andreamay]

Hi Beth

I dont understand why only child's key worker is to change child what would happen if you were not present?

If a child needs changing we do it. if the parents were coming if it meant we did not have enough staff to cover the outside and inside and mat we would wait until parents gone and doors locked again but if their was a spare body it would be done as soon as we find/smell it!

I would say nappy cream would be covered under medicines so a written letter to give you permission to use the supplyed cream with childs anme on or in their bag would be ok. When i worked in day nursery we just used the cream in the childs bag.

You need to deal with it at the meeting and poss change your policy of only key workers changing key children. We have a fair rota by mouth but then we all get on very well.

Good luck

andrea

Edited September 8, 2008 by Andreamay

[Guest]

I wonder if staff are clear on wha the keyworker role is, maybe they think that as keyworker you have to do the nappy?

 

A chat about 'teamwork' and what it means to the staff, maybe a 1st thoughts excersise at the staff meeting may enable an opening to use todays experiences as a 'discussion' point.

I would also talk to the member of staff who walked off about 'professional' attitude, and respecting each other, not just in front of parents but all the time. Maybe ask her what she would have done in your position, at that time, then she may start to think about the situation from your perspective.

I agree nip this in the bud asap, but take into account that it was the end of the day, although no excuse, we are all human, her attitude may of been out of character, so deal with appropriately so as not to antagonise feelings.

Communication-discuss with her how she thinks she should hae responded to you over your request.

 

Good luck, let us know how it goes.

 

As for nappy cream, I don't see why it shouldn't be used, with permission, not using it is detrimental to the childs wellbeing.

 

 

Peggy

[beth1]

Thanks Andrea

 

It mainly seems like only one person does not like doing what they are told, other staff are happy to change the child's nappy unless I am around in the room and rostered on.

 

I supect that my actiing deputy or one of my good assitatnts will be doing their nappy on the day I am not going to be there. Bless them they will wonder where I am when I start back at college next week. Its not like there are loads of nappies to do each day.

 

I noticed last acdemic year that there was only one or two people that did nappies all the time. This seems to be happening again! Hence nipping it in the bud. I will give praise to the staff who regular do nappies/toliteing and make sure that all know about the nappies situation.

 

Beth

[Andreamay]

we tend to say right its your turn I did it last time between us.

[Guest]

We do the same as Andreamay.... we have a policy in place plus we ask parents to bring in creams etc they wish to be applied, they confirm this in writing, we then have a napy changing form which we write down that we changed them and applied creams etc, which the parent signs when they pick up.....

 

We all change the children this isn't down to keyworkers, we usually take it in turns, if someone has just changed someone then someone else will do it....

 

Are you her manager, because if you are she should never have said what she said especially in front of the parents, if you ask her to change the child then she should, i think i would take her to one side to discuss it, make sure you listen to her point of view but also get your point of view across as well.

 

Hope this helps... good luck

[beth1]

Now that sounds like a good idea, maybe I should say 'err I did last time, your turn'.

 

It is normally the key person's job to do nappies but with some children's nappies they may get done more that once in a 3 hour period. But when you do it day in day out it soon gets like (not in a bad way) oh great need to change that smelly nappy again. Espeiclaly when its the same staff doing nappies.

[beth1]

Are you her manager, because if you are she should never have said what she said especially in front of the parents, if you ask her to change the child then she should, i think i would take her to one side to discuss it, make sure you listen to her point of view but also get your point of view across as well.

 

 

Yes I am her manager and have quiet a few issues with her, its now getting to be a long list again only a week back at work. I havenl't got a clue how she managed to get a job with us years ago!

 

After all these comments I am going to take her to one side and talk to her, if this carries on she will get a verbal warning, I am not having a staff member not pull their weight in the team.

 

As you can tell, I am trying to be a nonsence manager who will not allow things to get as bad as before I started.

 

 

BEth

[Guest]

quote "As you can tell, I am trying to be a nonsence manager who will not allow things to get as bad as before I started."

 

I am sorry Beth1, I just had to laugh , I think you meant a NO nonsence manager, or did you really mean you 'manage nonsence'

 

Don't know if this is really relevant but I recall discussing with my deputy once that it appeared that there was always one member of staff on the team, at any given time, who everyone seemed to moan about. Once 'the moaned about' person left, then another member of stff 'filled' the gap, or became 'moaned about' even though before she appeared ok.

Maybe in a team situation we always, subconsciously need a person to moan about, to measure ourselves against maybe, and once the label is given...............expectations change and the focus becomes on the negative, rather than positive. In a sense what happens with the adult team is similar to the child in the group who is always the 'difficult' one. if we are really honest, We all have one, don't we?

 

Peggy

[Guest]

In my setting the key person does everything, as far as is possible, for their key child (I thought that this was what the key person approach was all about), nappies, feeding, settling them for sleep, getting them up from sleep, sitting with them at eating time etc. Obviously this doesn't work 100% of the time and when the key person is not available we have a buddy system in place, but we do also apply common sense, as I said it doesn't work 100% of the time but where it can work we ensure that it does.

 

As for the member of staff walking away and speaking to you in an unprofessional manner in front of parents - as others before me have said I would speak to her in private, remind her that you are the manager and even if she doesn't agree with you she shouldn't voice her disagreement in front of anyone never mind parents and that disagreements should be conducted in private. Good luck

[beth1]

quote "As you can tell, I am trying to be a nonsence manager who will not allow things to get as bad as before I started."

 

I am sorry Beth1, I just had to laugh , I think you meant a NO nonsence manager, or did you really mean you 'manage nonsence'

 

Don't know if this is really relevant but I recall discussing with my deputy once that it appeared that there was always one member of staff on the team, at any given time, who everyone seemed to moan about. Once 'the moaned about' person left, then another member of stff 'filled' the gap, or became 'moaned about' even though before she appeared ok.

Maybe in a team situation we always, subconsciously need a person to moan about, to measure ourselves against maybe, and once the label is given...............expectations change and the focus becomes on the negative, rather than positive. In a sense what happens with the adult team is similar to the child in the group who is always the 'difficult' one. if we are really honest, We all have one, don't we?

 

Peggy

 

:lol I didn't even notice that I spelt it wrong. Well it was late at night for me.

 

Your comment is sooo true, I was once on a college placement years ago. A staff member was being 'talked' about with the team, once she left I got the stick end of it. Luckly college noticed this and pulled me out of placement, I think for a few years no one went to that particlar setting again.

 

I am sure that the staff team I have now got will work together once they have 'gelled' as a team, early days and another staff starts next week.

 

 

Beth

[JacquieL]

We have a rota for toileting and changing, so that everyone knows whose turn it is. It is always someone who isn't covering the focus activity. No-one is on for a whole session it is usually half. If for some reason that person cann't change a child, then someone steps in happily. It works very well. I think if everyone knows that rotas are fair and everyone has a turn at everything, it sets a pattern for behaviour and then no-one can moan.

[narnia]

we are a small setting, and don't have rotas for changes.....it's simply down to whoever realises a nappy needs changing! sometimes, I seem to be the one changing them every time, for days on end, and then it''s my deputy..............it really doesn't matter though,the main thing is to get it done, not whose keyworker it is, or whose turn.....we just do them!

[Lou]

Peggy never a true word has been spoken, we all have one of those members of staff.

We take it in turn, not on a rota but just by watching who has been changing the children. We have one member of staff that always smells the soiled nappy and I mean always. I have to sometimes say someone else do this one but if it is noticed they do offer. We don't use the child's key person because we don't feel it is needs to be that person all the time.

[HappyMaz]

or did you really mean you 'manage nonsence'

Have you been reading my job description again, Peggy?

[Guest]

We have one member of staff who is always "just doing this " (whatever 'this' is) whenever a nappy needs changing. So I have just updated the nappy changing and personal care policy to say that it is the child's key carer who changes the nappy but if a particluar child is a regular 'soiler' then staff will take turns and the Manager will decide who's turn it is.

 

Even when we went through this policy on training day last week the reluctant member of staff was still looking to wriggle out of doing it. She's given me all kinds of problems in the past e.g. saying that "Ofsted says we have to change nappies with 2 staff present so if there are not enough staff in the nappy can't be changed". I ended up phoning Ofsted with her there so that I could prove that this was not the case

 

The top and bottom (excuse the pun) of this issue is that, although it's not pleasant, anyone working with young children should know that poo, wee, snot etc come with the territory and if they don't want to deal with it then perhaps working with young children is not the right job for them.

[Guest]

Getting really 'nasty' now, I personally find 'poo' difficult to deal with, I wouldn't call it a phobia but close to it, makes me 'gag'. However, I can handle 'vomit', my staff were happy with this so we 'shared' these jobs accordingly.

 

I would do soiled nappies but would have to hold my breath................................ok, I know tooooo much information now.

 

Sweet dreams everyone.

 

 

Peggy