Personal Care Policy

[Guest]

Is anyone else currently in the process of drawing up a Personal Care Policy or has come across a good example of one for reception? Any help or advice much appreciated.

[Guest]

Sorry, I can't help...I just wanted to say welcome to the forum

[Guest]

Sorry I'm not much help either but just wanted to welcome you to the forum!

[hali]

hello and welcome - sorry i cant help you either

[Guest]

We are pre-school but this is our Personal and Intimate Care policy if it is any help. I know our LA is hot on this at the moment (they have to be good at something!) and I do rate the adviser (external) who helped them devise the guidelines on which this is based. HTH

 

Personal and Intimate Care Policy

Statement of intent

The pre-school believes that the intimate care of children cannot be separated from other aspects of their learning and development. We do not discriminate against children who have not reached a stage where they can manage their own personal hygiene and as such welcome all children to participate in the pre-school, and provide appropriate support for each on an individual basis.

 

Aim

To safeguard the rights and promote the welfare of children and young people.

To provide guidance and reassurance to staff whose contracts include intimate

care.

To assure parents and carers that staff are knowledgeable about personal care

and that their individual concerns are taken into account.

To remove barriers to learning and participation, protect from discrimination, and

ensure inclusion for all children and young people as pupils and students

 

‘Intimate Care’ can be defined as care tasks of an intimate nature, associated with bodily functions, bodily products and personal hygiene, which demand direct or indirect contact with, or exposure of, the sexual parts of the body. Help may also be required with changing colostomy or ileostomy bags, managing catheters, stomas or other appliances. In some cases, it may be necessary to administer rectal medication on an emergency basis.

 

‘Personal Care’ generally carries more positive perceptions than intimate care. Although it may often involve touching another person, the nature of this touching is more socially acceptable, as it is less intimate and usually has the function of helping with personal presentation and hence is regarded as social functioning. These tasks do not invade conventional personal, private or social space to the same extent as intimate care and are certainly more valued as they can lead to positive social outcomes for people.

 

Children and young people may require help with eating, drinking, washing,

dressing and toileting.

 

Method

We work with parents and children to establish a preferred procedure for supporting the children in our care with their personal and intimate care. Where these procedures may require specialist training we seek out training for the staff who will be involved in a child’s care, ensuring that the child’s keyperson and at least one other member of staff accesses this training.

 

Where possible the child’s keyperson is responsible for undertaking the care of an individual child. When this is not possible a staff member who is known to the child will take on that responsibility.

 

Children are always asked by the member of staff caring for them, for permission to assist them, and children who want to perform their own care are encouraged to do so with adult support when appropriate.

 

Children will be cared for with dignity and respect for their privacy. Either of the toilet areas can be used, as can the store cupboard, depending on the level of privacy and space required in the individual case.

 

See also: Confidentiality Policy

Equality and Diversity Policy

Health and Safety Policy

Hygiene Policy

Parental Involvement Policy

Safeguarding Children Policy

Special Educational Needs (SEN) Policy