Specific Toileting Tilme

[titchy]

Does anyone do group toileting as in you have a specific time for when you take children to the toilet. At say 10:30 - 11:00. Our children cannot access the toilets themselves because we are in a shared community centre and they are on the other side of the building. Staff therefore have to escort them. We have an extra member of staff to take on this role although staff take it in turns during the session so that they are not on continuously doing this. Although we seem to be in the toilet all of the time and get very little else done. I know Ofsted probably don't like group toileting at a specific time especially with what it stipukates in the EYFS and I'm not keen on it either. However I see very little other options for us.

[Inge]

even with a time where you take the whole group I do not think you will eliminate the need to go at various times during the session, and when we did it for going outdoors ( unable to freeflow, and had to lock up to go out, so lots of issues ) we still found several children asking to go once we were outside...

 

i have worked in a setting where if one child asked the whole group were asked if anyone else needed to go, so groups of children went... this did help with reducing the number of times we went out..

 

dont think there is an easy answer to this one...

 

Inge

[lynned55]

We're in much the same situation as you are- staff have to accompany to the toilet and yes it can be a right pain sometimes, as it can end up with someone in there nearly all session- even when you yell out does any one want the toilet- no one does until of course you come back with your lone child and then ........ off you go again. But in all honesty with the age we have I just see it as part of the job and wouldn't have it any other way. A group toilet time- apart from the practical issues, just wouldn't work for the reasons Inge says. How could you make someone go who doesn't want to? Or say no because it's not toilet time. We do a group proper hand wash for lunch and this takes at least 3 adults and a good 10 minutes for 25 children. I really wouldn't want to do this with the toilet.

[lynned55]

We're in much the same situation as you are- staff have to accompany to the toilet and yes it can be a right pain sometimes, as it can end up with someone in there nearly all session- even when you yell out does any one want the toilet- no one does until of course you come back with your lone child and then ........ off you go again. But in all honesty with the age we have I just see it as part of the job and wouldn't have it any other way. A group toilet time- apart from the practical issues, just wouldn't work for the reasons Inge says. How could you make someone go who doesn't want to? Or say no because it's not toilet time. We do a group proper hand wash for lunch and this takes at least 3 adults and a good 10 minutes for 25 children. I really wouldn't want to do this with the toilet.

[Guest]

Same here! We have a daily "toilet person". We are given extra staff member each day to do the toilets so all staff are rotaed in to do a day each! Mind you there are 17 staff. We then have it rota for that half term. Of course sometimes you have to have 2 staff go to the toilets but with 40 children, nappies to change as well what can you expect. You just have to get it into your mind that that is all you are doing for the session!!