Guest Posted November 8, 2012 Posted November 8, 2012 Hi all I am a child minder who looks after a child after school. He had been very sick with a bug and had been off school for the day and didnt attend my setting. I reminded mum of the 48hr rule and said I would not be able to look after him the following day either. Mum is very unhappy about this as he returned to school but she had to make other arrangements for him to be collected from there. I understand that it looks odd that school allow him back in but I wont, but still think I am right to protect the other children in my care as well as my own family. She also doesnt think she should pay as it was me who wouldnt let him attend! I am collecting him from school tonight and know that there are going to be problems with mum when she arrives. I go out of my way to accommodate parents needs and work around 55hrs per week not including paperwork. When my daughter was ill about a year ago, I collected her child from school and took him to her work to minimise any disruption for her. I feel that whatever I do for the parents isnt enough. Sorry to have ranted on a bit. Just feeling a bit tired and sorry for myself today.
Rea Posted November 8, 2012 Posted November 8, 2012 I think you were quite right. If the boot was on the other foot and her child was open to infection from another child maybe she'd see the sense of it. Good luck this afternoon :1b
zigzag Posted November 8, 2012 Posted November 8, 2012 You are quite right not to have had him within the 48 hour period. I am really sick of parents expecting us to look after sick or recovering children, seems to have cropped up quite a lot with us recently despite clear information!!! I always remind parents that if myself and my staff get the bug at the same time then we would have to close, this usually sinks in!! Hope it goes well with the mother, good luck and stick to your guns.
sunnyday Posted November 8, 2012 Posted November 8, 2012 Agree with Rea and zigzag - nothing to add except good luck :1b
Panders Posted November 8, 2012 Posted November 8, 2012 Well you are in the right - school may not know he has been off with sickness bug, they may just not have checked or stood up to her, or had the opportunity to!! If she needs to have a rant about it, let her - then just remind her of all the reasons why it has to be 48 hours and will always be until best practice guidelines change. 48 hours is a long time, don't think parents realise how long when they sign up to our policies!
Conker Posted November 8, 2012 Posted November 8, 2012 I agree too, stick to your guns! What would happen if you got sick? she would have to find alternative childcare and also be responsible for the 5 other children you look after....... :blink:
HoneyPancakes Posted November 8, 2012 Posted November 8, 2012 What was school doing taking back after 24 hours?!!
sunnyday Posted November 8, 2012 Posted November 8, 2012 (edited) What was school doing taking back after 24 hours?!! I've got a niggling idea that it is 24 hours for schools ......... although definitely 48 for pre-schools.........I could be completely wrong here :blink: Hmmm - a check on the HPA site tells me that it is 48 for schools too...... Edited November 8, 2012 by sunnyday 1
Guest Posted November 8, 2012 Posted November 8, 2012 I am going to speak to school tomorrow to see where they stand on this. Mum was very sheepish when collecting her child today and couldnt leave quick enough. I texted her earlier to say that I had checked with the HPA and NCMA and reminded her how accommodating I had been previously. Thanks for all your help and support. I think I knew I was in the right but sometimes you need a bit of reassurance and support of others xxx
Guest Posted November 8, 2012 Posted November 8, 2012 I know of many schools where the 24 hour rule isn't applied, never mind 48 hours! It drives me mad as both a practitioner and a parent.
Madmum Posted November 8, 2012 Posted November 8, 2012 Our school rule is 24 hours despite having the HPA poster up saying 48 hours, but as the nursery attached to the school we insist on 48 hours. I personally think it should be 48 across the board.
Beau Posted November 9, 2012 Posted November 9, 2012 It's good infection control and you are quite right to adhere to it. If only more people did then there would be a lot less sickness in general <_<
mps09 Posted November 9, 2012 Posted November 9, 2012 I've got a niggling idea that it is 24 hours for schools ......... although definitely 48 for pre-schools.........I could be completely wrong here :blink: Hmmm - a check on the HPA site tells me that it is 48 for schools too...... Although no-one tells you when it changes!!! We are expected to consult our crystal balls..... I raised this with my daughter's school and they realised that they quoted 24 but SHOULD have been 48 and subsequently changed their policy.. For information.... I read somewhere that Nora virus takes 48 hours to fully manifest itself - that's why the 48 hour rule.... sick one day may be the start of Noravirus - even if the child is fine the next day, there is the risk they are still incubating the virus (or similar).... That's what I quote and no-one has complained!!! YET!!!!
mps09 Posted November 9, 2012 Posted November 9, 2012 Although no-one tells you when it changes!!! We are expected to consult our crystal balls..... I raised this with my daughter's school and they realised that they quoted 24 but SHOULD have been 48 and subsequently changed their policy.. For information.... I read somewhere that Nora virus takes 48 hours to fully manifest itself - that's why the 48 hour rule.... sick one day may be the start of Noravirus - even if the child is fine the next day, there is the risk they are still incubating the virus (or similar).... That's what I quote and no-one has complained!!! YET!!!! Oh - it's also important to apply the same rule to staff!! Now that has caused problems when the staff want to come back to work the morning after!
Guest SamG Posted November 9, 2012 Posted November 9, 2012 My son was ill the week before half term and I rang school and said he would be back 48 hours after his last bout of sickness. Today I have had a newsletter stating: SICKNESS PROCEDURES Can we please remind parents that if your child has been sick or had diarrhoea, either at home or at school, you should keep them away from school for at least 24 hours after the last episode of sickness or diarrhoea . Whilst we appreciate your children may seem well before this time limit we would ask you to adhere to this rule which is in place to minimise the spread of any virus. My mind boggles sometimes!! :huh:
Froglet Posted November 10, 2012 Posted November 10, 2012 My mind boggles quite frequently. I once had a child who was sick in school. When we rang home to let parents know we were asked if we wanted them to collect him and take him home! 1
sunnyday Posted November 10, 2012 Posted November 10, 2012 My mind boggles quite frequently. I once had a child who was sick in school. When we rang home to let parents know we were asked if we wanted them to collect him and take him home! I can beat that Helen I rang a parent once to come and collect a sick child and she said "well, I'm really not available" :blink: WHAT.......
Rea Posted November 10, 2012 Posted November 10, 2012 We rang a parent who's child had slipped off the bottom of the slide and was holding her shoulder, she said she was busy so could it wait until another parent could collect her. Mom finally took her child to casualty 7 hours later to find she had a bent collar bone! She later sued us and won £2000 for her daughter to collect on her 21st birthday :huh:
Cait Posted November 10, 2012 Posted November 10, 2012 Goodness me Rea, how on earth did they win that case??!!! We rang a childminder once to collect a child who was poorly (she was listed as first contact) and she refused to come, saying 'it's not the day he comes to me, it's your turn today' Mum was at work and had apparently arranged with the childminder that she would cover these eventualities. Gran had to get a lift from a neighbour and come 12 miles for him in the end
Rea Posted November 10, 2012 Posted November 10, 2012 No idea Cait, I can still see the child putting her coat on with no tears or obvious discomfort. I always maintain she did something later in the day that aggregated the bump from the slide. The mother was on our committee but went straight to social services and the insurance company. The first we knew was when the insurance man arrived a few days later!
Panders Posted November 11, 2012 Posted November 11, 2012 No idea Cait, I can still see the child putting her coat on with no tears or obvious discomfort. I always maintain she did something later in the day that aggregated the bump from the slide. The mother was on our committee but went straight to social services and the insurance company. The first we knew was when the insurance man arrived a few days later! Sounds very opportunist doesn't it. Mum on the committee, fully aware of the liability insurance, and in a sense she can get money from the policy without costing the group anything. Not sure that it would occur to any of my parents that quickly that there might be a possibility of suing my group if a child was hurt.
sunnyday Posted November 11, 2012 Posted November 11, 2012 No idea Cait, I can still see the child putting her coat on with no tears or obvious discomfort. I always maintain she did something later in the day that aggregated the bump from the slide. The mother was on our committee but went straight to social services and the insurance company. The first we knew was when the insurance man arrived a few days later! Oh that makes me? Sad,mad?
Guest Posted November 11, 2012 Posted November 11, 2012 It is 48 hours at my little boys school. The school may not realise he has been sick perhaps - she sounds the type not to tell the truth....
Guest Posted November 20, 2012 Posted November 20, 2012 schools are worrying about their attendance figures and many have unofficially reduced it to 24 hours to cover those that aren't really ill, but those that are meanwhile can come back and spread it around!
Guest MaryEMac Posted November 21, 2012 Posted November 21, 2012 Our playgroup closed for three days this week as 7 out of the 9 staff went down with winter vomiting virus on Saturday. We were closed Monday because no staff available due to the 48 hour rule. Tuesday and today we were closed because after taking advice from HPA, we bleached cleaned everything and what we couldn't bleach we steam cleaned like the blinds and the carpet. Every pice of duplo, stickle bricks, cars pegs and boards, cleversticks absolutley everything. Cleaning wasn't a problem it was getting them dry again that took so long. Anyway we are back tomorrow with a sparkling clean and sanitised playgroup and with a bottle of hand sanitiser for parents and children to use before they set foot in the playgroup. Oh and woe betide any parent whose child pipes up at snack time with ' I was sick in my bed, last night' !!!!!!!!!!!!!
sunnyday Posted November 21, 2012 Posted November 21, 2012 Hope you have a super day tomorrow - you certainly deserve it! :1b
Rea Posted November 21, 2012 Posted November 21, 2012 Our playgroup closed for three days this week as 7 out of the 9 staff went down with winter vomiting virus on Saturday. We were closed Monday because no staff available due to the 48 hour rule. Tuesday and today we were closed because after taking advice from HPA, we bleached cleaned everything and what we couldn't bleach we steam cleaned like the blinds and the carpet. Every pice of duplo, stickle bricks, cars pegs and boards, cleversticks absolutley everything. Cleaning wasn't a problem it was getting them dry again that took so long. Anyway we are back tomorrow with a sparkling clean and sanitised playgroup and with a bottle of hand sanitiser for parents and children to use before they set foot in the playgroup. Oh and woe betide any parent whose child pipes up at snack time with ' I was sick in my bed, last night' !!!!!!!!!!!!! Isnt that the worst???? Glad you're all better :1b
Guest MaryEMac Posted November 21, 2012 Posted November 21, 2012 Thank you Rea and Sunnyday. The problem is that we have not had time to rest and get properly better. (and I can still smell bleach) lol Mary
Beau Posted November 21, 2012 Posted November 21, 2012 At least it'll just be a couple of days and then hopefully the weekend to recuperate a bit more. :1b
DebbieW Posted November 25, 2012 Posted November 25, 2012 Goodness me Rea, how on earth did they win that case??!!! We rang a childminder once to collect a child who was poorly (she was listed as first contact) and she refused to come, saying 'it's not the day he comes to me, it's your turn today' Mum was at work and had apparently arranged with the childminder that she would cover these eventualities. Gran had to get a lift from a neighbour and come 12 miles for him in the end We had a child who was very distressed and was holding her left ear...we phoned the parent who had just been served lunch in a restaurant and she would get to us as quickly as she could......1 and a half hours later...she arrived. The child arrived back the next day with antibiotic. The child had had a visit from the out of hours doctor in the night...... obviously Mum needed to catch up on her sleep!!!!!!!!. We however also have a 48 rule regarding antibiotics so she was refused entry and the child went home to rest and recuperate., with a Mum who looked as though she was going to burst into tears because she wasn't going to have her nap......I get so mad...very difficult to deal with this kind of thing with a smile. this is neglect though surely and sometimes wonder whether to call social services?
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