Thumper Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Hello I'm just wondering what your thoughts are about diahorrea.....I had a incident last week, actually two. The first one was a boy who had a very runny 'poo' all down legs, watery, through clothing. The mother (who's a dr) informs me I should not send a child home unless 3 bouts! We normally send a child home instantly after diahorrea. Second child - doesn't normally use our toilets for a number 2, however went 3 times in 2 hours, the last time was watery and the ones prior 'soft' the mother was called to collect and reminded of the 48hr rule. However sent her child in 24hrs later with another mother. Said child was sent home. Mother since has argued, contacted the chair, complaining she thinks her child was fine and she had an upset tum due to eating a whole punnet of strawberries that morning! She is fully funded - but does not go over her hours, but this is not stopping her demanding a refund????? The chair is fully supportive of the setting and has told the parent in question she must speak to the anagement and she fully supports our decision. They mother and father are coming in to see us in the morning as they are unhappy. What do you all make of this situation? Finally this is the fourth child they've had through the setting - so they know the rules. They are friend with someone who works in early years and tries to use this against us all the time... Ie when a bank holiday she claims it's her right to have the session 'made up' Help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klc106 Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 I would have done exactly the same as you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pamgreen Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 I would do the same. If they are not happy show them the sick child policy. Point out as I am sure you would have that it is for everyone's benefit. With regard to the child coming in with another person I would have called the parent and asked her to collect her child x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panders Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Would have done the same as you. Even the doctor must abide by your policies, if they don't like your policy they always have the option of going to a different group - however, we hope that they would have a very similar policy, particularly on the 48 hour rule. You shouldn't be able to "refund" a child if their normal day coincides with a Bank Holiday because they are out of the funding cover, exceptionally, the last Diamond Jubilee Day our funding wasn't stopped for that day, but we still closed, so technically, I suppose a parent could have asked for an extra day for a child who couldn't attend nursery because we shut, but that really is rather nit picky. Thank goodness none of my parents are like this, that's all I can say. Check with your Funding Management people at your LA, ask specific questions and put this parent right if they don't care to take your word for it, tell them they can always ring the management people themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Upsy Daisy Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 I agree with Panders. If your policy states that the child should be sent home then that is what should happen regardless of the qualifications of the person arguing. Your policy will have been written with regard to infection control guidelines from the HPA. If she doesn't agree she is free to contact them and offer her opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Yes we send home at the first sickness or diahorrrea episode. We have a very rigid policy on sickness. Its the only way to safeguard staff from coming down with bugs continuously. 48 hours and not a minute less!!! I don't allow children in if they have had calpol. If your child is ill and you have to give them medicine then they should be at home. I always say to parents this is not an adullt that knows how they feel and can get through the day this is a young child! who will possibly have to suffer through the day because medicine has worn off or are walking around feeling sick!! It is not even like a child of school age that can turn to a teacher and say they don't feel well. Alot of the time parents just don't want to stay home with the child. I'm a mum so can understand the pressure when you have a job but we have small children who are being made to turn up to pre-school not feeling well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Just to remind the parent that it is a FREE Entitlement and does not have a monetary value to them!!!! So they can't ask for a refund. I think you will find that it also states that sickness is part of the deal and that you must notify but you can't swop!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 I had problems with a child last week whos mum wanted him to return to my setting 24hrs after a stomach bug. It was just for after school care so he went to school and she had to find someone else to collect him. She does not believe in the 48hr rule. She works in a nursery which doesnt have the 48hr rule in place - unbelievable! This led to her handing me a letter to terminate our contract - totally unreasonable. In 4 weeks he will be collected by a different child minder who, I assume, doesnt have a 48hr illness policy. I know this childminder. She has a child who is recovering from cancer and therefore has a low immune system. Surely if anyone needs a 48hr policy she does! I am that fed up with it all at the moment that I'm seriously considering leaving child care altogether. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Just wanted to add that I also think you must stick to your guns over this. And in my experience being on the second, third, fourth child to the setting doesn't make parents anymore aware - if anything it makes them worse in some cases. Either they forget or they assume that early years settings work like schools who don't always use the 48 hour rule. It used to break my heart to do it to the child, but I would stop children at the door and tell the adult bringing them they couldn't come in. Most were embarrased at being told in front of other parents but for some of them it meant they didn't do it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thumper Posted November 14, 2012 Author Share Posted November 14, 2012 Hello Thank you all for your replies. I had a meeting with mum this morning, where I stuck to my policy...even gave her a copy to take home. She was unhappy but she knows her child loves Pre school and therefore decided that she doesn't agree but will drop the matter! I also gave her the HSA details and said she should call for clarification if need be. Would you beleive 30 mins after our discussion she called to ask a 'favour' could I accommodate her child for some extra sessions! I was interested in the comment re not taking children after they've had calpol.....what does everyone else do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louby loo Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 We do not take if they've had calpol unless for injections or an onging issue. In all fairness not many of our parents are working so not too much of a problem for us - but we do still get the odd parent saying 'well they love it so much here and he really didn't want to miss it today' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Hmmmm - we've had the calpol issue a few times recently........this is where 'Contact Books' are actually not such a good idea - they write it in the book and they are off out the door before I've checked the book - it doesn't go unchallenged though.........I firmly believe that if they have needed calpol then they shouldn't be at pre-school...........mind I also believe that there is far, far too much calpol dosing going on :blink: 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mouseketeer Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 It's quite often the children at some point who will say "mummy gave me medicine" or "I was sick in my bed"....and funny enough no mention of this from parent.... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DebbieW Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 Do your parents sign to say they have read your policies. We add this to our consent form ......many of them don't read them but sign to say they have....(ours are available on the website too). At least you can then show them the 'contract' they have with you because they have put in writing that they agree with your settings policies....usually ends a situation like this. I like Steph am very strict on not accepting poorly children. I don't take children who have had Calpol to get them through...and am very strict at the 48 hour rule. Do you have the Health Protection Agency poster or an advice leaflet you can put on the door/noticeboard. Some parents take Government advice rather that ours............ http://www.hpa.org.uk/webc/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1194947358374 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
narnia Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 48 hour rule here as well for sickness and/or diarrhoea. There's been a lot of it in our area over the last couple of weeks..........we've sent a couple of children home when they have exploded at either end. Of course, one of them phoned in next morning 'as he hasn't been sick since you sent him home.......in fact once we got home, he was fine..............can he come back in this morning??' err...........no. I wish they'd just accept that i'm not going to change my mind and that it's not personal, it's the same rule for everyone, and is designed to try to protect everyone 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lashes2508 Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 ditto narnia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueJ Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 Rigid and inflexible 48 hour exclusion applies at my place - the number of parents who try to wing it is unbelievable with varying excuses e.g., had a lot of strawberries for breakfast, was only sick/had the squits once. Also send them home if they have sickness or squitty episode during a session - most parents come and collect but a select few make it quite quite clear how very put out they are at having to come and collect early - shame for the children as I expect they were rather hoping that someone would want to come and collect them, love them and nurture them and make them feel better! Often have parents who tell us their little one is a bit under the weather but say the magic "Oh but they love here so much that they wanted to come" as if that is somehow going to influence a change of heart (no deal I'm afraid am now in possession of a heart of stone ) - sadly we have to disappoint and suggest that they would be much better off having a duvet day at home rather than in a room and playground with 29 other children. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynned55 Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 yep, another with a 48 hour rule here and we are getting oh so good at enforcing it! Funnily enough my staff and i were discussing the calpol issue just the other day and we have agreed that the next newsletter we send out will have a message along the lines of: "if you have given your child calpol before coming to preschool please do not send them in." Honestly I am so fed up with having to call parents in because their child is sick running a temp.To have the child say- Mummy gave me medicine this morning or worse i was sick in my bed this morning. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thumper Posted November 15, 2012 Author Share Posted November 15, 2012 Do your parents sign to say they have read your policies. We add this to our consent form ......many of them don't read them but sign to say they have....(ours are available on the website too). At least you can then show them the 'contract' they have with you because they have put in writing that they agree with your settings policies....usually ends a situation like this. I like Steph am very strict on not accepting poorly children. I don't take children who have had Calpol to get them through...and am very strict at the 48 hour rule. Do you have the Health Protection Agency poster or an advice leaflet you can put on the door/noticeboard. Some parents take Government advice rather that ours............ http://www.hpa.org.uk/webc/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1194947358374 Fantastic idea - thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 We also have a strict 48hr policy. I must admit I thought that I was the only one with the Calpol policy but I make it very plain to parents that children who need calpol to feel ok to attend should not be brought in regardless. I make no exceptions to this what so ever. Yes it does make some parents secretive in not telling me what they have done but you can soon tell when it wears off some 3-4 hrs later and they go home. I have tried to explain to parents that children have numerous sniffles and colds throughout the year and as long as they haven't got a temperature they are fine to come in, however if they feel that poorly that they have to be given calpol (an over used medicine in my opinion) then they should stay at home. After all we should be protecting the rest of the children at our setting from contracting these nasty viruses and also our staff. Stick to your guns Mickyboots you are right. Wishing you all a virus free Christmas but then that rarely happens does it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts