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Changing tables


gillpen
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Hi. We are a Committee run setting within a primary school and the school are saying that we should have walk up changing unit for changing our children (after a walk around school health and safety check was done). There is no room for one in the toilet area of our room (we currently change on a mat on the floor which all staff are happy to do) so it would have to be put in a disabled toilet that is in another part of the school, leaving ratio issues in the room. The health and safety issue raised was for staff and their backs while changing children. We don't take children under two and a half so there is not an ongoing stream of children needing to be changed and we feel this would be an unnecessary inconvenience. What do others do?

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we also considered this as an option and decided against it.....I was much more concerned that children might fall off the unit or struggle to get up and down and we would have to help them, meaning the strain on our back would be worse. To be fair we rarely use the changing mat as children are often changed standing up as we are toilet training and they have had a go on the loo. Ofsted were fine with this situation as long as parents knew what we did and how we did it...which they do. The issue with ratios and children being taken away from the setting is very valid and I would have thought would over-ride the changing unit issue. I would write a risk assessment and put that in place...presumably as it your setting I can't see that they can insist....it would be your insurance if there was a problem. DO you have H and S training ? and safer lifting and handling in place?

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We have a changing mat on the floor, like you no room for a table and to be honest we do not have babies so would feel it was unnecessary. I would fight against this, schools sometimes just do not understand our ratios and needs.

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Thank you both! You have echoed my thoughts exactly. We too do a lot of changing standing up and encouraging the toilet. I already had a risk assessment in place but I think I will add to that, putting in the possible risks of using a changing table as opposed to the floor. :1b

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we don't have a changing table either -mat on the floor for us too - not enough space for unit and also easier to have child laid on the floor/stood up as they are changed rather than lifting onto/helping child onto unit.

Always think that at least if I need to stretch and get extra wipes,new clothing etc the child is not going to fall anywhere.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi, to echo all the other replies - we have a changing mat on the floor. We take children from 2yrs, so quite a few nappies at time (only 2 at the moment though!) We are a committee-run pack-away pre-school in a Village Hall so I doubt we would be allowed a changing anyway... :huh:!

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