Infection Control Policy

At Winston’s Place Day Nursery, we promote the good health of all children attending (including oral health) through maintaining high hygiene standards to help reduce the chances of infection being spread. Effective infection control is a key part of safeguarding children, protecting staff wellbeing and meeting EYFS welfare requirements.

We follow the health protection in schools and other childcare facilities guidance which sets out when and how long children need to be excluded from settings, when treatment and/or medication is required and where to get further advice from. We also take advice from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), local health protection teams and other relevant authorities where required.

Viruses and infections can be easily passed from person to person by breathing in air containing the virus, which is produced when an infected person talks, coughs or sneezes. It can also spread through hand and face contact after touching a person or surface contaminated with viruses. Young children are particularly vulnerable due to close contact, developing immune systems and frequent hand-to-mouth behaviours, making robust infection control essential in early years settings.

We follow the guidance below to prevent a virus or infection from spreading around the nursery.

Our staff:
• Encourage all children to use tissues when coughing and sneezing to catch germs
• Ensure all tissues are disposed of in a hygienic way and all children and staff wash their hands once the tissue is disposed of
• Develop children’s understanding of the above and the need for good hygiene procedures in helping them to stay healthy
• Wear the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when changing nappies, toileting children and dealing with any other bodily fluids. Staff are requested to dispose of these in the appropriate manner and wash hands immediately
• Clean and sterilise all potties and changing mats before and after each use
• Clean toilets at least daily and check them throughout the day
• Remind children to wash their hands before eating, after visiting the toilet, playing outside or being in contact with any animal and explain the reasons for this
• Clean all toys, equipment and resources on a regular basis by following a comprehensive cleaning rota and using antibacterial cleanser, or through washing in the washing machine
• Wash or clean all equipment used by babies and toddlers as and when needed, including when the children have placed it in their mouth
• Store dummies in individual hygienic dummy boxes labelled with the child’s name to prevent cross-contamination with other children
• Immediately clean and sterilise (where necessary) any dummy or bottle that falls on the floor or is picked up by another child
• Provide individual bedding for children that is not used by any other child and wash this at least once a week
• Follow the Sickness and illness policy when children are ill to prevent the spread of any infection in the nursery. Staff are also requested to stay at home if they are ill and/or are contagious.
• Stay at home if they are ill, contagious or experiencing symptoms of an infectious illness, in line with public health guidance.

All infection control procedures are carried out in accordance with COSHH requirements and safe working practices.

In addition:
• The nursery manager retains the right of refusal of all children, parents, carers, staff and visitors who are deemed contagious and may impact on the welfare of the rest of the nursery
• Decisions to exclude will be proportionate, guided by public health advice and applied consistently
• Parents will be made aware of the need for these procedures in order for them to follow these guidelines whilst in the nursery
• Parents are required to inform the nursery if their child has a confirmed or suspected infectious illness

Cleaning and outbreak control
• Periodically each room in the nursery will be deep cleaned including carpets and soft furnishings to ensure the spread of infection is limited. This will be implemented earlier if the need arises
• In the event of an infection outbreak the nursery will, where appropriate, undertake a deep clean to ensure the spread of infection is contained
• Outbreaks of notifiable diseases will be managed in line with UKHSA guidance and reported where required

Pandemic and national outbreak response

We will follow Government health guidance, and where appropriate seek advice from our insurers and relevant authorities, during any national outbreak of a virus or pandemic.

Parents will be kept informed of any actions taken by the nursery. Each situation will be risk assessed individually, recognising that guidance may change depending on the nature of the illness and public health advice at the time.

Where contagious outbreaks occur, we will adopt Government guidance for visitors to minimise the risk of further transmission.

Resources

The nursery ensures that adequate stocks of tissue, soap, handwashing equipment, cleaning materials are maintained at all times.

Stock levels are monitored regularly and increased during winter months or periods of heightened infection risk, such as flu season.