Written in accordance with the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (2024):
Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements: Health
Medicines
3.53 Providers must have and implement a policy, and procedures, for administering medicines to children. It must include systems for obtaining information about a child’s needs for medicines, and for keeping this information up to date. Staff must have training if the administration of medicine requires medical or technical knowledge. Prescription medicines must not be administered unless they have been prescribed for a child by a doctor, dentist, nurse, or pharmacist (medicines containing aspirin should only be given if prescribed by a doctor).
3.54 Medicine (both prescription and non-prescription) must only be administered to a child where written permission for that particular medicine has been obtained from the child’s parent and/or carer. Providers must keep a written record each time a medicine is administered to a child, and inform the child’s parents and/or carers on the same day the medicine has been taken, or as soon as reasonably practicable.
If a child attending Little Squirrels requires prescriptionmedication of any kind, their parent or carer must complete a Medicine consent form in advance. Staff at the Nursery will not administer any medication without such prior written consent.
Ideally children should take their medication before arriving at the Nursery. If this is not possible, specific times and dosage should be provided on consent form & signed. All medication must be labelled with the child’s name.
Little Squirrels can only administer medication that has been prescribed by a doctor, dentist, nurse or pharmacist. However, if a medicine contains aspirin we can only administer it if it has been prescribed by a doctor. All medication provided must have the prescription sticker attached which includes the child’s name, the date, the type of medicine and the dosage.
A staff member will be responsible for administering medication and another should witness the administration. The designated person will record receipt of the medication on a Medication Log, and will and will ensure that it is stored securely during the session.
Before any medication is given, the designated person will:
• Check that the Nursery has received written consent
• Ask another member of staff to witness that the correct dosage is given.
When the medication has been administered, the designated person must:
• Record all relevant details on the Record of Medication Given form
• Ask the child’s parent or carer to sign the form to acknowledge that the medication has been given.
If a child refuses to take their medication, staff will not force them to do so. The manager and the child’s parent or carer will be notified, and the incident recorded on the Record of Medication Given.
Certain medications require specialist training before use, eg Epi Pens. If a child requires such medication the manager will arrange appropriate training as soon as possible. It may be necessary to absent the child until such training has been undertaken. Where specialist training is required, only appropriately trained staff may administer the medication.
A child’s parent or carer must complete a new Permission to Administer Medication form if there are any changes to a child’s medication (including change of dosage or frequency).
If a child suffers from a long term medical condition the Nursery will ask the child's parents to provide a medical care plan from their doctor, to clarify exactly what the symptoms and treatment are so that the Nursery has a clear statement of the child's medical requirements.
Under new EYFS guidelines Little Squirrels cannot administer medication which is not prescribed by a doctor, nurse, dentist or pharmacist, however we as a setting realise that children occasionally need pain relief for teething or hay fever. Non-prescribed medication such as Paracetamol, ibuprofen, teething granules, Bonjela is something that Little Squirrels will only administer with daily consent stating times to be administered. Little Squirrels will not administer any medication without this consent. Little Squirrels will only administer this medication for 3 consecutive days. Medication must not be stored in a child’s bag without a daily consent form being signed.
Little Squirrels will administer emergency medication, consent for this is given prior to the child starting nursery as part of their registration form. Emergency medication includes paracetamol if a child’s temperature reaches 38 degrees. Little Squirrels will also administer Piriton in the event of an allergic reaction. Little Squirrels staff will use the age guideline on the bottle to administer correct dosage. Once emergency medication has been administered a parent/carer will be contacted to collect the child.
Storage of medication
Little Squirrels are unable to permanently store any medication on the premises, medication is brought in with the child and goes home with the child at the end of the day. All medication is stored in a locked medication cabinet in the child’s room, for medication that requires storage in the refrigerator this will be kept in a locked fridge in the staff room.
Children who have long term medical conditions and who may require ongoing medication
A health care plan for the child is drawn up with the parent outlining the key person’s role, and what information must be shared with other staff who care for the child. The health care plan should include the measures to be taken in an emergency. The health care plan is reviewed every six months or more if necessary. This includes reviewing the medication, e.g. changes to the medication or the dosage, any side effects noted etc. Parents receive a copy of the health care plan and each contributor, including the parent, signs it.
Data Protection
All medication consent/illness and healthcare plan forms will be stored in a locked filing cabinet in a locked office only accessible by the owner Joanne Smith, manager Kylie Jones and deputy manager Lina Baker. These records will be stored on nursery premises until the child leaves Little Squirrels, they will then be scanned and stored on a secure electronic database, the original paper copies will then be destroyed, Joanne Smith will keep these electronic documents for 21 years.
This policy was adopted by: Kylie Jones
Date: May 2016
This policy was renewed July 2017, May 2018, July 2019, July 2020, January 2022, September 2024.
By Kylie Jones.