At Busy Brains we will deal promptly and effectively with any illnesses or injuries that occur while children are in our care. We take all practical steps to keep staff and children safe from communicable diseases. All parents or carers must complete the Medical Form when their child joins the Club, requesting permission for emergency medical treatment for their child in the event of a serious accident or illness.

We will record any accidents or illnesses, together with any treatment given, on an Incident Record or Accident Record sheet as appropriate, which the parent or carer will be asked to sign when they collect the child.

Busy Brains cannot accept children who are ill. If any children are ill when they first arrive at a session we will immediately notify their parents or carers to come and collect them. Any children who have been ill should not return to the a session until they have fully recovered, or until after the minimum exclusion period has expired.

First Aid

Busy Brains designated First Aiders are Paula Treadaway and Dawn Wildman.  The designated First Aider has a current first aid certificate and has attended a 12 hour paediatric first aid course. The location of the first aid box and a list of qualified first aiders are clearly displayed in the company folder.  The designated First Aider regularly checks the contents of the first aid box to ensure that they are up to date, appropriate for children and comply with the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981.

Procedure for a minor injury or illness

The first aider at the session will decide upon the appropriate action to take if a child becomes ill or suffers a minor injury.  If a child becomes ill during a session, the parent or carer will be asked to collect the child as soon as possible. The child will be kept comfortable and will be closely supervised while awaiting collection.  If a child complains of illness which does not impair their overall wellbeing, the child will be monitored for the rest of the session and the parent or carer will be notified when the child is collected.

If a child suffers a minor injury, first aid will be administered and the child will be monitored for the remainder of the session. If necessary, the child’s parent will be asked to collect the child as soon as possible.

Procedure for a major injury or serious illness

In the event of a child becoming seriously ill or suffering a major injury, the first aider at the session will decide whether the child needs to go straight to hospital or whether it is safe to wait for their parent or carer to arrive.  If the child needs to go straight to hospital, we will call an ambulance and a member of staff will go to the hospital with the child. The staff member will take the child’s Medical Form with them and will consent to any necessary treatment (as approved by the parents on the Medical Form).  We will contact the child’s parents or carers with all urgency, and if they are unavailable we will call the other emergency contacts that we have on file for the child.

After a major incident the manager and staff will review the events and consider whether any changes need to be made to the Club’s policies or procedures.  We will notify Ofsted and child protection agencies in the event of any serious accident or injury to a child in our care as soon as reasonably possible and within 14 days at the latest.  We will notify HSE under RIDDOR in the case of a death or major injury on the premises (eg broken limb, amputation, dislocation, etc – see the HSE website for a full list of reportable injuries).

Communicable diseases and conditions

If an infectious or communicable disease is detected during a Busy Brains session, we will inform parents and carers as soon as possible. If there is an outbreak of a notifiable disease at a session, we will inform the local health protection unit, HSE under RIDDOR (if appropriate), and Ofsted.

Useful contacts

Health Protection Unit: Hertfordshire County Council 0300 123 4040

Ofsted: 0300 123 1231

RIDDOR Incident Contact Unit: 0845 300 99 23

Written in accordance with the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (2012): Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements: Accident or injury [3.48-3.49] and Food and drink [3.47].