Toileting accident at playgroup , who collects?

[little chickee]

My 3.5 yo mindee sometimes has poop accidents in his pants.
Obviously I clean him up.

I drop off and collect him from playgroup - if he has an accident at playgroup the staff won't clean or change him.
They say their policy is to phone the parent or carer who has to take him home, change him and take him back.

My questions are do you think they are allowed to leave a child in soiled underwear while they wait for him to be collected
and if i am responsible for collecting him do i have to go and clean him up or can i phone his Mum to do it?

[VeggieSausage]

No i would have thought that as a nursery cannot turn a child away and discriminate against a child who wears nappies and may have a health problem for example then I would have thought they are obliged to change nappies and children if required......this sounds terrible and totally wrong, never heard of such a ridiculous thing that a nursery won't change a child, a school will change a child if they have an accident.......

[Pipsqueak]

I'd be giving the nursery a copy of the Equality Act 2010 and a reminder of EVery Child Matters.
They cannot discriminate against a child who wears a nappy - regardless of their policy.
And I would have said to leave a child in soiled clothing for however long it takes for the parent or carer to arrive is against basic human rights.

Nursery need a good old shake and reminder

[JCrakers]

So basically little one has a poop accident and they ring Mum (if you weren't in the scenario) and Mum says she is an hour away xmas shopping or she's at work. She might be delayed coming home from work or might get stuck in traffic.

So little one has to stay in poop for an hour until Mum arrives and collects? Seems a very strange thing to do...poor children at that preschool.

[marnieb]

So basically little one has a poop accident and they ring Mum (if you weren't in the scenario) and Mum says she is an hour away xmas shopping or she's at work. She might be delayed coming home from work or might get stuck in traffic.

So little one has to stay in poop for an hour until Mum arrives and collects? Seems a very strange thing to do...poor children at that preschool.

Couldn't agree more!!! Sounds like an awful policy to have!!! Do the staff not like changing nappies??

Even at dd's pre-school and now school nursery they have spare clothes and they clean and change them!!!!

[little chickee]

Playgroup (or nursery as some call it) take kids from 3 yo.

They will not accept kids in nappies at all - have to be toilet trained.

If they have an accident they say they have been told by thier superiors not clean up kids but to call parents.

[Pixie dust]

They will not accept kids in nappies at all - have to be toilet trained.

If they have an accident they say they have been told by thier superiors not clean up kids but to call parents.


That is so wrong. It sound to me like a safeguarding problem as the children are basically being neglected by not changing them:angry:

[Pipsqueak]

Playgroup (or nursery as some call it) take kids from 3 yo.

They will not accept kids in nappies at all - have to be toilet trained.

If they have an accident they say they have been told by thier superiors not clean up kids but to call parents.

It is illegal for them NOT to accept children in nappies and its illegal for them to state it. Get a copy of the Equality Act
Its neglect to leave a child soiled like that

why are parents still using this facility?

[The Juggler]

it makes me so cross that nurseries still do this :panic: and if you went in, why would you not be able to clean him up there - why does parent/carer have to take them home.

if he's out of nappies generally then I guess pullups are not the answer but its outrageous that staff are not cleanign the children up - does the same apply to sick, they leave the child covered until a carer gets there.

I would as Pip says quote the equality and human rights acts at them - its not on but meantime I would not be trolling down there to change them when I might be out with the other little ones and have to go back. Not fair on others. Either mum leaves him with you NOT playschool so you can clean him up when need (def. the best option in my opinion given their view of things :rolleyes:)

be OR preschool decide they are going to do it,
or mum will have to oblige - you are not responsible for this. Consider would you have taken child on knowing you might have to run back and fore to preschool to change him - no :panic:

[peanuts]

depends on if you are paid for when they are in playgroup, if you are contracted for that time it would be you changing the nappies.
the playgoup are not being inclusive and i would check with the local authority if they can do that.

[Mouse]

depends on if you are paid for when they are in playgroup, if you are contracted for that time it would be you changing the nappies.the playgoup are not being inclusive and i would check with the local authority if they can do that.

I get paid while a child is at playgroup/nursery, but I wouldn't be going in to change nappies. I make it very clear to parents that they pay for the childcare space to be available between set hours. They are not paying me to be responsible for the child during those hours if he's not with me. So, if the nursery was closed for some reason, the space is available for the child to come to me. It doesn't mean I am on call to go running along to nursery if called on.

But as others have said, it shouldn't be an issue. Playgroup should be changing a soiled child.

[little chickee]

I'm in Scotland - do you think that makes a difference to the regulations?

TBH its the playgroup that all my own kids went to - mine were all toilet trained properly before they went so was never an issue.
Apart from this issue they are fab!

Thanks for your advice - i'll be prepared if they call!

[Ripeberry]

Their policy is pants! Don't care what country they are in. You do not leave a child who may be upset in soiled clothes!
Where is their 'duty of care'? It must go against their safeguarding and discrimination policies. :mad:

[*daisychain*]

During my time working in a school nursery where the children were full time at 3 years old, we had to do exactly that. We were not allowed to changed a child who had soiled themselves , I think this practice is disgusting and no child should be left in there soiled pants, one of the many reason I left. Grr.. Makes me so glad I left :o

[wendywu]

If i was collecting a child and changing him i certainly would not be returning him. Once he was home he would stay home :panic:

[mum24]

one of mine goes to play school, they are very good about changing her (she is potty training but regularly has accidents). I have noticed though that when one member of staff in particular is on duty, a lady with years and years of experience, my lo will come away not having been changed at all. I think it is because this lady has the attitude of we never used to and I am not going to now. The other members of staff on different days are great, and one in particular, always notices in time to take lo to the toilet before an accident happens.

[Lilylulu]

That is shocking!!! I can't believe they are so uncaring. Poor little fella. This surely breaches the code of practice they will have signed with their LA for the funding, if not many other safeguarding and inclusion issues are being ignored.
The isssue is not whose job it is to come in and change him, the staff are paid to care for these EYFS children and should be dealing with it as quickly and discreetly as possible. By the time you have got the other children ready and got over to playgroup he may have been in soiled clothing for ages, that is neglect on their part.

[mrs robbie williams]

i seem to remember that this happens at our school nursery - its been a while since i dealt with them - but i remember thinking what if the child's parents work in london - are the school seriously expecting them to get on a train to change their child's clothing and then get on the train and go back to work :eek::eek::eek::eek: it is madness - is it to do with their insurance or something, or staffing numbers?

[Mollymop]

Our preschool doesn't allow children in nappies either - they have to be 3 years old and toilet trained, if they soil themselfs though the staff will clean the child up and change clothes etc. Seems wrong to leave child in soiled clothes - how silly! If this was the case I would expect mum to collect after all you can't be expected to walk to the pre-school on every occasion of child soiling themself, it won't be fair on all the other children in your care or you. x

[mama2three]

Back when I lived in darlington my ds2 was in reception and had a poo accident - school brought his big brother , age 6 , to help him clean himself up! You can imagine the state he came home in.
I agree with the others , PG cannot stipulate this - however if you and mum dont want to address this then she needs to keep him with you instead! Can you access the funding?

[JCrakers]

Back when I lived in darlington my ds2 was in reception and had a poo accident - school brought his big brother , age 6 , to help him clean himself up! You can imagine the state he came home in.
I agree with the others , PG cannot stipulate this - however if you and mum dont want to address this then she needs to keep him with you instead! Can you access the funding?

You are kidding? :eek:

That is shocking, im speechless actually

[nipper]

And the poor child is supposed to do what whilst it is waiting for mum or carer to arrive...this is absolutely ridiculous and disgusting. One of my mums works in an old peoples home, slightly different I know but if one of the residents has an accident however minor, they have been told to phone 999 and not touch them in the slightest, not even to comfort them. What has happened to society?

[JCrakers]

And the poor child is supposed to do what whilst it is waiting for mum or carer to arrive...this is absolutely ridiculous and disgusting. One of my mums works in an old peoples home, slightly different I know but if one of the residents has an accident however minor, they have been told to phone 999 and not touch them in the slightest, not even to comfort them. What has happened to society?

Society is going downhill fast. Health and safety rules are making life so hard :mad:

I get cross when children at school are sent outside in the summer months with no suncream because the staff are 'not allowed' to put it on them. What 4-5yr old can apply cream properly. :mad:
And the reason they give at my school is 'We would have to wash our hands between each child because of allergies and it would take too long'

Ok....so we get a big problem with skin cancer in 15-20yrs time then

[nipper]

Absolutely agree with you there. All I got from my children's school was "Well if you apply their suncream before they come to school", "Oh you mean at 8am when the sun isn't even out?", "Yes that's right, it should last all day". "Hmm, how do you work that out?"
The thought of my five yr old getting suncream in her eyes is too much to bear.

Sorry i digress...apologies for hijacking the original post

[ruby]

we had this last year A had an accident in the school nursery and rachel had to go and bring her home and changed her then take her back . The next time Rachel took clean clothes and changed her in the nursery.

cathy

[ChocolateChip]

First of all I can't believe settings are allowed to get away with this practice in this day and age, absolutely shocking! :eek:
Secondly that is a tricky position for you to be in, whilst I appreciate it's not fair on the parent to have to come out of work to deal with this, it's also not fair on you to be on tenterhooks all the time in case you get a call, especially if you others to care for. It's just not a practical situation is it, I for one would not be happy to be told I have to come back from a walk in the woods or wherever simply to change a child. I'm afraid I would explain to the parent that it's just not practical for me to be 'on call' in that way, that I would be happy keep the child with me and provide care for those hours but I will not be cancelling other plans to go and change him.
Not to mention the bigger issue of what the poor child is supposed to do while waiting for someone to turn up, I would be looking for alternative playgroups.

[scottishlass]

what a mad set up!!

My girls went to a playgroup at 2 1/2 and they didnt have to be toilet trained - the staff there were happy to change nappies and when child starting toilet training they were happy to support the child with this.

They moved to school nursery at 3 and a bit and for this they had to be toilet trained. If any child did have an accident they were always changed and everychild had a spare set of clothes kept at nursery.

At the school although they are older again I have known the odd child to have an accident especially when starting at the age of 5 and they are always cleaned up there too :)

[Twinkles]

I think it's a ridiculous practice. It would be very impractical for any of my parents to be called out of work to do this. Many of them work in London and those that work locally are teachers. So although I would be a bit fed up at having to abandon my plans for the morning I wouldn't expect a teacher to leave her class to go and change a pair of mucky pants !
TBH I would be recommending a change of pre school to a more caring one.

[Tatjana]

No i would have thought that as a nursery cannot turn a child away and discriminate against a child who wears nappies and may have a health problem for example then I would have thought they are obliged to change nappies and children if required......this sounds terrible and totally wrong, never heard of such a ridiculous thing that a nursery won't change a child, a school will change a child if they have an accident.......

Our school won't, they call parent to come and do it. :(

[Tatjana]

i seem to remember that this happens at our school nursery - its been a while since i dealt with them - but i remember thinking what if the child's parents work in london - are the school seriously expecting them to get on a train to change their child's clothing and then get on the train and go back to work :eek::eek::eek::eek: it is madness - is it to do with their insurance or something, or staffing numbers?

This happened to my friends little girl. My friend works in the City of London and had to do an hours journey to change her little one who had had an accident at school (reception) she said her daughter was made to stand the whole time and was very subdued when she arrived. My friend was fuming understandably and put in a complaint to the head, not sure what happened with that though.

[Stella Mc]

I am genuinely shocked. I have worked in and managed nurseries in the 13 years before becoming a childminder and I have not once come across this! Firstly I was always under the impression it was illegal to refuse a child that was in nappies and secondly leaving a child in soiled clothes while they wait for parents to pick them up?! Disgusting and cruel and I am shocked that any parent would send their child to a nursery that had this policy! Difficult position for you I appreciate, I would tell mum that its impractical to expect anyone to rush in to change clothes everytime a child has an accident and perhaps this is something she needs to discuss with the nursery and sorry but I would personally be making a complaint about this nursery, I'm sure they can't get away with that.
Stella

[Velleity]

I went to visit a preschool with my son a couple of years back and just as we went in to look around, he did a massive poo in his nappy. I asked if there was a suitable space where I could change him and was told 'No. You'll have to go outside the grounds of the nursery and then come back. We'll show you the door'. It was raining outside. I walked out of that nursery and kept right on walking. Found it really strange that they wouldn't allow me to even change his nappy in their premises but found out from friends that they have a similar policy whereby they will not accept children in pull-ups and call the parent to collect if they soil. So it's definitely still happening here and there.

[loocyloo]

so what happens if the child has additional needs and is still in nappies? i am aware of children in both nursery and school ( mainstream ) who have additional needs and wear nappies, and another who has frequent accidents. all of these children are cleaned up with not a word. i have found though, that the schools in our area do seem to be a bit more accepting, than schools i have come across in the past!

[mandy moo]

I work in Pre School - we take children from 2 yrs old
We change nappies and pants on occasion, cant see what the problem is to be honest :huh:

[Mummits]

Our school won't, they call parent to come and do it. :(

Mine won't either. I was appalled when my youngest, then in Reception, had quite a serious fall and grazed hands and knees, then wet himself with the shock. They called me, 40 minutes journey away, to say they were unable to deal with "bodily fluids" so would need me to come and take him home for a clean up and put on sticking plasters and a change of clothes, then bring him back. When I got there sense had prevailed to the extent of one of the TAs helped him to get out of his wet and bloodstained clothes and into his PE kit, but he was left sitting on a stool in the corner looking like he was in disgrace and other kids had been teasing him. He had evidently been crying and burst into tears when I arrived so I took him home for the rest of the day. In the circumstances I was happy to take him home, and there would in fact have been little point in taking him back, but was dismayed that he had not been treated more kindly and effectively. But when I complained that the so-called policy was ridiculous, particularly with regard to such little ones, and should they not have had somebody on first aid duty, all they said was well somebody did change him in the end so we didn't actually apply the policy.