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View Full Version : Need help re Scarlatina / Scarlet Fever



SammyM
06-03-2012, 07:50 AM
One of my mindees has been diagnosed with this after spending the night at the docs & hospital. Has anyone had any contact with this re how long they should be away from my setting and how lond they are contagious for?

Going to hit google now but any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks x

auntym
06-03-2012, 07:58 AM
I did two wks ago....if the child picked up the illness when she was attending your setting as it's a notifiable disease you tell ofsted....scarlett fever this is.....I was lucky my mindee had not attended before and during the illness she was on holiday....according to hpa she can return after a couple of days of antibiotics but I personally excluded till rash had gone...five days it took but that was personal decision because I have very young baby in my setting x hth

rickysmiths
06-03-2012, 09:26 AM
http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/skin/scarlet_fever.html


There is some information here.

It is a notifiable disease and the childs doctor will be the one to report it to the local health authorities. Scarlet Fever is much less dangerous these days with the treatment of anti biotics. However there is still a small chance that it can turn into a nasty life threatening condition and this is why it is notifiable.

It is contagious and the health authority will want information about where the child has been and who they have been in contact with so they can see if there is likely to be a local outbreak.

This is why OFSTED need to be informed. I have never been in this situation. I would guess that Ofsted will want to know when the child was in your care. Were they with you during the incubation period? What other children were in your care at that time? Have you informed the other parents? What have you put in place to min spread of infection? They will probably ask to be kept informed about the progress of the sick child and when they return to you.

The child has to be excluded for a min of 24hours after the start of Anti biotic treatment. However my sickness Policy also says that a child returning to me after any sickness must be fit and able to take part in my daily routine if they are not they stay at home until they are.

SammyM
06-03-2012, 09:28 PM
Thanks for your replies ladies, having spent the day on the phone to OFSTED and HPA I can now say I am happily an expert on notifiable diseases!!!

Here's what I've had to send to OFSTED to be put on my file....

Following my recent conversation earlier today regarding a confirmed diagnosis of Scarlatina (Scarlet Fever)

I have now contacted the HPA who have advised me on the following;-

The child can return to my setting 24hrs after starting his antibiotics - Mom is staying at home with him tomorrow, and due to planned holiday he won't be returning to my setting until Mon 19th March
To advise all parents of my minded children of this outbreak, including the signs and symptoms that they should be aware of (fever, generally feeling unwell & most importantly the rash) - I have done this at collection time today, giving the them NHS web page address for their information.
To perform a thorough clean of my toys, surfaces, door handles etc & to dispose of any items that may have been contaminated that I can (ie playdoh) - this has already been carried out by myself today as I had no other children present during school hours.
To emphasise the importance of cleanliness with all children, paying particular attention to regular hand-washing.
As we visited a soft play area yesterday (Monday 5th March) I have informed the duty manager of this outbreak, I was not obliged to do so by HPA but they did say out of courtesy it may be wise to.
We also spent time with another Childminder & her mindees at a local playground yesterday afternoon - again I have informed her of the signs and symptoms that she and the parents should be looking for.
I hope that this information is sufficient for your records, I have copied in my Early Years co-ordinator for her information as well as retaining a copy with my incident log.

Should you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact me