medicines policy

[beckyteddy]

I'm just reviewing my policies folder and wondered if anyone can clarify the exact procedure for administering non-prescription meds ie. calpol?


The section below is taken from the medicines policy on the Bromley Childminding Association web-site:


I am happy to give your child non-prescribed medication, such as cough mixture, Calpol or nurofen, teething gel etc, but only if you have signed a parental permission form for me to do so.

This permission form will be regularly reviewed to ensure that there are no changes, for example a child may no longer be able to take some medication or may need an additional form.

Even though you may have signed a form, I will still contact you by telephone to check that I can administer this medication. This is to protect your child, you and myself. It is vital that you inform me of any medication you may have given your child before they arrive into my care. I need to know what medicine they have had, the dose and time given.

I will ensure that all medication given to me will be stored correctly and I will check that it is still within its expiry date,

Is this the standard, acceptable procedure that Ofsted are OK with?

So, in practice I will have a seperate bottle of calpol for each child, labelled with their name and stored safely at my home. I would then have a permissions form to say that I have parental permission to give said calpol if I deam it necessary, but that I will phone/make contact with the parent before I give the medicine on a particular day. Parent then signs medicine book at collection time.

Hope someone is able to either clarify this for me, or set me on the right path if I've totally misunderstood!:huh:

[sarah707]

No you don't have Calpol and other medication on standby in case a child needs it - unless it's something like an inhaler which has a different set of rules.

Parents bring non prescribed medication on the day if they feel their child might need it but is still well enough to come to you.

You write out a form on the day and parents sign to say you can give it and when it was last given (in case of overdose).

If the child needs it during the day at the time parents advised in the morning, you give it and sign to say it is given.

Parents then re-sign to confirm later.

In an emergency you contact parents to ask about giving medication OR to come and get their child if the child's condition has taken a sudden turn for the worse.

You cannot be responsible for overdosing / making the decision to give medication without parents saying ok.

It is all explained in here -

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/factsheet-childcare-giving-medication-children-registered-childcare

Hth :D

[beckyteddy]

Thanks for your reply Sarah.

I've had a look a the document you have linked to and picked out the quote below:


If you already have written permission to give a particular over-the-counter medication to a child, and you need to, you do not have to get written permission every time you give it. However, you may consider it good practice to ask the parent to sign the written record, which you must complete, to confirm that you have told them that you gave the agreed medication. This will allow you to prove you have let parents know that you gave the medication, as shown in the Statutory Framework.

This would seem to sugest that you should get written permission in advance to give particular over-the-counter meds and then 'give it' when you 'need to'. This might not necessarily be on the same day?

Very confusing!

I see exactly what you are saying but say for example a child has shown no signs of feeling unwell at drop of time in the morning, and then starts to go a little downhill after lunch....the parent will not have left any calpol or specific permission to give it on that day, but the child might have a slight headache or temp and would feel much more comfortable with an appropriate dose of meds. Also the child would probably be fine to stay and play if they had some calpol but would maybe need to go home if left to suffer?

I'm not trying to be difficult, just trying to think it all through! Thanks again for your input, Sarah.