Questions

Please explain your setting's policies and procedures of setting to deal with children/young
people’s illness. How to recognise when children/young people are ill, including when they
cannot communicate, eg. fever, rashes, headache, crying and breathlessness

Recognition of symptoms How to deal with School Policy and Proceedures

symptoms
Chicken pox – patches of itchy Treat with calomine lotion to Inform parents of symtoms immediately and ask
red spots with white centres. relieve itching. them to collect their child to prevent infection to
other children. Advise parents to keep their child at
home for five days from onset of rash.
German measles (rubella) – Treat by resting. Inform parents of symtoms immediately and ask
pink rash on head, trunk and them to collect their child to prevent infection to
limbs; slight fever, sore throat. other children. Keep infected child away from
pregnant women. Advise parents to keep their child
at home for five days from onset of rash.
Impetigo – small red pimples on Treat with antibiotic cream or Inform parents of symtoms immediately and ask
the skin, which break down and medicine. Antibiotic treatment them to collect their child to prevent infection to
weep. may speed up healing. Wash other children. Advise parents to keep their child at
hands well after touching the home until lesions are crusted and healed.
child’s skin.
Ringworm – contagious fungal Treat with anti-fungal ointment; Inform parents of symtoms and advise them to seek
infection of the skin. Shows as it may require antibiotics. treatment from a doctor.
circular flaky patches.
Diarrhoea and vomiting – Advise parents that they must Inform parents of symtoms immediately and ask
child has runny stools and is also keep giving the child clear fluids them to collect their child to prevent infection to
sick and dehydrated. but no milk. other children. Advise parents to keep their child at
home for 24 hours after the diarrhoea and vomiting
has settled.
Conjunctivitis – inflammation Advise parents to wash with Inform parents of symtoms and immediately and ask
or irritation of the membranes warm water on cotton wool them to collect their child to prevent infection to
lining the eyelids swab, and wash hands other children. Advise them to seek treatment from
thoroughly afterwards as it is a doctor who may prescribe eye drops.
highly contagious.
Measles – fever, runny eyes, Advise parents to give the child Inform parents of symtoms and immediately and ask
sore throat, cough; red rash, rest, plenty of fluids and them to collect their child to prevent infection to
which often starts from the head, paracetamol for fever. other children. Advise them to seek treatment from
spreading downwards. a doctor.
Meningitis – fever, headache, It is treated with antibiotics. Inform parents of symtoms and immediately and ask
stiff neck and blotch skin; them to collect their child as symptoms may develop
dislike of light. very quickly and prompt medical attention will be
needed. Advise parents that there could be severe
complications and., at worse,
be fatal. Any child suspected of meningitis should
be taken to the hospital.
Tonsillitis – inflammation of It is treated with antibiotics and Inform parents of symtoms and immediately and ask
thetonsils by infection. Very sore rest. them to collect their child to prevent infection to
throat,fever, earache, possible other children. Advise them to seek treatment from
ear infection, enlarged red a doctor.
tonsils,which may have white
spots.
Common Cold - sneezing, A child with a common cold Inform parents of symtoms and advise to monitor
partial deafness, sore throat, should rest, have plenty of fluids and treat symptoms as colds are highly infectious.
headache, runny nose and a and encouraged to blow their
temperature. nose.
Scarlet fever - fever, loss of A child with scarlet fever should Inform parents of symtoms and immediately and ask
appetite, sore throat and a rest, drink plenty of fluids. them to collect their child to prevent infection to
pinpoint rash over the face and other children. Advise parents to observe the child
body. for any further complications.

Rubella - cold, sore throat and A child with rubella will need to Inform parents of symtoms and immediately and ask
swollen glands behind the ears. rest. them to collect their child to prevent infection to
other children. Advise parents to observe the child
for any further complications.

Anaphylactic shock-child The child may have difficulty This is a severe allergic reaction and can be due to
possibly has difficulty breathing, breathing, may have a rash, may the eating of a particular food, eg nuts, or caused by
possibly has a rash, possible be panicking, may be insect stings. It could cause narrowing of air
panicking, possible vomiting, unconscious passages and can be fatal. Sit the child up and find
possible unconsciousness out if they have any medication. Seek emergency
help. If they lose consciousness, open the airway and
start resuscitation.
General signs that children are ‘off colour’ may include:
• pale skin • flushed cheeks • rashes • different behaviour to normal (quiet, clingy,
irritable, tearful) • rings around the eyes.

If a child complains of feeling unwell during the day, staff make a number of
suggestions to them before sending them them home. There may be a number of
reasons why, for example, a child has a stomach ache. They may be hungry, thirsty, or
may need to go to the toilet. They may be feeling anxious about something and be in
need of a little reassurance. If all these possibilities are exhausted and the child still
feels poorly, then they are taken to a first aider. If necessary, the child is given a sick
bowl in case they feel that they might vomit. If the child does not feel any better
within ten minutes, then the first aider agrees with the child's teacher that they
should be sent home. A member of staff will go down to the school office where a
member of the administration staff will look up the child's details on the school
database. The parents/carers are then contacted and asked to come and pick up their
child. A member of staff will gather together all of the child's belongings, eg, coat,
book bag, lunchbox, whilst the child waits in the office for their parent/carer to
arrive.

Sometimes it is easy to tell that a child is not feeling well, or they may come to you
complaining of a headache or stomach ache. Sometimes are parent/carer will indicate,
when dropping their child off in the morning, that they felt unwell the previous evening
and to keep an eye on them. At all times it pays to be vigilant and keep an eye on
children for uncharacteristic behaviour, eg, a usually cheerful child looking tearful and
red faced. It would be worth, in this instance, taking the child out of the classroom
situation to have a one to one to try to find out the problem, and report this back to
the class teacher in an appropriate way and at a suitable time. Outside the staff room
there is a list of every child with an allergy or particular condition eg asthma. Every
first aider within the school is aware of this and is trained to deal with each situation
as it arises.