INCIDENT, INJURY, TRAUMA & ILLNESS POLICY

The health and safety of all staff, children, families and visitors to our Service is of the utmost importance. We aim to reduce the likelihood of incidents, illness, accidents and trauma through implementing comprehensive risk management, effective hygiene practices and the ongoing professional development of all staff to respond quickly and effectively to any incident or accident.

We acknowledge that in early education and care services,illness and disease can spread easily from one child to another, even when implementing the recommended hygiene and infection control practices. Our Service aims to minimise illnesses by adhering to all recommended guidelines from relevant government authorities regarding the prevention of infectious diseases and adhere to exclusion periods recommended by public health units.

When groups of children play together and are in new surroundings accidents and illnesses may occur. Our Service is committed to effectively manage our physical environment to allow children to experience challenging situations whilst preventing serious injuries.

NATIONAL QUALITY STANDARD (NQS)

QUALITY AREA 2: CHILDREN’S HEALTH AND SAFETY
2.1.2	Health practices and procedures	Effective illness and injury management and hygiene practices are promoted and implemented.
2.2	Safety	Each child is protected.
2.2.1	Supervision	At all times, reasonable precautions and adequate supervision ensure children are protected from harm and hazard.
2.2.2	Incident and emergency management	Plans to effectively manage incidents and emergencies are developed in consultation with relevant authorities, practiced and implemented.
2.2.3	Child Protection	Management, educators and staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities to identify and respond to every child at risk of abuse or neglect.

EDUCATION AND CARE SERVICES NATIONAL LAW AND REGULATIONS
Sec.165	Offence to inadequately supervise children
Sec. 174(2)(a)	Prescribed information to be notified to Regulatory Authority
Sec.176(2)(a)	Time to notify certain information to Regulatory Authority
86	Notification to parents of incident, injury, trauma and illness
87	Incident, injury, trauma and illness record
88	Infectious diseases
89	First aid kits
93	Administration of medication
95	Procedure for administration of medication
97	Emergency and evacuation procedures
103	Premises, furniture and equipment to be safe, clean and in good repair
104	Fencing
117	Glass
161	Authorisations to be kept in enrolment record
162	Health information to be kept in enrolment record
168	Education and care Service must have policies and procedures
170	Policies and procedures to be followed
171	Policies and procedures to be kept available
177	Prescribed enrolment and other documents to be kept by approved provider
183	Storage of records and other documents

RELATED POLICIES

Administration of First Aid Policy Administration of Medication Policy Adventurous (Risky) Play Policy Anaphylaxis Management Policy Asthma Management Policy Child Safe Environment Policy Dealing withInfectious Disease Policy Delivery of children to, and collection from ECE Premises Policy Diabetes Management Policy Enrolment Policy Epilepsy Policy

Family Communication Policy Handwashing Policy Health and Safety Policy Immunisation Policy Medical Conditions Policy Privacy and Confidentiality Policy Record Keeping and Retention Policy Road Safety Policy Safe Transportation Policy Sick Children Policy Work Health and Safety Policy

PURPOSE

Educators have a duty of care to respond to and manage illnesses, accidents, incidents, and trauma that may occur at the Service to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children, educators and visitors. This policy will guide educators to manage illness and prevent injury and the spread of infectious diseases and provide guidance of the required action to be taken in the event of an incident, injury, trauma or illness occurring when a child is educated and cared for.

SCOPE

This policy applies to children, families, educators, staff, the Approved Provider, nominated supervisor, management, and visitors of the Service.

IMPLEMENTATION

Under the Education and Care Services National Regulations, an approved provider must ensure that policies and procedures are in place for incident, injury, trauma and illness and take reasonable steps to ensure policies and procedures are followed. (ACECQA, 2021). In the event of an incident, injury, trauma or illness all staff will implement the guidelines set out in this policy to adhere to National Law and Regulations and inform the regulatory authority as required.

Our Service implements risk management planning to identify any possible risks and hazards to our learning environment and practices. Where possible, we have eliminated or minimised these risks as is reasonably practicable.

We are committed to minimise the spread of infectious diseases such as coronavirus (COVID-19) by implementing recommendations provided by the Australian Government- Department of Healthand Safe Work Australia.

Our Service implements procedures as stated in the Staying healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services (Fifth Edition) developed by the Australian Government National Health and Medical Research Council as part of our day-to-day operation of the Service.

We are guided by explicit decisions regarding exclusion periods and notification of any infectious disease by the Australian Government- Department of Health and local Public Health Units in our jurisdiction under the Public Health Act.

IDENTIFYING SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF ILLNESS

Early Childhood Educators and Management are not doctors and are unable to diagnose an illness or infectious disease. To ensure the symptoms are not infectious and to minimise the spread of an infection, medical advice may be required to ensure a safe and healthy environment.

Recommendations from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committeeand Department of Health will be adhered to minimise risk where reasonably practicable.

During a pandemic, such as COVID-19, risk mitigation measures may be implemented within the Service to manage the spread of the virus. These measures may include but are not limited to the following:

notifying vulnerable people within the workplace of the risks of the virus/illness including:
- people with underlying medical needs
- children with diagnosed asthma or compromised immune systems
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over the age of 50 with chronic medical conditions
enhanced personal hygiene for children, staff and parents (including frequent handwashing)
full adherence to the NHMRC childcare cleaning guidelines and cleaning and disinfecting high touch surfaces at least twice daily, washing and laundering play items and toys
ensuring cots, mats, cushions, highchairs are positioned at least 1metreapart
recommending influenza vaccination for children, staff and parents

Children who appear unwell at the Service will be closely monitored and if any symptoms described below are noticed, or the child is not well enough to participate in normal activities, parents or an emergency contact person will be contacted to collect the child as soon as possible.

A child who is displaying symptoms of a contagious illness or virus (vomiting, diarrhoea, fever) will be moved away from the rest of the group and supervised until he/she is collected by a parent or emergency contact person.

SYMPTOMS INDICATING ILLNESS MAY INCLUDE:

behaviour that is unusual for the individual child
high temperature or fevers
loose bowels
faeces that are grey, pale or contains blood
vomiting
discharge from the eye or ear
skin that displays rashes, blisters, spots, crusty or weeping sores
loss of appetite
dark urine
headaches
stiff muscles or joint pain
continuous scratching of scalp or skin
difficulty in swallowing or complaining of a sore throat
persistent, prolonged or severe coughing
difficulty breathing
a stiff neck or sensitivity to light

As per our Sick Children Policy we reserve the right to refuse a child into care if they:

are unwell and unable to participate in normal activities or require additional attention
have had a temperature/fever, or vomiting in the last 24 hours
have had diarrhoea in the last 48 hours
have been given medication for a temperature prior to arriving at the Service
have started a course of anti-biotics in the last 24 hours or
have a contagious or infectious disease

HIGH TEMPERATURES OR FEVERS
Children get fevers or temperatures for all kinds of reasons. Most fevers and the illnesses that cause them last only a few days. However sometimes a fever will last much longer and might be the sign of an underlying chronic or long-term illness or disease.

Recognised authorities suggest a child’s normal temperature will range between 36.0°C and 37.0°C, but this will often depend on the age of the child and the time of day.

Any child with a high fever or temperature reaching 38°Cor higher will not be permitted to attend the Service until 24 hours after the temperature/fever has subsided.

WHEN A CHILD DEVELOPS A HIGH TEMPERATURE OR FEVER AT THE SERVICE

If a child becomes ill whilst at the Service, educators will respond to their individual symptoms of illness and provide comfort and care. Educators will closely monitor the child focusing on how the child looks and behaves and be alert to the possibility of vomiting, coughing or convulsions. The child will be cared for in an area that is separated from other children in the service to await pick up from their parent/carer.For infants under 3 months old, parents will be notified immediately for any fever over 38°C for immediate medical assistance. If a parent is uncontactable, emergency contacts will be contacted. If family members are unable to be contacted and emergency medical assistance is required the service will follow the Administration of First Aid Policy and contact emergency services where required.

For infants under 3 months old, parents will be notified immediately for any fever over 38°C for immediate medical assistance. If a parent is uncontactable, emergency contacts will be contacted. If family members are unable to be contacted and emergency medical assistance is required the service will follow the Administration of First Aid Policy and contact emergency services where required
Educators will notify parents when a childregisters a temperature of 38°Cor higher.
The child will need to be collected from the Service and will not permitted back for a further 24 hours
Emergency services will be contacted should the child have trouble breathing, becomes drowsy or unresponsive or suffers a convulsion lasting longer than five minutes.
Educators will complete an Incident, Injury, Traumaand Illness record and note down any other symptoms that may have developed along with the temperature (for example, a rash, vomiting, etc.).

METHODS TO REDUCE A CHILD’S TEMPERATURE OR FEVER

encourage the child to drink plenty of water (small sips), unless there are reasons why the child is only allowed limited fluids
remove excessive clothing (shoes, socks, jumpers, pants etc.). Educators will be mindful of cultural beliefs.
parents/guardian will be contacted by phone and informed of their child’s temperature
if requested by a parent or emergency contact person and written parental permission to administer paracetamol or ibuprofen is recorded in the child’s individual enrolment form, staff may administer paracetamol or ibuprofen (Panadol or Nurofen) in an attempt to bring the temperature down. However, a parent or emergency contact person, must still collect the child from the Service.
before giving any medication to children, the medical history of the child must be checked for possible allergies
the child’s temperature, time, medication, dosage, and the staff member’s name administering the medication and the staff member witnessing the administration will be recorded in the Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness Record. Parents will be requested to sign and acknowledge the Administration of Medication Formor Administration of Paracetamol Recordwhen collecting their child.

DEALING WITH COLDS/FLU (RUNNY NOSE)

It is very difficult to distinguish between the symptoms of COVID-19, influenza and a cold. If any child, employee or visitor has any infectious or respiratory symptoms (such as sore throat, headache, fever, shortness of breath, muscle aches, cough or runny nose) they may berequested to either stay at home or self-test using a Rapid antigen test (RAT).(See: Australian Government Identifying the symptoms )

Colds are the most common cause of illness in children and adults. There are more than 200 types of viruses that can cause the common cold. Symptoms include a runny or blocked nose, sneezing and coughing, watery eyes, headache, a mild sore throat, and possibly a slight fever.

Nasal discharge may start clear but can become thicker and turn yellow or green over a day or so. Up to a quarter of young children with a cold may have an ear infection as well, but this happens less often as the child grows older. Watch for any new or more severe symptoms—these may indicate other, more serious infections. Infants are protected from colds for about the first 6 months of life by antibodies from their mothers. After this, infants and young children are very susceptible to colds because they are not immune, they have close contact with adults and other children, they cannot practice good personal hygiene, and their smaller nose and ear passages are easily blocked. It is not unusual for children to have five or more colds a year, and children in education and care services may have as many as 8–12 colds a year.

As children get older, and as they are exposed to greater numbers of children, they get fewer colds each

year because of increased immunity. By 3 years of age, children who have been in group care since

infancy have the same number of colds, or fewer, as children who are cared for only at home.

Children can become distressed and lethargic when unwell. Discharge coming from a child’s nose and coughing can lead to germs spreading to other children, educators, toys, and equipment.

Management has the right to send children home if they appear unwell due to a cold or general illness.

DIARRHOEA AND VOMITING (GASTROENTERITIS)

Gastroenteritis (or ‘gastro’) is a general term for an illness of the digestive system. Typical symptoms include abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, and vomiting. In many cases, it does not need treatment, and symptoms disappear in a few days.

However, gastroenteritis can cause dehydration because of the large amount of fluid lost through vomiting and diarrhoea. Therefore, if a child does not receive enough fluids, he/she may require fluids intravenously. If a child has diarrhoea and/or vomiting whilst at the Service, Management will notify parents or an emergency contact to collect the child immediately. In the event of an outbreak of viral gastroenteritis, management will contact the local Public Health Unit on 1300 066 055.

Public Health Unit- Local state and territory health departments

Management must document the number of cases, dates of onset, duration of symptoms. An outbreak is when two or more children or staff have a sudden onset of diarrhoea or vomiting in a 2-day period. (NSW Government- Health 2019).

Children that have had diarrhoea and/or vomiting will be asked to stay away from the Service for 48 hours after symptoms have ceased to reduce infection transmission as symptoms can reappear after 24 hours in many instances.

An Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness record must be completed as per regulations. Notifications for serious illnesses must be lodged with the Regulatory Authority and Public Health Unit.

INFECTIOUS CAUSES OF GASTROENTERITIS INCLUDE:

Viruses such as rotavirus, adenoviruses and norovirus.
Bacteria such as Campylobacter, Salmonella and Shigella.
Bacterial toxins such as staphylococcal toxins.
Parasites such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium.

NON-INFECTIOUS CAUSES OF GASTROENTERITIS INCLUDE:

Medication such as antibiotics
Chemical exposure such as zinc poisoning
Introducing solid foods to a young child
Anxiety or emotional stress

The exact cause of infectious diarrhoea can only be diagnosed by laboratory tests of faecal specimens. In mild, uncomplicated cases of diarrhoea, doctors do not routinely conduct faecal testing.

Children with diarrhoea who also vomit or refuse extra fluids should see a doctor. In severe cases, hospitalisation may be needed. The parent and doctor will need to know the details of the child’s illness while the child was at the education and care Service.

Children, educators and staff with diarrhoea and/or vomiting will be excluded until the diarrhoea and/or vomiting has stopped for at least 48 hours.

Please note: If there is a gastroenteritis outbreak at the Service, children displaying the symptoms will be excluded from the Service until the diarrhoea and/or vomiting has stopped.

PREVENTING THE SPREAD OF ILLNESS

To reduce the transmission of infectious illness, our Service implements effective hygiene and infection control routines and procedures as per the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee guidelines.

If a child is unwell or displaying symptoms of a cold or flu virus, parents are requested to keep the child away from the Service. Infectious illnesses can be spread quickly from one person to another usually through respiratory droplets or from a child or person touching their own mouth or nose and then touching an object or surface.

PREVENTION STRATEGIES

Practising effective hygiene helps to minimise the risk of cross infection within our Service.

Signs and posters remind employees and visitors of the risks of infectious diseases, including COVID-19 and the measures necessary to stop the spread.

Educators model good hygiene practices and remind children to cough or sneeze into their elbow or use a disposable tissue and wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds after touching their mouth, eyes or nose.

Handwashing techniques are practised by all educators and children routinely using soap and water before and after eating and when using the toilet and drying hands thoroughly with paper towel. (See Handwashing Policy).

After wiping a child’s nose with a tissue, educators will dispose the tissue in a plastic-lined bin and wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water and dry using paper towel.

All surfaces including bedding (pillows, mat, cushion) used by a child who is unwell, will be cleaned with soap and water and then disinfected.

Parents, families and visitors are requested to wash their hands upon arrival and departure at the Service or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. (Note: alcohol-based sanitizers must be kept out of reach of children and used only with adult supervision.)

PARENT/FAMILY NOTIFICATION

COVID-19

Contact management for COVID-19 has changed due to the Omicron variant and testing and isolation in ECEC settings is no longer mandatory (

requested to notify theService if they have been onsite 48 hours prior to symptom onset.

The Approved Provider or nominated supervisor will submit a notification through the National Quality Agenda IT System (NQAITS) when there is an outbreak of 5 or more people with COVID-19within a 7-day period

If there is an outbreak of COVID in our FDC Service,the Nominated Supervisor/Responsible Person will notify the service community via letter (email/letter)as soon as practicable. (Regulation 88 (2)). The dates of attendance and the affected age group/room/program will be included. Families will be required to monitor for symptoms and if symptomatic test using a RAT.

Other Infectious Illness- [gastroenteritis, whooping cough etc.]

Parents will be notified of any outbreak of an infectious illness (e.g.: Gastroenteritis) within the Service via our notice board, online app or email to assist in reducing the spread of the illness

Exclusion periods for illness and infectious diseases are provided to parents and families and included in our Parent/Family Handbook and Sick Children Policy and Dealing withInfectious Disease Policy.

SERIOUS INJURY, INCIDENT OR TRAUMA

In the event of any child, educator, staff, volunteer or contractor having an accident at the Service, an educator who has a First Aid Certificate will attend to the person immediately.

Adequate supervision will be provided to all children.

Any workplace incident, injury or trauma will be investigated, and records kept as per WHS legislation and guidelines.

Procedures as per our Administration of First Aid Policy will be adhered to by all staff.

INCIDENT, INJURY, TRAUMA AND ILLNESS RECORD

An Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness record contains details of any incident, injury, trauma or illness that occurs while the child is being educated and cared for at the service. The record will include:

name and age of the child
circumstances leading to the incident, injury, illness
time and date the incident occurred, the injury was received, or the child was subjected to trauma
details of any illness which becomes apparent while the child is being cared for including any symptoms, time and date of the onset of the illness
details of the action taken by the educator including any medication administered, first aid provided, or medical professionals contacted
details of any person who witnessed the incident, injury or trauma
names of any person the educator notified or attempted to notify, and the time and date of this
signature of the person making the entry, and the time and date the record was made

Educators are required to complete documentation of any incident, injury or trauma that occurs when a child is being educated and cared for by the Service. This includes recording incidences of biting, scratching, dental or mouth injury. Due to Confidentiality and Privacy laws, only the name of the child injured will be recorded on the Incident, Injury, Trauma or Illness Record. Any other child/ren involved in the incident will not have their names recorded. If other children are injured or hurt, separate records will be completed for each child involved in the incident. Parents/Authorised Nominee must acknowledge the details contained in the record, sign and date the record on arrival to collect their child. All Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness Records must be kept until the child is 25 years of age.

DEFINITION OF SERIOUS INCIDENT

Regulations require the Approved Provider or Nominated Supervisor to notify Regulatory Authorities within 24 hoursof any serious incident at the Service through the NQA IT System

a) The death of a child:

(i) while being educated and cared for by an Education and Care Service or

(ii) following an incident while being educated and cared for by an Education and Care Service.

(b) Any incident involving serious injury or trauma to, or illness of, a child while being educated and cared for by an Education and Care Service, which:

(i) a reasonable person would consider required urgent medical attention from a registered medical practitioner or

(ii) for which the child attended, or ought reasonably to have attended, a hospital. For example: whooping cough, broken limb and anaphylaxis reaction

(c) Any incident or emergency where the attendance of emergency services at the Education and Care Service premises was sought, or ought reasonably to have been sought (e.g.: severe asthma attack, seizure or anaphylaxis)

(d) Any circumstance where a child being educated and cared for by an Education and Care Service

(i) appears to be missing or cannot be accounted for or

(ii) appears to have been taken or removed from the Education and Care Service premises in a manner that contravenes these regulations or

(iii) is mistakenly locked in or locked out of the Education and Care Service premises or any part of the premises.

A serious incident should be documented as an incident, injury, trauma and illness record as soon as possible and within 24 hours of the incident, with any evidence attached.

MISSING OR UNACCOUNTED FOR CHILD

At all times, reasonable precautions and adequate supervision is provided to ensure children are protected from harm or hazards. However, if a child appears to be missing or unaccounted for, removed from the Service premises that breaches the National Regulations or is mistakenly locked in or locked out of any part of the Service, a serious incident notification must be made to the Regulatory Authority.

A child may only leave the Service in the care of a parent, an authorised nominee named in the child’s enrolment record or a person authorised by a parent or authorised nominee or because the child requires medical, hospital or ambulance care or other emergency.

Educators mustensure that:

the attendance record is regularly cross-checked to ensure all children signed into the service are accounted for
children are supervised at all times
visitors to the service are not left alone with children at any time

Should an incident occur where a child is missing from the Service, educators and the Nominated Supervisor will:

attempt to locate the child immediately by conducting a thorough search of the premises (checking any areas that a child could be locked into by accident)
cross check the attendance record to ensure the child hasn’t been collected by an authorised person and signed out by another person
if the child is not located within a 10-minuteperiod, emergency services will be contacted,and the Approved Provider will notify the parent/s or guardian
continue to search for the missing child until emergency services arrive whilst providing supervision for other children in care
provide information to Police such as: child’s name, age, appearance, (provide a photograph), details of where the child was last sighted.

If a child is missing during or following transportation the Missing Child During Regular Transportation Procedure is to be followed.

The Approved Provider is responsible for notifying the Regulatory Authority of a serious incident within 24 hours of the incident occurring.

HEAD INJURIES

It is common for children to bump their heads during everyday play, however it if difficult to determine whether the injury is serious or not. Therefore, any knock to the head is considered a head injury and should be assessed by a doctor. In the event of any head injury, the First Aid officer will assess the child, administer any urgent First Aid and notify parents/guardians to collect their child.

Emergency services will be contacted immediately on 000 if the child:

has sustained a head injury involving high speeds or fallen from a height (play equipment)
loses consciousness
seems unwell or vomits several times after hitting their head

(see Head Injury Guide and Procedure)

TRAUMA

Trauma is defined as the impact of an event or a series of events during which a child feels helpless and pushed beyond their ability to cope. There are a range of different events that might be traumatic to a child, including accidents, injuries, serious illness, natural disasters (bush fires), assault, and threats of violence, domestic violence, neglect or abuse and war or terrorist attacks. Parental or cultural trauma can also have a traumatising effect on children. This definition firmly places trauma into a developmental context:

“Trauma changes the way children understand their world, the people in it and where they belong.”(Australian Childhood Foundation, 2010).

Trauma can disrupt the relationships a child has with their parents, educators and staff who care for them. It can transform children’s language skills, physical and social development and the ability to manage their emotions and behaviour.

Behavioural response in babies and toddlers who have experienced trauma may include:

Avoidance of eye contact
Loss of physical skills such as rolling over, sitting, crawling, and walking
Fear of going to sleep, especially when alone
Nightmares
Loss of appetite
Making very few sounds
Increased crying and general distress
Unusual aggression
Constantly on the move with no quiet times
Sensitivity to noises.

Behavioural responses for pre-school aged children who have experiences trauma may include:

new or increased clingy behaviour such as constantly following a parent, carer or staff around
anxiety when separated from parents or carers
new problems with skills like sleeping, eating, going to the toilet and paying attention
shutting down and withdrawing from everyday experiences
difficulties enjoying activities
being jumpier or easily frightened
physical complaints with no known cause such as stomach pains and headaches
blaming themselves and thinking the trauma was their fault.

Children who have experienced traumatic events often need help to adjust to the way they are feeling. When parents, educators and staff take the time to listen, talk, and play they may find children begin to say or show how they are feeling. Providing children with time and space lets them know you are available and care about them.

It is important for educators to be patient when dealing with a child who has experienced a traumatic event. It may take time to understand how to respond to a child’s needs and new behaviours before parents, educators and staff are able to work out the best ways to support a child. It is imperative to realise that a child’s behaviour may be a response to the traumatic event rather than just ‘naughty’ or ‘difficult’ behaviour.

EDUCATORS CAN ASSIST CHILDREN DEALING WITH TRAUMA BY:

observing the behaviours and expressed feelings of a child and documenting responses that were most helpful in these situations
creating a ‘relaxation’ space with familiar and comforting toys and objects children can use when they are having a difficult time
having quiet time such as reading a story about feelings together
trying different types of play that focus on expressing feelings (e.g. drawing, playing with play dough, dress-ups and physical games such as trampolines)
helping children understand their feelings by using reflecting statements (e.g. ‘you look sad/angry right now, I wonder if you need some help?’).

There are a number of ways for parents, educators and staff to reduce their own stress and maintain awareness, so they continue to be effective when offering support to children who have experienced traumatic events.

STRATEGIES TO ASSIST FAMILIES, EDUCATORS AND STAFF TO COPE WITH CHILDREN’S STRESS OR TRAUMA MAY INCLUDE:

taking time to calm yourself when you have a strong emotional response. This may mean walking away from a situation for a few minutes or handing over to another educator or staff member if possible
planning ahead with a range of possibilities in case difficult situations occur
remembering to find ways to look after yourself, even if it is hard to find time or you feel other things are more important. Taking time out helps adults be more available to children when they need support
using supports available to you within your relationships (e.g., family, friends, colleagues)
identifying a supportive person to talk to about your experiences. This might be your family doctor or another health professional
accessing support resources- BeYou, Emerging Minds.

Living or working with traumatised children can be demanding so it is important for all educators to be aware of their own responses and seek support from management when required.

THE APPROVED PROVIDER/ MANAGEMENT/NOMINATED SUPERVISOR/RESPONSIBLE PERSON AND EDUCATORS WILL ENSURE:

service policies and procedures are adhered to at all times
each child’s enrolment records include authorisations by a parent or person named in the record for the approved provider, nominated supervisor or educator to seek medical treatment for the child from a registered medical practitioner, hospital or ambulance service and if required, transportation by an ambulance service
parents or guardians are notified as soon as practicable and no later than 24 hours of the illness, accident, or trauma occurring
an Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness Record is completed accurately and in a timely manner as soon after the event as possible (within 24 hours)
parents are advised to keep the child home until they are feeling well, and they have not had any symptoms for at least 24-48 hours (depending upon the illness and exclusion periods)
first aid qualified educators are present at all times on the roster and in the Service
first aid kits are suitably equipped and checked on a monthly basis(see First Aid Kit Checklist)
first aid kits are easily accessible when children are present at the Service and during excursions
first aid, emergency anaphylaxis management training, and asthma management training is current and updated as required
adults or children who are ill are excluded for the appropriate period (see Sick Children Policy)
children are excluded from the Service if staff feel the child is too unwell to attend or is a risk to other children
educators or staff who have diarrhoea or an infectious disease do not prepare food for others
cold food is kept cold (below 5 °C) and hot food, hot (above 60°C) to discourage the growth of bacteria
if the incident, situation or event presents imminent or severe risk to the health, safety and wellbeing of any person present at the Service, or if an ambulance was called in response to the emergency (not as a precaution) the regulatory authority will be notified within 24 hours of the incident
parents are notified of any infectious diseases circulating the Service within 24 hours of detection
staff and children always practice appropriate hand hygiene and cough and sneezing etiquette
appropriate cleaning practices are followed
toys and equipment are cleaned and disinfected on a regular basis which is recorded in the toy cleaning registeror immediately if a child who is unwell has mouthed or used these toys or resources
additional cleaning will be implemented during any outbreak of an infectious illness or virus
all illnesses are documented in the Service Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness Record
information regarding the health and wellbeing of a child or staff member is not shared with others unless consent has been provided, in writing, or provided the disclosure is required or authorised by law under relevant state/territory legislation (including Child Information Sharing Scheme [CISS] or the Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme [FVISS] for Victorian services).

FAMILIES WILL:

provide authorisation in the child’s enrolment record for the approved provider, nominated supervisor or educator to seek medical treatment from a medical practitioner, hospital or ambulance service and if required, transportation by ambulance service
provide up to date medical and contact information in case of an emergency
provide emergency contact details and ensure details are kept up to date
provide theService with all relevant medical information, including Medicare and private health insurance
provide a copy of their child’s Medical Management Plans and update annually or whenever medication/medical needs change
adhere to recommended periods of exclusion if their child has a virus or infectious illness
complete documentation as requested by the educator and/or approved provider- Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness record and acknowledge that they were made aware of the incident, injury, trauma or illness
inform the Service if their child has an infectious disease or illness
provide evidence as required from doctors or specialists that the child is fit to return to care if required
provide written consent for educators to administer first aid and call an ambulance if required (as per enrolment record)
complete and acknowledge details in the Administration of Medication Record if required.

RESOURCES

beyou Bushfire resource

Emerging Minds Community Trauma Toolkit

Fever in children- (health direct.gov.au)

Head Injury and concussion

NSW Health Gastro Pack NSW Health

Staying Healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services

POLICY REVIEWED	MARCH 2023	NEXT REVIEW DATE	MARCH 2024
MODIFICATIONS	annual policy maintenance name change of Control of Infectious Disease Policy to Dealing with Infectious Disease Policyreference to ELYF updated to V2.0vaccination requirements for COVID 19 removedupdated information on managing positive COVID cases addedhyperlinks checked and repaired as requiredcontinuous improvement section and Resource section addedlink to Western Australian Education and Care Services National Regulations added in ‘Sources’procedure removed from policy (available on Desktop)
POLICY REVIEWED	PREVIOUS MODIFICATIONS			NEXT REVIEW DATE
MARCH 2022	updated information re: COVID-19updated Parent/Family notification for positive COVID-19broken links repaired in sources			MARCH 2023
OCTOBER 2021	Policy reviewed and included suggested guidelines from ACECQA Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness (June 2021)Additional legislative requirements addedAdditional related policiesinformation about Child Information Sharing Schemes (CISS) added for state/territories as required			MARCH 2022
MARCH 2021	Policy title changed to align with Regulations 85-87Information related to administration of paracetamol addedadditional sections added for Head Injuries and Missing or unaccounted childrenedits to policy to reflect record keeping requirementsDraft Injury, Illness Procedures included in policycurrency of links/sources checked			MARCH 2022
JUNE 2020	inclusion of COVID-19 risk mitigation strategiesinformation about COVID-19 included in policyPublic Health Unit information addedadditional information related to COVID-19 symptoms added to ‘dealing with cold and flu’ sectionreferences included to Sick Children and Hand Washing Policy additional resources and sources added			MARCH 2021
MARCH 2020	Preventing the spread of illness section addedadditional information about fevers and temperatures addedsection regarding sponging children to reduce fever deleted (Sydney Children’s Hospital recommendation)additional information for trauma addedsources checked for currency/additional sources added			MARCH 2021

INCIDENT, INJURY, TRAUMA & ILLNESS POLICY

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