Sickness and Absence Policy

• Parents are asked to keep their children at home if they have a temperature or any infection, and to inform the pre-school as to the nature of the infection. This will allow us to monitor if there is an outbreak, alert other parents as necessary, and to make careful observations of any child who seems unwell.
  

• If children appear unwell during the day, staff will call the parents and ask them to collect the child, or send a known carer to collect on their behalf. In extreme cases of emergency the child should be taken to the nearest hospital and the parent informed.
  

• Parents are asked not to bring into the pre-school any child who has been vomiting or had diarrhoea (3 or more loose or watery stools) until at least 48 hours has elapsed since the last attack. 
  

• Cuts or open sores, whether on adults or children, will be covered with a plaster or other dressing.
  

• Parents are requested to check their child regularly for nits, ringworm and threadworm, and inform pre-school immediately if found. A notice will be put up on the board asking parents to be particularly vigilant.  Parents may be asked to collect the child if live lice, worms or fungus are seen for immediate treatment.
  

• We have a list of excludable diseases and current exclusion times. The full list is obtainable from www.patient.co.uk and includes common childhood illnesses such as measles.

Most Common cases:-
Impetigo – Highly infectious for 4 – 10 days, children cannot return until lesions have crusted and no longer weep.
Chicken Pox – Infectious period 1-2 days before spots appear, children can return once all spots have scabbed over.
Conjunctivitis – Only need to remain at home if clinically unwell. 
Slap Cheek and Hand foot and mouth – Only need to remain at home if clinically unwell.


Sickness and Absence Policy - Staff
It is a priority of Heavitree Community Pre-school to look after the wellbeing of staff and children. Heavitree Community Pre-school must ensure that the best experience is provided for children and in order to achieve that, it is essential for line managers to know when a member of staff is unable to attend work in order that they can re-organise work and minimise the impact of staff absence for children and colleagues. Effective absence management ensures that members of staff are not at work if they are ill and that the causes of the absence are addressed where appropriate. This Policy also assists managers in taking action to arrange any appropriate support for the member of staff and to address issues that may prevent maximum attendance of staff.  Line managers must ensure that staff are aware of and follow the procedure for notifying every absence.

Process

• If a member of staff is absent from work they must notify their line manager at the earliest opportunity with reason for absence via phone not text or email.
• Staff must keep their line manager informed of how long they are likely to be absent from work.
• If the absence is longer than 7 days they must provide a doctor’s note.
• If a member of staff has had an episode of sickness or diarrhoea (3 or more loose or watery stalls) within 48 hours they are unable to return to work. 
• On return to work the member of staff will need to have a return to work interview with their line manager.
• The absence and the forms will be filled.

Managing sickness and absence

• If a member of staff has a period of 6 separate occasions or over 14 consecutive days of absence then disciplinary proceedings may be enforced.

It is important to note that Heavitree Community Pre-school fully supports its employees and full investigation of any mitigating circumstances will take place before any disciplinary action is enforced.