Infection Control Policy

At Pepperberry Day Nurseries we promote the good health of all children attending (including oral health) through maintaining high hygiene standards to help reduce the chances of infection being spread. We follow the health protection in schools and other childcare facilities guidance which sets out when and how long children need to be excluded from settings, when treatment and/or medication is required and where to get further advice from.  

Viruses and infections can be easily passed from person to person by breathing in air containing the virus, which is produced when an infected person talks, coughs or sneezes. It can also spread through hand and face contact after touching a person or surface contaminated with viruses.

We follow the guidance below to prevent a virus or infection from spreading around the nursery. 

Our staff:

• Encourage all children to use tissues when coughing and sneezing to catch germs
• Ensure all tissues are disposed of in a hygienic way and all children and staff wash their hands once the tissue is disposed of
• Develop children’s understanding of the above and the need for good hygiene procedures in helping them to stay healthy 
• Wear the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when changing nappies, toileting children and dealing with any other bodily fluids. Staff are requested to dispose of these in the appropriate manner and wash hands immediately 
• Clean and sterilise all potties and changing mats before and after each use
• Clean toilets at least daily and check them throughout the day
• Remind children to wash their hands before eating, after visiting the toilet, playing outside or being in contact with any animal and explain the reasons for this
• Clean all toys, equipment and resources on a regular basis by following a comprehensive cleaning rota and using antibacterial cleanser, or through washing in the washing machine
• Wash or clean all equipment used by babies and toddlers as and when needed, including when the children have placed it in their mouth 
• Store dummies in individual hygienic dummy boxes labelled with the child’s name to prevent cross-contamination with other children
• Store toothbrushes (where applicable) hygienically to prevent cross-contamination  
• Immediately clean and sterilise (where necessary) any dummy or bottle that falls on the floor or is picked up by another child 
• Provide labelled individual bedding for children that is not used by any other child and wash this at least once a week 
• Ask parents and visitors to remove all outdoor footwear, or use shoe covers, when entering rooms where children may be crawling or sitting on the floor
• Where applicable wear specific indoor shoes or slippers whilst inside the rooms and make sure that children wear them as well
• Follow the Sickness and illness policy when children are ill to prevent the spread of any infection in the nursery. Staff are also requested to stay at home if they are ill and/or are contagious.

In addition:

• The Nursery Manager retains the right of refusal of all children, parents, carers, staff and visitors who are deemed contagious and may impact on the welfare of the rest of the nursery 
• Parents will be made aware of the need for these procedures for them to follow these guidelines whilst in the nursery 
• Periodically each room in the nursery will be deep cleaned including carpets and soft furnishings to ensure the spread of infection is limited. This will be implemented earlier if the need arises
• In the event of an infection outbreak the nursery will, where appropriate, undertake a deep clean to ensure the spread of infection is contained
• We will follow Government health guidance, as well as seeking legal advice and information from our insurers, on any national outbreak of a virus and/or pandemic and keep parents informed of any course of action. Each specific circumstance will differ and to ensure we take the most appropriate action; we will treat each case on an individual basis 
• In addition, where contagious outbreaks occur, we will adopt Government guidance for all visitors to minimise the risk of further spreading of the infection 
• The nursery will ensure stocks of tissues, hand washing equipment, cleaning materials and sterilising fluid are always maintained. These will be increased during the winter months, or when flu and cold germs are circulating.