| Dealing with infectious diseases |
Document no: |
r 168 2 (o) |
| Approval date: |
1 February 2018 |
| Approved by: |
Family Services Manager |
| Review date: |
August 2025 |
| Responsible Officer: Early Childhood Coordinator |
Version no: |
02 |
| Authorising Officer: |
Family Services Manager |
1. Purpose
The City of Greater Geelong Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services have appropriate policies in place to guide all educators and staff in promoting the health and safety of children and to take reasonable care to minimise the risk associated with the spread of infectious diseases.
2. Scope
All services
The City of Greater Geelong ECEC services are committed to practices that support the reduction of the spread of infectious diseases.
Where a case of an infectious disease presents, the educators and staff will act sensitively when dealing with the affected child and family.
Management will ensure that all staff and families are informed about the occurrence of an infectious disease in the service, in order to reduce the spread of the infectious disease.
3. References
4. ECEC Policy
In all services, Management will:
- Keep immunisation records for each child enrolled in the service and ensure this is documented on the enrolment form. School aged children attending FDC exempt.
- Ensure any non-immunised children who have a valid reason and history statement provide a copy of the - Medicare Immunisation Medical Exemption Form signed by their GP (please note: there is at present a grace period for 16 weeks for vulnerable and refugee children that may apply to some children).
- Infectious disease periods of exclusion will be available as reference for families, staff and educators
- Ensure all staff are aware of and follow infection control procedures to protect all children and educators from cross infection.
- Ensure effective hygiene practices are in place to help control the spread of disease
- Exclude children as per the recommendations in Staying Healthy in Childcare
- Communicate to all families who utilise the service of an incidence of an infectious disease and provide information about symptoms and exclusion periods.
- Notify the Health Department in accordance with Staying Healthy in Childcare recommendations.
- Notify the Department of Health of any Gastro outbreaks at their Service by contacting the Communicable Disease Prevention and Control on 1300 651 160 within 24 hours (see website link at end of Policy for definition of outbreak & procedures).
- Will ensure cleaning and sanitising of facilities and equipment is undertaken following Department of Health Guidelines in particular with any Gastro outbreaks.
In all services, Educators will:
- Provide a safe and healthy environment for children with a high level of awareness and practice of good hygiene to reduce the spread of any infectious disease.
- Ensure all staff and children wash hands thoroughly with soap and running water for 20 seconds.
- Notify the Management of any outbreak of an infectious disease.
- Notify the parent/guardian of a child suspected of having an infectious disease to arrange for the child/ren to be collected.
- Respond to the needs of the child/ren if they become ill while in care.
- Ensure all non-immunised children at risk of contracting relevant infectious diseases are excluded from the service immediately.
In all services, families will:
- Notify the service if their child/ren has an infectious disease.
- Promptly collect their child/ren from the service if they are ill and suspected of having an infectious disease.
- Keep infectious or sick children away from the service for the period of exclusion as indicated on the Department of Health Infectious Diseases Exclusion Table and Staying Healthy in Childcare.
- In particular for Gastro outbreaks following DE advice; ensure any person who develops vomiting or diarrhoea remains at home for at least 48 hours after their symptoms have stopped, and to see a GP for advice and testing if symptoms are severe or persist.
- Provide a medical certificate, if requested, before returning to the Service.
- Ensure children’s immunisations are up to date and evidence is provided to the Service at times of enrolment and re enrolment annually.
5. Quality Records
- Guidelines: No Jab No Play – Dealing with Infectious Diseases.
- Minimum period of Exclusion Schedule
- Staying Healthy in Childcare – Fact Sheets
- Gastroeneritis
- A Guide for the Management and Control of Gastroenteritis in Children’s Centres
Gastroenteritis may be caused by a number of pathogens, but the most common cause of gastroenteritis outbreaks in children’s services centres is norovirus. Norovirus is a very hardy organism that may survive on surfaces for up to 28 days, and as norovirus is highly infectious (approximately 10-100 viruses is all that is needed to cause infection), cleaning and disinfection of the environment is one of the most important measures for limiting the spread of disease.
Page 14 - A Guide for the management & control of gastroenteritis in children’s services centres.
Definition of Outbreak: two or more cases of vomiting and / or diarrhoea occurring amongst children and / or staff within 48 hours of each other. If this occurs and symptoms cannot be explained by medication or other medical conditions – you may have an outbreak.
6. Attachments
Nil.