Intimate Care Policy

Policy details

• Date created - 12/10/2023
• Next review date - 12/10/2025
• Policy owner - Michelle Khambhaita [Penny Oaks]

Aims

All children have the right to be safe, to be treated with courtesy, dignity and dignity and respect and to be able to access all aspects of the educational curriculum and Co-op Academy Penny Oaks will work:

• To ensure that pupils with continence difficulties are not discriminated against in line with the Equalities Act 2010
• To provide help and support to pupils in becoming fully independent in personal hygiene
• To treat continence issues sensitively so as to maintain the self-esteem of the child
• Work with parents in delivering a suitable care plan where necessary
• To ensure that staff dealing with continence issues work within guidelines that protect themselves and the pupils involved (link to Health and Safety (H&S) Policy and guidelines and Safeguarding Children Policy)

 Pupils’ Needs

The staff work hard to build effective relationships with the parents and carers of the children attending Co-op Academy Penny Oaks. Any particular needs that a child may have will be dealt with sensitively and appropriately, working with parents/carers to ensure that each child can access the curriculum. Any child who has personal care or continence needs will be attended to in a designated area within school. Parents will only be contacted in extreme cases where soiling is severe and/or linked to illness e.g. sickness and diarrhoea, or when a child refuses to let a member of staff help change their clothing.

Care Plans

Where a pupil has particular needs (e.g. wearing nappies or pull-ups regularly, or has continence difficulties which are more frequent than the odd ‘accident’, staff will work with parents/carers (and health visitors/school nurse, if appropriate) to set out a care plan to ensure that the child is able to attend daily.

The written care plan (Appendix A) will include:

• Who will change the child including back-up arrangements in case of staff absence of turnover
• Where changing will take place
• What resources and equipment will be used (cleansing agents used or cream to be applied?) and clarification of who is responsible (parent or school) for the provision of the resources and equipment.
• How the product, if used will be disposed of, or how wet or soiled clothes will be kept until they can be returned to the parent/carer
• What infection control measures are in place
• What the staff member will do if the child is unduly distressed by the experience or if the staff member notices marks or injuries
• Training requirements for staff
• Arrangements for school trips and outings
• Care plan review arrangements

Care Plan Agreements

 In these circumstances it may be appropriate for the school to set up an agreement that defines the responsibilities that each partner has, and the expectations each has for the other (see Appendix B). This will include:

The parent:

•  Agreeing to ensure that the child is changed at the latest possible time before being brought to the setting/school
• Providing the setting/school with spare nappies or pull ups and a change of clothing
• Understanding and agreeing the procedures that will be followed when their child is changed at school –including the use of any cleanser or wipes
• Agreeing to inform the setting/school should the child have any marks/rash
• Agreeing to a ‘minimum change’ policy i.e. the setting/school would not undertake to change the child more frequently than if s/he were at home.
• Agreeing to review arrangements should this be necessary

The school: 

• Agreeing to change the child during a single session should the child soil themselves or become uncomfortably wet
• Agreeing how often the child would be changed should the child be staying for the full day
• Agreeing to monitor the number of times the child is changed in order to identify progress made
• Agreeing to report should the child be distressed, or if marks/rashes are seen
• Agreeing to review arrangements should this be necessary.

 This kind of agreement should help to avoid misunderstandings that might otherwise arise, and help parents feel confident that the setting/school is taking a holistic view of the child’s needs.

Should a child with complex continence needs be admitted, the school will consider the possibility of special circumstances and/or provision being made. In such circumstances, an appropriate health care professional (School Nurse or Family Health Visitor) will be closely involved in forward planning.

 Personal Care Procedures

The staff at Co-op Academy Penny Oaks will follow agreed procedures (see Appendix C) when attending to the care or continence needs of any pupil within the setting, whether this be a child with a care plan agreement or a child who has had an occasional ‘accident’.

 Health and Safety Procedures

When dealing with personal care and continence issues, staff will follow agreed health and safety procedures (see Appendix D) to protect both the child and the member of staff.

Child Protection

The normal process of changing continence or wet/soiled clothes should not raise child protection concerns, and there are no regulations that indicate that a second member of staff must be available to supervise the changing process to ensure that abuse does not take place. Few settings/schools will have the staffing resources to provide two members of staff for changing and DBS checks are carried out to ensure the safety of children with staff employed in our school. If there is known risk of false allegation by a child then a single practitioner will not undertake changing. A student on placement will not change a child unsupervised.

Where ever possible, the same member of staff will be allowed to change named children. This reduces the risk to the child and promotes their dignity. The care plan will outline back up or contingency measures in the event that the named member of staff is not available.

 Monitoring and Review

The DSL / Early Years Leader will take responsibility for monitoring that agreed procedures are being followed and are meeting the needs of children and families.

• It is the DSL / Early Years Leader’s responsibility to ensure that all practitioners follow the school policy.
• Any concerns that staff have about child protection issues will be reported to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and subsequently the Head Teacher for further referral if appropriate.
• This policy runs alongside other school policies, particularly Safeguarding Children, SEND, and Health and Safety.

APPENDIX A

 Co-op Academy Penny Oaks - Intimate Care Plan

*If the above named member of staff is not available due to illness or staff training, then another person, familiar to the child will attend to the child’s needs.

 DSL / Early Years Leader approval:                                                   

Date:

 APPENDIX B

Co-op Academy Penny Oaks - Intimate Care Plan Agreements

The parent:

• I agree to ensure that the child is changed at the latest possible time before being brought to the setting/school
• I will provide the setting/school with spare nappies or pull ups and a change of clothing
• I understand and agree the procedures that will be followed when my child is changed at school – including the use of any cleanser or wipes
• I agree to inform the setting/school should the child have any marks/rash
• I agree to a ‘minimum change’ policy i.e. the school will not undertake to change the child more frequently than if s/he were at home
• I agree to review arrangements should this be necessary

Signed: .................................................................................... (parent/carer)

The school:

• We agree to change the child during a single session should the child soil themselves or become uncomfortably wet
• We agree to monitor the number of times the child is changed in order to identify progress made
• We agree to report should the child be distressed, or if marks/rashes are seen
• We agree to review arrangements should this be necessary

Signed: ........................................................................................ (school member of staff)

Name: ........................................................................................ (school member of staff)

Date: ....................................................................................

APPENDIX C

Personal Care Procedures

The staff at Co-op Academy Penny Oaks will follow agreed procedures:

• Change the child’s clothing as appropriate, as soon as possible
• Use appropriate cleaning products and adhere to health and safety procedures (see Appendix D)
• Report any marks or rashes to parents and Head Teacher if appropriate
• Inform parent/carer that a continence issue has arisen during the session
• Contact a parent/carer only where soiling is severe and/or linked to illness eg. sickness and diarrhoea, or when a child refuses to let a member of staff help change their clothing.
• Place a ‘Do not enter’ sign (visually illustrated) on the toilet door to ensure that privacy and dignity are maintained during the time taken to change the child.

APPENDIX D

Health and Safety Procedures

When dealing with personal care and continence issues, staff will follow agreed health and safety procedures:

• Staff to wear disposable gloves and aprons while dealing with the incident
• Soiled continence product used to be double wrapped, or placed in a hygienic disposal unit (identified bin in disabled toilet) if the number produced each week exceeds that allowed by Health and Safety Executive’s limit.
• Changing area to be cleaned after use
• Hot water and liquid soap available to wash hands as soon as the task is completed
• Paper towels available for drying hands.

APPENDIX E

Intimate Care Log

Year group ______________________

 APPENDIX F 

Permission for school to provide intimate care

I understand that:

I give permission to the school to provide appropriate intimate care to support my child e.g. changing soiled clothing, washing and toileting.

I will advise the School of any medical complaint my child may have which affects issues of intimate care

Signed: ___________________________________________

Full Name: _________________________________________

Relationship to Child: _________________________________

Date: ______________________________________________