Butterflies Pre-school & Priory Kids Club – Policy for the administration of medication & reporting illness.

This policy is written in line with the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.

In order to promote the good health of the children we will take necessary steps to prevent the spread of infection and take appropriate action when they are ill.  We will do this in the following ways.

Medicines

We will only administer medications prescribed by a medical professional for that child.  Non-prescription medications e.g. pain relief will be administered with parental permission as long as there is a health reason to do so.  We will never give children medications containing aspirin unless it has been prescribed by a doctor.

We will have some Calpol in the setting that we can you use in emergencies.  This will only be given when at least two staff members (one being the manager/supervisor) agree the child would benefit from it. We will follow the procedure below before giving any medication to any child:

1. We will ring or contact by FAMLY app the parent/carer to explain the situation.
2. Once we have the parents consent either verbal or on the app we can give the medication.
3. An administration of medication form must be completed as below and parent/carer must acknowledge on the FAMLY app.
4. If a parent or carer cannot be contacted no medication will be given.

Before administering any medication the following procedure must be followed.

1. An administration of medication form must be completed with the parent/carer This is done on the FAMLY app. Medication given before arrival should be added to the notes section on the FAMLY app.
2. The member of staff completing the form must check the medication is prescribed for that child or there is a good reason to administer non-prescription medication. The instructions must be read and followed before being prescribed, such as, 1 hour before food, ensure our timings for lunch take this into consideration. Use by dates need to be checked. The name on the medication should also be checked.
3. The staff member must record times of medication already given and times of next dosage. A note of the time to be given can be put on the white board as a reminder. A timer to be set on a tablet to remind of the time to be given.
4. When administering the medication, a staff member must have another adult to witness giving the medication. The witness must check the name on the bottle, the dosage required and dates before agreeing to administration.
5. The medication should be stored as the instructions on the packaging state. All medicines must be stored in the locked medication drawer in the classrooms or in the fridge.
6. Administering the medication must be recorded immediately on the FAMLY app.
7. When the parent/carer receives the notification on the FAMLY app, he/she must read and acknowledge the medication form; confirming they understand what and when the medication has been given.
8. If a child has an ongoing health problem, the setting will complete an Individual Health Plan. This details everything about the condition and how it must be dealt with.
9. If training is required, we will source a professional who is qualified to train members of the staff team.

Illness

As a parent it is your responsibility to inform the setting of any illnesses or infections your child has.

We are obliged by law to inform the Health Protection Agency of notifiable diseases, these include;

German measles, Measles, Scarlet fever, Tuberculosis, whooping cough, Diphtheria, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B & C, Meningitis (all types), Mumps and COVID-19.

Please inform the setting if your child is diagnosed with these.

For details of exclusion periods of common infections see Children and young people settings: tools and resources – GOV.UK .

Reviewed 13.02.2026

Discussed at staff meeting on 16.02.26 6.30pm.

Emailed to all staff with email return confirmation as read and understood.