Playcentre Aotearoa’s Child Washdown Procedure
Education (ECS) Regulations 2008. Regs 46
Licensing Criteria for Centre-based Education and Care Services 2008 (as amended May 2016): HS30: Children are washed when they are soiled or pose a health risk to themselves or others.
| Procedure | |
| 1.0 | When a child soils themselves: Assess the extent of clean-up required and follow 1.1 or 1.2 below. Centres should ensure tamariki; a) Have a right to privacy. b) Are safe and protected from abuse and neglect. c) Have reciprocal and responsive relationships that are fostered e.g. talking to the child about what is happening. d) Particularly older tamariki, are encouraged to be as independent as possible; i.e. accessing changing area/ table, dressing and drying themselves. |
| 1.1 | If minor and/or you are satisfied there is no hygiene risk to the child or others (for example the child got messy during play, or they had a small toileting accident) a) Ensure that all children are treated with consideration to their privacy and dignity. b) Inform another adult when taking a child other than your own to the Washdown area and ask the other adult to maintain line of sight while you are attending to the child’s needs. c) Consider using protective gloves d) Help the child to remove any soiled clothes and place in a plastic bag, or other hygienic method to allow safe transport home. e) Clean up using wet wipes. Place used cleaning cloths into bag as per (d) above. f)These should be bagged and disposed of in the designated Centre bin. |
| 1.2 | If the clean-up is more extensive, or there is any risk of contagious illness the washdown procedures below should be used. Care should be taken to minimise the risk of spreading illness by following these procedures to ensure hygiene and following the Sick Child Isolation Procedure where necessary. |
| Wash Down Procedure A: Where a tub or shower IS available |
| 2.0 | BEFORE |
| 2.1 | a) Ensure that the sick or soiled child is treated with consideration to their privacy and dignity. b) Inform another adult when taking a child other than your own to the Washdown area and ask the other adult to maintain line of sight while you are attending to the child’s needs. c) Consider using protective gloves d) Ask the child if they wish to have the door closed – IF YES, ENSURE THERE ARE TWO ADULTS PRESENT |
| 3.0 | DURING |
| 3.1 | Do not at anytime leave the child unsupervised in the wash down area. |
| 3.2 | a) Help the child into the shub/shower. b) Wash the child down. c) Help the child from the shub/shower onto a dry towel. d) Dry and dress child. |
| 3.3 | If the child is ill, relocate to a designated isolation area until someone can take him/her home. |
| 4.0 | AFTER |
| 4.1 | a) Wash the shub/shower with detergent. b) Then spray with 0.5% bleach or other approved solution. c) After 20 minutes, wash bleach/solution off. d) Ensure that any other affected surfaces are also disinfected. |
| 4.2 | a) Place towels and other launderable items in a disposable or washable bag for the parent to take home and launder (> 60°C hot wash) as per the Laundering Procedure. b) Protective gloves and any items that are very soiled must be bagged and discarded in the designated Centre bin (External bin is preferable) |
| 4.3 | WASH AND DRY YOUR HANDS THOROUGHLY. |
| Wash Down Procedure B: Where a tub or shower is NOT available |
| 2.0 | BEFORE |
| 2.1 | a) Ensure that the sick or soiled child is treated with consideration to their privacy and dignity. b) Inform another adult when taking a child other than your own to the Washdown area area and ask the other adult to maintain line of sight while you are attending to the child’s needs. c) Consider using protective gloves d) Ask the child if they wish to have the door closed – IF YES, ENSURE THERE ARE TWO ADULTS PRESENT |
| 2.2 | a) Gather spill kit or necessary items for washdown (bath/towels/cloths etc) b) Lay designated Washdown sheet out on floor in bathroom. c) Place labelled Washdown plastic bath/bucket on sheet. d) Fill bath with sufficient warm water to wash the child, but do not overfill e) To fill the bath use (e.g specific taps, or jugs of water) f) Ensure health and safety precautions are taken whilst filling bath, such as having 2 adults to lift heavy items, bending knees, keeping load close to the body, and supervision to ensure tamariki are safe around the water. |
| 3.0 | DURING |
| 3.1 | Do not at anytime leave the child unsupervised in the wash down area. |
| 3.2 | a) Help the child into the bath. b) Wash the child down. c) Help the child from the bath onto a dry towel. d) Dry and dress child. |
| 3.3 | If child is ill, relocate to a designated isolation area until someone can take him/her home |
| 4.0 | AFTER |
| 4.1 | Empty Washdown bath/bucket into toilet. N/B This may require two people depending on amount of water (one person either side of the tub, bending knees to lift). |
| 4.2 | a) Wash the bath with hot, soapy water, then spray with 0.5% bleach or other approved solution. After 20 minutes, wash bleach/solution off. Allow to dry outside, in sun if possible. b) Return bath when dry. c) Ensure that any other affected surfaces are also disinfected. |
| 4.3 | a) Place towels, cleaning cloths and other launderable items in a disposable or washable bag for parent to take home and launder (>60°C hot wash) as per Laundering Procedures. b) Protective gloves and any items that are very soiled must be bagged and discarded in the designated Centre bin (External bin is preferable). |
| 4.4 | WASH AND DRY YOUR HANDS THOROUGHLY. |
GUIDELINES
1. Each Centre must have a procedure for washing sick or soiled children that uses the most appropriate
wash facilities available at that Centre. For example, if a Centre has a shower it should be used. If a
Centre does not have a plumbed in wash facility, an alternative may be to use a basin with wash cloths
(single use variety is recommended to be used).
2. Wash down procedures are to be clearly visible and attached to the wall near the designated wash down
area.
3. Information about the wash down procedure should be incorporated into introductory processes to
ensure all adults are aware of the procedure.
4. Procedures must ensure that the dignity and privacy of the child is taken into consideration.
5. It is ideal to keep a “spill kit” within easy reach of the designated wash down area. A spill kit should contain
protective clothing for adults (gloves, masks), items for washing the child (wipes, washcloths (single use
variety is recommended to be used), towels), bags for disposing of soiled items, and bleach or any other
approved cleaning chemical/s for cleaning the area.
6. Where possible parents should attend to their own children.
7. A record of illness should be kept, as per the Injury, Illness and Incident Procedure
8. If a child is unwell, they need to be isolated as per the Sick Child Isolation Procedure until collected.
RESOURCES
1. Notifiable Injury/Incidents:
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2015/0070/52.0/DLM5976868.html
2. Infectious Diseases for Criterion 26: https://www.education.govt.nz/early-childhood/licensing-andregulations/
the-regulatory-framework-for-ece/licensing-criteria/centre-based-ece-services/appendix-2-
infectious-diseases-for-criterion-hs26/
3. Notifiable diseases (general): https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/notifiablediseases
4. Playcentre Aotearoa’s Minor Injury, Illness, Incident Notice
5. Playcentre Aotearoa’s Serious Injury, Illness and Incident Form
6. Infectious Diseases for Criterion 26 Sign OR Ministry of Health Infectious Diseases Card
REFERENCES
Playcentre Aotearoa’s Health and Safety Policy
Playcentre Aotearoa’s Injury, Illness and Incident Procedure
Playcentre Aotearoa’s Child Washdown Procedure
Playcentre Aotearoa’s Sick Child Isolation Procedure
Playcentre Aotearoa’s Notifable Events Sign
Playcentre Aotearoa’s Laundering Procedure
Licensing Criteria for Centre-based Education and Care Services 2008
Education (ECS) Regulations 2008