Nappy changing

6.4 Nappy changing

Policy statement

No child is excluded from participating in our setting who may, for any reason, not yet be toilet trained and who may still be wearing nappies or equivalent. We work with parents towards toilet training, unless there are medical or other developmental reasons why this may not be appropriate at the time.

We provide nappy changing facilities and exercise good hygiene practices in order to accommodate children who are not yet toilet trained.

We see toilet training as a self-care skill that children have the opportunity to learn with the full support and non-judgemental concern of adults.

Procedures

• Our rooms have a list of changing times for the children who are in nappies or ‘pull-ups’; and change nappies according to this schedule, or more frequently where necessary.
• We encourage young children from two years to normally wear pull ups, or other types of trainer pants, as soon as they are comfortable with this and if their parents agree.
• Only those persons granted permission by the manager and listed in each room or in the toilet area may attend to a child’s intermit needs. 
• Babies and young children are changed within sight of other staff whilst maintaining their dignity and privacy at all times.
•  Our staff put on gloves and aprons before changing starts and the areas are prepared and the changing area is cleaned freshly for each child.
• If a child is sore then cream such as suda cream must be delicately applied and recorded on the nappy chart and day sheet.
• All our staff are trained before being allowed to change a child and must be familiar with our hygiene procedures and carry these out when changing nappies.
• Our staff never turn their back on a child or leave them unattended whilst they are on the changing mat.
• We are gentle when changing; we avoid pulling faces and making negative comments about ‘nappy contents’.
• We do not make inappropriate comments about children’s genitals when changing their nappies.
• In addition, we ensure that nappy changing is relaxed and a time to promote independence in young children.
• We encourage children to take an interest in using the toilet; they may just want to sit on it and talk to a friend who is also using the toilet.
• We encourage children to wash their hands, and have soap and towels to hand. They should be allowed time for some play as they explore the water and the soap.
• We do not use anti-bacterial hand wash liquid or soap for young children; young skin is quite delicate and anti-bacterial products kill off certain good bacteria that children need to develop their own natural resistance to infection.
• Older children access the toilet when they have the need to and are encouraged to be independent.
• We dispose of nappies and pull ups hygienically in the special nappy bins. Cloth nappies, trainer pants and ordinary pants that have been wet bagged for parents to take home. Soiled ones may be bagged if there is not a risk of contamination to children. 
• We have ‘duty of care’ towards children’s personal needs. If children are left in wet or soiled nappies/pull ups in the setting this may constitute neglect and will be a disciplinary matter.