Features

All about... infection control

Practice
Rigorous infection control policies and procedures can help avoid infections or halt their spread, writes Mary Evans Bad news spreads fast and nothing spreads faster in the childcare sector than the news that an infection has caused serious illness in children at a nursery. This was evident during the recent outbreaks of the deadly E.coli 0157 bug.

Bad news spreads fast and nothing spreads faster in the childcare sector than the news that an infection has caused serious illness in children at a nursery. This was evident during the recent outbreaks of the deadly E.coli 0157 bug.

Television footage of early years inspectors and medical officials entering a setting or contract cleaners leaving with bags of waste, can shake parents' confidence, even when the bug has originated from outside the premises and the staff have made great efforts to limit its spread.

'Parents want to know that infection control is taken seriously,' says Laura Henry of Childcare Consultancy. 'They want to know t their children are being looked after properly. If an infection does spread through a nursery inevitably it is bad for the reputation of that setting.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included

  • Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month

  • Unlimited access to news and opinion

  • Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here