Attends nursery comes home with a dirty backside

kingfisherblue

If the nursery is a charity, it may be run by a management board. Do as others have suggested regarding speaking to the nursery manager, then go higher. Put your complaint in writing. Also contact the Early Years section at the local council with your concerns, and if necessary, complain to OFSTED as well.

Dirty nappies should not be stored and given to you at the end of the day - I dread to think what the backpack smells like! nappies are usually collected as medical waste by specialist companies or the council and although this does cost money, I would have expected it to be a necessary expense for the nursery.

As your child has special needs, the nursery staff need to be aware that he cannot communicate his discomfort in the same way that other children can, and this includes a sore bottom due to their poor hygiene. I speak from experience - my son is disabled and still wears nappies at the age of 13. He doesn't always know when he is wet or dirty.

I would arrange a meeting with the nursery manager.

poet123

I think this sounds horrendous. Surely, this kind of thing shouldn't be going on in 2012? Children with special needs due to abuse etc should not be exposed to this lack of care and breaches of basic hygiene. Storing the nappies up is disgusting, is this done all year round? Imagine the smell in August?

Is this really the only provision available in the area?

gingin_2

Do you have any contact with a social worker, would they be able to say anything on your behalf?

hayleyc_2

As others have said, I'd speak to the manager about this. I've also never heard of a nursery sending home dirty nappies, and wouldn't want my children to attend one who did this. If the situation doesn't improve immediately after speaking to the manager then I'd complain to ofsted the next time it happens. Keeping children clean and hygienic is surely one of their most basic requirements and it's not fair for them to be sore.

Make-it-3

Wow, I'm shocked too at some cheap, shoddy practices. I thought there would be something in H&S or OFSTED guidelines re nappy disposal and that all nurseries would have to use those proper systems that get emptied by specialist companies (like they use for ladies sanitary products).

Having said that I get my LO's poo delivered back to me sometimes, but that's because we're cloth bumming but I supply a proper zipped wetbag which keeps smells at bay. Besides its the chemicals that wet/soiled disposables give off that smell worse that the poo itself.

Different nurseries do have different practices re whether they provide nappies/wipes or whether you supply your own. If you've offered wipes it seems churlish not to use them. That blue paper stuff is too stiff to get into all the nooks and crannies - no wonder bits are missed.

OP I would go in a bit stronger re the health and hygiene aspects, as remnants of poo can create a breeding ground for bacterial nappy rash. I would also check if there are any government guidelines on nursery standards in this area and if so throw those at them too.

If none of that helps then I guess threatening to leave might be your only option.

narabanekeater

it does sound like cost cutting to me as they would have to pay for the soiled nappies to be taken away. Just a point id assume the same would be for soiled wipes. Well youd expect the used wipe to be wrapped in the used nappy wouldnt you. So that could answer the wipes bit but then again id guess they would send the dirty wipes home with the nappies. Ive worked in childcare and have never come accross this before.

the_cat

In all honesty regularly failing to clean a soiled child and leaving them to get sore is neglect, pure and simple

No child should have to put up with that and as a parent, you shouldn't allow it to go unchallenged. I'm unclear as to whether it is a special needs nursery and therefore you are tied to using them or your son goes to a normal (sorry, can't think of a more appropriate word) nursery, but happens to have special needs

Are you able to move him?

Mojisola

"7.1 Children in nappies/ nappy changing
Any nursery, pre-school or school, which accepts children who are still in nappies, must have appropriate changing facilities. NB. Ensure that nappy changing areas are designated for that use only and that they are not near a play or kitchen area.

• Nappies must be changed in a designated area away from play facilities, and away from any area where food or drink may be prepared or consumed.

• Soiled nappies should be wrapped in a plastic bag and disposed of using local arrangements with the local authority (DH, 2006).

• The nappy disposal bin should have a foot-operated lid.

• Nurseries, pre-school and schools, which produce a substantial number of used nappies (*or sanitary products) should make arrangements for appropriate disposal (e.g. a contract with a registered waste disposal company).

• Children’s skin should be cleaned with a disposable wipe. Flannels should not be used. Nappy creams, lotions, etc. should be labelled with the child’s name and must not be shared between children. It is important to use clean, disposable gloves when removing creams for containers, this will help to avoid cross infection and contamination of the container."

Read the rest here - https://www.hpa.org.uk/webc/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1194947365864

pinkladyof66

he attends a special needs nursery on 3 mornings and mainstream 2 only just started mainstream

in september he will go to mainstream 3 and special needs 2 - there are only 6 children in each session of special needs so they have literally 2 - 1 care. There is no other special needs nursery for miles around from us that can give him the 2 - 1 support and he has been at this nursery now for at least 2 years as he needs consistency at the moment. In sept 2013 he will start school and by then we shall have him toilet trained so it is just the intermediate time we have to worry about.

I prefer it when he poos in the morning (most often does) then i dont have to have the sticky nappies back but on occasions he does do it again at nursery.

We are a little stuck to be honest so i might just slip the wipes in and leave a note with them. To say i would prefer it if they use the wipes on him as he seems to be having a bit of problem down below and needs to be kept very clean at all times.

pinkladyof66

gosh so does anyone else on here whose child attends a nursery have their nappies returned or am i the only one.