Intimate Care Policy

This policy represents the agreed principles for intimate care throughout the school. This policy has been agreed by all staff and Board of Management within the school.

School aims

1. To create a happy, caring and secure learning environment;
2. To provide a broad and balanced curriculum which will develop in each child the skills, attitudes and dispositions required for life and his/her responsibilities and opportunities;
3. To be a safe and responsible user of technology;
4. To encourage the personal qualities of self-confidence, self-discipline, perseverance, resilience and independence;
5. To encourage each child to develop self-respect, respect and concern for others, tolerance, integrity and moral courage;
6. To take responsibility for themselves in what they do and how they behave;
7. To enable each child to appreciate the environment and his/her opportunities and responsibilities for its conservation; and
8. To promote good relationships with parents, other schools and the wider community.

Introduction

The purpose of this policy is:

• To safeguard the rights and promote the best interests of the children
• To ensure children are treated with sensitivity, respect and in such a way that their experience of intimate care is a positive one
• To safeguard adults required to operate in sensitive situations
• To raise awareness and provide a clear procedure for intimate care
• To inform parents/carers in how intimate care is administered
• To ensure parents/carers are consulted in the intimate care of their children

Principles

It is essential that every child is treated as an individual and that care is given as sensitively as possible. Parents and staff should be aware that matters concerning intimate care will be dealt with confidentially and sensitively and that the young persons' right to privacy and dignity is maintained at all times.

Definition

Intimate care is one of the following:

• Supporting a pupil with dressing/undressing
• Providing comfort or support for a distressed pupil
• Assisting a pupil requiring medical care, who is not able to carry this out unaided
• Cleaning a pupil who has soiled him/herself, has vomited or feels unwell

Supporting dressing/undressing

Sometimes it will be necessary for staff to aid a child in getting dressed or undressed particularly in infants. Staff will always encourage children to attempt undressing and dressing independently.

Providing comfort or support

Children may seek physical comfort from staff (particularly children in infants). Where children require physical support, staff need to be aware that physical contact must be kept to a minimum and be child initiated. When comforting a child or giving reassurance, the member of staff’s hands should always be seen and a child should not be positioned close to a member of staff’s body which could be regarded as intimate. If physical contact is deemed to be appropriate staff must provide care which is suitable to the age, gender and situation of the child. If a child touches a member of staff in a way that makes him/her feel uncomfortable this can be gently but firmly discouraged in a way which communicates that the touch, rather than the child, is unacceptable.

Medical procedures

If it is necessary for a child to receive medicine during the school day parents must fill out a permission form from the school office and discuss their child’s needs with the Principal before the school agrees to administer medicines or medical care. It must be made clear to parents that staff administration of medicines is voluntary.

Any member of staff giving medicine to a pupil should check:

• The pupil's name
• Written instructions provided by parents or doctor
• Prescribed dose
• Expiry date

Particular attention should be paid to the safe storage, handling and disposal of medicines.

The Principal has prime responsibility for the safe management of medicines kept at school. School staff is also responsible for making sure that anyone in school is safe. Medicines should generally be kept in a secure place, not accessible to pupils but arrangements must be in place to ensure that any medication that a pupil might need in an emergency is readily available.

Soiling

Intimate care for soiling should only be given to a child after the parents have given permission for staff to clean and change the child. Parents who have children in infants may sign a permission form so that the staff can clean and change their child in the event of the child soling themselves (Appendix 1).

If the parents/carers or emergency contact wishes to attend and is able to come within a few minutes, the child is comforted and kept away from the other children to preserve dignity until the parent arrives. A child will not be left on his/her own whilst waiting for a parent to arrive, an adult will stay with him/her, giving comfort and reassurance. The child will be dressed at all times and never left partially clothed. If a parent/carer or emergency contact cannot be contacted or cannot attend, the Principal will be consulted. If necessary, staff will act appropriately and may need to come into some level of physical contact in order to aid the child. All incidents of intimate care provision will be recorded and parents informed. (Appendix 2)

When touching a child, staff should always be aware of the possibility of invading a child’s privacy and will respect the child’s wishes and feelings.

If a child needs to be cleaned, staff will make sure that:

• A second member of staff is present or in the vicinity
• Protective gloves are worn
• The procedure is discussed in a friendly and reassuring way with the child throughout the process
• The child is encouraged to care for him/herself as far as possible
• Physical contact is kept to the minimum possible to carry out the necessary cleaning
• Privacy is given appropriate to the child's age and the situation
• All spills of vomit, blood or excrement are wiped up and flushed down the toilet
• Any soiling that can be, is flushed down the toilet
• Soiled clothing is put in a plastic bag, unwashed, and sent home with the child

Hygiene

All staff must be familiar with normal precautions for avoiding infection, must follow basic hygiene procedures and have access to protective, disposable gloves.

Protection for staff

Members of staff need to have regard to the danger of allegations being made against them and take precautions to avoid this risk. These should include:

• Attempting to contact parents/carers for the child
• Gaining a verbal agreement from another member of staff that the action being taken is necessary
• Informing the Principal
• Allow the child, wherever possible, to express a preference to choose his/her carer and encourage them to say if they find a carer to be unacceptable
• Allow the child a choice in the sequence of care
• Be aware of and responsive to the child's reactions

Safeguards for children

There is an obligation on schools to ensure that staff who have substantial, unsupervised access to children undergo police checks.

• All staff at Scoil Phádraig Naofa are Garda vetted
• It is not appropriate for students (teaching or work experience) or volunteers to carry out intimate care procedures

This Policy will be reviewed every 2 years or earlier if necessary and was ratified in December 2023.

Appendix 1

Permission form for Intimate Care Provision

Should your child have an accident (soil or wet themselves) in school and require changing we are willing, with your permission to clean and change your child as required. We will follow the procedures outlined in our “Intimate Care Policy”. This role will always be undertaken by a member of staff (teacher or SNA) and you will be informed that an incident has taken place.

In such an event please indicate below how you would like us to proceed.

• In the event of my child having an accident in school and needing to be cleaned and changed, I give permission for a member of staff (teacher or classroom assistant) to clean and change him / her.

Child’s name _____________________

Signed _____________________ (Parent/Guardian)

OR

• In the event of my child having an accident in school and needing to be cleaned, I would like to be contacted so that I can proceed to school.

I accept that if you are unable to contact myself or someone on the emergency contact list you will proceed to clean and change him / her as based on the procedures outlined in the “Intimate Care Policy”

Child’s name _____________________

Signed _____________________ (Parent/Guardian)

Appendix 2

Record of Intimate Care Provision

Signed _____________________________ (member of staff)

Signed _____________________________ (Principal)