First Aid Policy

A) THE HEALTH AND SAFETY (FIRST AID) REGULATIONS 1981.
The regulations came into effect on 1/7/82 and place a general duty on all employees to make an adequate first aid provision for their employees.  This duty is restricted to the employees only and has no application to the children or young people resident at Howestead Lodge.  Recommendations regarding first aid provision in respect of the young people are generally given in the form of advice published by the D.F.E.E.;

B) Further guidance on Treatment and Administration of Medicine Within the Home can be found in the National Minimum Standards for Children’s Homes; Standard 13.

C) All Care Staff at Howestead Lodge are first aid trained and hold current ‘ Appointed Persons’ certificates.

D) A designated member of staff is nominated to be responsible for all the first aid kits and their replenishment, first aid training, and all record keeping.

Administration and Disposal of Prescribed Drugs

Howestead Loge views the storage and administration of prescribed drugs a serious issue, therefore;

All prescribed drugs including soluble and non-soluble pain relievers are kept in a locked easily recognisable metal first aid cabinet situated in a secure office.

A record of the recipient, dosage and frequency of administration of the prescribed drugs are kept in the child’s or young person’s individual record books together with the name of the staff member who supervised the administration.

A supply of soluble pain relievers are kept and the children or young people encouraged to use these rather than the non-soluble type.  Children or young people who request the non-soluble tablets are supervised by staff until the tablets have been taken, reducing the risk of tablets not being taken at the time and stored covertly.  A record of soluble and non-soluble pain relievers is kept together with all pain relievers taken by staff members.

An ‘up-to-date” stock record of all pain relieving tablets (soluble and non-soluble) is kept and continually monitored ensuring (in the unlikely event of the stock being stolen) the exact amount taken or stolen can be ascertained.

Arrangements have been made with the local Practice Nurse for the disposal of unused or outdated drugs and medicines.

Children or young people of a ’responsible and understanding’ ability are encouraged to store and administer their own prescribed drugs, discreetly supervised by staff members.

Homely Remedies

A stock of ‘Homely remedies’ including cough medicines, flu symptom relief, throat lozenges and indigestion remedies are kept and administered by staff members if and when required.  Training, guidance and advice on the administration of homely remedies has been given by the Local Practice Nurse as part of our ongoing in-house training programme.  Records of the administration of these homely remedies are also kept in the young person’s individual record books.  Information regarding any allergies the young person may have to some drugs (antibiotics) and band-aids etc. is also recorded and easily identifiable on the front of the individual record books.

The designated member of staff responsible for first aid will ensure that all first aid kits have the minimum required contents suggested by the St. John Ambulance guideline document “Emergency Aid at Work” including any vehicle first aid kits and outdoor pursuits first aid kits.