This document discusses supporting children who are unwell in early years settings. It covers: - Identifying signs of ill health in children like tiredness, coughing, vomiting and needing medical intervention for serious illnesses. - Understanding legal requirements to report notifiable diseases to local health authorities, which helps monitor immunization programs. - The process of reporting involves doctors notifying local authorities who can then take action to limit disease spread. Settings also report unusual illnesses. - Activities include identifying signs of illness, researching notifiable diseases, designing information posters and leaflets for parents, and discussing case studies to practice appropriate actions.

1. CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator© Hodder & Stoughton Limited
CACHE LEVEL 3
EARLY YEARS EDUCATOR
Unit 1.5 Understand how to
support children who are unwell

2. CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator© Hodder & Stoughton Limited
Learning outcomes
LO2. Identify the signs of ill health in children
• Describe the signs and symptoms of ill health in children
• Give examples of when medical intervention is necessary
LO3. Understand legal requirements for reporting notifiable diseases
• Identify notifiable diseases
• Describe the process for reporting notifiable diseases

3. CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator© Hodder & Stoughton Limited
Starter activity
LO2. Know the signs of ill health in children [AC 2.1]
Time: 15 mins
• A child in your setting has vomited twice during the morning
session.
• How would you care for them?
• Write a list of actions that you would take to look after the
child.

4. CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator© Hodder & Stoughton Limited
There are many signs that a child may be feeling unwell.
Signs and
symptoms of ill
health in children
Tiredness IrritabilityAttention seeking
Coughing
Runny
noseTemperature
Lack of interest in
activities
Vomiting
LO2. Know the signs of ill health in children [AC 2.1]
Signs and symptoms of ill health in children

5. CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator© Hodder & Stoughton Limited
LO2. Know the signs of ill health in children [AC 2.1]
Medical intervention should be sought immediately if meningitis
or whooping cough is suspected.
Medical attention should be sought in other cases if the
following symptoms are present:
• Measles and mumps – signs of severe headaches
• Chicken pox – evidence of drowsiness, coughing or seizures
• Rubella – signs of joint pain
• Tonsillitis – white spots on the tonsils.
When medical intervention is necessary

6. CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator© Hodder & Stoughton Limited
Classroom discussion activity
LO2. Know the signs of ill health in children [AC 2.2]
Time: 15 mins
You have a child in your setting who is running a temperature,
has a headache and has vomited. She appears tired and ‘clingy’.
You think that her level of discomfort and distress has increased
and that she needs to be examined by a doctor.
• What action do you take?
• Consider all the things that you would do.

7. CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator© Hodder & Stoughton Limited
LO3. Understand the legal requirements for reporting notifiable
diseases [AC 3.1]
• Some diseases are what are known as ‘notifiable’. This means that
they have to be reported to the local health authority. These will be
contagious diseases.
• Reporting these diseases can inform the authority of how well the
immunisation programme is working.
• The measles outbreak in Wales in 2013 highlighted the fact that
many parents had chosen not to let their children have the MMR
vaccination, it also showed how the disease can turn into an
epidemic if not contained. The Welsh authorities put a new
emergency immunisation plan in place in order to ensure that all
children were vaccinated against the illness.
• A child with a notifiable disease should not attend at a setting until
they are advised that it is safe to return.
Identify notifiable diseases

8. CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator© Hodder & Stoughton Limited
Independent research activity
LO3. Understand the legal requirements for reporting notifiable
diseases [AC 3.1, 3.2]
Time: 15 mins
Research the notifiable diseases and the advice on how long a
child should be excluded from a setting.
• Find out which diseases are notifiable.
• Revise the signs and symptoms of the most common ones.
• Note the incubation period for each one (how long it takes for
the disease to show).

9. CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator© Hodder & Stoughton Limited
LO3. Understand the legal requirements for reporting notifiable
diseases [AC 3.2]
• It is normally the job of the doctor who has diagnosed the disease to
report it to the ‘Proper Officer’ at the Local Authority. This is usually a
consultant from the Health Protection Unit (HPU). The HPU can then take
action to limit the spread of the disease.
• Head teachers and managers are also asked to contact the HPU to report
any unusual or serious illnesses, in both pupils and staff, that they may
need advice on.
• On being informed of a notifiable disease, it is normal for the HPU to
contact the setting to gain more information and to provide advice and
guidance.
• To aid in reporting to the HPU, settings should keep a sickness register. If
head teachers/managers suspect that an outbreak is occurring in their
setting, they should telephone the HPU immediately.
The process for reporting notifiable diseases

10. CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator© Hodder & Stoughton Limited
Pairs activity
LO3. Understand the legal requirements for reporting notifiable
diseases [AC 3.1, 3.2]
Time: 15 mins
Using your research about notifiable diseases, design an
information poster for parents to be put on display in your
setting.
Your poster should explain:
• why some diseases are notifiable
• the importance of recognising signs and symptoms and being
aware of the incubation and exclusion periods.

11. CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator© Hodder & Stoughton Limited
Group activity
LO3. Understand the legal requirements for reporting notifiable
diseases [AC 3.2]
Time: 15 mins
1. A girl in your setting came in two days ago with ringworm. According
to NHS advice she does not need to be excluded from the setting.
Today two more children came into the setting with ringworm.
• What action should you take?
2. You have two children in your setting who have conjunctivitis. The
Health Protection Agency states that children do not need to stay
away from school.
• What advice would you give to parents and to the practitioners in
your setting?

12. CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator© Hodder & Stoughton Limited
Extension activity
LO3. Understand the legal requirements for reporting notifiable
diseases [AC 3.2]
Time: 15 mins
Design some information leaflets for parents to accompany the
poster that you produced in the Pairs activity.
• They should contain more detail than the poster.
• They could include useful telephone numbers and links to
relevant websites.
• They could refer to the setting’s relevant policies and
procedures.
• They may contain some information about different diseases.

13. CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator© Hodder & Stoughton Limited
Reflection activity
LO2. Know the signs of ill health in children [AC 2.1]
Time: 15 mins
• Recap on signs and symptoms of ill health.
• Consider how you can support and care for children who
display some of these.
• List each sign or symptom and explain what measures you
would take to care for a child who is displaying them.

14. CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator© Hodder & Stoughton Limited
Summary
 We have identified signs and symptoms of ill health in children.
 We have learnt about cases when medical intervention is necessary.
 We have researched and identified notifiable diseases.
 We have learnt about the process for reporting notifiable diseases.
 We have discussed case studies and suggested the action that we would
take.
 We have designed information posters and leaflets to explain about
notifiable diseases to parents.

15. CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator© Hodder & Stoughton Limited
Summary: plenary activities
1. Research further into your setting’s policy on infectious illnesses.