Infection prevention and control - Information for Schools & Settings
The Rotherham Health Protection Team supports Education Settings in preventing and managing infectious diseases through expert advice, outbreak guidance and tailored training.
An outbreak of infection is defined as two or more linked cases of the same illness or an increase in illness above what would normally be expected. Contact the UKHSA Health Protection team, copying in our Rotherham Health Protection Team if you are experiencing:
- A higher than previously experienced and/or rapidly increasing number of absences due to the same infection (e.g. influenza, COVID-19, diarrhoea and/or vomiting).
- Evidence of severe disease due to an infection, for example if an individual is admitted to hospital.
- An outbreak in a SEND school with medically vulnerable or immunocompromised children.
- More than one infection circulating in the same group of people, for example chicken pox and scarlet fever.
Usefull Links
- Managing specific infectious diseases: A to Z
- Exclusion table (This guidance refers to public health exclusions to indicate the time period an individual should not attend a setting to reduce the risk of transmission during the infectious stage. This is different to ‘exclusion’ as used in an educational sense.
- Preventing and controlling infections
- Health protection in children and young people settings, including education
- Specific settings and populations: additional health protection considerations
- Emergency planning and response for education, childcare, and children's social care settings
- Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework
E-Bug Recources
The e-Bug teaching resources are designed to promote behaviour change in children and young people. This should help to prevent or reduce the transmission of infections in their schools and communities.
Examples of the resources include lessons, games and posters accredited by the Association of Science Education.
They're mapped to the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework, and to the school curriculum key stages 1-4. There are additional materials for community groups as well.
The resources are free and the materials are translated into a number of different languages.
HANDi App
HANDi Paediatric App is a free app designed for parents and carers, and healthcare professionals. It has simple and straightforward advice to help you feel more confident to deal with high temperatures, and a range of common childhood illnesses such as diarrhoea and vomiting, or a chesty baby or child.
How to wash your hands to the NHS song
The NHS has produced a child-friendly song explaining how to wash your hands
