Unicorn Play Club Personal, Intimate, and Clinical Care Policy
Our Commitment to Respectful Care
At Unicorn Play Club, we treat every child with the utmost respect, dignity, and sensitivity. We aim to support all children’s individual needs while promoting their welfare and development through careful attention to personal and intimate care.
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Defining Personal Care
Personal care involves activities that support a child’s wellbeing but do not require contact with intimate body parts. Examples include helping children with feeding, dressing, or providing emotional support. Please note that staff do not carry out tasks such as cutting nails, checking for head lice, or painting fingernails, as these are considered beyond our remit.
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Understanding Intimate Care
Intimate care relates to tasks involving personal hygiene and bodily functions, which may involve direct or indirect contact with intimate areas of a child’s body. Children may need this support due to their age, abilities, or additional needs. Staff always handle intimate care with sensitivity and respect to maintain the child’s dignity.
The area where intimate care is provided is designed to be clean, comfortable, and child- friendly, ensuring the child feels safe and relaxed throughout the process. Wherever possible, staff seek the child’s consent and ensure that the child is comfortable and not distressed.
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Toileting Support
Staff are responsible for supervising children’s toileting needs, providing help when necessary. For hygiene and safety reasons, we do not encourage or provide potties, as this helps reduce infection risks and promotes good hygiene habits.
Please note, nappies are not changed by staff. If a child wears a nappy during a drop-off session, a parent or guardian must remain onsite at all times.
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Clinical Care and Interventions
Some children may require clinical care, such as managing medical devices like nasal-gastric tubes or feeding pumps. These are classified as intimate care tasks and require specially trained staff.
Before any clinical intervention is undertaken, we must receive appropriate medical documentation—such as a Health Care Plan or letter from a qualified healthcare professional—to clearly outline the required treatment. All staff involved will undergo training and be deemed competent before carrying out these tasks.
Parents are required to inform Unicorn Play Club of any clinical care needs at least 48 hours before their child attends a session.
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Staff Responsibilities and Safeguarding
Staff involved in personal and intimate care are trained to follow our safeguarding policies closely to protect children at all times. Managers ensure that staff have the necessary skills, undergo full DBS checks, and work safely in line with risk assessments and observations.
Unicorn Play Club complies fully with Health and Safety regulations, including safe handling and disposal of bodily fluids.
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Physical Restraint (Exceptional Circumstances)
In rare situations, physical restraint may be necessary to protect the child or others. This is always a last resort and is carried out with utmost care to be non-invasive and respectful of the child’s wellbeing. More information about restraint procedures can be found in our Behaviour Management P