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Original poster

6yr old child given medication without parental consent

400 replies

Skippy21 · 20/02/2020 08:28

After collecting my two children 11yrs and 6yrs old from a half term holiday workshop they both were happy and excited about their outdoor fun that day despite small injuries- 6yr old had a tumble and hurt his ankle. No real issues there until my 11yr old daughter said the man looking after them gave Jack (6 yr old) ‘a tablet’ 😮😮, as he had hurt his ankle and was in considerable pain crying a lot. I was utterly beside myself with shock that this would happen- Jack was given an Ibuprofen tablet -adult!! Medication- no phone call to me and no authority to administer any form of medication. Jack is ok, and dosage was within his weight range- just. The man has been suspended from his position ( guy in charge had no idea this incident had occurred!!).
Should this be reported to police?

OP posts:
ohnooutofdateham · 20/02/2020 10:17

I would also assume he was a first aider?

A properly trained first aider would know not to do this.

Op the guy was so far out of line that I've no idea why there are some posters sticking up for him. Ibuprofen can be dangerous for people with asthma for a start, some people are allergic to it etc. He had no idea whether the child has already had ibuprofen that day or might have got some later etc, there are so many reasons it's a bad idea to do this.
Rightly he's been suspended for it. It's not a criminal matter though unless you have reason to believe he was trying to harm your child.

Misandei · 20/02/2020 10:18

The whole thing feels odd. My son had to be convinced to take it/ coerced. He spat it out twice and my daughter said the guy ‘checked his mouth to make sure he had taken it’

The plot thickens
@Huggybear16 😂😅😂

PurpleDaisies · 20/02/2020 10:19

I think your a twat OP. He was trying to HELP.

He almost certainly wasn’t following club procedures. Nowhere allows the administration of medicine to children without explicit parental consent. Whether his intentions were good or not, he absolutely did the wrong thing and needs to face the consequences for that. Suspension, not the police.

ohnooutofdateham · 20/02/2020 10:19

People like the op are ruining the world for everyone. More and more people don’t want to run, clubs and trips because of the fear of back lash if they make a mistake. Have you ever made a mistake OP?

People that give children medication without the parents knowledge or consent shouldn't be running clubs and trips anyway. Anyone with half a brain cell should know not to do this.

SimonJT · 20/02/2020 10:19

Even if he had been given permission to administer ibuprofen he still can’t do it without first finding out when the child last had ibuprofen.

My nursery staff had permission to give my son paracetamol, but before they could do this they had to ask when he had previously had some to avoid over dosing, if they couldn’t get in touch none was given as it wouldn’t be safe to do so.

My son has asthma, if someone gave him ibuprofen it could have very serious consequences.

Any adult giving a child medication without explicit consent from a legal guardian needs suspending and investigating.

PurpleDaisies · 20/02/2020 10:23

Have you ever made a mistake OP?

Even if it was just a mistake, that doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be any consequences.

endofthelinefinally · 20/02/2020 10:24

Checking his mouth to make sure he had swallowed it? After the child spat it out a couple of times?
Blimey. Huge safeguarding red flag right there.
This man is clearly not a first aider. So he should have immediately ensured the designated first aider dealt with the situation.
Safeguarding rules and policies are there to protect everyone, children, teachers, carers, coaches, helpers.
Nobody should be suggesting that some rules are ok to break. Otherwise where do you draw the line?
Who decides which rules are ok to break/ignore?

bobstersmum · 20/02/2020 10:24

@mydcsaremarvel
A 500mg paracetamol tablet for a 6 year old is double the dose he should have, 6 year old dose of paracetamol is 250mg so op is right it would have been an overdose.
Op I think it's been dealt with, it's not ideal and I'd not be happy but a lot of these holiday clubs aren't run fantastically, I bet the man in question is a dad himself and treated it as he would with his own. No harm has been done so I think I'd move on, the man has lost his job and will probably struggle to get another similar.

itsgettingweird · 20/02/2020 10:25

Anyone else wondering why we haven't got a simple answer about what forms were filled out by the OP when she left her children in the care of this workshop?

Mamabear88 · 20/02/2020 10:25

OMG you're being ridiculous. The Police?! Get a grip. Your child is fine. He had a fall. The man was being nice and trying to make sure he wasn't in pain and your reaction is to get him arrested?! If you're that upset then tell the holiday club they're not to give your child medication without consulting you first. But I think you're acting way over the top and actually downright nasty to pursue this poor man who was trying to help your son.

bobstersmum · 20/02/2020 10:26

Sorry @MyDcAreMarvel

Itsonlywords · 20/02/2020 10:26

Lmao the police wont be arsed. I do agree though that they should have phoned, unless there is something clear in the literature somewhere to say they will administer medication unless you say otherwise. It seems that the organisation has acted appropriately by suspending him, what more would you like to happen? The dose was within his weight limit and he is okay, they have hopefully learnt for next time it happens to someone else.

Glitterblue · 20/02/2020 10:27

I wouldn't be happy with this. For one thing, I have asthma and I'm very allergic to ibuprofen so what if your son had been? And for another thing, what if you'd given him ibuprofen before dropping him off?

Notonthestairs · 20/02/2020 10:27

Agree with Itsgettingweird.

Alot depends on whether the Op signed an accident/medication form and what was on that form.

billycat321 · 20/02/2020 10:28

no harm done
the man meant well
now he has lost his job
Satisfied?

GFhuman · 20/02/2020 10:28

I'd report it to Ofsted.

Huggybear16 · 20/02/2020 10:29

People are being really dumb about the allergy thing. The whole point is the adult didn't know the kid wasn't allergic. It could have been fatal

People aren't being dumb.
I imagine that many of us, if we had a child with allergies, would ensure that the staff knew about it before leaving them in charge of the highly-allergic child.

I know I've made everyone who has ever looked after my son aware of his allergies, whether that information was asked for or not.

But the OP has gone from "child was happy, but was given a tablet" to "child can't take tablets, child said no to tablets, child spat out tablets twice, child was coerced into taking them"

That is one massive drip feed.

Willow2017 · 20/02/2020 10:30

I think your a twat OP. He was trying to HELP.
It’s people like you that stop others from helping incase they get punished.

Its people like him who give good child care a bad name. Forcing a child to take tablets is not helpful in the slightest. If it had been a child like mine who cant swallow tablets he would have been traumatised and he would never have swallowed it. He is 18 and still cant swallow them without choking !
All child carers have to follow safeguarding rules. He didnt thats a huge deal for any child care setting. If they were reported then it could have repercussions for all the staff.

All the threads on here slating child care settings for this and that yet suddenly forcing a child to take random medication without parental consent is ok?
I give up.

mumwon · 20/02/2020 10:31

out of interest many people who work at holiday clubs are volunteers -I wonder if this person was?
you said your son was given a tablet -are you aware there are chewable paediatric tablets? I would suggest you check from the holiday club what exactly he was given first before worrying? The person concerned made a mistake but his action was malicious but unwise & if as I suspect they were volunteers (& lets not forget your son was really upset) they probably wanted to help - I knew, because it was grilled into us, that I had to get written permission from parents before treatment, & signature after & also for incidents too - however if this person was a volunteer perhaps they didn't have much training, if any. Did you have to pay for this holiday group or was it well subsidized ie minimum payment, out of interest? Has your son had any health issue caused by this medication? What you should do is to write a polite and business like letter to the manager raising your concern & pointing out that they need permission before giving drugs, to inform you if it has been given when you go to collect, that training of staff is essential on first aid & medication, & that did they give your son an adult dose because this may have been potentially dangerous & can you have a copy of their policies on this. Send it by email & I don't think this is a police issue

Nanny0gg · 20/02/2020 10:31

I hate these threads.

The OP never comes back and engages with the many pertinent points. They just pop back with random 'extras'.

Waste of everyone's time

Beau20 · 20/02/2020 10:31

@itsgettingweird exactly my question. She clearly hasn't filled on out. Failings on both parts here.

@Willow2017 I never said the child was lying. But they are children at the end of the day, and an adult looking in on the situation may have a totally different interpretation of what happened. We all know kids can exaggerate, make things sound worse/not as bad as what they really were. As I said, we are getting a story here from a 6 and 11 year old. No-one else.

TalaxuArmiuna · 20/02/2020 10:31

it's bad this happened and good that the man lost this job as he clearly doesn't have a good grasp of appropriate care but no crime has occurred. maybe if your son had been seriously ill as a result of inappropriate medication that might amount to a crime but as he is fine no further action is needed.

Huggybear16 · 20/02/2020 10:32

Any adult giving a child medication without explicit consent from a legal guardian needs suspending and investigating.

Which is exactly what has happened. But OP wants to call the police.

itsgettingweird · 20/02/2020 10:32

But we do not know that the parent filled out a from or was asked to. She won't answer the question from what I see.

Personally if no form was filled out and you just left your name and contact details then you, as the parent, as just as negligent.

If you leave a child in someone else's care you either leave specific details to be followed and sign them or accept they'll act on what they feel is best in loco parentis.

And if the workshop didn't have these forms and the man didn't have access to them or training then to hold him accountable, and worse still want to get him a criminal record - is totally unreasonable.

Oakmaiden · 20/02/2020 10:33

A 500mg paracetamol tablet for a 6 year old is double the dose he should have, 6 year old dose of paracetamol is 250mg so op is right it would have been an overdose.

But it wasn't a 500mg paracetemol. So it is completely irrelevant!

Obviously OP is right to be angry that her son was given medication without her consent. She is absolutely right to inform the provider, and possibly Ofsted, so they can take action.

Informing the police is clearly bonkers, and the hysteria about what "could have" happened is both insane and completely unnecessary. Nothing dreadful happened. Your son is fine. The club will take action to make sure nothing similar happens again. End of story.