CMs - WWYD if you found medication in your house that wasn't yours and the children could have got to????

[looneytune]

Got to be very quick as about to do school run. This afternoon I found a tablet just sitting on my table. It's not from my house, we'd never heard of it. It wasn't there this morning (definitely) so either it entered the house at part day switch of kiddies or it's been somewhere in my house and a child found it and put it there. I'm worried about the 'what ifs' and also paranoid that more could be in my house somewhere. I really don't know what to do? Do I write up an incident report and explain I've searched to ensure no other tablets are in the house????

WWYD? It's really upset me

not a CM but,

write an incident report incase in a few hours a child gets ill from side effects of swallowing a second (or third) one and keep the tablet to be tested. And hoover.

if you don't do an incident report now, you will be putting yourself in a tricky situation if a child gets effects later and you have to say "oh yeah I did find a pill but didn't bother documenting it" IYKWIM

yy document the find

send a letter home with each child

ring your early years team for advice as soon as you get back from school, whilst the children are having their snack

you may need to inform ofsted, your EY team will guide you

Just a thought... I got really freaked out a while back when I found a couple of small unidentified tablets in one of my kiddies, changing bags and went through the same panic process (could the kids have taken one, what could it be, who should I tell etc). My DH came in and immediately identified it as a sweetener (his Mum used to have the same ones!)so I licked it, and it was!

Thanks, just back and starting calls, couldn't do before as found just before time to go. Deffo medicine, looked on net what it is!

council person on way, will let you know what she says.

god poor you how worrying.. hope all fine.. must have been in a kids pocket!!! bump

fingers crossed that you can get to the bottom of this x x x

Looney Hows it going, its an awful thing to happen, I had to send reminder letters out a few months ago as a parent had her contraceptive pills in her childs changing bag. I don't think parents know how serious this is any of the children could have opened the bag and got them out. I now check through all bags as soon as they come into the house to make sure nothing that shouldnt be their is in.

I second the advice, keep the pill, write report and you have done the right thing by notifying your EYP, hope they can offer some advice to you. I would also contact all of the parents asap to see if you can identify where it came from, and soundly bollock whoever was daft enough to bring it into your home.

I keep bags outside now, because children were always bringing calpol and all sorts, but they still manage to smuggle stuff in, in their trouser pockets!

Let me know how you get on Looney

blimey, hope you get it all cleared up Looneytune - guess it must have come from a mindees house? Hope council person was helpful.

Hi everyone, sorry I didn't come back yesterday but the council lady didn't get here til about 5.15 and left just before 6pm then mindee was picked up and wouldn't leave for ages then had to cook for my boys as hadn't been able to make dinner because the council lady was coming - queue major tantrum later from my nearly 2 yr old ds2!! (was hungry and getting tired and I'd taken something away that he wasn't allowed!). Anyway, didn't get my kids to bed til 8pm (usually 7) and then dh came home and wanted to know what happened then I drank beer and crashed out lol!!

The EY lady took load of notes, a copy of the chart of mindees I have during the week etc etc. and said to do what I was planning to do - report with full details, copy to her, my own EY person (as this other one wasn't our area), Ofsted, letter to parents (although spoken to them for now). She actually said to keep the tablet (I already had it in sealed bag in case).

As for things in bags, I rarely get given bags as I provide nappies, wipes, food etc. and usually have spares here. But I did have an overnight stay night before and so that bag was here. I will do letter about making sure handbags are not left unattended etc.

HSMM - you've got a great clockroom for them, wish I had that. Wouldn't even be able to keep bags in my porch area it's too small. Never mind.

atwork - I'm not sure if you got my email but just wanted to say a massive thanks for that stuff in the post, it's great and very helpful. Thanks so much for taking the time, especially with everything you are going through right now xx

No prob Looney, can't get into my email at all now .

Sounds like things are going to be ok your end, good that someone could come out to you so quickly.

atwork - nightmare about email As for council person, yes it was good she wanted to help but I WAS a bit p'd off that she insisted on coming round right then as it was dinner time and well, writing a report there and then doesn't change what happens does it?! She didn't tell me anything that she hadn't already said on the phone, I think she wanted to make sure she was happy with ME tbh??! Luckily only 1 mindee was due for dinner that day due to parents collecting early etc. but that 1 mindee ended up eating late with their mum instead of here (I'd phoned mum saying was worried about getting dinner out in time etc. with council person coming and she said she'd take them out instead). But then I had a nightmare with my own kids because of it and a very stressful late bedtime for them. Just a bit OTT imho, only because nothing helped ME by her actually coming to the house. Oh well.