Intimate Care Policy
Intimate Care Policy: Nappy changing and toileting
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Purpose of the policy:
This policy sets out how staff at Chingford House Nursery provide safe, respectful and
developmentally appropriate intimate care, including nappy changing, potty training, toileting
and personal hygiene support. We want children to become confident and independent as
they learn self-care skills.
Guidance:
The policy is compliant with the EYFS Statutory Framework (2026), Working Together to
Safeguard Children (2026), Keeping Children Safe in Education (2026), and local
safeguarding partnership procedures.
Definition of intimate care:
Intimate care refers to any personal care activity that involves physical contact or close
supervision, including:
*Nappy changing *potty training *supporting toileting *changing clothes after toileting
accidents *cleaning children who have soiled themselves *supporting children with personal
hygiene (wiping themselves, washing hands, etc.)
Principles of Practice:
All intimate care is carried out in a way that is:
Respectful & reassuring – preserving dignity, promoting independence & praising
children’s efforts, ensuring it is a positive experience for children
Safe – following safeguarding, hygiene and supervision requirements
Developmentally appropriate: meeting the unique child where they are in their stage of
understanding & development
Inclusive – meeting the needs of all children
Consistent – following agreed routines and procedures between home & nursery
Transparent – clearly recorded information and communicated with parents
Induction:
Intimate care and toileting is discussed as part of the induction process, so staff understand
their responsibility in keeping children safe. Where possible, staff must change children’s
nappies or toilet them in the presence of another member of staff; this ensures safety for the
child as well as eliminating the risk of an allegation made against a member of staff.
Staff:
All staff who carry out intimate care routines have an enhanced DBS, have been checked
against barring lists and do not have any safeguarding concerns (confirmed by referees).
This forms part of ongoing staff suitability checks.
Staff must immediately disclose any offences that may affect their suitability to work with
children.
Long term students and volunteers must not engage in intimate care routines unless they
have an enhanced DBS.
Positive and effective relationships between Key Person and child enables children to feel
comfortable during nappy changing and toileting routines and is regarded as quality 1-1 time.
Supporting nappy changing:
We expect children to arrive at nursery in a clean nappy, parents must inform a member of
staff on arrival if that is not the case, so that the child can be changed immediately.
All rooms have a designated area for changing children’s nappies, providing as much
privacy as possible. Parents and other visitors in the room, must be asked to move away if
staff feel they are standing too close to the nappy changing area.
Where appropriate, children should be encouraged to use a small step to help them climb
onto the changing table (this promotes independence and a ‘can do’ attitude) as well as
minimising the risk of a back injury for staff. Children must not be left unattended on the
changing table.
Children need to have sufficient nappies for the day (at least 3) as well as barrier cream.
Staff will not use another child’s cream to remove the risk of cross contamination.
There are set times when children’s nappies are changed, however, we recognise that
children soil their nappies at any time; therefore, regular checks take place to ensure that
children are not left in a soiled nappy.
Supporting potty training/toileting:
A Key Person and parent should discuss and agree when potty training/toileting should take
place; this will enable us to work in partnership and ensure consistency for the child.
We want to create and agree a relaxed and enjoyable approach to toileting, as well as us all
understanding the importance of routines, consistency, cultural preferences and following
the child’s lead.
Toileting is not just about the age of the child, but rather that they are developmentally ready
and understand the process of toileting. staff generally wait until children know or can tell us
that they have done a ‘wee’ or a ‘poo’ as an indicator that children, know about their bodily
functions and that they may be ready to come out of nappies. Parents may also recognise
signs that their child is ready.
Some children feel more comfortable using their potty from home, so we are happy for
parents to bring it in.
Staff must ensure that they are in sight or hearing of children using the toilet or the potty at
all times and children must not be left unsupervised in the bathroom.
- Some children will start their training using the toilet straight away, instead of a potty
- Staff must take the children to the toilet/potty regularly and children must be
encouraged to flush the toilet themselves after use
- Children should be encouraged to pull down their clothes and sit on the potty/toilet
and pull their clothes up after use
- As the children get older and become more confident, we encourage them to ask for
the potty/toilet independently
- As the children approach 3.5yrs old, we encourage them to try to wipe themselves
after a bowel movement; staff will also wipe the child to ensure that they are fully
clean. By the time children go to school, we hope that they will be able to wipe
themselves independently as part of ‘school readiness.’
Respectful toileting:
Children are praised just for sitting on the potty/toilet when they first start training as we
know that positive reinforcement works best with children.
Children will not be pressurised to use the potty or toilet; they will be gently encouraged but
will not be made to sit on the potty/toilet if they don’t want to.
Where possible, children will be afforded some privacy whilst using a potty (which can be
challenging in the bathroom or in the playroom); The children’s toilets have child height
doors, which offers privacy, but still allows staff to see when children need space to manage
independently or support if they are in difficulty.
We ask parents to provide lots of underwear and bottoms (preferably jogging bottoms or
leggings that can be pulled down quickly), as we anticipate lots of accidents when children
first begin training! The children will not be punished, ridiculed or made to feel bad for
toileting accidents.
Staff MUST not have photography or recording equipment in intimate care spaces.
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Inclusion, SEND & Medical needs:
Each child is unique and therefore their nappy changing and toileting is unique to them.
Staff will ensure that children are supported according to their needs during this important
milestone.
Some children need more support when toileting; where applicable, toileting plans
or specific strategies may be devised in conjunction with parents and other professionals.
Parents can talk to their Key Person about any cultural, medical or any other specific needs
that we should be aware of.
Children are not excluded, treated differently or unfairly because of their toileting needs.
Parents must speak with the Manager if they feel this is the case.
Hygiene & Infection Control:
We employ strict hygiene practices to ensure that we are keeping children safe and
minimising cross contamination.
After using the potty, the waste must be disposed of in the toilet and washed out using
antibacterial spray.
Staff must ensure that the toilet is flushed and sanitised after each child uses it.
Children must be prompted to wash their hands with soap and dry them after using the
potty/toilet.
Staff must wear gloves and aprons when changing children’s nappies. After changing each
child, staff must wipe down the changing mat with antibacterial spray, remove their gloves &
apron and put them in a nappy sack. Staff must wash/sanitise their hands after changing
each child’s nappy.
Staff must put on new gloves and an apron before changing the next child (reducing the risk
of cross contamination).
Staff must dispose of nappies in a pedestal bin with a lid or a fit for purpose nappy bin. Bins
should be sanitised at the end of the week.
Staff must also wear aprons and gloves when toileting the children in the bathroom.
Wet or soiled clothes will be put in a nappy sack and left on the child’s peg; we do not have
facilities to wash soiled clothes so staff must remember to give it to the parent at the end of
the day.
Recording & Communicating concerns:
Staff must record the times that children are changed; recording whether they are ‘dry,’ ‘wet,’
or ‘soiled.’ If a child is ‘sore’ this is recorded too and parents are informed at the end of the
day.
Parents will be informed of toileting accidents and where applicable, ask to bring in more
spare clothes the next day.
Staff must keep a log of the nappies and wipes parents bring in and ensure that they give
them enough notice to provide more nappies, wipes and barrier cream before they run out.
If staff have any child protection concerns when changing a child, this must be immediately
reported to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL); this includes any concerning
comments that a child may say. Where possible, the DSL should be called whilst a child is
being changed if there are any concerning marks or injuries. The concern is then recorded
for safeguarding purposes. The Designated Safeguarding Lead will speak with the parents
and where necessary, make a referral to the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH).
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If parents have any concerns in relation to intimate care needs, how their children are being
supported through nappy changing or toileting, or any safeguarding concerns they can raise
this with the Manager.
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Policy created by: Yolande Farrell Manager
Signed off by: Zarkar Akhtar Owner
Date: September 2026
Date of next review: Sept 2027