Overview

This self-evaluation tool is for group care providers

The questions in this self-evaluation tool have been designed to help you to reflect on the effectiveness of leadership, systems, processes and practice with regard to managing common medicines. They will support your monitoring and self-evaluation activities meaning that you’ll have a greater understanding of what is working well and where systems and practice could or should be strengthened.   

This audit covers:

  • Your managing medicines policy, 
  • Preparation for children who need regular medication,
  • Notifying parents and information sharing,
  • Auditing medications and controlled substances,
  • The storage of medicines, creams and emollients,
  • Administering medications.

Why is the management of medicines important?

The EYFS contains specific legal requirements for the management of medicines. It states that we need to:

  • Have and implement a policy and procedure for the administration of medication. 
  • Have systems that enable us to capture information about children’s medical needs. 
  • Ensure that staff have the training they need to administer medication when appropriate.
  • Have ways of ensuring that we have parental permission to administer medication and that they are informed when medicines have been given.
  • And that we keep records of any medication that we administer.

 

To address these points well, settings need rigorous systems and processes to receive, administer, audit and store medicines. The questions in this self-evaluation tool will enable you to review the effectiveness of your current arrangements.

How will this self-evaluation tool support your monitoring activities?

The format of each self-evaluation tool has been modelled on the questions in our best-selling book ‘101 audit questions to evaluate your practice and prepare for inspection’. Each audit provides a set of questions, but also provides a ‘think about’ box that will help you to look at what is being asked in more depth. Once you have completed the audit, your responses are immediately emailed to you in a report. This way of working is quick, simple and draws attention to areas that need work or things that you need to check out.

Prior Access

You can undertake this audit without the need to complete any other audits in this series and there is no need for any prior background reading. References have also been provided to strengthen professional knowledge.

Supporting resources

If you'd like more support to meet the requirements of the EYFS for managing medicines, why not take a look at our resource bundle on this topic which includes:

· A form for taking receipt of medication
· A medication review letter template
· A medication audit template
· A medication reminder template letter
· A form to record the administration of medication as a single event
· A form to record the administration of medication as part of a treatment plan
· A template record for the disposal of medicines
Find out more