Guidance for younger children and toileting

Toileting accidents sometimes happen with younger children. Find out some hints and tips to help manage any toileting accidents you may face.

• Keep a selection of spare clothes at the group or ask the parent/carer of each young person to bring a bag with a spare pair of clothes with them each week.
• When a new young person joins, make sure they know where the toilets are.
• Build a ‘toilet break’ into the group’s schedule.
• If you have young people in the group who are prone to occasional toileting accidents, encourage section team members to remind them through the session to visit the toilet. Younger children can sometimes become engrossed in what they’re doing that they forget to go.
• If there’s a toileting accident, make sure two people are present when supporting the young person to change. Remember to respect their dignity, and follow the Safeguarding Code of Conduct for Adults (Yellow Card).
• Make sure you have nappy sacks, gloves and wet wipes in the toilet area to help clear up any accidents.
• If there’s a toileting accident, don’t make a big deal of it, as young people can feel embarrassed. Clean up any mess and carry on with the activity.
• All toileting accidents should be recorded in the accident/incident book and parents/carers should be told when they pick up their children.

This advice reflects the Intimate and Personal Care Policy which is being developed, and focuses on personal care – the physical care that supports the personal hygiene, toileting or any medical care of an individual.

This is non-invasive and doesn’t involve touching intimate areas of the body, as opposed to intimate care, which involves more direct contact. Where this is required, a nominated person needs to be identified and arrangements agreed with the parent/carer.