CYP 3.4: Health and Safety
Level 3 Children & Young People's Workforce
This unit is about children ‘s welfare; ensuring that they remain in good health, not harmed and are safe at all times from any risk of danger.
The Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) requires employers and employees to take responsibilities to keep themselves and others in the premises safe from any harm or risk of danger. Every educational and child care setting are responsible for creating a safe and healthy indoor and outdoor environment for all children, staff, parents and visitors.
Now imagine you are to build a new nursery or about to renovate an old nursery. What would you do and how would you go about designing and accident free surrounding which is toddler friendly, child-proof and green.
| Action | Ideal environment | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Conduct a survey | Inspect building structure is safe - roof and walls Damp free, infestation free Dry rot free Adequate ventilation Adequate space indoor and outdoor Toxic free material Sanitary in place Kitchen built for purpose Running water, gas and electricity |
Indoor: Lighting, heating, fresh air and spacious Outdoor: Garden Ground: turf or concrete Safe and sufficient space for running and riding a bike Suitable area for installing slides and climbing frame |
|
Implement Health and Safety The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 The Childcare Act 2006 The Children Act 1989 The Statutory Framework for EYFS Carry out daily risk assessments |
Security: Site is well secured by fences and walls Install a security system for entry Install CCTV Health: Install laminated windows and doors Fire resistant doors Construct ground / flooring is even and easy to sweep Setting must be clean Room temperature Weather conditions Personal safety: Age and capabilities of the children Number of children allocated to one carer Supervision Accommodating special needs of children |
Door latches fitted at height children cannot reach Fire safety precautions - extinguishers Toilets - 10 : 1 ratio Kitchen drawers and cupboards out of reach of children and with locks Fit gate between main area and kitchen Equipment safely used and stored First Aid be available Baby room temperature should be Accident free play area for both younger and older children Equipment for both older and young children that meets the safety regulations (CE mark or the kite mark on toys) and are stimulating. Ramps and disabled toilets for wheel chair users. Create a sensory room |
Can you think of any other factors that can influence planning indoor and outdoor |
? |
Give examples |
Monitoring and maintaining health and safety
| Feature | Policy | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Carrying out daily assessments |
Check gates and doors are secure. Checking toys and equipment are clean and not broken or damaged. Floors and not wet or slippery. |
If door do not lock properly, report to supervisor and arrange to have it fixed. Clean the toys if dirty, repair is broken or discard and replace. Wipe the floors. |
| Identify other daily risk assessment you would carry out in your setting. |
Identify other policies in your setting. |
What action would you take to reduce the risk of accidents. |
| Following policies and procedures. | Security: Visitor book and Visitor badges Dropping and collecting children from nursery Health: Administering and storage of Medicine First Aid available Food hygiene and personal hygiene Safety: Fire precautions Fire exit doors |
If visitors have no identity and not expected by the staff then they must be denied access. If someone else other than the parent collecting child. They must inform the nursery in advance and use a code word and new person must provide evidence of identity. Parents must sign the consent form if child is to be given medicine giving correct information, dosage and time. Anti-biotics must be stored in the fridge. All other medicine must be stored in a locked cupboard. Wash hands before and after handling food. Use separate chopping boards for meat, fruit and vegetables. Wear aprons and gloves for food handling and nappy changing. Check temperature of fridge. Meat should be stored at the bottom shelf of the fridge. Fire extinguishers must be accessbile. Regular fire drills must be carried out so that all staff and children are aware. of what to do in the event of a fire. |
| Identify other policies and procedures in your setting. | Identify other policies in your setting. | What action would you take to reduce the risk of accidents. |
Reasons for monitoring:
- To prevent potential harm
- To maintain the health and safety of everyone in the setting
- To continue implementing the legislations and policies
How are risk assessment monitored and reviewed:
- Is checked by supervisor
- Risk assessments are recorded in book
- Ofsted inspection
Staff and visitors are made aware of risks and hazards through:
- Posters
- Sign posting
- Leaflets
- Briefing from manager to visitors
- Policies and procedures
- Guideline manual
Staff and visitors are made aware of risks and hazards through:
- The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
- The Childcare Act 2006.
- The Children Act 1989
- The Statutory Framework for EYFS
- Every Child Matters - ECM
- Local Authority
- Ofsted
- First Aid / Ambulance
- Fire Brigade
What is hazards and risks:
Hazards is anything that has the potential to cause harm.
Risk is the likelihood that harm will be caused by the identified hazard
Risk control is about minimising danger and risk assessment is about recognising
what is likely to cause damage or danger.
Balance approach to risk assessment
| Risk assessment | Younger children | Older children |
|---|---|---|
| Toys age appropriate | Not allowed to play with toys that small pieces as there may be danger of choking. |
Manage risk by observing and supervising children playing with smaller toys. Giving them an opportunity to learn how to play safely with these toys. |
| Water |
Manage risk by observing and supervising children playing with smaller toys. Giving them an opportunity to learn how to play safely with these toys. |
Manage risk by allowing child to play with water , but under supervision. |
| Riding a bike | Tricyle for the younger children | Bicycle Ensure larger bikes have stabilisers |
| Playing outdoor | In winter allow children to play outside, but ensure they are wearing coat, hat and gloves.
Do not allow if it is raining or child is unwell. |
In winter months , ensure children are wearing coats , hats or gloves when playing outside. Do not allow if it is raining heavily or if child is unwell. |
| Climbing frame Walking up stairs |
Physically support children during climbing activity or going up the stairs. | |
| Crossing the road Wearing helmet Wearing seat belts |
Showing and teaching children to look both ways when crossing the road. |
Show children and teach children to look both ways when crossing the road and explain why. Teach children and teenagers to wear helmets when riding a bike outdoor. Stress the importance of wearing seatbelt to teenager drivers.,br> |
Importance of balance approach to risk management:
- Children have Rights – when making decisions keep in mind 'what is best for the child'
- Children's expressed views and opinion must be taken into account
- Allow children to learn to take risks under supervision, so that they can learn to assess what is safe and what is not safe.
- Develop skills by taking risks
- Promotes confidence building and makes children aware of their own capabilities
- Children should have the opportunity to learn to take risks under supervision
- Children and young people need to learn to take risks in a controlled environment so that they are able to learn about assessing the risks and how to manage risks.
- Children and young people would not come to harm if taking risks in a controlled enviroment and will learn from their mistakes
- You are a role model if you assess and show how you manage risks, children and young people will observe and copy how to asses and manage their own risks.
Importance of balance approach to risk management:
Dilemma between rights and choices of children and young people
| EYFS | Health and Safety | |
|---|---|---|
| Principle | Statutory framework 'Early Years Foundation Stage' (EYFS) are a set of standards that focus
on the learning, development and care of chidlren from birth to five years old. The EYFS is implemented by practitioners in the setting to provide an experience that supports their care, learning and development in a health and safe environment. |
Children safety is paramount. |
| Dilemma | Advantages
Balance between keeping children and young people safe, but at the same time encourage them to take risks during activities in order
to experience and learn about what is safe and not. Taking risk encourge children and young people to become more confident in themselves. Make them more aware of their capabilities. Children must have the opportunity to learn to assess risks. |
Not put children under any thing that will cause then harm. Provide equal opportunities of risk taking to disable children too, although restricted , but in a safe and supervised enviroment. First aider availble in setting. Explore risks in order to have a better learning opportunity and new experience that enable them to have a better development. |
Policies and procedures for accidents, incidents, illnesses and emergencies
| Policy | Procedure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Risk Assessments | Checking doors are locked. Checking toys are not broken or dirty. Checking floors are clean and not wet or slippery. |
1. Before nursery opens, use the check list to carry out the risk assessment of premises, equipment and toys.
|
|
Accidents Minor Major |
A fall with grazed knees. A fall leaving child unconscious |
1. Wipe the area clean, put plaster if needed 2. Comfort child 3. Record in accident book: date, time, accident, action taken, sign by you and the manager. 4. Give the accident slip to parents at the end of the day. 1. Call for the First Aider who will give first aid 2. Phone for an ambulance 3. Contact Parents and give details of accident, action taken and provide name and address of hospital where child may be taken. 4. Record in accident book: date, time and action taken |
| Incidents
Security |
Burst pipe causing flooding. Missing child. |
1. Inform the manager 2. Manager contacts Environmental Agency 3. Children taken to a safer room 4. Contact parents to collect their child 5. Incident recorded: date, time and action taken 1. Check the garden, front and all connecting rooms 2. Bring other children inside and lock the doors 3. Inform the manager 4. Manager will phone the police 5. Contact parents 6. Incident recorded: date, time, incident and action taken |
| Emergencies | Fire | 1. Evacuate the children from the building through the fire exits into the garden. 2. Gather the children at an assembly point. 3. Take the register to check all the children are present. If anyone is missing, then tell the manager. 4. Manager to call the fire brigade 5. Children taken to a safer environment 6. Contact parents 7. Record incident: date, time and action taken |
Childhood Illnesses
- Find out the policies and procedures in your setting in response to illness oulined in the table below.
- Find out your role, if a child needed urgent medical attention in your setting
| Illnesses | Signs | Symptoms |
|---|---|---|
| Meningitis | Purple rash , high temperature | Severe headache, vomiting, stiff neck, dislike of bright lights and drowsiness. Need immediate medical attention |
| Measles | Runny nose and water eyes, swollen eyelids and sneezing. Red eyes and sensitivity to light. Tiny greyish-white spots in the mouth and throat. Loss of appetite. |
Cold and cough with sore throat and a fever. Tiredness and irritability. After few days red-brown spotty rash appears which are slightly raised. Rash begins behind the ears and spread to face and rest of the body. |
| Diphtheria | Fever (body temperature of 38 or above), chill pale blue skin, swollen glands in the neck. |
Sore throat, breathing difficulty, cough, headache and difficulty swallowing. Fatigue |
| Chicken pox | Red itchy rash which form blisters and then after couple of day it forms scabs. Causes: varicella-zoster virus and is contagious. |
Fever, abdominal pain, sore throat and headache. Chicken pox is contagious,
so keep child at home for 5 -7 days and until the blister have crusted. |
| Fever | Looks pale, not want to eat, irritable, cold hands and feet. Body temperature 38 degrees centigrade. Causes: common cold or flu. Ear, bladder and kidney infection. |
Feel tired, feel shivery, feeling generally unwell. Medical attention needed. |
| Diarrhoea | Frequent water and runny bowel movements
Causes: allergies or intolerance to certain foods. Food poisoning or polluted water due to infection: virus, bacteria or parasite. Contagious can spread from person to person. |
Fever, vomiting and sometimes blood or mucous in baby's poo
and severe stomach cramps. |
| Bleeding | Nose bleed, cuts and grazes |
Profuse bleeding: need medical attention |
| Vomiting | Fever and swollen abdomen, pale skin Causes: In babies: swallowing lots of air, food allergy or milk intolerance. Infection of the gut caused by bacteria or virus. |
Dizziness, fuzziness and sleepiness. Floppy, irritable, loss of appetite. Severe tummy pain or headache and stiff neck. Diarrhoea. |
| Whooping cough | Breathing difficulty, whooping noise after coughing |
Cold and cough which gets worse and causes breathing difficulty. |
| Asthma | Shortness of breath, wheezing, persistent cough, throat clearing |
Coughing, fatigue, restless sleep, runny nose, itchy eyes |
| Unconsciousness | Not responding, eyes closed, drowsiness, cannot be woken. Causes: fall, seizures, medical condition, pain, shock or fear. |
If breathing, put in recovery position until help arrives. Call ambulance. If not breathing call ambulance immediately and give CPR if qualified or experienced. Urgent medical attention. |
| Seizures | Body may go stiff or arms and legs will jerk for several minutes or become floppy. Eyes may roll up and lips become blue. |
Convulsion, visual loss or blurring, panic, fear, breathing difficulty, heart racing, tremors, unable to move. Urgent medical attention. |
REFERENCES
DFE (2014) Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
DFE (2014). Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage
DEF(2014). Early years (under 5s) foundation stage framework (EYFS)
DFE (2014) Keeping children safe in Out of hours provisions
DFE(2014) Early Years Outcomes
Parents - guide to EYFS (2014)
What to expect and when (2014)
The British Association for Early Childhood Education
(Supported by DFE)
Every Child Matters 2003)
Effective Pre-school and Primary Education 3-11 Project (2003-2008)
DFE (2008) Effective Pre-School and Primary Education 3-11 Project (EPPE 3-11)
Parliament (2003) Every Child Matters
Tassoni et al (2010) Level 3 Diploma Children and Young People's
Workforce (Early Learning and Childcare). Pearson: Harlow Essex
Caroline Meggit et al (2011) CACHE Level 3 Children and Young People's
Workforce Diploma: Early Learning and Child Care.
Hodder Education: London
www.gov.uk/government/
publications/
2010-to-2015-government-policy-childcare-and-early-education
www.education.gov.uk/publications
www.foundationyears.org.uk.
www.legislation.gov.uk/
www.4children.org.uk