Child safety is paramount, but that shouldn`t mean early childhood providers have to be “afraid” of doing something that carries some risk. Practitioners who understand their responsibility will have a positive attitude instead of adopting what the media describes as “elf and security gone crazy” where common sense is not applied. Responsible agencies must also indicate how they apply these requirements. The only exception to this requirement is for suppliers who care for their own dependents, as responsible agencies have the ability to exempt related suppliers from some or all of the CCFD`s health and safety requirements. It`s also important to regularly test your fire safety procedures to make sure they`re fit for purpose. If you can demonstrate that you are assessing risk in these nine areas, then you are on the path to health and safety compliance. Early childhood service providers are required to conduct regular risk assessments that identify aspects of the environment that need to be reviewed regularly. This includes deciding what should be done to prevent harm and ensuring that appropriate measures are taken and updated as necessary. Ultimately, good judgment is all that is usually needed to achieve the greatest possible benefit for children while ensuring that they are not exposed to significant risks.
This is especially important in early childhood settings, as children should be able to grow, develop and take risks safely. Can the same be said of your nurse? This is done by conducting regular walk-in health and safety inspections and providing completed surveillance reports to the appropriate staff. Health and safety in kindergartens is extremely important because of the particular vulnerability of young children. ● Personal safety (including home visits and threats and abuse against employees) A classroom that is too hot or too cold can affect a child`s ability to learn. With this in mind, you should have safety measures in your nursery and be able to answer the following questions: This is by no means an exhaustive list of safety measures required in a nursery, and you should identify all other hazards associated with your daily activities, including any other necessary measures. From unlimited expert advice to a bespoke health and safety policy and staff manual for kindergartens, dedicated support with fixed costs can help you save time, reduce risk and gain confidence in health and safety. To find out more, simply call 0345 226 8393 or click the button below to arrange your free consultation. Every child deserves the best possible start in life with the opportunity to develop in a safe environment. Parents who use early childhood services should be able to do so with the utmost confidence that their children will have the best possible experience and will be protected from harm at all times. The Protection and Well-Being Requirements of the Foundation Stage of Early Years (EYFS) provide the framework that provides this security. General legal requirements, including those relating to health and safety, are complemented by more detailed specific legal requirements. General and specific legal requirements are regulatory and must be respected by all early childhood service providers.
The EYF animal welfare requirements also contain legal guidance that all providers must take into account when underpinning the general and specific requirements. The main health and safety issues in kindergartens include lack of maturity and awareness of students, class sizes, space constraints, layout, equipment, etc. States must have minimum health and safety training requirements (based on the provider framework) for providers caring for children at the CCDF in the areas listed above, both prior to service (or during an orientation period) and in-progress. Preparatory or orientation training must be completed within 3 months of taking charge of the children. Not all pre-employment and orientation training should be provided prior to working with children without supervision, but the lead agency should determine what health and safety training is required before children are taken into unsupervised care. [4] For more information on regulatory requirements and standards, visit the Health and Safety Executive website. Preschool Learning Alliance publications, including Managing Risk, Good Practice in Early Years Infection Control, Accident Record and Incident Record, can be ordered from the Alliance Store. ● There should be a health and safety policy in place that includes procedures for detecting, reporting and dealing with accidents, hazards and defective equipment. Recruitments should be subject to comprehensive risk assessments to feed into their procedures and a competent person responsible for implementation. Staff from all areas and at all levels should be involved in the review of risk assessments, as they know first-hand whether control measures are effective and can provide informed advice to update them accordingly.
This is important because we work within the requirements of the EYF and move away from the idea that a risk assessment is an annual or semi-annual event conducted under headings that rarely change. Health and safety legislation does not require that all hazards be eliminated, but that “appropriate precautions” be taken and that employees be trained and aware of their responsibilities. This is especially important in an early childhood environment, as children should be able to grow, develop and take appropriate risks through physically demanding play. Children must be given the opportunity and encouraged to discover what is not safe and what they are facing risks. Find out what the safety policies and procedures are in your area during excursions? What are the registration and care procedures for children in your area? This unit focuses on the health and safety of children at all times. Every childcare and educational institution must ensure that children are not at risk of danger, accidents, damage or injury. Keeping children healthy and safe is at the heart of children`s care, learning and development. The Occupational Health and Safety Act (1974) requires employers and employees to take responsibility for protecting themselves and others on the premises from harm or danger. Each educational and child care facility is responsible for creating a safe and healthy indoor and outdoor environment for all children, staff, parents and visitors. How legislation and policies affect early childhood hiring The law does not establish the required number of hours of training or education, but states must specify the minimum number of annual training hours required for FCDC providers in their CCDC plans. While the legislation does not prescribe a specific number of hours of pre-service and continuing education for CCDF health and safety training, an appropriate benchmark is 30 hours of pre-service or orientation training and between 24 and 30 hours of continuing education per year (these figures are based on recommendations from Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards). ACF urges states to consider any training – including annual continuing education – as a meaningful opportunity to help childcare workers advance professionally and acquire qualifications and higher education.
[6] ● Premises and equipment must be clean and suppliers must be aware of health and safety requirements (including hygiene requirements). This should include informing and updating staff; Inform and keep staff informed of health and safety policies for early childhood centres, such as: NEWS Written by Sarah Bunker, Senior Counsel 1. What is menopause and who does it affect? According to our recent survey, almost two-thirds (65%) of Every Child Matters (2003) www.education.gov.uk/consultations/…/EveryChildMatters.pdf DFE (2014) are Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) www.foundationyears.org.uk/eyfs-statutory-framework/ DFE (2014). Legal framework for the start-up phase of the first years www.foundationyears.org.uk/eyfs-statutory-framework/ DEF(2014).