Support_Children_and_Young_People’s_Health_and_Safety.

3.4 Support children and young people’s health and safety. Describe the factors to take into account when planning healthy and safe indoor and outdoor environments and services When panning an environment and/or activity for a child, there are lots of things to consider. Most of these things are common sense and should come as second nature, such as ensuring that all equipment and resources are safe, secure and suitable for the children to use. I use risk assessments for activities and trips out and I have a separate risk assessment for my home to ensure my home is a safe place for children and young people to be in. Risk assessments are viewed regularly and before doing an activity or going out and are updated annually or if there is a change. The first and most important thing to think about is the fact that I have a legal duty of care towards all children and parents/carers. The children’s’ welfare and safety must always be uppermost in my mind. When planning (and the key is to take the time to plan) you need to include in your plan that every child is different (The Unique Child eyfs theme) The needs of every child in my care will be different depending on the child or young person’s age and ability. Thought needs to be put into my planning for example, if im doing a physical activity I need to make sure the layout of the room is suitable and to consider the age range of children as a child who has only recently become mobile will be more unsteady on their feet than say a 3 year old. A child may have more specific needs such as a sensory impairment or disability so the needs of every person must be taken into consideration. A child who can’t see or hear as well as others may need some extra support or different equipment in order for them to be fully included in activities and the environment they are using. The child or young person’s family or carer may have different needs/beliefs that need to be taken into account. When I plan to do an activity I need to be clear in why I have chosen the environment I have chosen. For example if I have planned to do leaf printing with autumn leaves I wold choose to do this activity in the kitchen as it has a tiled floor, so easy to clean, a large table to carry out the painting as access to the sink to clean up after. I need to always give thought to what an activity and encounters cn offer children and why I am doing them. I need to look at my planned next steps for a child and what the desired outcome for a child is. Using the learning journal I have for children I should have a clear plan for each and every child with aims and objectives based around the requirements of the eyfs. If working in a setting (not including child-minder’s as they work alone) everybody needs to have a good understanding of lines of responsibility and accountability to ensure the safety of the children and young people. Explain how health and safety is monitored and maintained and how people in the work setting are made aware or risks and hazards and encouraged to work safely. All settings should have clear policies and procedures in place including all aspects of health and safety. Some checks, such as electrical equipment being checked by a qualified electrician every year, are a legal requirement. Other checks include examining all equipment, rooms and toys to make sure everything is working, safe, clean and good to use. In my circumstances as a childminder, I am, and in settings managers, need to be responsible for making sure health and safety checks are carried out as required. If there was an accident and there had been no health and safety checks carried out, there could be serious implications. Childcare setting, play schemes, childminder’s, nursery’s etc all have visitors on most days, so anyone running a childcare service needs to make sure that visitors are not put in any danger in any way. It is also important that visitors/guests follow the settings safety guidance which is in place to protect everyone. Any employees will be given clear instructions on health and safety guidelines when they are first employed and will probably have a copy of the policy or access to policies to review when every needed. Other people who may enter the setting could include a workman, plumber, electrician etc. need to be given some information depending on several things such as: How long they will be in the setting Where they will be in the setting What they are in the setting to do If they will come into contact with any children or young people If a visitor is there to service the boiler for example, they may need to be in some areas of the setting so will need a quick briefing on personal safety and explained why they will need to have a member of staff with them at all times. All visitors will need to sign in and out of a visitor book to record the fact they were in the setting. Identify sources of current guidance for planning healthy and safe environment and services. Current guidance is readily available to look up for any advice there are a number of ways to find information regarding health and safety. You can visit the library and look it up in a book, but the easiest, most convenient and up to date advice can be found using the internet. As an Ofsted registered Childminder I have a legal obligation to follow the statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage so lots of advice and guidance can be found on www.ofsted.co.uk Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills. They report directly to Parliament and are independent and impartial. They inspect and regulate services which care for children and young people, and those providing education and skills for learners of all ages. The health and safety Executive: www.hse.gov.uk/ HSE is the national independent watchdog for work-related health, safety and illness. They are an independent regulator and act in the public interest to reduce work-related death and serious injury across Great Britain’s workplaces. The Child Accident Prevention Trust www.capt.org.uk/ The Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) is the UK’s leading charity working to reduce the number of children and young people killed, disabled or seriously injured in accidents the capt exist because accidents are a leading cause of death and serious injury for children and young people. Many of these accidents can be prevented. The Department for Education www.education.gov.uk The Department for Education is responsible for education and children’s services, in schools and early year’s education. The south West Grid For Learning www.swgfl.org.uk/ The South West Grid for Learning is a not for profit, charitable trust company, funded by 15 Local Authorities across the South West of England. They provide maintained schools and many other educational establishments throughout the region with safe, secure and reliable broadband internet connectivity; broadband-enabled learning resources and services and help, support and advice in using the internet safely. The SWGfL Trust has evolved into a leading educational organisation in the South-West, facilitating regional collaboration and development. In conjunction with local teachers, a number of exciting and innovative, regionally-based digital learning resources have been developed which follow the teaching of the National Curriculum. Explain how current health and safety legislation, policies and procedures are implemented in own work setting or service. As a childminder I follow the statutory framework of the EYFS as set by Ofsted, as this covers all the areas of children’s welfare requirements. The Early year Foundation Stage sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe. The EYFS uses the childcare act 2006. The statutory framework of the EYFS covers the following legal requirements I must follow, which are: Safeguarding and welfare requirements. I must undertake and keep up to date safeguarding training, ensuring I am aware of any signs of possible abuse, and to know what to do if I suspect a child may be in danger, and to be aware of who I may or may not need to share information with. Suitable people. I must ensure that any people who come into contact with any minded children are suitable to do so. I must ensure I have taken any and all traing courses I need to, such as 12 hours paediatric first aid, basic food hygiene, insurance etc I must ensure I put my knowledge and training into practise and ensure I promote good health of the children within my care, including medical care (storing medication correctly) I must ensure I manage behaviour in a positive may so not to have a negative effect on a child. I must never use corporal punishment. My premises and the environment must be safe and suitable for all children. I must carry out risk assessments on my home and any outings and ensure equipment carries the safety mark and meets British standards. Although childminders do not have to have COSH (control of substances hazards to health) I am aware of Cosh and aim to build a file of data sheets relating to the products I use. My indoor environment must be organised in a way that meets the needs of children. I must record the following information: full name and date of birth, name and address of every parent who is known to the provider, and who has parental responsibility, which the child usually lives with and emergency details for a parent/carer. I must notify Ofsted of any changes concerning me, or my service and of any significant illness or injury to a child. And any complaints made to me. I may have some files stored on the computer, if so I know I need to be aware of the Data Protection Act, and store all files in accordance. I must obtain written parental consent for emergency treatment, trips out, sun/nappy creams observations etc. these are all kept with the child’s contract and child record form in a locked cabinet. Explain why it is important to take a balanced approach to risk management. Any environment or activity carries some risk level. It is my job to identify and reduce these risks in advance to make the most of any opportunities on offer for the children and young people in my care. The risks that need to be thought about are: Physical risks, personal safety risks, emotional risks, food safety risks, fire risks and security risks. All activities that children do may involve some risk, even something as simple as junk modelling. This may involve the use of scissors, glue, small sequence/beads and googly eyes etc. There may be some sharp containers or other materials used, bottle or containers used may of help unsafe substances such as cleaning fluids and require cleaning to ensure they are safe to be handled by children. Once the activity is finished it is important to make sure the area is cleaned properly, so not to leave any small objects on the floor that could be picked up, make sure children are kept away from areas where the floor may still be wet from cleaning up etc. The key to balanced risk assessing is to weight up the likelihood of an accident or injury to a child against the benefits of the activity or outing. Challenge and risk taking are good for a child’s development because if a child is not exposed to risks they would grow up into a very timid adult who would lack the everyday skills and abilities needed to succeed in life. It is too easy to wrap children up in bubble wrap and avoid letting them take risks, explore and experiment because they may hurt themselves. Children are born explores it is the way they learn best and preventing children from taking any risks will affect their development, children need to learn how to take risks, but it needs to be in a safe way where risks are controlled by adults. For example think of a slide in a park, a person may not let a child climb up a ladder to go down a slide because they do not want the child to fall off and get hurt, the child needs to be given the freedom to develop their physical skills and learn how to climb safely with the parent/carer there to support them. A park is designed with children in mind so is a “safe” environment. Once able to physically climb safely, they will fit in better with other children within the park and develop social skills too, if a child is not able to climb on the climbing frames and slides etc. they are much more likely to be left out of games by their peers this will then have a knock-on effect with issues such as self-esteem, depression etc. Another thing to consider when risk assessing is the age of the child and their stage of development as a young toddler will be more at risk of dangers then an older child, you wouldn’t expect a 2 year old to cross a road, but a 10 year old has the skills to judge the speed and distance of cars on the road. Explain the dilemma between the rights and choices of children and young people and health and safety requirements Children learn best through trying out new experiences and by making choices for themselves, but as they are still growing and developing they do not always have the skills and judgements to be able to this this without help. As a childminder it is my responsibility to identify any potential hazards in any situation and it is up to me to decide which activities are safe for a child and when they are able to make a choice themselves. There are some situations where a child may need more freedom than others to explore risks, such as a child or young person with disabilities. A less abled child could have more protective parents who, out of parental concern, may restrict a child’s activities for worry of the child hurting themselves. For example a child who is blind or partially sighted is much more likely to stay near his/her parents to play because the parents will most probably discourage him/her from going off a little further and doing something new or different in case they get hurt, or in this case, it is a possibility that a blind child may risk embarrassing themselves by falling over an object, no parent wants their child to be laughed at or teased and will naturally try to avoid situations like these as the child will be upset and withdraw form new things/people isolating them and causing delay with social development. A well run childcare setting should have all the necessary risk assessments, policies, procedures, equipment and recourses in place to enable any child within the setting to safely make some choices of their own and to take risks, as it is very important for children to learn what they are able to manage on their own. Children are usually very good judges of deciding what they can and cannot manage safely by themselves a good example of this can be found in almost every park, the climbing frames and other large play equipment. Without any interference from adults children usually only climb as far up as they are happy doing so and in the knowledge that they can get themselves back down again when they choose. When in a park if you look at the biggest climbing frame you may notice that when left to play you will see the younger children half way up the climbing frame and the older children right up on the top, all the children are happy as they know where they feel confident to venture, I believe it is not too common for child to climb to the top and then get stuck. Of course it does happen but in the majority of cases the child will only do what they feel safe doing. Please see my answer to the above question regarding a child and a slide as I feel this also links with this question. Give an example from own practice of supporting children or young people to assess and manage risk. During the last half term I was childminding 3 boys age 18 months, 4 years and 5 years old. The youngest child had only just learned to walk so was still unsteady on his feet, the four year old was following the normal development and the five year old had ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) so all had different needs. I chose to take them to a nearby woodland adventure park which has a play trail where people can walk through the woods and along the path there are large wooden play apparatus for children to play on. I have been to these woods (Moors Valley Country Park) before and have a risk assessment for this outing and viewed it before leaving. In the car I explained to all the children old enough to understand my rules and expectations of them whilst there, making extra sure I was clear as the child with adhd needed to have very clear rules and boundaries and to know the consequences of breaking these rules (such as returning to stay near me, or the chance of either himself or someone else getting hurt due to his actions) so all children knew what was expected of them. The youngest child and my own daughter was 20 months old were in the buggy until we were away from the car park and safely on the trail where I was then happy to let them walk and attempt to climb about on the lowest parts of the play area with me standing with them supervising. When tired the children could have a rest in the buggy. The middle child who was four understood the rules and happily stayed within my sight climbing and completing each pay station with ease, until we got to the last one, which is designed for slightly older children. He wanted to go on it but was unsure of some parts as they were quite high, so I encouraged him to give it a go and told him I would be right there next to him the whole way and if he needed help I would help him (or if he wanted to skip any parts he could get down) knowing I would be there for him he gave it a go and made it more than half way across the station, where he decided it was getting too high and he wanted to get down, so I made sure he got off safely by guiding him and gave lots of praise as he had done so well. The oldest boy needed a few reminders not to go too far ahead and stay with me and the other children. Due to his ADHD he was not very aware of the risks to himself and other children playing there, being a very outgoing boy he was over keen to go as high and as fast as possible so I would get down to his level and ask him to look at me to ensure I had his full attention then ask him to look at the apparatus and tell me what he thought about it. We talked about lots of different things with him leading with his thoughts and ideas. With me only offering guidance he helped decide if things were too high, if he needed to go slowly so he didn’t cause others to fall, to stay in my sight so he didn’t get lost. Al the children had a great day out whilst making their own judgement as to what they could do. Explain policies and procedures of the setting in response to accidents, incidents, emergencies and illness Please see attachments.