Support children and young people’s health and safety CYP Core 3.4 Support children and young people’s health and safety Part 1 Published by Hodder Education, Copyright © Doreen Tombs 2011

Published by Hodder Education, Copyright © Doreen Tombs 2011 CYP Core 3.4 Support children and young people’s health and safety 2 credits By the end of this unit a practitioner should: Understand how to plan and provide environments and services that support children and young people’s health and safety. Be able to recognise and manage risks to health, safety and security in a work setting or off-site visits. Understand how to support children and young people to assess and manage risk for themselves. Understand appropriate responses to accidents, incidents, emergencies and illness in work settings and off site visits. Published by Hodder Education, Copyright © Doreen Tombs 2011

Planning healthy and safe environments and services 1.1 All planning must start with the needs of the individual child or young person. A number of factors must be considered when planning for healthy and safe environments for children and young people. The age and developmental capabilities of the children or young people Outdoor areas for older children and young people need to be planned to allow vigorous physical play with the minimum of risk. Children and young people with specific needs should have full access to the available activities. Planning should always recognise the needs of families, e.g. notification of an infectious disease. Not all settings are built for the purpose so planning should take into account the way in which the setting should function as a safe, healthy environment for children and young people. As a duty of care, children and young people’s health and safety should be the overriding principle when planning. Published by Hodder Education, Copyright © Doreen Tombs 2011

Health and safety in the setting 1.2(a) It is important that the environment is checked regularly (both before and during activities) to ensure that it is both healthy and safe: Children should be supervised at all times. Routine safety checks should be made daily on premises, both indoors and outdoors. Routine check of security systems – entry phones*, locks, visitor’s book and name badges etc. to control entry and exit at all times. Children should only be allowed home with a parent or authorised adult. Make sure that food is stored at the correct temperature and snacks are prepared hygienically. (*To see how this is used, you could watch the video ‘A welcoming nursery’) Published by Hodder Education, Copyright © Doreen Tombs 2011

Health and safety in the setting 1.2(b) Prevent accidents by keeping the environment clean, tidy and uncluttered. All materials and equipment should be in a safe and clean condition – any sharp edges or broken parts should be discarded or repaired before use. Follow the setting’s procedures for dealing with spillages of urine, vomit, blood and faeces. There must be adequate first aid facilities, and staff should be trained in basic first aid. Fire drills should be held twice a term in schools and nurseries, and every six weeks in day nurseries. Published by Hodder Education, Copyright © Doreen Tombs 2011

Published by Hodder Education, Copyright © Doreen Tombs 2011 Sources of guidance for planning healthy and safe environments and services 1.3 Every setting should have a copy of the latest legislation and guidance documents relevant to their service. You could also check on current legislation: Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 COSSH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) 2002 RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) 1995 Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 Fire Precautions at Work Regulations 1997 The Children Act 1989 and 2004. (more information can be found on p. 144 of the Cache Level 3 textbook) Published by Hodder Education, Copyright © Doreen Tombs 2011

Implementing legislation for health and safety (1) 1.4 Health and safety legislation and policy aims to make sure that all workers, children, young people and families are safe and protected from harm when in work or using services. You do not need to be an expert in this area, but you should be aware of the legal issues and national and local guidance relating to health and safety, and know where to go and whom to ask for advice and support. Find out what is contained in your setting’s health and safety policy. Where is the policy displayed? When was the policy last reviewed? Who is responsible for reviewing the policy? Published by Hodder Education, Copyright © Doreen Tombs 2011

Implementing legislation for health and safety (2) 1.4 Every workplace must have a COSHH file which lists all the hazardous substances used in the setting. What substances are in your setting? If you prepare or handle food (even something as basic as opening biscuits or preparing food for a snack), you need to comply with Food Handling Regulations. What are these? Fire officers must check all childcare and education premises: Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997. Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992. What are these? Reporting illness, injury or accident (RIDDOR). What are you expected to do? Published by Hodder Education, Copyright © Doreen Tombs 2011

Recognising and managing risks to health, safety and security 2.1 Practitioners need to be conscious of any risks in the working environment and the potential impact of these risks. They can then plan ahead to avoid hazards and incidents. Babies and young children lack any appreciation of danger are naturally inquisitive love to explore and test the boundaries of their world. Older children and young people face different risks. They need to be aware of: road safety risks risks of using the internet. Can you think of any others? Published by Hodder Education, Copyright © Doreen Tombs 2011

Hazards in the work setting and offsite visits 2.2 Assessment Criteria 2.2 of this unit asks you to demonstrate the ability to deal with hazards in the workplace and offsite visits. What hazards do you think a practitioner might come across? In offsite visits think about: visits to farms visits to parks visits to theatres. In the work setting think about: the setting environment toys and equipment a practitioner’s health. Published by Hodder Education, Copyright © Doreen Tombs 2011

Health and safety risk assessments 2.3 Risk assessment is a method of preventing accidents and ill health by helping people to think about what could go wrong and devising ways to prevent problems. You will need to demonstrate to your assessor that you are competent in carrying out risk assessments. You will also need to show how your assessment could reduce risks. Think about any potential hazards in your setting. What dangers could they present? What has been or could be done to reduce risk? Published by Hodder Education, Copyright © Doreen Tombs 2011

Monitoring and reviewing risk assessments 2.3 Your assessor will need you to explain how health and safety risk assessments are monitored and reviewed. You need to: Familiarise yourself with the health and safety risk assessments in your work setting. Check out how risk assessments are monitored – whose responsibility is it? Find out about how often the risk assessments are reviewed - how is this carried out, and by whom? Published by Hodder Education, Copyright © Doreen Tombs 2011

The importance of a balanced approach to risk management 3.1 Children and young people need a safe but challenging environment. Children and young people need to understand that the world can be a dangerous place. Children and young people who are sheltered or overprotected from risk and challenge will not be: able to make judgements about their own strengths and skills well-equipped to resist peer pressure in their later years. A totally risk-free environment lacks challenges and stimulation and this leads inevitably to children and young people becoming bored and exhibiting signs of inappropriate behaviour. Children and young people need to see or experience the consequences of not taking care. It is important to strike the right balance. Published by Hodder Education, Copyright © Doreen Tombs 2011

Published by Hodder Education, Copyright © Doreen Tombs 2011 The dilemma between the rights of children and health and safety requirements 3.2 The challenge for practitioners is balancing the need for safety against the need for children and young people to explore risks. Children and young people need to explore their own levels of risk-taking, but in safe environments with qualified first aid personnel at hand should accidents arise. If we do not enable children and young people to take risks, then they will seek them out when adults are not around. Published by Hodder Education, Copyright © Doreen Tombs 2011

Supporting children and young people to assess and manage risk 3.3 For Assessment Criteria 3.3 you will be asked to give an example from your own practice of how you have supported a child/young person to access and manage risks. Have you experienced a situation where a child/young person is at risk of harming themselves? If so, explain, What you considered to be the risk to them. How you intervened. How you explained to the child/young person that they were at risk of harming themselves. Published by Hodder Education, Copyright © Doreen Tombs 2011