Final Certiii Module1 Reviewed

8/19/2019 Final Certiii Module1 Reviewed

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CHC30708 Certificate III in Children‘s Services

MODULE 1

Introduction to Children‘s Services Training Booklet

incorporating

CHCORG303B Participate effectively in the work environment

HLTOHS300B Contribute to OHS processes

CHCCN301B Ensure the health and safety of children


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This document is uncontrolled when printed.IMPLEMENTATION DATE:29.09.2011

APPROVED: Academic Coordinator

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TITLE: FINAL_CertIII_Module 1_REVIEWED_V2.0

Acknowledgements

This Training Booklet is part of a Set of Materials

produced by the GoodStart Training College

COPYRIGHT STATEMENT

© GoodStart Childcare Limited43 Metroplex Avenue, Murarrie QLD 4172

All rights reserved. Copyright protects this publication.Except for the purposes permitted by the Copyright Act 1968,

no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in anyform or by any means without prior written permission.

Enquiries should be addressed to the College Manager, GoodStart Training College,43 Metroplex Avenue, MURARRIE QLD 4172

RTO Number 32215

Centrelink Course Approval Ref Number 4P043

Email: [email protected] Web: www.goodstart.edu.au

GoodStart Childcare Limited ABN 69 139 967 794Brisbane Campus

43 Metroplex AvenueMURARRIE QLD 4172

Postal Address 43 Metroplex Avenue, MURARRIE QLD 4172Telephone: 07 3220 3232Facsimile: 07 3908 2527Free call: 1800 617 455

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.goodstart.edu.au/http://www.goodstart.edu.au/http://www.goodstart.edu.au/http://www.goodstart.edu.au/mailto:[email protected]


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T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Resource Information ........................................................................................................ 4

Topic 1 Roles and Responsibilities ................................................................................. 7

Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 8

Position Description ..................................................................................................................... 8

Working with Others ..................................................................................................................... 9 Team Work .................................................................................................................................................... 9

Assistant and Group Leader ........................................................................................................................ 10 Cooperating with Others .............................................................................................................................. 11 Grievance Resolution .................................................................................................................................. 11 Communication............................................................................................................................................ 12 Resources ................................................................................................................................................... 14 Contribution ................................................................................................................................................. 15

Regulations ................................................................................................................................. 15

Policies and Procedures ............................................................................................................ 16

Topic 2 Safety and Wellbeing ........................................................................................ 18

Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 19

Legislative Requirements ........................................................................................................... 19

Policies and Procedures ............................................................................................................ 21

Risk Management ....................................................................................................................... 22 Step 1: Identify the Hazard .......................................................................................................................... 22 Step 2: Assess the Risk .............................................................................................................................. 25 Step 3: Decide on Control Measures .......................................................................................................... 26 Step 4: Implement Control Measures .......................................................................................................... 28 Step 5: Monitor and Review ........................................................................................................................ 28

Contribution to a Safe Environment .......................................................................................... 29

Professional Development ......................................................................................................... 29

Communication ........................................................................................................................... 30 Communication with Children ...................................................................................................................... 30 Communication with Colleagues ................................................................................................................. 33

Signs, Symbols and Posters ...................................................................................................... 34

Documentation ............................................................................................................................ 35

Environments .............................................................................................................................. 36 Physical Layout ........................................................................................................................................... 36 Supervision .................................................................................................................................................. 37 Stage Appropriate Resources ..................................................................................................................... 41 Health and Hygiene ..................................................................................................................................... 43 Recognising and Responding to Allergies and Illness ................................................................................ 46 Signs and Symptoms of Illness ................................................................................................................... 46 Contacting the Family .................................................................................................................................. 47 Providing a Safe and Supportive Environment for Ill Children .................................................................... 48 Maintaining and Monitoring Health .............................................................................................................. 49

Administrating Medication ........................................................................................................................... 53

Excursions .................................................................................................................................. 57 Prior Planning .............................................................................................................................................. 58

Hazards and Risks ...................................................................................................................................... 62

Emergency Evacuations ............................................................................................................. 63


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Resource Information


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Introduction

When working as an early childhood professional it is a requirement that you have knowledge andunderstanding of various roles and responsibilities in maintaining a healthy and safe environment within achildren‘s service.

This resource outlines the legal and ethical guidelines relevant to the Children‘s Services Sector and focuseson the following topics:

Roles and Responsibilities

Safety and Wellbeing

This cluster module incorporates three units of competency from the CHC30708 Certificate III in Children‘sServices:

CHCORG303B Participate effectively in the work environment

CHCCN301B Ensure the health and safety of children

HLTOHS300B Contribute to OHS processes

Training Package: CHC08 Children‘s Services Training Package

Information about this resourceThis resource is designed to help you develop your knowledge and skills in two ways.

First, you will be provided with information about the topic. You are encouraged to read all of the informationso that you are able to broaden your knowledge.

Second, you will be required to reflect on the information you have read, and to complete activities and/orwork-based tasks which demonstrate your ability to apply your new knowledge and skills in your workplace.

If at any stage of this learning opportunity you are having difficulties with this resource, please contact yourTrainer. Your Trainer will be able to assist you with any concerns that you may be experiencing. It isimportant to ask for help and please remember that there are no silly questions.

The following are examples of how this resource is formatted. You will see these titles and colour codesthroughout this resource.

Reading

READING

Occasional readings have also been included. These readings provide you with further information about thetopic.

You will be able to access the readings from the GoodStart Training College website atwww.goodstart.edu.au/resources

Reflection

REFLECTION

Reflections provide an opportunity for you to think about a concept and relate it to your prior or current workor personal experience.

http://www.goodstart.edu.au/resourceshttp://www.goodstart.edu.au/resourceshttp://www.goodstart.edu.au/resources


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Hints

HINT

Hints are designed to point you in the right direction.

Activities

ACTIVITY

Activities have been included within the content of some topics. These activities are not assessable, but youare urged to complete them to benefit your own learning process. Many of these activities display modelanswers when you submit your responses.

Some activities are interactive and you can follow the link to complete them online. Where possible, a writtenversion of the activity is available directly beneath the activity.

Further Guidance

FURTHER GUIDANCE

Further Guidance provides extra snippets of information complementary to the content.

Other important information

Source

A source is the reference to where material in the content was found. Sources are displayed at the bottom ofthe page within the footnotes.

Resources

Resources such as interactive learning activities, readings and templates can be downloaded from theGoodStart Training College website at www.goodstart.edu.au/resources

http://www.goodstart.edu.au/resourceshttp://www.goodstart.edu.au/resourceshttp://www.goodstart.edu.au/resourceshttp://www.goodstart.edu.au/resources


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Topic 1

Roles and Responsibilities


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Introduction

Many early childhood professionals work in a children‘s service. There are various roles within a children‘sservice, including:

Area Manager

Centre Director

Early Childhood Teacher

Room/Group Leader

Assistant

Floater (works throughout the centre in a number of rooms in a supporting capacity)

Centre Cook

Relief Staff (someone who is called in to work when a staff member is away)

Volunteer

Administration assistant

In order for the various roles to effectively and efficiently work together, there needs to be a structure

outlining roles, responsibilities, routines and procedures. Such a structure ensures all tasks are completed,consistency throughout the children‘s service, and safety for all.

Structure is provided in a children‘s service through:

job/position descriptions

Regulations

policies and procedures.

This topic will discuss the various elements that provide structure and clear boundaries in a children‘sservice, allowing for efficiency, effectiveness and quality outcomes.

Position Description All roles within the children‘s service are important and contribute to the effective running of the service. A job or position description is a document that outlines the duties, responsibilities and tasks associated with aspecific position (see the Introduction above for some examples of positions). All position descriptions aredesigned to link the various roles together to ensure consistency and effectiveness of the service provided.

When offered a position in a service, an early childhood professional will be provided with a positiondescription outlining:

who to report to

a role summary

duties and responsibilities.


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ACTVITY

Refer to your job/position description, or ask your manager for a copy of a position descriptionfor an Assistant. In the text box below, write down a list of tasks that are specific to the role of anassistant.

It is critical that you are familiar with your position description as it outlines your roles and responsibilitiesassociated to your position.

Please note: Work experience students and/or volunteers do not have a position description assuch, however it is essential that they are aware of the service policies and procedures. Workexperience students/volunteers are not a part of the centre staffing ratio and must never be leftalone with any children.

Working with OthersWorking in children's services brings you into contact with many people, whom we refer to as stakeholders.

A stakeholder is a person or group that has an investment, share or interest in something such as a businessor industry.

1 Our profession involves interactions with stakeholders that include: children; families; co-

workers; management, and other professionals. Working effectively with others involves teamwork, effectivecommunication, negotiation and, sometimes, tolerance.

Team Work

Successfully working with others requires effective team work. Team work involves “productive workingrelationships and outcomes” .

2 To ensure a high quality respons ive children‘s service, all early childhood

professionals working within the environment must work together effectively. To achieve this we must be

mindful of our roles and job descriptions within the service.

Scenario:

In the 2004 Beijing Olympics there was an incident with the Australianwomen‘s rowing team. During the final heat, while the team was leading therace, one of the rowers stopped rowing. Without communicating to her teammates what was happening or what was wrong, she just stopped rowing.

The consequence of her action (or rather, inaction) was that the remainingteam members had to put in additional effort to make up for her lack of action(this is commonly referred to as 'not pulling your weight'), resulting in disharmony and negative, destructivecomments and feelings of resentment.

1 Sourced: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/stakeholder

2 Sourced: www.skillsinfo.gov.au (2005) Skills Shortages: concepts, definitions and indicators

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/stakeholderhttp://dictionary.reference.com/browse/stakeholderhttp://dictionary.reference.com/browse/stakeholderhttp://www.skillsinfo.gov.au/http://www.skillsinfo.gov.au/http://www.skillsinfo.gov.au/http://www.skillsinfo.gov.au/http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/stakeholder


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Cooperating with Others

Working as a team member is essential to ensure quality care is occurring in your children‘s service. Qualitycare is a group effort and even though we may all have different roles and responsibilities in theorganisation, promoting cooperation assists in developing productive workplaces.

The following are some tips that can be reflected upon in your own work environment to assist in better workpractices.

Demonstrate an interest in others. Find the time to ask how other team members are going and havea genuine concern for their wellbeing as this will build on positive, long-term relationships.

Know yourself and be aware of others. How you react in different circumstances can affect your workperformance as well as others around you. Reflect on how you receive constructive feedback fromyour team members and how you give constructive feedback. Nobody likes to be wrong and nobodylikes to tell others they are under performing in the group.

Speak the truth. In the workplace, speaking the truth is imperative to better workplace relationships. As well as speaking the truth, listen to what others have to say. Excellent listeners promote betterworkplace cooperation.

Be accountable. Take responsibility for your own actions. Making mistakes promotes a learning

environment. By providing a safe environment, staff will not feel shame at making a mistake and bewilling to improve their own work performances when faced with difficult issues in the workplace.

Conflict can be a learning experience. Use conflict to learn and grow. Consider others ‘ point of view,reflect upon what you may say before presenting your point of view and take time out if necessary.

Grievance Resolution

When working with others, there will be times when you do not see eye to eye. When a problem, concern,dispute or complaint arises it is important to deal with it in a timely manner. Grievance resolution is animportant topic in any profession. There are organisational policies and procedures in place within the EarlyChildhood sector that assist both the employers and employees through any grievances or conflicts that mayarise. There are general steps to follow when faced with grievances in the workplace; however, it isimperative that you access and follow your organisation‘s policies and procedures.

Grievance Resolution Steps

Talking to co-workers about issues you have with another person can aggravate an already sensitiverelationship. This could also lead to further issues resulting from gossip. If an employee has a grievance orconflict within the workplace with regards to another member of the team, appropriate processes must befollowed and the relevant person of authority to be involved in the situation.

Rather than talking to other co-workers about a grievance you may have with another staff member, it isbetter to follow these steps:

1. Approach the specific staff member and start to discuss your grievances.

2. If the first approach doesn't work, then have a quiet word to your Centre Director for some advice on

how to handle the situation.

3. If the above steps do not work, you may need to take a more formalised approach by submitting agrievance form to the Centre Director in writing.


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National Quality Standard

In the National Quality Standards which came into effect as of 1 January 2011, Quality Area 7 Leadersh ipand service management covers the effective management of grievances and complaints in Standard 7.5Grievances and complaints are managed effectively .

It is important that you follow the service policies and procedures in dealing with any

issues or concerns you may have, so that they can be dealt with accordingly andeffectively.

Note: The National Quality Standards will be explained in more detail throughout thecontent.

Communication

Given that there is more than one person involved in a children‘s service, communication is inevitable. Afundamental component to successful and effective teamwork is communication. The value ofcommunication is recognised by the National Childcare Accreditation Council (NCAC) as it is embeddedthroughout the National Quality Areas and Principles of Quality Care with specific emphasis on relationships

and partnerships. Communication is also an integral aspect of the National Quality Standard derived fromthe Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010 which comes into effect as of the 1 January 2011.

National Childcare Accreditation Council Inc (NCAC)

The NCAC is a National organisation, funded by and accountable to the Australian Government that isresponsible for the administration of quality assurance (best practice) in a licensed children‘s service.The NCAC administers the Quality Improvement and Accreditation System (AIAS) which outlines 7Quality Areas that are described by 33 Principles of quality practice.

National Quality Standard (NQS)

“For the first time, Australia has a National Quality Standard that is linked to a national learningframework which recognises that children learn from birth. The National Quality Standard will support

the implementation of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and frameworks supporting thecare of school age children by ensuring that necessary environments, facilities, staffing arrangements,resources and management structures are in place.”

Communication in a children‘s service can take many forms, including:

conversations in person

conversation via phone

email correspondence

notes

memos

newsletters

body language, hand gestures and facial expressions

signs

feedback sheets

surveys.

It is important to ensure that your language matches your target audience (who you are talking to). Thelanguage you would use when speaking to a parent would vary from the language that you use whenspeaking to a child or a Centre Director.


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Ineffective communication has repercussions!

Ineffective communication can potentially endanger the lives of others or impact the quality of serviceprovided. Consider the impact of ineffective communication in the scenarios below:

Scenario 1:

You are working in the role of a „Floater‟ and you have gone into the pre -school room to relieve theGroup Leader so he can go and have his lunch. The children have just finished eating and aretransitioning from lunch to rest time. Cleo, aged 4, approaches you rubbing her eyes saying to you “ Ihave a sore head ” . You look at Cleo and notice she looks tired, so you suggest that she go and lie onher bed and you will be with her shortly. Once the children are all on their mats resting, you notice thatCleo is sound asleep. An hour has passed, and the children are getting ready for afternoon tea, yetCleo is still sleeping. You go to Cleo to gently wake her yet she does not stir. You comment to theGroup Leader that Cleo is sound asleep and has not stirred since moving to the mat. The GroupLeader says, “ Well, she did fall in the bathroom before lunch and hit her head on the floor. I wonder ifthat ‟s why she is sleeping” .

In this scenario, the Group Leader failed to communicate that Cleo had hit her head. What presented astiredness could actually be the symptoms of something far more serious. The Group Leader failed to verballycommunicate the incident, and also failed to provide written documentation of the incident. As a result of thelack of communication, the child is placed at serious risk of harm.

Scenario 2:

One daily task may involve recording what a young child eats and drinks throughout the day, and howmany nappy changes occur. It is the middle of summer and Sarinka‟s record sheet has not beencompleted. The parent collects their child at the end of the day and has no record of what her childhas eaten or drank during the day, nor is there any record of how many times Sarinka‟s nappy hasbeen changed. You are unable to provide this information to the parent as you generally work inanother room and had swap ped to do the „close up‟ shift. You had not been working with Sarinkaduring the day.

In the scenario above, valuable information regarding Sarinka‘s fluid intake has not been recorded orcommunicated. The lack of communication has placed the child at risk of harm. A standard intake of fluid isessential for our health and wellbeing. A lack of fluids can lead to dehydration which can be considered alife-threatening emergency for infants and children.

Scenario 3:

A parent rings the centre to leave a message for the Group Leader: “Romano will be collected earlythis afternoon by his Grandfather Paulie. Please have Romano and his belongings ready for collectionat 12.45pm. Please do not let Romano sleep today as he needs to be ready for his grandfather”. Youwrite a note/memo for the relevant staff member that works with Romano, however you forget to passthe note and message on. At 12.40pm, Romano‟s grandfather arrives to collect him and Romano issound asleep on the rest mat.

In this scenario, the child is not placed at risk; however, the lack of communication results in the needs of theclient not being met. The ineffective communication results in the provision of poor service.


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Scenario 4:

You are the assistant setting up the planned activities for the Pre-School 2 room while the GroupLeader is conducting the morning whole group session, reading „ Lucy the Leopard ‟. The activity is „eyedropper painting‟ using hand towels as the medium. You take what paper hand towels you can fromthe children‟s bathroom, leaving no paper hand towels there. The Group session finishes and some ofthe children head off to the bathroom. The children finish washing their hands but there are no paper

towels to dry their hands. The children shake their hands, flicking water all over the floor tiles. TheGroup Leader asks you how long the paper towels have been empty and you reply that you used themall for the activity.

In this instance, lack of communication resulted in insufficient resources. As a result of the lack of resourcesthe children and staff are at risk due to the excess water on the floor.

Resources

In Scenario 4, the Assistant failed to communicate that there were no more hand towels in the children‘sbathroom. In order to be an effective team member, the Assistant should have communicated and actioned

the lack of resources. Shortages in resources can have a direct impact on the effective operation of thechildren‘s service. It is imperative that steps are taken to monitor these resources to ensure the quality of theservice is maintained at all times. All staff members need to be active participants and demonstrateawareness of the organisational requirements required by their specific children's service. A need forresources can be communicated verbally or in written form. Even though it may not be your responsibility toorder the resources, reporting shortages of resources is everyone‘s responsibility.

ACTIVITY

As discussed earlier, communication can take many forms.

In the text box below, please list ways that you communicate in your workplace to ensureeffective teamwork.


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Contribution

Contribution is ‗the part played by a person in bringing about a result‘.3 In children‘s services all staff ,

regardless of their role, have a valuable contribution to make in the aim of providing a quality service.Contribution in a children‘s service can include:

completing surveys and feedback forms

offering suggestions for alternative processes

offering verbal feedback

updating your knowledge and skills to support your work practices (studying or professionaldevelopment)

participating in staff meetings

reading safety share fact sheets or industry newsletters/articles

fulfilling the responsibilities of your job description

joining networks

discussions with your Group Leader and/or Director

reporting low supplies of resources

providing resources for activities

proposing activities

identifying hazards

working in alignment with organisational policies and procedures

reviewing and evaluating your work performance.

Regulations

As mentioned previously, Regulations provide structure and consistency in a children‘s service. Regulationsare unique to each state and territory. Equally, child care Regulations are developed by each state andterritory and set the minimum standards for the provision of child care services.

In general, the minimum standards refer to: 4

the minimum staffing levels and qualifications

ensuring the centre is safe and well maintained (equipment and premises)

administrative requirements

health (including infection control)

safety of children and staff (risk reduction)

programming requirements to ensure the program caters to the needs and interests of each individualchild enrolled in the service

Occupational health and safety:

In each workplace, a set of guidelines or safe work practice procedures are established, so that allstaff and clients remain safe and staff are able to assess any risks that could occur. The objective ofany workplace health and safety Act "is to prevent a person's death, injury or illness being caused at aworkplace, by workplace activities."

It is important for you to familiarise yourself with the relevant Child Care Regulations inyour state or territory. You will be able to access your own copy of the relevant ChildcareRegulations on our website: www.goodstart.edu.au/resources

3 Sourced: Princeton University wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

4 Source: Workplace Health and Safety - A Targeted Audit of Child Care Facilities 1999, Government Printer: Brisbane

http://www.goodstart.edu.au/resourceshttp://www.goodstart.edu.au/resourceshttp://www.goodstart.edu.au/resourceshttp://www.google.com.au/url?q=http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn%3Fs%3Dcontribution&sa=X&ei=ADxjTeqZEYGKuAO9w6TmAg&ved=0CBAQpAMoAA&usg=AFQjCNGEf3dGg6Ilm3MboHyP6q6C-4510whttp://www.google.com.au/url?q=http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn%3Fs%3Dcontribution&sa=X&ei=ADxjTeqZEYGKuAO9w6TmAg&ved=0CBAQpAMoAA&usg=AFQjCNGEf3dGg6Ilm3MboHyP6q6C-4510whttp://www.google.com.au/url?q=http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn%3Fs%3Dcontribution&sa=X&ei=ADxjTeqZEYGKuAO9w6TmAg&ved=0CBAQpAMoAA&usg=AFQjCNGEf3dGg6Ilm3MboHyP6q6C-4510whttp://www.google.com.au/url?q=http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn%3Fs%3Dcontribution&sa=X&ei=ADxjTeqZEYGKuAO9w6TmAg&ved=0CBAQpAMoAA&usg=AFQjCNGEf3dGg6Ilm3MboHyP6q6C-4510whttp://www.goodstart.edu.au/resources


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Policies and Procedures

In the same way that Regulations are unique to each state and territory, policies and procedures are uniqueto each service. A policy is ‗a deliberate plan of action to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes ‘.

5 In

relation to a children‘s service, the outcomes in the policies and procedures are based on the legislativerequirements and government standards. Policies and procedures ensure consistency in practice: theyensure that processes are completed consistently and correctly in alignment with legislative requirements.

ACTIVITY

Policies and procedures are developed because there needs to be a process in place. They include, forexample, a consistent and compliant process for:

hand washing

nappy changing

reporting of harm or suspected harm (mandatory reporting)

confidentiality

bottle feeding.

In the text box below, locate and list five (5) policies and the accompanying procedures from your workplace.

5 Sourced: http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwnhttp://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwnhttp://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwnhttp://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn


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The relationship between legislation, Regulations and policies and procedures can be demonstrated assuch:

It is your responsibility as an early childhood professional to be aware of the relevant Childcare Regulationsand organisational policies and procedures, and also your position description, as these create structure,organisation and consistency in workplace practice. You wouldn‘t drive a car without knowing how thevehicle works or without knowledge of the road rules — similarly, when working in a children‘s service, youneed to be familiar with the ‗workings‘ of the service and the laws that govern the service.

1 January, 2011, sees the implementation of the first National Legislation forearly childhood education and care, Educ ation and Care Services NationalLaw Ac t 2010 .

The Education and Care Services National Law Act will replace current state

and territory licensing and regulation processes, incorporating an Act andRegulations to underpin the National Quality Standard.

National Quality Standard (NQS)

―For the first time, Australia has a National Quality Standard that is linked to a national learning frameworkwhich recognises that children learn from birth. The National Quality Standard will support theimplementation of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and frameworks supporting the care ofschool age children by ensuring that necessary environments, facilities, staffing arrangements, resourcesand management structures are in place.‖

The National Quality Standard comprises seven quality areas:

1. Educational program and practice

2. Children‘s health and safety

3. Physical environment

4. Staffing arrangements

5. Relationships with children

6. Collaborative partnerships with families and communities

7. Leadership and service management

As with the current National Childcare Accreditation Council‘s Quality Improvement and AccreditationSystem, each quality area for the National Quality Standard contains Quality Areas and within each Areathere are standards and elements for the quality of service provided.

LegislationChildcare

Regulations

ServicePolicies andProcedures

Quality andConsistentOutcomes -

Consistency!


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Topic 2

Safety and Wellbeing


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3. Approved Codes of Practice and Australian StandardsCodes of Practice provide information on minimum standards and guidance on how standardscan be met. An example of this is our Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics. ApprovedCodes of Practice can be considered as statements of preferred work practice which set outminimum acceptable levels of performance or quality in relation to a specific hazard, workprocess, industry or product. Codes of Practice provide advice to employers on how they canachieve the minimum acceptable level of performance and are not mandatory, but should be

followed because they describe practically how the Regulation and Act should be practiced andimplemented.

Each state and territory has their own Acts, Regulations and Codes of Practice on OHS. They all differslightly, but the main objectives of each one is to:

ensure that each employee works in a safe workplace

protect employees from potential hazards and risks

ensure that hazards in the workplace are identified, assessed and addressed

promote the health, safety, wellness and wellbeing of each person.

ACTIVITY

In the text box below, list the relevant Childcare Regulations pertaining to your state or territory.


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Policies and Procedures

Early childhood services have in place policies and procedures that support all stakeholders, from themoment the door opens until it is safely secured at the end of each day. Service policies and proceduresshould cover all OHS processes for the service. Such OHS policies and procedures should outline:

the steps staff need to take in the event of identifying a hazard in the workplace

how staff are to act in the event of identifying a hazard in the workplacewho staff should report hazards to

documentation staff should complete in the event they have identified a hazard within the workplace.

Occupational health and safety policies and procedures are developed in every workplace to ensure thateach individual is following safe practices to minimise the risks of death, accidents, injuries and illnesses.These policies and procedures are developed to ensure that all OHS legislation that is relevant and specificto the early childhood services is clearly documented for all early childhood professionals, as well as otherstaff, contractors and visitors to follow.

It is imperative that you are familiar with, and follow all of, your services policies and procedures. Policiesand procedures are in place to guide your work practices and to protect you, your colleagues, children,parents and other visitors to the centre from harm that could otherwise be prevented. If an accident, illnessor injury occurs and it is proven that it was a result of improper or incorrect practice, the ramifications for thestaff member in question are high. These ramifications, both legal and ethical, will have a major impact onthe person and the service.

ACTIVITY

Some of the policies and procedures relating specifically to health and safety in yourservice may include :

emergency evacuation

handling contaminated matter

handling chemicals

storing chemicals

gloves

hand washing

sun safety

manual handling and lifting

administration of first aid

appropriate clothing and footwear

immunisation

infection control

exclusion of sick children and staff

accident and injury

reporting hazards.

In the text box below, identify three (3) additional health and safety related policies and procedures from yourservice.


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Risk Management

In order for an early childhood professional to contribute to safety in the workplace they must:

have an understanding of their legal and ethical responsibilities

be familiar with organisational policies and procedures

be able to implement risk management strategies.

There are five (5) steps in the risk management process:

1. Identify the hazard

2. Assess the risk

3. Decide on control measures

4. Implement control measures

5. Monitor and review

Step 1: Identify the Hazard

Quite simply, a hazard can be defined as ‗a source of danger‘ .6 . A hazard can be a situation that poses a

level of threat to life, health, property or the environment. An important aspect of any early childhood serviceis to ensure that you have provided a safe environment and kept infection control to a minimum.Environments within a children‘s service change constantly so regular hazard checks need to be completedregularly.

ACTIVITY

A hazard in a children‘s service may include:

spilt water on the floor

a stressed staff member

a staff member not working inalignment with the service‘s policies

and proceduresa staff member diagnosing anillness for an unwell child

not wearing non-slip, covered shoes

children playing outside without hats

red-back spiders on the bricksoutside

an empty power socket without asafety plug

uncovered wounds

bullying

lack of training or knowledge

a blocked fire exit

lifting or moving objects incorrectly.

In the text box below, list an additional five (5) hazards that could occur in a children‘s service.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6 Sourced: Princeton University http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwnhttp://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwnhttp://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwnhttp://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn


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There are seven (7) different classifications of hazards.

1. Physical Hazards

In a children‘s service these may look like:

carpet turned up at the corner

uneven pavers

falling objectspoorly placed furniture.

2. Mechanical and/or Electrical Hazards


poorly protected electricity (exposed wired, electrical cords near water, electrical cords hangingwhere children can reach them, uncovered electrical sockets)

machinery involving appliances such as microwaves, clothes driers, vacuum cleaners.

3. Chemical Hazards


poisonsdisinfectants

detergents

lead-based paint.

4. Biological Hazards


bacteria

viruses

mould

insectsvermin (mice, rats).

5. Psychosocial Environmental Hazards

A psychosocial environmental hazard is a hazard that directly affects the emotional wellbeing of aperson. In a children‘s service these may look like:

bullying and harassment

stress

lack of support

isolation

sexual harassment

lack of training and/or knowledge

unrealistic expectations.

6. Ergonomic Hazards


lifting or moving objects (such as sandpit covers, play equipment)incorrectly

poor workstation design

inadequate lighting (dimmed rooms at rest time)

repetitive tasks.


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Consequence Table

ConsequenceRatings

Guide

1 Insignificant Very minor injury / harm or near miss occurrence.

2 Minor Minor injury / harm. First aid needed.

3 Moderate

Injury of more than a minor nature, may relate to absence from the centre. Harm / injury is not

considered long term.

4 Major Risk leads to serious injury / harm and incapacitation or long-term effects.

5 Extreme Risk may lead to death, permanent injury / harm / permanent disablement.

*Tables sourced from Risk Management ISO 31000: 2009

ACTIVITY

Identify two (2) hazards in your work place.

Using the two risk matrices provided above, assess the risks associated to the identifiedhazards below.

Hazard Likelihood ratingConsequence

rating

Step 3: Decide on Control Measures

Once a hazard has been identified and the risk assessed, control measures should be put into place — ideally, hazards should be controlled at their source. A control measure is an action or activity that isimplemented to prevent, eliminate or reduce an identified hazard. Control measures are sequenced into a‗hierarchy of control‘. Occupational health and safety legislation in Australia requires that risk be reduced to‗as low as reasonably practicable‘ (often referred to as ALARP).

Hazards can be controlled in a number of ways, some of which are better than others. The different methodsof hazard control are listed in order of preference from most to least effective. They are referred to as the‗hierarchy of control‘. The hierarchy of control ranges from complete elimination of the hazard, throughminimisation of the hazard. Often, more than one control option is used. The hierarchy is as follows:

i. Eliminate the Hazard

Where possible, remove the hazard from the environment and/or stop a hazardous practice. Forexample:

Identified hazard Elimination

A poisonous plant growing in the playground Coordinate for a gardener to remove the plantfrom the ground and dispose of it safely.

*NOTE: As an Assistant, your role in this process would involve you reporting the poisonous plan to your

Centre Director. The Centre Director would action your notification of the hazard.


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ii. Substitute the Hazard with a Lesser RiskWhere possible, replace the hazard with an alternative piece of equipment and/or practice. Forexample:

Identified hazard SubstitutionSmall pieces of Lego in the toddler‘s room Replace the hazardous small Lego blocks

with more stage-appropriate equipment, such

as Duplo (large Lego).*NOTE: As an Assistant, your role in this process would involve you removing the hazardous resourcesand reporting the hazard and your follow up actions to your Group Leader.

iii. Isolate the HazardWhere possible, place a barrier around potential dangers or move hazards out of reach. The aim ofthe isolation method is to separate the hazard from the person at risk. For example:

Identified hazard Isolation

Sharp knives Store the sharp knives in a kitchen that childrencannot access. The doors into the kitchen preventchildren from entering.

*NOTE: As an Assistant, your role in this process would involve following the service‘s policies andprocedures.

iv. Use Engineering Controls

Where possible, using designs or modifications in the environment to minimise risk. For example:

Identified hazard EngineeringHeavy outdoor equipment. such as a long balancebeam

Use a trolley to move the heavy equipment (Note that two people are required to lift heavierequipment).

Electrical power points Use of safety plugs for empty sockets.

*NOTE: As an Assistant, your role in this process would involve using the specialised equipment as perthe service‘s policies and procedures.

v. Use Administrative Controls

Use policies and procedures, signs and/or training to minimise risk. This involves regular inspectionand testing of equipment and practices within the work environment, and can include implementingsafe work practices, instruction and training. Also included in administrative controls is reducing thetime the stakeholders are exposed to the hazard. For example, in a children‘s service we reduce theexposure to the sun by limiting the time spent outdoors.

Identified hazard Administrative

New staff Participation in training and familiarisation of theservice‘s policies and procedures.

*NOTE: As an Assistant, your role in this process would involve following the service‘s policies andprocedures (role modelling appropriate practices), participating in training and regularly checking theenvironment for hazards using the service‘s safety checklists.

vi. Use Protective Equipment: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)When there is no other way to reduce a risk, personal protective equipment can be used to minimisethe possibilities of the risk occurring. For example:

Identified hazard Protective equipment

A child with a runny nose - Use plastic gloves to wipe child‘s nose.- After removing gloves, wash hands as per the

hand washing procedure.

Sun - Apply sunscreen and use sunhats.

*NOTE: As an Assistant, your role in this process would involve following the service‘s policies andprocedures.


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Step 4: Implement Control Measures

The control measures used to control risks in the workplace should be chosen according to theireffectiveness. The hierarchy of control is a useful tool, as controls are listed in order of preference from mostto least effective. The higher the method is within the hierarchy of control, the most effective the control is. Ifyou are ever unsure as to the level of risk a hazard presents to yourself and others, scale the level of risk up.This will reinforce the importance of the hazard and assist in implementing strategies which will minimise therisks and increase safety.

REFLECTION

How many times have you:

mopped up spills and placed the ‗caution - wet floor‘ sign out?

tidied the outdoor yard of sticks and branches?

opened a window when it was hot?

turned the lights on inside when it was dark?

told your supervisor when a piece of equipment was broken?

asked someone to help you move some furniture?

These everyday tasks that you carry out, whether you realise or not, are carried out due to your ability torecognise, identify and respond to hazards. Each of the above actions would fall into one of the fivestrategies within the hierarchy of control.

All stakeholders of the service should be actively involved in managing the occupational health and safety oftheir service. Contribution of all parties ensures that all points of view are considered when dealing withhazards.When considering which control measure to use to eliminate a hazard or minimise a risk, all stakeholdersshould ensure they have input into the process. By working as a team, early childhood professionals have abetter chance of finding the best method to minimise the potential risk of a hazard.

Step 5: Monitor and Review

―The aim of Step 5 in the risk management process is to monitor and review the effectiveness of the controlmeasures that have been implemented to prevent of minimise the risks.‖

7

It is essential for you to check to ensure your risk controls are working!

Once you have implemented a control measure (that is, taken action in response to an identified hazard inthe environment), it is important for you to review the effectiveness of the action taken. Review andmonitoring involves:

continuing to check the environment for any further hazards

consulting with your Centre Director, Group Leader, OHS representative, co-workers

considering the following questions:o Have the chosen control measures been implemented as planned?o Are the control measures working?o Are there any new problems?

7 Sourced: Workplace Health and Safety Queensland. Risk Management code of Practice 2007 http://www.deir.qld.gov.au/workplace/resources/pdfs/riskman_07supp3.pdf

http://www.deir.qld.gov.au/workplace/resources/pdfs/riskman_07supp3.pdfhttp://www.deir.qld.gov.au/workplace/resources/pdfs/riskman_07supp3.pdfhttp://www.deir.qld.gov.au/workplace/resources/pdfs/riskman_07supp3.pdfhttp://www.deir.qld.gov.au/workplace/resources/pdfs/riskman_07supp3.pdf


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Contribution to a Safe Environment

All employers, employees and volunteers, no matter the level of their position, have a very valuable role andcontribution to make in ensuring a safe environment. Contributions towards OHS can include such diverseactions as mopping up some spilt water on the floor, completing an incident form, attending training toupdate knowledge and skills (professional development), and offering feedback.


With the implementation of the National Quality Standard as of 1 January, 2011,children‘s health and safety is covered by Quality Area 2 Children’s health andsafety:

Standard 2.1 Each child’s health is promoted

Standard 2.2 Healthy eating and physical activity are embedded in theprogram for children

Standard 2.3 Each child is protected

Each service will be assessed and rated against the standards within each quality area.

Professional Development

Professional development is a process aimed at increasing knowledge and skills of an individual, andenhancing the quality of work performance. An important focus on the Australian Government‘s qualityreform agenda in early childhood education and care is ―to improve quality in children‟s services to supportbetter outcomes for children” .

8 One way of improving quality is to participate in professional development

opportunities to refresh, improve and learn skills and knowledge required for working in a children‘s service.Keeping up to date with current industry practices and changes is essential.

Professional development can include:

attending workshops

attending conferencesparticipating in in-services

participation in staff meetings

completing formal training

mentoring (working alongside a more experienced staff member)

discussions

reading industry fact sheets and magazines

consultation and collaboration with industry experts.

In order for early childhood professionals to be proficient in their role, they need to regularly revisit workpractices within policies and procedures. It is imperative that employees ensure they update and refresh their

knowledge and skills in order to carry out their assigned responsibilities.

8 Sourced: DEEWR ‗Child Care staff: Learning and Growing Through Professional Development ‘ http://www.pscsa.org.au/cms/?q=system/files/FINAL+resource+manual.pdf

http://www.pscsa.org.au/cms/?q=system/files/FINAL+resource+manual.pdfhttp://www.pscsa.org.au/cms/?q=system/files/FINAL+resource+manual.pdfhttp://www.pscsa.org.au/cms/?q=system/files/FINAL+resource+manual.pdfhttp://www.pscsa.org.au/cms/?q=system/files/FINAL+resource+manual.pdf


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Professional development is highlighted within the National Quality Standardwhich comes into effect 1 January, 2011.

Standard 4.2 Educators, and staff have the skills and knowledge tosupport children‘s learning, health, safety and wellbeing

Standard 6.3 The service collaborates with other organisations andservice providers to enhance children‘s learning and wellbeing

Standard 7.2 There is a commitment to continuous improvement

Professional development directly links to the standards above, for example:

o Standard 4.2 = Formal training, attending workshops etc

o Standard 6.3 = Working in collaboration and consultation with industry experts such as supportservices for individual needs (behavioural, developmental, cultural etc).

Communication

In Topic 1, the significance of effective communication in a children‘s service was discussed in relation toteamwork. Effective communication is an essential aspect of maintaining a safe environment. Earlychildhood professionals need to be able to communication with children, colleagues, families, managementand other professionals. Earlier we discussed that for effective communication to occur, the language usedmust be appropriate to the target audience.

Within the Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010 , which comes into effect 1 January, 2011, isa nationally approved Early Years Learning Framework such as Belonging, Being and Becoming or MyTime, My Place.

“The Early Years Learning Framework describes the principles, practice and outcomes essential to supportand enhance young children‟s learning from birth to five years of age, as well as their transition to school.The Framework has a strong emphasis on play-based learning as play is the best vehicle for youngchildren‟s learning providing the most appropriate stimulus for brain development . The Framework alsorecognises the importance of communication and language (including early literacy and numeracy) andsocial and emotional development ”

9(*)

Communication with Children

Did you know that children understand spoken language before they have mastered itthemselves? Children can understand more words than they can say.

Children are not naturally aware of safe and unsafe environments. They must learn what is safe and unsafeand this is where the early childhood professional can step in. While children should not be responsible formaintaining their own safety, they can become aware of safe play and how to modify their play to maintaintheir own safety. Children require careful guidance and a reminder of play rules to assist them to learn aboutsafe and unsafe play. Repetition and opportunities to practice will reinforce safety factors to children.

Toddlers often have no reservations or fears and will jump into experiences headfirst (sometimes literally!). While allowing toddlers to maintain their natural curiosityand exuberance, early childhood professionals must explain and demonstratepotential safety risks to them in developmentally appropriate ways.

9 Sourced: Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. (2011) ‗Early Years Learning Framework‘

http://www.deewr.gov.au/earlychildhood/policy_agenda/quality/pages/earlyyearslearningframework.aspx

http://www.deewr.gov.au/earlychildhood/policy_agenda/quality/pages/earlyyearslearningframework.aspxhttp://www.deewr.gov.au/earlychildhood/policy_agenda/quality/pages/earlyyearslearningframework.aspx


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Preschoolers are a little more capable of understanding the reasons for safety warnings, although mayhave trouble remembering or implementing them at the time of need.

By limiting children too much, early childhood professionals may restrict the child‘s self -esteem andindependence and possibly frighten the child, while allowing them to take too high a risk is unsafe.

The way that children interact with each other can often be a safety risk. For example, think back to an

incident in your service when a child had been injured. Were any other children involved in this incident?Chances are that there were. Children will push, hit, kick, bite or throw things that may cause injury to otherchildren.

Just as we alert other early childhood professionals and adults to hazards which may be present within theenvironment, so too should children be alerted to such hazards and the risks they present. Alerting childrento hazards can assist them to understand the concept of ‗danger‘ and actions that they need to take toensure their own personal safety and wellbeing. Communication with children can include facial expressions,body language, discussions and use of signs or pictures.

Methods which would allow you to communicate hazards and risks to children may include the following:

Use gestures – hand signals such as the stop can be effective methods of communication to use withchildren, especially if the child is young or does not speak fluent English.

Use simple words – words such as ‗broken‘ or ‗stop‘ can alert children to hazards.

Use simple instruct ions – instructions such as ―we need to sit on chairs‖‘ or ‖the pencils are to beused for drawing‖ can positively set limits for children.

Use verbal comm unicat ion with m ore reason – communications such as ―We will have to take thisbucket out of the sandpit because it‘s broken. I‘m worried that it might scratch somebody‖. Olderchildren, especially, will have the language and cognitive skills to understand such concepts.

Ask questions – by asking children, ―What do you think might happen if we leave this bucket in thesandpit?‖ or ―What may happen if we climb on the beam without a mattress underneath it? ‖, canprompt children to think about their own personal safety and the hazards in the vicinity which cancause them harm.

Use demon strat ions and verbal comm unicat ion – for example, while role modelling the safe use ofscissors, early childhood professionals can explain that, ―Scissors are very sharp and are used to cutpaper. You have to look after them very carefully and put them back in the container when you havefinished using them.‖ Such reinforcement of safety will encourage children to think the same way asyou.

When communicating with children to redirect undesirable behaviours, it is important that you focus on thedesirable behaviours rather than the undesirable behaviours. Rather than ‖DON‘T RUN‖, it is moreappropriate and often more effective to say, ‖You need to walk inside‖ or simply ―walking feet‖.

Remember, however, that just because you have explained hazards to children andhave developed children’s ability to identify hazards within the environment, it isstill the early childhood professional’s responsibility to keep the environment safe.


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Let‘s look at how children of different ages play and what strategies may be considered in maintaining safeplay.

Birth to one year

Few incidents are caused by other children as they engage in solitary play, unless the injury is caused by anolder child during mixed age grouping or by an older sibling.

Strategies:

Simple words (such as ―uh uh‖) and facial expressions (such as frowning or smiling) can be used toteach children about their actions; for example, a frown if they bite your shoulder while holding them.

Note: Solitary play is independent play where the child plays alone.

One to two years

Children still engage in solitary play but also engage in onlooker play and it‘s the start of parallel play. One totwo year olds cannot share, nor should they be expected to share as language is very limited. Biting is

common at this age due to limited language and frustration, as is pushing or hitting others to get toys.

Strategies

Simple words and gestures can be used to express your concern for their style of play. For example,placing your hand up and saying, ―Bill, you need to give it back to Fred.‖

Plan individual and small group experiences as large groups are not appropriate for this age.

Note: Onlooker play is when a child watches others playing. Parallel play is when children play side by sidewith similar toys.

Two to three years

Children are well and truly into the parallel play stage and are entering the associative play stage, althoughegocentricity is still typical. Children have more developed language skills than they did as toddlers, butfinding the right word ‗in the heat of the moment‘ is very difficult and biting and tantrums are common.Children can begin to share but still need reminding and gentle guidance.

Strategies

Reminding children to ‗use their words‘ and explaining the needs of other children will help childrento engage in safe play. For example, ―Maddy, you need to tell Joel that you don‘t like being hit. AndJoel, Maddy‘s arm is feeling sore now.‖

Encourage children to treat toys with care and use them only as intended.

Larger group experiences can begin to be implemented, but keep them short. Short attention spansmay lead to restless children, and a restless child may disrupt others, causing aggressive

behaviours.

Note: Associative play involves children playing the same types of games without any organisation or rules.


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Four to five years

Children have passed the associative play stage and have entered the stage of cooperative play.

Children now begin to understand the feelings and needs of others and display less egocentricity, althoughthere are still some traces of it. Children are familiar with the expectations of how to play appropriately andsharing is commonplace now, although it is usually used to favour themselves. Often-heard phrases include

―You have to share‖ or ―No, you‘ve had your turn‖.

Children at this age engage in vigorous outdoor experiences and like to take risks, such as climbing higherthan their friends on the climbing equipment. Boys, in particular, will engage in fast running games and roughand tumble play.

Strategies

Group discussions about expectations on behaviour and social rules. For example, ―Yes, we need toshare the toys so we all get to have a turn‖.

Timers or other methods of alerting children to how much time they can spend with the resourcesbefore having to sharing them. For example, the computer might have a ten minute timer so when thetime has wound down, the child can give another child a go. A roster system may also help with this.

Explain other people‘s needs so they can learn about other people‘s feelings and perspectives.

Discuss safe outdoor play and explain that other people may use the yard, perhaps younger children,so care needs to be taken during running or ball games.

Children can be encouraged to notify early childhood professionals if they identify hazards, such asbroken equipment, a fallen branch etc. Remind children not to touch the hazards but to alert an adult.

Children can manage longer large group sessions; however, monitoring is essential to ensurebehaviour is appropriate between children.

Note: Cooperative play is when the children engage in organised play with „rules‟ .

When explaining rules for safe play to children, it is essential that it is explained it developmentally

appropriate terms and in ways that do not frighten the child. Simple explanations can be given that arerelevant to the child or the context that the child is in.

Communication with Colleagues

Ongoing communication with your colleagues is essential. You should never leave a supervision stationwithout communicating with a colleague to ensure the area is covered during your absence. Lack ofcommunication can place people at risk of harm. You communicate with your colleague through:

discussions

writing notes

writing in a communication book

using hand signals and body language

using safety signs

completion of forms such as administration of medication forms and incident reports.


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Signs, Symbols and Posters

They say a picture can say a thousand words! Use of signs andpictures is an effective way of communicating a warning for a hazardor providing an outline of a process. In children‘s services you will seeposters outlining the recommended hand washing procedure, or youmay see a poster outlining the recommended process for changing a

nappy. Manual lifting posters are also displayed in a children‘s serviceoutlining the recommended procedure for lifting.

By discussing the meaning of such signs and visual symbols with children during their play or mat sessions,children can begin to develop an awareness of the meaning of danger, hazards and risks. Having signsaccessible in your room for children to use may also assist them in communicating hazardous play activitieswith others. For example, when a child is using climbing equipment inappropriately during outdoor play time,other children may wish to take a stop sign over to the child in order to inform the child that their play isdangerous. By encouraging children to identify hazards and risks within the environment, they will be morelikely to inform you about unsafe practices they have come across, thus making your task of supervisioneasier and more effective.

ACTIVITY

In the table below, write in the message conveyed by the sign and where you would be likely to see the sign.

Sign Message conveyed by sign


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Documentation

All occupational health and safety (OHS) forms are legal documents and may be requested when accidentsor incidents are investigated by external agencies in the event of legal proceedings.

It is vital that all reporting methods and documentation relating to accidents and incidents is completedaccurately. We must ensure that we follow service policies and procedures when doing so.

Reports identifying accidents or incidents may be in verbal or written form and can include any of thefollowing reporting methods:

Memos: Memos can be quick reminders warning of potential hazards. For example, staff may leave amemo reminding co-workers not to use a certain piece of equipment as it is broken.

Report forms: These are specially-designed forms created by the service as part of its commitment to

managing workplace hazards

Some health and safety documentation you will see in a children‘s service can include:

hazard, incident and injury reports

administering of medication forms

indoor and outdoor checklists

sunscreen checks

fridge temperature checks

evacuations drill forms.

Accident/Incident Reports are required whether outside medical attention is sought or not.They are required to be completed upon any injury/accident to an y stakeholder — children,staff, visitors and contractors. Whenever you are required to complete an accident or illnessform, the most important factor is accuracy. Information you report may be required toeffectively treat a child in the case of a serious injury or may be used to improve the quality ofthe service.

Guidelines to use when recording and reporting accidents and incidents are:

Only write factual information.

Never assume details, as they may be incorrect.

Include details of the exact location of the issue or incident. If it is a potential hazard you are reporting,a lack of details in this area may result in delayed action. Drawing a diagram or map may assist in thistask.

If a piece of equipment is the cause of an incident and it has been removed, you must document thison the incident report as part of the action taken.

If a child or staff member injures themselves, the exact part of the body must be documented, that is,"left pointer finger" rather than "finger".

Always include the date and time the incident occurred or the hazard was identified.

When completing an Accident/Incident Report for a child, the report should include:the child‘s name

the child‘s age, date of birth and room

the date and time of the accident/incident

the location of the accident/incident

who witnessed the accident/incident

what happened — an outline of the cause of the accident/incident

what injuries were sustained

the first aid that was administered and who completed this task

ways to minimise the accident/incident from recurring

who was contacted and if any further first aid or medication was sought

parent/s signature

staff signature

signature of witness.


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Environments

Ensuring the environment is set up and monitored for optimum health and wellbeing is very important. State-specific Childcare Regulations outline minimum standards for children‘s services in regards to theenvironment. The Regulations have minimum requirements for the physical layout of a service, the minimum

standards for supervision and the minimum standards for stage-appropriate resources.

Physical Layout

In order to be a licensed children‘s service, the layout of the service must adhere to set minimum standards.Some of these include:

how far apart the rest mats are spaced

toilets and wash basins children can access

fencing

amount of grass in the playground

visibility in the areas children access

doors with handles that children are unable to reach.

ACTIVITY

Locate the relevant Child Care Regulations from the GoodStart Training College websitewww.goodstart.edu.au Look up the minimum requirements regarding the layoutrequirements of a children‘s service. In the text box below, list four (4) minimum standardsyou have located in the Child Care Regulations.

Large rooms often require more equipment to fill them. By leaving an excess of space within a large room,children may be encouraged to run while inside. By placing out more equipment to fill the space, however, ahigher level of supervision is going to be required. But it is often difficult to have more early childhoodprofessionals in the room than the amount the minimum child to staff ratios require. Large furniture, dividers,shelves or outdoor climbing equipment may also restrict the view of a supervising adult.

Small rooms may cause children to display frustration as children may not be provided with enough space todevelop their play. L-shaped rooms and yards present a visual barrier and early childhood professionals canbe faced with ‗blind spots‘ resulting in places and pieces of equipment which are out of the line of vision orhearing.

http://www.goodstart.edu.au/http://www.goodstart.edu.au/http://www.goodstart.edu.au/


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The age and stage of the children need to be taken into consideration when setting up a room.

Birth to two years

The younger the child, the more open space they will require within an indoor environment. Babies andinfants are crawling and learning to walk. The more obstacles they have in the way, the more likely they willcollide with them. Babies and infants spend a lot of time on the floor. Furniture and other obstacles maypresent visual barriers for these children. They may also present as visual barriers for early childhood

professionals who are supervising the children.

Two to three years

Children at this age are learning to coordinate their movements and navigate their way around furniture andother obstacles in the room.

Three to five years

Children of this age can have more structure in their environment as they are able to control their physicalmovements. They are, however, taking more risk than ever before due to their new-found skills. Within thisage group, children will be testing their abilities as well as interacting more closely with other children, whichmay present a risk within itself.

When setting up an environment in a children’s service, it is important to not have anycorners or areas where the children may not be visible.


With the implementation of the National Quality Standard which comes into effect as of 1 January, 2011,Quality Area 3 Physical environment contains two standards:

Standard 3.1 The design and location of the service is appropriate for the operation of the service

Standard 3.2 The environment is inclusive, promotescompetence, independent exploration and learning throughplay

Relationship of Quality Area 3 to the Early Years Framework:

“Outdoor learning spaces are a feature of Australian learningenvironments. These spaces invite open-ended interactions,spontaneity, risk-taking, exploration, discovery and connection withnature.”

“Indoor and outdoor environments support all aspects of children‟slearning and invite conversations between children, early childhoodeducators, families and the broader community. They promote opportunities for sustained shared thinking

and collaborative learning.”“Environments that support learning are vibrant and flexible spaces that are responsive to the interests andabilities of each child. They cater for different learning capacities and learning styles and invite children andfamilies to contribute ideas, interests and questions.”

Remember that environments need to emotionally and physically safe for children. Activities should bechallenging enough to encourage risk taking, but not so challenging as to discourage children because theyare unable to experience success.

Supervision

Supervision in a children‘s service is everyone‘s responsibility. At any time when there are children in your

care, they must be supervised. Children can never be left alone or be in an area where they cannot be seenor heard.


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In order to minimise potential risks and hazards to all children through insufficient staff allocations, each stateand territory's Regulations stipulate certain child to staff ratios within children's service settings. TheseRegulations recognise different needs for adult attention and supervision at different age levels. It is vital thatthese minimum staff requirements are met and maintained at all times.

Failure to comply with the child to staff ratios as stated within your relevant state or territory Regulations orstandards will mean a breach of the law. In the event this occurs and the relevant licensing department inyour state is notified, your service may be faced with large fines or possibly closure. If you are aware of thefact that your service is not complying with these requirements, it is essential for you to speak with yourCentre Director/Manager or Group Leader.

Effective supervision encompasses a range of strategies, including provision of supervision stations andinteraction strategies in the outdoor play areas as well as the indoor areas. Rearranging the play areas andassessing the routine and program is required to maintain thorough supervision of all areas and all children.

Direct contact must be maintained with all children. The concepts of ‗direct contact‘ are:

Knowing – be aware of how many children are in your care and where they are. It involves knowingwhich children in your care display more risk taking behaviours than others, as well as knowing theexperiences that are set up for the children and the risks associated with those experiences.

Listening – listen for different sounds in the environment, such as laughing, crying, running, banging

and silence. It also involves listening for variations in sounds, for example, different types of cries – hungry, tired, pain etc.

Scanning – always look around the environment and monitor the actions of children and other staff.Even if you are interacting with a child or group of children, constant scanning is necessary. Glassviewing windows also allow you to scan other areas or rooms.

Physical reach – accidents can be prevented if you can physically preventthem. By being within reach, it may be possible to prevent a child from fallingfrom equipment or biting another child. Generally, the younger the child and thehigher the risk activity, the closer you will need to be.

Positioning – position yourself so you are near children who are participatingin a high-risk experience or a popular experience where there are manychildren. Position yourself with your back to a wall or fence to maximise your

view on the majority of children. When a family member approaches you for achat, rather than stand face-to-face with the person, which can block your viewof the children, stand side by side and chat with them while maintaining visualcontact with all children. You may feel rude doing so, but most will respect youmore if you say, ―Please do not think that I am not listening to you or that I amnot interested in what you‘re saying with me not looking at you, it is just that Ineed to keep my eyes on the children to keep them safe‖.

Each service will have individual features that will need to be considered when planning for effectivesupervision. Each feature can affect the method and manner by which supervision is carried out.Considerations include the following:

The way the children are grouped within the service

For example, family grouping where infants, toddlers and preschool age are all cared for in the samearea. A possible risk when combining children is that the older children may enjoy running around butthe infants are unable to walk as yet and may be stood on.

The type of services providedFor example, in Occasional Care or Out Of School Hours Care services, where children come and goat different times, it is more difficult to maintain child to staff ratios and keep track of how manychildren are in attendance at one time.

The range of children in attendanceFor example, if the children have additional needs or are from non-English speaking backgrounds, arethey going to under

Date post:	07-Jul-2018
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