Health and Safety in Early Years and Childcare. Bernadina Laverty

book for?

      This book is intended for all staff working within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) or environmental health area. It will be useful for senior staff and managers for auditing, improving standards and preparing for inspection. It is also helpful to other staff including childminders as it clearly outlines responsibilities within the legislative framework. Registration and enforcement officers/inspectors will also find it valuable as a reference tool.

       What is the book about?

      This is an innovative book bringing two inspection perspectives together. It contextualises and cements health and safety legislation with the EYFS. The book takes the reader through key safety points, why they are required, how to comply with the requirement and a means of assessing compliance and taking corrective action.

      The main themes are as follows.

      •taking ownership – personal responsibility for safeguarding children and meeting the welfare requirements and legal duties.

      •enforcement – the consequences of not ensuring children’s safety and well-being.

      •applying the principles – a common sense approach; navigating through the legislation with examples and audit tools.

      •evaluation and reflection – self-audit and nurturing an ongoing safety conscious culture.

How the book can be used

      This is a practical book that can be referred to by individual chapters as needs arise or as an aid to inspection. There are pointers under headings to legislation prompts.

      The Childcare Act 2006 and associated regulations set out the requirements with which providers must comply and against which their provision is regulated. This includes the Statutory Framework for the EYFS. Providers may be registered on the Early Years Register (EYR) and/or the Childcare Register which has two parts: the compulsory part (CCR) and the voluntary part (VCR).

      The EYFS prompts are below.

      

EYFS

      Childcare Register Requirements childcare providers on non-domestic or domestic premises; and childminders and home childcarers (abbreviated as CR).

      

CR

      The health and safety and food safety the legislation prompts are below.

      

Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 Section 2(1) and relevant regulations.

      Each chapter includes ongoing prompts to help the reader clarify, evaluate and reflect.

      

Remember

      

Law

      Audit tools accompany each chapter of this book to assist with evaluation, reflection and action planning. These can be found in the Resources section of the NCB Publications web page, at the below link.

       www.ncb.org.uk/what-we-do/publications/support-resources/healthand-safety-in-early-years-and-childcare

1Management responsibilities

      ‘Please keep me safe. This simple but profoundly important hope is the very minimum upon which every child and young person should be able to depend’ (The Lord Laming. ‘The Protection of Children in England: A Progress Report’. 12 March 2009).

      Children’s vulnerability means adults must be proactive in taking action to ensure children are protected from abuse and neglect. The EYFS safeguarding and welfare requirements encompass other legislation that must be adhered to. This chapter highlights the importance of safeguarding children and the responsibilities of the registered person (employer) and management team.

      The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 contains defined responsibilities that employers must meet. Although these responsibilities are common sense, employers may be unaware of their duties and may inadvertently fail to meet them. The duties placed on employers under the main act are echoed in specific regulations. This chapter gives an overview of all aspects of management responsibilities.

Child protection

      

EYFS 3.1–3.4 and CR 1.1 CR 2.1, CR 2.3

      This section encapsulates the need for high quality practice in all settings. Necessary steps to keep children safe and well are to:

      •safeguard children

      •ensure adult suitability

      •promote good health

      •manage behaviour

      •maintain records, policies and procedures.

      All policies and procedures must be in writing (except for childminders only registered on the Early Years Register (EYR). Schools are not required to have separate EYFS procedures providing requirements are already covered. Written policies and procedures must be up to date and personalised to your setting. Make sure induction procedures for all new staff, students, apprentices and volunteers includes their safeguarding duties. Up-to-date contact numbers for local statutory children’s services agencies that all staff can access must be included.

      

Remember

      Have you considered how all families can access this information including those who have English as an additional language?

      Policies and procedures

      

EYFS 3.4 and CR 2.1

      Staff need to be aware of issues and challenges within children’s home lives in order to be able to instigate support swiftly. Therefore, forging effective relationships with parents and carers is crucial. Staff have a duty to respect and promote children’s rights, individuality and uniqueness in all circumstances.

      

Remember

      The serious case review into Daniel Pelka’s death highlights numerous missed opportunities to intervene and protect Daniel: ‘In this case, professionals needed to “think the unthinkable” and to believe and act upon what they saw in front of them, rather than accept parental versions of what was happening at home without robust challenge’ (Lock, R. 2013, p6. Coventry Safeguarding Children Board. September 2013).

      Robust procedures must be followed and be written in accordance with the relevant Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) and made available to all adults in your setting and parents and carers. This policy must reflect procedures to be followed in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff.

      An explicit statement about the use of cameras and mobile phones within the setting must also be included. Have clear, common-sense guidance about when cameras and mobile phones can be used. For example, outings, emergencies, special events etc. Include a list of examples in the staff induction pack.

      

Remember

      Safeguarding must be a priority. Inspectors may look at your child protection policy and may question leadership and management if any of the documentation does not belong to your setting.