Final Certiii Module1 Reviewed

CHC30708 Certificate III in Childrens Services
MODULE 1
Introduction to Childrens Services
Training Booklet
incorporating
CHCORG303B Participate effectively in the work environment
HLTOHS300B Contribute to OHS processes
CHCCN301B
Ensure the health and safety of children
Acknowledgements
This Training Booklet is part of a Set of Materials

produced by the GoodStart Training College
COPYRIGHT STATEMENT
GoodStart Childcare Limited
43 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 any
form 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: goodstart@goodstart.edu.au
Web: www.goodstart.edu.au
GoodStart Childcare Limited ABN 69 139 967 794
Brisbane Campus
43 Metroplex Avenue
MURARRIE QLD 4172
Postal Address 43 Metroplex Avenue, MURARRIE QLD 4172
Telephone: 07 3220 3232
Facsimile: 07 3908 2527
Free call: 1800 617 455
This document is uncontrolled when printed.

TITLE: FINAL_CertIII_Module 1_REVIEWED_V2.0
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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 and
understanding of various roles and responsibilities in maintaining a healthy and safe environment within a
childrens service.
This resource outlines the legal and ethical guidelines relevant to the Childrens Services Sector and focuses
on the following topics:
Roles and Responsibilities
Safety and Wellbeing
This cluster module incorporates three units of competency from the CHC30708 Certificate III in Childrens
Services:
CHCORG303B Participate effectively in the work environment
CHCCN301B Ensure the health and safety of children
HLTOHS300B Contribute to OHS processes
Training Package: CHC08 Childrens Services Training Package
Information about this resource
This 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 information
so 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/or
work-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 your
Trainer. Your Trainer will be able to assist you with any concerns that you may be experiencing. It is
important 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 codes
throughout this resource.
Reading
READING
Occasional readings have also been included. These readings provide you with further information about the
topic.
You will be able to access the readings from the GoodStart Training College website at
www.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 work
or personal experience.

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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 you
are urged to complete them to benefit your own learning process. Many of these activities display model
answers when you submit your responses.
Some activities are interactive and you can follow the link to complete them online. Where possible, a written
version 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 of
the page within the footnotes.
Resources
Resources such as interactive learning activities, readings and templates can be downloaded from the
GoodStart Training College website at 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 childrens service. There are various roles within a childrens
service, 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 childrens service, and safety for all.
Structure is provided in a childrens service through:
job/position descriptions
Regulations
policies and procedures.
This topic will discuss the various elements that provide structure and clear boundaries in a childrens
service, allowing for efficiency, effectiveness and quality outcomes.
Position Description
All roles within the childrens 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 a
specific position (see the Introduction above for some examples of positions). All position descriptions are
designed 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 position
description 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 description
for an Assistant. In the text box below, write down a list of tasks that are specific to the role of an
assistant.
It is critical that you are familiar with your position description as it outlines your roles and responsibilities
associated to your position.
Please note: Work experience students and/or volunteers do not have a position description as
such, however it is essential that they are aware of the service policies and procedures. Work
experience students/volunteers are not a part of the centre staffing ratio and must never be left
alone with any children.
Working with Others

Working 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 business
1
or industry. Our profession involves interactions with stakeholders that include: children; families; coworkers; management, and other professionals. Working effectively with others involves teamwork, effective
communication, negotiation and, sometimes, tolerance.
Team Work
Successfully working with others requires effective team work. Team work involves productive working
2
relationships and outcomes. To ensure a high quality responsive childrens 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 Australian
womens rowing team. During the final heat, while the team was leading the
race, one of the rowers stopped rowing. Without communicating to her team
mates what was happening or what was wrong, she just stopped rowing.
The consequence of her action (or rather, inaction) was that the remaining
team 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, destructive
comments and feelings of resentment.
1
2
Sourced: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/stakeholder
Sourced: www.skillsinfo.gov.au (2005) Skills Shortages: concepts, definitions and indicators
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The message behind the scenario provided is relevant to our profession, given the close working
relationships of the various roles and the team work that is required. The message is simple: when one
person does not fulfil their responsibility someone else has to 'take up the slack' and this can result in
resentment and a hostile environment. It can also result in an important task not being completed which
could impact significantly on the health and safety of another. Imagine if someone did not feed a bottle to a
baby, or failed to administer required medication!
Assistant and Group Leader

Generally, the role of an Assistant is to support the allocated Room/Group Leader. As identified in the activity
earlier, an Assistant will have specific job tasks that may include:
maintaining a healthy and safe environment
interacting and caring for the group of children
participating in activities that are service based
being an effective member of the team.
An example of being an effective member of the team is when the Assistant helps the Room/Group Leader
to set up the educational experiences the Leader has planned, ensuring a smooth, flowing day.
What this may look like in practice:
The Room/Group Leader is sitting with the children at group time, reading a book
during a whole group activity and the children are all listening intently to the story. The
Assistant, while still observing and supervising the children, is quietly setting up the
planned activity of easel painting. Once group time is finished the children are able to
transition smoothly, straight into the planned activities.
The scenario above allows for a smooth transition for children, as they will be able
to leave group time and commence the activity. If the Assistant and Room Leader
did not work together, the children would have nothing to occupy them while they
waited for the activity to be set up.
ACTIVTY
What are some other ways in which you would work effectively as a member of the team?
List them below.

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Cooperating with Others

Working as a team member is essential to ensure quality care is occurring in your childrens service. Quality
care is a group effort and even though we may all have different roles and responsibilities in the
organisation, 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 work
practices.
Demonstrate an interest in others. Find the time to ask how other team members are going and have
a 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 work
performance as well as others around you. Reflect on how you receive constructive feedback from
your team members and how you give constructive feedback. Nobody likes to be wrong and nobody
likes 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 better
workplace 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 be
willing 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 an
important topic in any profession. There are organisational policies and procedures in place within the Early
Childhood sector that assist both the employers and employees through any grievances or conflicts that may
arise. There are general steps to follow when faced with grievances in the workplace; however, it is
imperative that you access and follow your organisations policies and procedures.
Grievance Resolution Steps
Talking to co-workers about issues you have with another person can aggravate an already sensitive
relationship. This could also lead to further issues resulting from gossip. If an employee has a grievance or
conflict within the workplace with regards to another member of the team, appropriate processes must be
followed 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 is
better 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 a
grievance 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 Leadership
and service management covers the effective management of grievances and complaints in Standard 7.5
Grievances 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 and
effectively.
Note: The National Quality Standards will be explained in more detail throughout the
content.
Communication
Given that there is more than one person involved in a childrens service, communication is inevitable. A
fundamental component to successful and effective teamwork is communication. The value of
communication is recognised by the National Childcare Accreditation Council (NCAC) as it is embedded
throughout 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 from
the 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 is
responsible for the administration of quality assurance (best practice) in a licensed childrens service.
The NCAC administers the Quality Improvement and Accreditation System (AIAS) which outlines 7
Quality 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 learning
framework 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 the
care of school age children by ensuring that necessary environments, facilities, staffing arrangements,
resources and management structures are in place.
Communication in a childrens 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). The
language you would use when speaking to a parent would vary from the language that you use when
speaking 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 service
provided. 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 the
Group Leader so he can go and have his lunch. The children have just finished eating and are
transitioning from lunch to rest time. Cleo, aged 4, approaches you rubbing her eyes saying to you I
have a sore head. You look at Cleo and notice she looks tired, so you suggest that she go and lie on
her bed and you will be with her shortly. Once the children are all on their mats resting, you notice that
Cleo is sound asleep. An hour has passed, and the children are getting ready for afternoon tea, yet
Cleo is still sleeping. You go to Cleo to gently wake her yet she does not stir. You comment to the
Group Leader that Cleo is sound asleep and has not stirred since moving to the mat. The Group
Leader says, Well, she did fall in the bathroom before lunch and hit her head on the floor. I wonder if
thats why she is sleeping.
In this scenario, the Group Leader failed to communicate that Cleo had hit her head. What presented as
tiredness could actually be the symptoms of something far more serious. The Group Leader failed to verbally
communicate the incident, and also failed to provide written documentation of the incident. As a result of the
lack 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 how
many nappy changes occur. It is the middle of summer and Sarinkas record sheet has not been
completed. The parent collects their child at the end of the day and has no record of what her child
has eaten or drank during the day, nor is there any record of how many times Sarinkas nappy has
been changed. You are unable to provide this information to the parent as you generally work in
another room and had swapped to do the close up shift. You had not been working with Sarinka
during the day.
In the scenario above, valuable information regarding Sarinkas fluid intake has not been recorded or
communicated. The lack of communication has placed the child at risk of harm. A standard intake of fluid is
essential for our health and wellbeing. A lack of fluids can lead to dehydration which can be considered a
life-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 early
this afternoon by his Grandfather Paulie. Please have Romano and his belongings ready for collection
at 12.45pm. Please do not let Romano sleep today as he needs to be ready for his grandfather. You
write a note/memo for the relevant staff member that works with Romano, however you forget to pass
the note and message on. At 12.40pm, Romanos grandfather arrives to collect him and Romano is
sound 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 the
client 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 Group
Leader is conducting the morning whole group session, reading Lucy the Leopard. The activity is eye
dropper painting using hand towels as the medium. You take what paper hand towels you can from
the childrens bathroom, leaving no paper hand towels there. The Group session finishes and some of
the 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. The
Group Leader asks you how long the paper towels have been empty and you reply that you used them
all for the activity.
In this instance, lack of communication resulted in insufficient resources. As a result of the lack of resources
the 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 childrens
bathroom. 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 the
childrens service. It is imperative that steps are taken to monitor these resources to ensure the quality of the
service is maintained at all times. All staff members need to be active participants and demonstrate
awareness of the organisational requirements required by their specific children's service. A need for
resources can be communicated verbally or in written form. Even though it may not be your responsibility to
order the resources, reporting shortages of resources is everyones 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 ensure
effective teamwork.

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Contribution
3
Contribution is the part played by a person in bringing about a result. In childrens services all staff,
regardless of their role, have a valuable contribution to make in the aim of providing a quality service.
Contribution in a childrens 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 professional
development)
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 childrens service. Regulations
are unique to each state and territory. Equally, child care Regulations are developed by each state and
territory and set the minimum standards for the provision of child care services.
In general, the minimum standards refer to:
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 individual
child enrolled in the service
Occupational health and safety:
In each workplace, a set of guidelines or safe work practice procedures are established, so that all
staff and clients remain safe and staff are able to assess any risks that could occur. The objective of
any workplace health and safety Act "is to prevent a person's death, injury or illness being caused at a
workplace, by workplace activities."
It is important for you to familiarise yourself with the relevant Child Care Regulations in
your state or territory. You will be able to access your own copy of the relevant Childcare
Regulations on our website: www.goodstart.edu.au/resources
Sourced: Princeton University wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

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

In the same way that Regulations are unique to each state and territory, policies and procedures are unique
5
to each service. A policy is a deliberate plan of action to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes. In
relation to a childrens service, the outcomes in the policies and procedures are based on the legislative
requirements and government standards. Policies and procedures ensure consistency in practice: they
ensure 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, for
example, 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.
Sourced: http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
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The relationship between legislation, Regulations and policies and procedures can be demonstrated as
such:
Legislation
Childcare
Regulations
Service
Policies and
Procedures
Quality and
Consistent
Outcomes Consistency!
It is your responsibility as an early childhood professional to be aware of the relevant Childcare Regulations
and organisational policies and procedures, and also your position description, as these create structure,
organisation and consistency in workplace practice. You wouldnt drive a car without knowing how the
vehicle works or without knowledge of the road rules similarly, when working in a childrens service, you
need 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 for
early childhood education and care, Education and Care Services National
Law Act 2010.
The Education and Care Services National Law Act will replace current state
and territory licensing and regulation processes, incorporating an Act and
Regulations 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 framework
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 the care of
school age children by ensuring that necessary environments, facilities, staffing arrangements, resources
and management structures are in place.
The National Quality Standard comprises seven quality areas:
1. Educational program and practice
2. Childrens 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 Councils Quality Improvement and Accreditation
System, each quality area for the National Quality Standard contains Quality Areas and within each Area
there are standards and elements for the quality of service provided.

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Topic 2
Safety and Wellbeing

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Introduction
Safety and wellbeing in a childrens service falls under the banner of occupational health and safety (OHS).
Occupational health and safety requirements encompass all people involved with the service (stakeholders).
Health and safety practices are required to protect:
the children
the staff
the employers
the families of the children enrolled in the service
visitors to the service.
This topic will cover health and safety practices in a childrens service.
Legislative Requirements
Policies and procedures are devised when there is a process identified in the service. They ensure that
everyone completes the process/procedure in the same, consistent manner. Processes are guided by
legislative standards such as legislation and Regulations.
Legislation is the act of making laws. Some of the types of laws that define childrens services legislation
include:
child protection
occupational health and safety
licensing of childrens services.
Laws are generally presented in three parts:
1.
The Act
The Act outlines the general requirements of any industry. It is a statement of law on one topic
(for instance, OHS) that is approved by Parliament.
The objectives of the various Acts across Australia aim to:
secure and promote the health, safety and welfare of people at work
protect people against workplace health and safety risks
provide for consultation and cooperation between employers and workers in achieving
the objects of the Act
ensure that risks are identified, assessed and eliminated or controlled
develop and promote community awareness of OHS issues
provide a legislative framework that allows for progressively higher standards of OHS to
take account of new technologies and work practices.
2.
Regulations
Regulations are made under the principal Act governing OHS in each state and territory and the
Commonwealth. They are an integral part of the legislation. Regulations deal with specific
issues in greater detail than they are dealt with in the Act itself. Childrens Services Regulations
vary according to each state or territory and it is vital that you are aware of the requirements as
stated within the document relevant to the OHS requirements of working in an Early Childhood
Service.

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3.
Approved Codes of Practice and Australian Standards

Codes of Practice provide information on minimum standards and guidance on how standards
can be met. An example of this is our Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics. Approved
Codes of Practice can be considered as statements of preferred work practice which set out
minimum acceptable levels of performance or quality in relation to a specific hazard, work
process, industry or product. Codes of Practice provide advice to employers on how they can
achieve 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 and
implemented.
Each state and territory has their own Acts, Regulations and Codes of Practice on OHS. They all differ
slightly, 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 the
moment the door opens until it is safely secured at the end of each day. Service policies and procedures
should 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 workplace
who 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 that
each 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 specific
to the early childhood services is clearly documented for all early childhood professionals, as well as other
staff, contractors and visitors to follow.
It is imperative that you are familiar with, and follow all of, your services policies and procedures. Policies
and 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, illness
or injury occurs and it is proven that it was a result of improper or incorrect practice, the ramifications for the
staff member in question are high. These ramifications, both legal and ethical, will have a major impact on
the person and the service.
ACTIVITY
Some of the policies and procedures relating specifically to health and safety in your
service may include :
emergency evacuation
administration of first aid
handling contaminated matter
appropriate clothing and footwear
handling chemicals
immunisation
storing chemicals
infection control
gloves
exclusion of sick children and staff
hand washing
accident and injury
sun safety
reporting hazards.
manual handling and lifting

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

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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

6
Quite simply, a hazard can be defined as a source of danger. . 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 service
is to ensure that you have provided a safe environment and kept infection control to a minimum.
Environments within a childrens service change constantly so regular hazard checks need to be completed
regularly.
ACTIVITY
A hazard in a childrens service may include:
spilt water on the floor
an empty power socket without a

safety plug
a stressed staff member

a staff member not working in
alignment with the services policies
and procedures
uncovered wounds
a staff member diagnosing

illness for an unwell child
a blocked fire exit
an
not wearing non-slip, covered shoes
bullying
lack of training or knowledge
lifting or moving objects incorrectly.
children playing outside without hats

red-back
outside
spiders on the bricks
In the text box below, list an additional five (5) hazards that could occur in a childrens service.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Sourced: Princeton University http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

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There are seven (7) different classifications of hazards.

1.
Physical Hazards
In a childrens service these may look like:
carpet turned up at the corner
uneven pavers
falling objects
poorly placed furniture.
2.
Mechanical and/or Electrical Hazards

poorly protected electricity (exposed wired, electrical cords near water, electrical cords hanging
where children can reach them, uncovered electrical sockets)
machinery involving appliances such as microwaves, clothes driers, vacuum cleaners.
3.
Chemical Hazards
poisons
disinfectants
detergents
lead-based paint.
4.
Biological Hazards
bacteria
viruses
mould
insects
vermin (mice, rats).
5.
Psychosocial Environmental Hazards

A psychosocial environmental hazard is a hazard that directly affects the emotional wellbeing of a
person. In a childrens 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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7.
Thermal Hazards
hot surfaces
steam stoves and ovens
cold surfaces.
The most effective way to assess for hazards within the environment is to use an itemised Occupational
Health and Safety (OHS) checklist. An itemised checklist is a list of all the specific areas within the indoor
and outdoor environment that need to be checked and assessed.
Checklists can be a valuable tool as they allow staff of the service to check OHS practices and procedures in
a consistent manner. As checklists state the areas which must be checked off, staff cannot forget to assess
certain areas of the environment.
Checklists ensure that:
the environment is formally assessed for hazards on a regular basis
there is documentation to prove that the environment has been assessed
the strategies implemented to address hazards are documented
hazards that may be overlooked are identified.
Checklists can be used to provide evidence of the identification and rectification of OHS issues. Checklists
must be completed with accuracy and detail. If areas are identified as not occurring, comments should be
made so that follow up can be carried out.

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ACTIVITY
Each day before children enter the playground, the outside area must be checked for potential
hazards. The outdoor safety check will involve completing a checklist which may include the
following items.
Playground Checklist
This checklist must be completed each morning and afternoon before the children are taken into the
playground. Please place your initials against each item once it has been checked.
Not
Follow up action taken to
Criteria
Occurring
Comments
occurring
minimise risk
Certified soft fall
No soft fall equipment is
Soft fall mat placed under
and/or safety mats
under balance
balance beam
under and around
beam/obstacle course
x
all climbing
equipment over
50cm.
Check all fence
perimeters to
ensure the
x
playground is free
of foreign objects.
All spider webs
have been
x
removed.
Any fallen branches
Broken branch on ground in
Broken branch removed to
have been
x
sandpit
safe area away from
removed.
children
Locate the outdoor/playground safety checklist for your organisation. In the text box below, list three criteria
that are listed on the checklist that you will need to check:
Step 2: Assess the Risk

Once the hazard has been identified, the next step in risk management involves assessing the risk created
by the hazard. Risk in simple terms is the likelihood of something occurring and the severity of the potential
repercussions of a hazard. Assessing risk and using your judgement will assist in determining the action
which is required to solve or eliminate the hazard. Risk assessment is based on the following factors,
likelihood and consequences.
Likelihood Table
Likelihood Rankings
Guide
Almost Certain
Is expected to occur frequently, in most circumstances; at least once per week.
Likely
Is expected to occur occasionally; at least once per month.
Possible
Could occur, capable of happening, foreseeable; could occur at least once in 12 months.
Unlikely
Rare
Might occur sometime but not expected; might occur at least once during a period of five years
or less.
May occur in exceptional circumstances only; may occur at least once in a period of five years
or more.

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Consequence Table
Consequence
Ratings
Guide
Insignificant
Very minor injury / harm or near miss occurrence.
Minor
Minor injury / harm. First aid needed.
Moderate
Injury of more than a minor nature, may relate to absence from the centre. Harm / injury is not
considered long term.
Major
Risk leads to serious injury / harm and incapacitation or long-term effects.
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 identified
hazards below.
Hazard
Likelihood rating
Consequence
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 is
implemented 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 methods
of 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, through
minimisation 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. For
example:
Identified hazard
A poisonous plant growing in the playground
Elimination
Coordinate for a gardener to remove the plant
from 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 Risk

Where possible, replace the hazard with an alternative piece of equipment and/or practice. For
example:
Identified hazard
Small pieces of Lego in the toddlers room
Substitution
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 resources
and reporting the hazard and your follow up actions to your Group Leader.
iii.
Isolate the Hazard

Where possible, place a barrier around potential dangers or move hazards out of reach. The aim of
the isolation method is to separate the hazard from the person at risk. For example:
Identified hazard
Sharp knives
Isolation
Store the sharp knives in a kitchen that children
cannot access. The doors into the kitchen prevent
children from entering.
*NOTE: As an Assistant, your role in this process would involve following the services policies and
procedures.
iv.
Use Engineering Controls

Where possible, using designs or modifications in the environment to minimise risk. For example:
Identified hazard
Heavy outdoor equipment. such as a long balance
beam
Engineering
Use a trolley to move the heavy equipment (Note
that two people are required to lift heavier
equipment).
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 per
the services policies and procedures.
v.
Use Administrative Controls

Use policies and procedures, signs and/or training to minimise risk. This involves regular inspection
and testing of equipment and practices within the work environment, and can include implementing
safe work practices, instruction and training. Also included in administrative controls is reducing the
time the stakeholders are exposed to the hazard. For example, in a childrens service we reduce the
exposure to the sun by limiting the time spent outdoors.
Identified hazard
New staff
Administrative
Participation in training and familiarisation of the
services policies and procedures.
procedures (role modelling appropriate practices), participating in training and regularly checking the
environment for hazards using the services 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 minimise
the possibilities of the risk occurring. For example:
Identified hazard
A child with a runny nose
Protective equipment
Use plastic gloves to wipe childs nose.
After removing gloves, wash hands as per the
hand washing procedure.
Sun
Apply sunscreen and use sunhats.
procedures.

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Step 4: Implement Control Measures

The control measures used to control risks in the workplace should be chosen according to their
effectiveness. The hierarchy of control is a useful tool, as controls are listed in order of preference from most
to least effective. The higher the method is within the hierarchy of control, the most effective the control is. If
you 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 the
risks 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 to
recognise, identify and respond to hazards. Each of the above actions would fall into one of the five
strategies within the hierarchy of control.
All stakeholders of the service should be actively involved in managing the occupational health and safety of
their service. Contribution of all parties ensures that all points of view are considered when dealing with
hazards.
When considering which control measure to use to eliminate a hazard or minimise a risk, all stakeholders
should ensure they have input into the process. By working as a team, early childhood professionals have a
better 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 control
7
measures that have been implemented to prevent of minimise the risks.
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 in
the environment), it is important for you to review the effectiveness of the action taken. Review and
monitoring 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?
Sourced: Workplace Health and Safety Queensland. Risk Management code of Practice 2007 http://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 and
contribution to make in ensuring a safe environment. Contributions towards OHS can include such diverse
actions as mopping up some spilt water on the floor, completing an incident form, attending training to
update knowledge and skills (professional development), and offering feedback.

With the implementation of the National Quality Standard as of 1 January, 2011,
childrens health and safety is covered by Quality Area 2 Childrens health and
safety:
Standard 2.1 Each childs health is promoted
Standard 2.2 Healthy eating and physical activity are embedded in the
program 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, and
enhancing the quality of work performance. An important focus on the Australian Governments quality
reform agenda in early childhood education and care is to improve quality in childrens services to support
8
better outcomes for children. 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 childrens service.
Keeping up to date with current industry practices and changes is essential.
Professional development can include:
attending workshops
attending conferences
participating 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 work
practices 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.
Sourced: DEEWR Child Care staff: Learning and Growing Through Professional Development http://www.pscsa.org.au/cms/?q=system/files/FINAL+resource+manual.pdf
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Professional development is highlighted within the National Quality Standard
which comes into effect 1 January, 2011.
Standard 4.2 Educators, and staff have the skills and knowledge to
support childrens learning, health, safety and wellbeing
Standard 6.3 The service collaborates with other organisations and
service providers to enhance childrens learning and wellbeing
Standard 7.2 There is a commitment to continuous improvement
Professional development directly links to the standards above, for example:
o
o
Standard 4.2 = Formal training, attending workshops etc

Standard 6.3 = Working in collaboration and consultation with industry experts such as support
services for individual needs (behavioural, developmental, cultural etc).
Communication
In Topic 1, the significance of effective communication in a childrens service was discussed in relation to
teamwork. Effective communication is an essential aspect of maintaining a safe environment. Early
childhood professionals need to be able to communication with children, colleagues, families, management
and other professionals. Earlier we discussed that for effective communication to occur, the language used
must be appropriate to the target audience.
Within the Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010, which comes into effect 1 January, 2011, is
a nationally approved Early Years Learning Framework such as Belonging, Being and Becoming or My
Time, My Place.
The Early Years Learning Framework describes the principles, practice and outcomes essential to support
and enhance young childrens 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 young
childrens learning providing the most appropriate stimulus for brain development. The Framework also
recognises the importance of communication and language (including early literacy and numeracy) and
9
social and emotional development (*)
Communication with Children

Did you know that children understand spoken language before they have mastered it
themselves? 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 unsafe
and this is where the early childhood professional can step in. While children should not be responsible for
maintaining their own safety, they can become aware of safe play and how to modify their play to maintain
their own safety. Children require careful guidance and a reminder of play rules to assist them to learn about
safe 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 head
first (sometimes literally!). While allowing toddlers to maintain their natural curiosity
and exuberance, early childhood professionals must explain and demonstrate
potential safety risks to them in developmentally appropriate ways.
Sourced:
Department
of
Education,
Employment
and
Workplace
Relations.
http://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 may
have trouble remembering or implementing them at the time of need.
By limiting children too much, early childhood professionals may restrict the childs self-esteem and
independence 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 other
children.
Just as we alert other early childhood professionals and adults to hazards which may be present within the
environment, so too should children be alerted to such hazards and the risks they present. Alerting children
to hazards can assist them to understand the concept of danger and actions that they need to take to
ensure 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 with
children, 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 instructions instructions such as we need to sit on chairs or the pencils are to be
used for drawing can positively set limits for children.
Use verbal communication with more reason communications such as We will have to take this
bucket out of the sandpit because its broken. Im worried that it might scratch somebody. Older
children, 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 the
sandpit? or What may happen if we climb on the beam without a mattress underneath it?, can
prompt children to think about their own personal safety and the hazards in the vicinity which can
cause them harm.
Use demonstrations and verbal communication for example, while role modelling the safe use of
scissors, early childhood professionals can explain that, Scissors are very sharp and are used to cut
paper. You have to look after them very carefully and put them back in the container when you have
finished using them. Such reinforcement of safety will encourage children to think the same way as
you.
When communicating with children to redirect undesirable behaviours, it is important that you focus on the
desirable behaviours rather than the undesirable behaviours. Rather than DONT RUN, it is more
appropriate 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 and
have developed childrens ability to identify hazards within the environment, it is
still the early childhood professionals responsibility to keep the environment safe.

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Lets look at how children of different ages play and what strategies may be considered in maintaining safe
play.
Birth to one year

Few incidents are caused by other children as they engage in solitary play, unless the injury is caused by an
older 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 to
teach 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 its the start of parallel play. One to
two 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 side
with similar toys.
Two to three years

Children are well and truly into the parallel play stage and are entering the associative play stage, although
egocentricity is still typical. Children have more developed language skills than they did as toddlers, but
finding 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 children
to engage in safe play. For example, Maddy, you need to tell Joel that you dont like being hit. And
Joel, Maddys 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 spans
may 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, although
there are still some traces of it. Children are familiar with the expectations of how to play appropriately and
sharing is commonplace now, although it is usually used to favour themselves. Often-heard phrases include
You have to share or No, youve had your turn.
Children at this age engage in vigorous outdoor experiences and like to take risks, such as climbing higher
than their friends on the climbing equipment. Boys, in particular, will engage in fast running games and rough
and tumble play.
Strategies
Group discussions about expectations on behaviour and social rules. For example, Yes, we need to
share 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 resources
before having to sharing them. For example, the computer might have a ten minute timer so when the
time has wound down, the child can give another child a go. A roster system may also help with this.
Explain other peoples needs so they can learn about other peoples 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 as
broken 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 ensure
behaviour 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 are
relevant 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 station
without communicating with a colleague to ensure the area is covered during your absence. Lack of
communication 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 and
pictures is an effective way of communicating a warning for a hazard
or providing an outline of a process. In childrens services you will see
posters outlining the recommended hand washing procedure, or you
may see a poster outlining the recommended process for changing a
nappy. Manual lifting posters are also displayed in a childrens service
outlining 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 signs
accessible in your room for children to use may also assist them in communicating hazardous play activities
with 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 is
dangerous. By encouraging children to identify hazards and risks within the environment, they will be more
likely to inform you about unsafe practices they have come across, thus making your task of supervision
easier 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 accidents
or 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 completed
accurately. 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 the
following reporting methods:
Memos: Memos can be quick reminders warning of potential hazards. For example, staff may leave a
memo 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 childrens 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 any stakeholder children,
staff, visitors and contractors. Whenever you are required to complete an accident or illness
form, the most important factor is accuracy. Information you report may be required to
effectively treat a child in the case of a serious injury or may be used to improve the quality of
the 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 this
task.
If a piece of equipment is the cause of an incident and it has been removed, you must document this
on 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 childs name
the childs 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. Statespecific Childcare Regulations outline minimum standards for childrens services in regards to the
environment. 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 childrens 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 website
www.goodstart.edu.au Look up the minimum requirements regarding the layout
requirements of a childrens service. In the text box below, list four (4) minimum standards
you 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, a
higher level of supervision is going to be required. But it is often difficult to have more early childhood
professionals 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 to
develop their play. L-shaped rooms and yards present a visual barrier and early childhood professionals can
be faced with blind spots resulting in places and pieces of equipment which are out of the line of vision or
hearing.

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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 and
infants are crawling and learning to walk. The more obstacles they have in the way, the more likely they will
collide with them. Babies and infants spend a lot of time on the floor. Furniture and other obstacles may
present 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 and
other 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 physical
movements. They are, however, taking more risk than ever before due to their new-found skills. Within this
age group, children will be testing their abilities as well as interacting more closely with other children, which
may present a risk within itself.
When setting up an environment in a childrens service, it is important to not have any
corners 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, promotes
competence, independent exploration and learning through
play
Relationship of Quality Area 3 to the Early Years Framework:
Outdoor learning spaces are a feature of Australian learning
environments. These spaces invite open-ended interactions,
spontaneity, risk-taking, exploration, discovery and connection with
nature.
Indoor and outdoor environments support all aspects of childrens
learning and invite conversations between children, early childhood
educators, 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 and
abilities of each child. They cater for different learning capacities and learning styles and invite children and
families to contribute ideas, interests and questions.
Remember that environments need to emotionally and physically safe for children. Activities should be
challenging enough to encourage risk taking, but not so challenging as to discourage children because they
are unable to experience success.
Supervision
Supervision in a childrens service is everyones 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 seen
or heard.

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In order to minimise potential risks and hazards to all children through insufficient staff allocations, each state
and territory's Regulations stipulate certain child to staff ratios within children's service settings. These
Regulations recognise different needs for adult attention and supervision at different age levels. It is vital that
these 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 or
standards will mean a breach of the law. In the event this occurs and the relevant licensing department in
your state is notified, your service may be faced with large fines or possibly closure. If you are aware of the
fact that your service is not complying with these requirements, it is essential for you to speak with your
Centre Director/Manager or Group Leader.
Effective supervision encompasses a range of strategies, including provision of supervision stations and
interaction strategies in the outdoor play areas as well as the indoor areas. Rearranging the play areas and
assessing 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 knowing
which children in your care display more risk taking behaviours than others, as well as knowing the
experiences 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. Glass
viewing windows also allow you to scan other areas or rooms.
Physical reach accidents can be prevented if you can physically prevent
them. By being within reach, it may be possible to prevent a child from falling
from equipment or biting another child. Generally, the younger the child and the
higher the risk activity, the closer you will need to be.
Positioning position yourself so you are near children who are participating
in a high-risk experience or a popular experience where there are many
children. 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 a
chat, rather than stand face-to-face with the person, which can block your view
of the children, stand side by side and chat with them while maintaining visual
contact with all children. You may feel rude doing so, but most will respect you
more if you say, Please do not think that I am not listening to you or that I am
not interested in what youre saying with me not looking at you, it is just that I
need 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 effective
supervision. 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 same
area. A possible risk when combining children is that the older children may enjoy running around but
the infants are unable to walk as yet and may be stood on.
The type of services provided
For example, in Occasional Care or Out Of School Hours Care services, where children come and go
at different times, it is more difficult to maintain child to staff ratios and keep track of how many
children are in attendance at one time.
The range of children in attendance
For example, if the children have additional needs or are from non-English speaking backgrounds, are
they going to understand the various service requirements and limits? A possible risk is that the
families from a non-English speaking background could be hurt as they are not able to read the
Danger/Chemical signs or understand limits and guidance of the service.

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The physical layout and equipment/facilities of the service

A possible risk could be that there are broken toys on which children may hurt themselves.
Alternatively, the physical layout of the building could present early childhood professionals with
challenges in effective supervision. For example, an L-shaped room can inhibit line of sight for
effective supervision.
How the program is structured
For example, can the children move freely from one area to another? A possible risk is that children
may become bored and display undesirable behaviours.
The ages and stages of the children attending the service
The level of supervision required for a particular play experience is dependent on the age and stage of
development of the children concerned. An awareness of a childs developmental capabilities is
essential in any childrens service setting as this will be the basis of the supervision required. This is a
critical factor in accident prevention as the early childhood professional should then be more able to
anticipate the potential dangers to the child.
The effective supervision of children should be at the forefront of an early childhood professionals mind
constantly. Supervision is extremely important and is to be conducted at all times but not in a manner
which allows you to simply stand back and watch the children. Any time you are supervising children,
interactions should be occurring.
Take the following routine times as examples of how this can occur:
Meal times
While the children are sitting and eating, you too can sit down at the table or next to the highchair and eat
with the children. You can help the children with feeding, eat your own morning tea or lunch, role model
appropriate table manners and healthy eating, talk about different foods and tastes and healthy options all
while monitoring the childrens safety.
Choking is a big concern for children of all ages. Supervision is important and early childhood professionals
must monitor children at all times. Early childhood professionals should sit WITH children and maintain direct
contact at all times. Just being in the room is not enough. Meal times can be busy times with early childhood
professionals (and other professionals) preparing food for children and often preparing beds for rest times.
Children need your full attention during meal times.
In order to ensure the provision of a safe environment during meal times, the following factors should be
considered:
Children must remain seated during mealtimes. Children under 15 months should be strapped
securely into a highchair. Even though they are strapped in, supervision is essential as the child may
try to climb out or wriggle causing the highchair to topple over. Children over 15 months should be
seated in a child-sized chair at the table and encouraged to remain seated until they finish their food.
Prepare all food prior to the children being seated at the table. The longer the children are kept
waiting, the sooner they will lose patience. This will also enable your full attention to be given to the
children.
Limit distractions for yourself and for the children. If you become distracted, your attention may be
taken away from the children. If the children become distracted, they may be inclined to leave the
table while they are still eating, laugh or become restless.
Complete other jobs, such as preparing beds or cleaning, either before or after the children are seated
for meal time.
Younger children may require assistance with feeding. If doing so, always monitor ALL children and
scan the environment.
Rest times
Sit with the children and assist to calm and soothe them. Read or sing to them as they are relaxing and
getting settled for sleep. Regulations now state there must be two early childhood professionals in the room
with the children, even at rest time.

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ACTIVITY
Referring to the relevant Childcare Regulations for your state or territory, locate and list, the
standards for providing an area conducive to rest.
Indoor and outdoor play

The opportunities are endless! Join children in dramatic play areas, construction areas, sandpit or during ball
games. Take a seat at the playdough table, speak to children during painting experiences or turn on the
music and have a dance. Hold childrens hands while walking across the balance beam or sit quietly and
read some books with children. See endless opportunities!
Routine tasks
Even everyday routine tasks can be opportunities for interaction. Take, for example, sweeping the floor. You
can explain to the children why you are sweeping. Kirra, youre watching me sweep the floor. I need to
sweep the floor and get rid of all the lunch scraps so you have a nice clean floor to walk on. We dont want
you to get dirty hands and knees. There we go; its all clean again now. Simply talking to children and
including them in what you are doing is also interacting with them.
Any time of the day is a great time to interact with children. Just remember, while doing so, to:
listen for other noises going on around you crying, running, banging or silence
scan the area around you scan for children and other potential hazards
position yourself to allow for scanning
know where the children are, where other staff are and what activities are available for the children
be in a position where you can physically reach the child or children you are interacting with
especially if they are infants or engaging in a high risk activity.
Think about the layout of your service and whether you can provide effective supervision by standing
anywhere.

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Typical issues with supervision include, but are not restricted to:
the layout of the building, for example, not providing glass viewing areas
lack of communication between staff
not being in direct sight of the children
not being able to hear all children, for example, this may occur in the cot rooms of a nursery
not being in physical reach of a child, for example, around the outdoor play area.
Knowing the factors which inhibit supervision within the environment will allow you to develop a supervision
plan that is effective, maintains safety and allows for direct contact with children at all times.
The following is an example of a supervision station plan. These plans should be developed with early
childhood professionals and be displayed in the service for early childhood professionals to follow. Such a
plan allows for identification of positions which are known areas for accidents or hazards. By pinpointing
these areas and ensuring early childhood professionals are present within them at all times, the likelihood of
hazards or accidents occurring will be lessened.

Effective supervision relates to Quality Area 4 Staffing Arrangements from the
National Quality Standard which comes in to effect as of 1 January, 2011.
Standard 4.1 Staff arrangements enhance childrens learning and
development and ensure their safety and wellbeing
When supervising children it is vital that an early childhood professional interacts with the children rather
than just standing back and watching. In relation to the Early Years Learning Framework Practice Learning
through play requires the early childhood professional to engage in sustained shared conversations with
children to extend their thinking.
Stage Appropriate Resources

Stage appropriate resources are important for the physical safety of children and for the emotional safety of
children. Activities need to be set up that enable children to experience success. By providing too many
challenging activities for a child, the risk of failure is high, which is not beneficial for promoting independence
or for encouraging confidence. Placing activities out for children that are too difficult can often encourage
undesirable behaviours.

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When children feel comfortable and competent in their environment they are
more likely to explore, investigate and take risks, which will expand their thinking
and foster their growth and development. As per the Early Years Learning
Framework, an early childhood professional needs to provide opportunities to
support all aspects of childrens learning according to each childs individual
learning needs. This emphasis on individualised learning opportunities is
evidenced in National Quality Standard 1.2 The program for each child takes
into account their strengths, capabilities, culture, interests and experiences.
REFLECTION
Imagine attending a training session for something you have no interest or skills in.
Now imagine sitting in the session with five other people who obviously are
passionate and experienced in the topic of the training session.
During an activity (which you have never experienced before) you continue to fail at
completing the set task. The others in the group have already finished the task and
are ready to move on to the next activity. They are just waiting for you to finish.
How would you feel in this situation?
In order a support a child in your centre, you need to provide activities the child is interested in and can
experience a level of success even if that success involves you working collaboratively with the child to
complete or participate in the task.
Children are not always focused on the end result of an experience sometimes the participation in the
activity is more fun.
Age and developmental needs of the children need to be considered carefully. Very young children will not
respond to experiences in the same way as older children. This is due to their approach to their environment
being mainly exploratory. They remain at tasks for short periods only. However, the toddler environment can
be set up in such a way that experiences are less structured.
Infants
With children this young, the children's services environment must be warm, calm and peaceful in both the
physical setting and the manner used by staff. There should be a selection of age-appropriate toys of
different textures, colours and sizes.
Special considerations for this age group
Toys should be large (bigger than a film canister) so that they cannot be swallowed. They should be
smooth with no splinters or sharp edges.
As children of this age are very oral (everything goes to the mouth for exploration), toys should be
washed/cleaned easily and regularly.
Children of this age are extremely responsive to tactile experiences such as those with water, sand,
playdough and foods.
Infants enjoy the opportunity to explore outdoors also, but this should be done cautiously with weather
factors in mind.
Two to three years
For these children, learning experiences with blocks, books, puzzles, painting, drawing, sand, water and in
home-corner should all be well laid out.

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When designing and/or organising learning experiences for this age group, there are several factors to
consider:
Young children need plenty of open space in which to move.
Enable clear viewing of all areas.
Keep pathways clear of obstruction for quick and easy access to children at all times. (Be conscious of
fire safety exits under the required Regulations.)
Activities which appeal to the senses are most popular as this age group enjoys active explorations.
Set up quiet activities away from noisy activities.
Limit the number of toys available at one time. Very young children can only attend to or play with a
few toys at the same time.
Have shelves or activity baskets/boxes available for children.
Do not change the physical arrangement dramatically or frequently. Change should be gradual so that
the young children can maintain the security of familiar surrounds.
Provide duplicates of toys such as baby dolls, bikes and puzzles to reduce the risk of peer conflict.
Children of this age do not have the skills to share or take turns.
Three to five years
At this age, the use of learning experiences can begin in earnest. The basic areas of blocks, home-corner,
books, manipulative toys, table toys, art, and sand and water should be fairly constant within the room.
Additional experiences such as cooking, science and computers may change frequently or be offered at
certain times.
Preschool-aged children are at less risk of danger than younger children (e.g. climbing on furniture, falling,
running) as they have by this time internalised many social expectations and rules for appropriate behaviour.
Thus, learning experiences may be constructed in a way that an adult may not have immediate visual access
(e.g. behind a curtain). However, direct physical access must be available at all times if needed.
As a general rule of thumb, when selecting resources for activities, if in doubt dont
put it out!
Health and Hygiene

Diseases are easily spread in a children's service setting. Norovirus is a very common cause of diarrhoea
and can infect 50% or more of people in a group. Each state's Regulations describe environmental hygiene
practices that are important to follow in order to reduce the risk of infection and illness.
The three most important ways of preventing the spread of infectious disease are:
effective hand washing
exclusion of sick children and staff
immunisation.
In providing a safe environment, it is important that infection control is maintained in your room as well as in
the whole early childhood service. When should we implement infection control procedures? It is actually
important that we take precautions when dealing with any person. It must be assumed that all people staff
and children are potentially infectious.
Lets break it down and look at each infection control measure and when or where to implement them.

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Hand washing
Regular hand washing is the most effective way to minimise the spread of germs and infections. Hand
washing should be carried out:
when entering the service to prevent bringing in germs
before eating, preparing or serving food
after eating, serving or preparing food
after toileting or changing nappies
after changing from one activity to another
after outdoor play
after wiping noses or cleaning
before leaving the centre to prevent taking germs home
before gloves are put on and immediately after they are removed.
Gloves
Gloves prevent germs from coming into contact with skin. Germs can enter the skin through cuts and
scratches or open skin from rashes or dermatitis. Gloves should be worn at all times when:
preparing or serving food
toileting or changing nappies
wiping noses
cleaning.
Cleaning
Each state and territory has guidelines that outline cleaning requirements. These guidelines can be sourced
from:
relevant state and territory childrens services Regulations or standards
Quality Practices Guide as per the National Childcare Accreditation Council (NCAC)
Staying Healthy in Childcare publication which has been developed by the National Health and
Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
occupational health and safety legislation relevant to each state and territory
policies and procedures of the service.
Cleaning should occur on an ongoing basis. All surfaces and objects in a childrens service should be
cleaned as per the services policy and procedures. Items that require cleaning include:
Toys and equipment depending on how often they are used, toys and equipment should be
cleaned daily. Toys which may be mouthed by infants should be cleaned as required, possibly several
times a day.
Furniture tables need to be cleaned after each use to remove food scraps or art and craft remains.
Floors floors should be swept when necessary including after morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea.
Extra sweeping may be necessary, particularly after messy art experiences. Floors should be mopped
at least twice a day, usually after lunch and again at the end of the day. Carpets and mats should be
vacuumed once a day and professionally steam cleaned every six months.
Incidentals objects such as windows should be cleaned at least weekly; puzzles, books and home
corner equipment should also be cleaned weekly unless you notice contact with mouths or other
contaminated surfaces; curtains should be cleaned every few months and wiped over more regularly
as necessary.

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Cleaning up and disposal of waste material

Infections can be spread through contaminated matter. In order to maintain a safe and
healthy environment, contaminated waste material must be dealt with and disposed of
correctly. Any contaminated matter, which may include blood, faeces, urine or vomit,
must be dealt with immediately to prevent children coming into contact with it.
Steps that must be carried out when cleaning up and disposing of waste materials include the following:
Gloves must be worn prior to dealing with waste material.
Remove as much solid matter as possible with disposable paper towel.
Soak up liquid matter with disposable paper towel.
Any paper towel used must be sealed in a plastic bag.
Gloves must be removed by peeling them off the hands from the wrist downwards.
Gloves must also be sealed in the plastic bag.
The plastic bag must then be taken to the outside skip/industrial bin to prevent anyone coming into
contact with the contaminant.
Surfaces in which the matter had touched must be disinfected according to service procedure.
Hands must be washed thoroughly afterwards.
Nappy change areas
Nappy change areas in childrens services contain a lot of waste materials that can potentially infect children
and staff. The bin that the nappies are placed in after use must be lined and have a lid to prevent children
touching the contaminants and to minimise smells. The bin should preferably have a foot pedal to prevent
adults from having to touch the lid surface. After each set of nappy changes, the bin liner should be taken to
the outside skip/industrial bin for disposal. Gloves and wipes used in the process must also be disposed of
correctly. You must ensure that you accurately follow your early childhood service nappy changing policy
and procedure each time you change a nappy.
Wiping noses
Have you ever noticed how often children have a runny nose? With all this mucous, there are bound to be
some contaminated tissues. When using tissues to wipe childrens noses (and even your own nose), gloves
must be worn. Once the nose has been wiped, hold the tissue in your fingers and remove the glove by
peeling it down from the wrist. Once the glove is off your hand, the tissue will be securely enclosed inside the
glove. The glove can then be thrown in the bin. As always, hands must be washed after the removal of
gloves.
Gloves are the best defence against contaminated matter coming into contact with skin.
After removing gloves, dont forget to wash your hands.

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FURTHER GUIDANCE
The National Health and Medical Research Council is a government organisation regarding all matters
relating to health.
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is
Australia's peak body for supporting health and medical research; for
developing health advice for the Australian community, health
professionals and governments; and for providing advice on ethical
behaviour in health care and in the conduct of health and medical
10
research.
While it is not necessary for you to be familiar with the entire workings of
the NHMRC, you do need to be familiar with its recommendations
regarding health and hygiene practices in your service. The NHMRC has
devised Staying Healthy in Childcare which is a book with information
and strategies on staying healthy in childcare. This publication is
absolutely invaluable and is found in most childrens services. In fact, it is
known in the early childhood profession as the health bible as it provides
very important information and guidance on matters of health, hygiene
and preventing illness.
You will be able to source your own copy of Staying Healthy in Childcare from the GoodStart Training
College website www.goodstart.edu.au/resources
Recognising and Responding to Allergies and Illness

Allergy and illness is a common occurrence in todays society. Early childhood professionals need to follow
best practices when faced with potential illnesses in a childrens service. Good practices can only be
demonstrated by early childhood professionals if they have the knowledge and skills associated with
recognising, responding to and managing illnesses and allergies. This also includes being aware of your
services policy and procedures in regards to administering medication to children.
While it is important that early childhood professionals are able to recognise signs and symptoms of allergies
and illness, diagnosis of a condition must be left up to a medically trained professional. An Assistant is
required to inform their Group Leader or Centre Director of any concerns they have regarding a child
presenting with signs of allergy or illness.
Signs and Symptoms of Illness

Even after following the strictest of hygiene procedures, illnesses may be present in a childrens service from
time to time. It is important for early childhood professionals to supervise all children and monitor their health
and wellbeing. Early childhood professionals must be familiar with signs of illness in children and how to
respond when symptoms are present.
Think about how you feel when you are unwell; you may go to the doctor and explain your symptoms.
Children may present with similar symptoms but quite often will be unable to explain their feelings. Common
signs of illness may include:
Behavioural:
withdrawn
quiet
crying or teary
grizzly or irritable
sleepy
change in usual behaviour
change in appetite.
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Source: NHMRC About 10 July 2009 Web, 9 Sep 2009 http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/about/index.htm

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Physical:
high or low temperature
flushed cheeks
rash or spots
runny nose
vomiting
diarrhoea
discharge from the eyes.
Once these signs and symptoms have been identified, it is crucial that they are acted upon. The childrens
service will have a set policy and procedure for dealing with children who show signs of illness. The Room
Leader or Director must then be informed of these signs and symptoms. The service may have an illness or
incident form that needs to be completed, stating:
childs name
childs date of birth
date and time of symptoms being evident
symptoms
treatment or first aid given, if any
monitoring of the child
the follow up of the illness with parents.
While early childhood professionals can help in identifying the signs and symptoms of an illness and
administer basic first aid and comfort, medical assistance must be sought by the childs parents. A
professional diagnosis must be made by a doctor and suitable treatment must be given.
Contacting the Family

The Room Leader or Centre Director must call the parents or guardians as soon as
practicable after being notified of the childs condition. When doing so, however, care
and tact must be used when alerting a family to health concerns about their child.
Consider the following two scenarios:
Scenario One:
Hi Claire, this is the Maree from Kidstown Early Learning. There is a problem with Jessica. Yeah, shes
really sick and throwing up everywhere. Its disgusting.
Scenario Two:
Hi Claire, its Maree here from Kidstown Early Learning. I just need to let you know that little Jessica isnt
feeling well. She had a little sleep and then vomited after waking up.
Parents may expect the worst when the service calls them throughout the day if this is not a regular
occurrence. The first scenario is neither professional nor tactful and using the word problem may cause
concern and worry for the parents. In scenario two, the caller shows a little more concern for the needs of the
parent without frightening them and explains the facts in a more gentle and caring way. Depending on the
childs condition, the parents and Centre Director or Manager may discuss arrangements to collect the child
from the service or may decide on another appropriate course of action.
Each service will have a policy and procedure on what to do in the event of illness of a child while in care.
Each case would need to be assessed on an individual basis rather than having one uniform rule applied to
all, as all children will display different symptoms. Generally, if a child presents with vomiting, a high
temperature, rash, breathing difficulties or is obviously unwell, the Centre Director or Manager will request
that the parents collect the child and take them home. It is also recommended that the family seek medical
advice. For other conditions, the Centre Director and family can discuss other possible alternatives and
depending on the symptoms may include administration of paracetamol, cool wet cloths, offering the child a
sleep and ongoing monitoring.
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ACTIVITY
Locate the relevant policy and procedure relating to children that are unwell. In the text box
below write down the steps you need to follow for a child that appears unwell.
Early childhood education and care is a diverse profession. Families and early childhood professionals come
from a variety of backgrounds, cultures, religions and lifestyles. Some families beliefs about illness and
medical treatment may vary to others. Natural and herbal remedies are now commonplace in treating
illnesses and religion can play a part in accepting certain medical treatment. Be sure to be familiar with each
familys expectation in regards to health practices. This will ensure that you are able to respond in an
appropriate way when faced with a childs illness.
Parental permission must always be sought prior to the administration of ANY

medication. The administration of medication policy is one that all early childhood
professionals must be extremely familiar with.
Providing a Safe and Supportive Environment for Ill Children

When the child first presents with symptoms, and prior to a professional medical diagnosis, care must be
taken to avoid any potential spreading of the illness while the child is attending the service. Of course,
policies and procedures must be followed to inform the parents and have them collect the child; however,
allowance must be made for the infected child while still in the care environment.
Early childhood professionals must assume that all conditions and illness are highly contagious. As we
cannot diagnose a condition, we must take all precautions to minimise the risk of spreading the unknown
infection.
The following are steps to follow in the event that a child becomes unwell while in the services care:
Remove or separate the child from the other children, where possible. It may not be possible to
remove the child from the room but the child can be located in an area away from the majority of
children. Depending on the type of care facility, this may not be practical or possible. For example, in
family day care, with generally one care provider, the child will not be able to be separated from the
group as effectively as supervision from the provider may not be adequate for all the children in their
care.

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A quiet area can be set up with a bed or cushions where the child can rest and relax and have some
privacy. This is for two reasons: to minimise the spread of infection, and to make the child feel more
comfortable
Offer the child any comforters or special toys. Remember to sanitise the cushion covers and any other
surface in that area afterwards.
The child needs to be in a position that can be easily supervised. Caring for an infected child in a
childrens service usually requires one on one attention; therefore, care needs to be taken to maintain
ratios and supervision for the sick child as well as the other children.
Monitor the child. After contacting the parents, it is required that the childs condition is continually
monitored. Depending on the illness, the childs temperature and other symptoms should be
continually checked. Times and symptoms should be documented on each check of the childs
condition.
Lastly, follow up is needed, which may be a phone call or email home to check on the childs
condition. This is to determine what the next course of action will be for example, placing a sign
around the service about a contagious illness and also to extend professional care to the parents.
Depending on the illness, first aid measures can be administered, such as giving a child who has a
temperature a cool drink and wet face washer, or providing a cold compress for a child who may be suffering
from inflamed skin conditions.
If a childs health takes a sudden turn, such as unconsciousness, severe breathing difficulties or severe
allergic reaction, a decision must be made quickly to call an ambulance. The centre policy and procedure
must be followed strictly. The Room Leader or Centre Director must tell the ambulance operator the childs
symptoms, service address and closest crossroad. The parents or guardians of the child must then be
contacted. If they are close to the service they may wish to travel to hospital with their child in the ambulance
or meet the child at the hospital. If they cannot get to the service or cannot be contacted, a staff member
must travel with the child in the ambulance. The childs file and enrolment form must also be taken with the
child to the hospital. This will outline any allergies, medical conditions or cultural requirements that medical
staff must know.
Maintaining and Monitoring Health

Early childhood professionals must monitor a childs overall health. There may be medical conditions that
affect childrens health from time to time such as:
allergies
food intolerances
diabetes
coeliac disease.
REFLECTION
Have you ever had a child within your care suddenly break out in hives, spots or a
rash after a meal time? Hopefully your answer to this question is no; however, for
those of you that have answered yes, you would know that this can be a scary time.
Many things go through your head:
Is the child going to get worse?
What other symptoms are they going to show?
Will they stop breathing?
How do you treat the child?
What have they eaten in order to have this reaction?
All these questions are very important and we must know how to answer each one of them the childs life
may depend on it. Action to a childs reaction is critical in these cases and we must be armed with as much
information as possible.

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Allergy
Although most children grow out of their allergies by the age of 6, allergies to peanut, shellfish and sesame
seed may be lifelong allergies and should be treated with the highest level of caution. A true allergy is an
immunological response usually caused by certain proteins within food. Some food allergies can be so
severe that they are life threatening. Evidence shows that 5 - 8% of children between the ages of 0 - 5 have
a food allergy.
The most common food allergies are to egg, milk and peanuts, but others include:
other nuts
gluten
sesame
crustaceans
fish
soy
grains such as wheat, rye and oats
fruits/berries/tomatoes/cucumber
food additives.
Other allergies may include:
insect stings
penicillin
grasses and pollens
some synthetic or natural fibres
some chemicals such as those in soaps.
Symptoms range from mild to extreme, including:
skin reactions (rashes, itching, eczema)
gastrointestinal (nausea, swollen lips, vomiting, diarrhoea)
respiratory (runny nose, itchy eyes, sneezing, difficulty to breath, tight chest).
Diabetes
Diabetes is another health condition that early childhood professionals must be alert to. There are two types
of Diabetes.
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 Diabetes occurs where the pancreas cannot produce insulin, a hormone essential for moving glucose
from the blood into cells. Insulin needs to be supplied by injection, pump or other method.
Symptoms of this condition may be varied and symptoms may include:
excessive thirst
frequent urination
hunger
weight loss
fatigue
visual disturbances, such as blurred vision
itching skin, particularly around the genitals
nausea and vomiting.

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Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes is the most common type of diabetes and occurs when glucose builds up in the blood due
to the bodys inability to use insulin effectively. Until recently, it was typically diagnosed in adults who
suffered from childhood obesity. Unfortunately now, though, it is on the increase in children. Excess body fat,
inactivity and poor eating habits contribute to this condition. Type 2 diabetes can be prevented and controlled
through regular exercise and a healthy diet.
Type 2 diabetes often has no symptoms. In fact, more than half of people who suffer from this type of
diabetes have not yet been diagnosed as they are often attributed to other reasons such as being busy or
getting older.
Common symptoms include:
being more thirsty than usual
passing more urine
feeling tired and lethargic
slow healing wounds
itching and skin infections
blurred vision
mood swings.
Individuals who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes need to ensure that the following diet is followed.
If so, a high level of heath can be maintained.
A nutritious balanced diet.
Frequent meals and snacks to stabilise blood glucose and lower blood pressure.
A diet low in fat, particularly saturated fats.
A diet high in fibre carbohydrate foods, wholegrain bread and cereals, lentils and beans.
Coeliac Disease
Coeliac Disease (pronounced seel-ee-ak) is a permanent intestinal intolerance to dietary gluten. Untreated
Coeliac Disease causes damage to the lining of the small bowel (intestine).
Symptoms for this condition may include:
diarrhoea
constipation
swollen, bloated abdomen
fatigue and weakness
poor weight gain and/or growth
nausea and vomiting.
Nutritional needs for managing Coeliac Disease include:
a gluten free diet this included avoiding such foods such as breads, pasta and cakes and these
can be high in gluten
a diet high in nutrients such as iron, folic acid and fat soluble vitamins A,D,E and K
possible restrictions placed on the amount of lactose consumed this would depend on the
individual.
Managing and Monitoring Allergies
Implementing methods which will manage and monitor allergies and conditions within a childrens service is
the only way to prevent the possibility of reactions occurring while in our care. The following strategies can
assist to ensure childrens health needs are met:
When introducing an infant to solid foods, introduce one food at a time, allowing 5-10 days between
the introduction of any additional food. Any reactions which may occur can then easily be linked to the
food which was eaten at that specific time. This will generally be done by the family, but early
childhood professionals need to be aware of this introduction process.
Ask families upon enrolment for an in-depth outline of their childs nutritional needs and known
allergies, including the following information:
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o
o
o
o
What food have the parents already tried with the child?
Is there a family history of food allergies or sensitivities?
Does the family have any special dietary requests or needs?
Does the child suffer from other known allergies?
Keep families well informed of the weekly menu. Providing families on a daily basis with information
about what their child has eaten can assist parents if a reaction should occur that evening or the
following day.
Be observant of any signs or reactions which a child displays after eating or playing which may be
related to allergies. Keeping communication open between early childhood professionals and families
will assist both parties in addressing concerns which may arise.
Develop and follow the service policy and procedure for dealing with allergies. Ensure that all early
childhood professionals are aware of the allergies and the procedures to be followed.
Early childhood professionals need to be diligent and aware at all times that allergies can be fatal.
Children within the service with any allergies need to have a detailed plan of action developed in
conjunction with the childs medical practitioner, to ensure the appropriate medical assistance can be
provided in the event of any allergic reaction.
The most severe reaction is anaphylaxis which, if not treated immediately, can cause
death.
Within your service it is common to have children with allergies As an early professional you must be
informed about what the triggers are, as well as the possible signs and symptoms the child may display.
Knowledge is the first step in prevention!
Unfortunately, however, accidental exposure is a reality. Children and early childhood professionals need to
be able to recognise symptoms of these allergies. In the extreme case of a reaction, early childhood
professionals need to be trained and prepared to administer adrenaline according to the individual's
Anaphylaxis Action Plan.
Anaphylaxis Action Plan
Action plans must be formulated between the family and a doctor before the child attends care. Signs and
symptoms must be discussed, along with a method of treatment. In most cases, treatment will involve the
use of adrenaline.
Adrenaline is administered through an adrenaline auto-injector device. There are two types of adrenaline
auto-injector Anapen and Epipen. These are prescribed through a family GP.
An adrenaline auto-injector device (i.e. Anapen or Epipen) must be kept with the child at all times. It should
be stored in a place which is accessible to all staff at all times, as well as being close to the child at all times.
Training in the administration of the adrenaline auto-injector device is available through various hospitals and
first aid organisations. All early childhood professionals working with children are strongly advised to
participate in this training. Remember, you may responsible for saving a childs life!
EpiPen is an emergency device which injects a dose of adrenaline into the thigh muscle. It is used to treat
severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis). It contains one dose of adrenaline. The drug adrenaline reverses the
11
severe allergic reaction and can be lifesaving.
11
Source: "Parents - EpiPen Use." The Children's Hospital at Westmead. Web. 01 Oct. 2009. <http://www.chw.edu.au/parents/factsheets/epipen_use.htm>.
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Just as in the case of other medications, adrenaline auto-injector devices must be handled and checked as
per normal.
Use-by dates of the adrenaline auto-injector device should be checked by early childhood
professionals on a regular basis. This is especially important as it is a type of medication which will not
be used frequently (if at all) and so can be easily forgotten about. It is recommended that when early
childhood professionals carrying out audits and checks of the services first aid kits and boxes,
adrenaline auto-injector devices are included as part of this audit process
Appropriate storage of adrenaline auto-injector devices is essential. Ideally, adrenaline auto-injector
devices should be stored at room temperature and in a high cupboard.
Parental written permission to administer such a medication is still required; however, it will differ to
that of a medication log. In most cases, the childs action plan will allow for ongoing consent of such a
medication. As it is not known when or if a child will have such a reaction, ongoing consent entails the
fact that in the event a child does require the use of medication, early childhood professionals are
authorised to administer it.
ACTIVITY
Locate the relevant policy and procedure relating to using an adrenaline auto-injector device in
your centre. In the text box below, write down the procedure listed in the policy outlining what
steps to follow in the event of a child presenting with an anaphylactic reaction.
Administrating Medication
Each state and territory's legislative requirements differ slightly; however, as an early childhood professional
it is your responsibility to ensure medication is not accessible, is stored correctly and is administered in the
correct method.
Each state and territorys Regulations or standards for Early Childhood Service define the requirements set
out for the administration of medication. Below is an example of what is required within a medication
situation. For example, lets look at the NSW Childcare Regulations.

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Childrens Services Regulation 2004 - REG 81

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81 Medication
(1) The licensee of a childrens service must ensure that:
(a) a policy is developed and maintained concerning the administration of medication to
children, and
(b) procedures to implement that policy are developed and observed.
(2) The authorised supervisor of a childrens service must ensure that:
(a) medication is not administered to a child being provided with the service without written
authorisation or authority from a parent of the child, and
(b) medication is administered from the container in which it was originally packaged, being (in
the case of a prescription medicine) a container that is labelled with the childs name, the
prescribed dosage and the medicines use-by date, and
(c) if it is necessary in an emergency to administer medication to a child that is being provided
with the service without the prior consent of the childs parent, every attempt is made to secure
that consent.
(3) In the case of a family day care childrens service, the obligations of an authorised
supervisor under subclause (2) are taken to be the obligations of each family day care carer of
the service.
ACTIVITY
Locate the relevant policy and procedure relating to administering medication in your centre. In
the text box below, write down the procedure listed in the policy outlining what steps to follow
when administering medication to a child.
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Source: Australasian Legal Information Institute. NSW Consolidated Regulations Childrens Services Regulations 2004 Reg 81 Web 14 Sep 2009

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Documenting Administration
It is necessary to keep records about administering childrens medication while in the services care.
Prior to administering any medication to a child, the parent or guardian must complete a medication
authorisation form to record:
the name of child
the name of the medication
the date, time and dosage of medication to be administered
the time medication was last administered to the child
any additional doctors instructions relating to its administration
parent/ guardians signature.
The parent/ guardian must inform the staff of the medication requirements. The staff member must TAKE the
medication from the parent and STORE it securely as per directions on the label either in a locked
cupboard or locked box in a refrigerator that children do not have access to.
Strict policies and procedures should be in place regarding the storage of childrens medicines.
Children should NEVER be allowed to store or carry medicines with their belongings. Parents should
be advised of this and discouraged from placing medicines in a childs bag.
Medicines should be passed to the early childhood professional by the parent. The child should not be
expected to give the medicine to the early childhood professional. Similarly, medicines should not be
sent home in a childs bag, they should be given directly to the parent.
Perhaps the most likely medicine to be placed in a childs bag is puffers for asthma control. Parents
must be advised that this practice may endanger their child and other children.
Medicines to be administered to a child that day must be stored appropriately in a place that is well out
of reach of the children. This is usually in a locked container above the height of a child, well out of
reach.
If medicines require refrigeration, children must not have access to the refrigeration without adult
supervision. In services where children are encouraged to collect their lunches from the refrigerator,
medicines must not be placed in the same refrigerator. In the refrigerator, the container must also be
lockable, and placed well away from places where children could possibly have access.
After administration of medicine to a child, the medicine must be stored IMMEDIATELY after use.
Medicines should never be left on a bench where children can possibly access the medicine.
Parents or legal guardians must give signed consent for medication to be administered to their child. They
need to record information about the medication to be given in either a medication log or folder, depending
on the procedure of the childrens service. Medication is never to be given to a child if the information on the
medication does not match the written information provided by the parent or legal guardian.
Before administering medication, you must ask the following questions:
Does the child's name on the medication bottle match the name of the child?
Does the name of the medication on the bottle match the name of the medication the parent/legal
guardian requested be given?
Is the medication still within the expiry date?
Is the dosage on the bottle the same as the amount the parent requested to be administered?
Is the time between doses indicated on the bottle the same as the time between doses requested by
the parent/legal guardian?
If your answer is no to any of the questions above, you are NOT to administer the
medication!
Even though parents have given you permission to administer the medication, you have a duty of care to
ensure that all details are correct.

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Once the time has come for the child to be administered the medication, the service policy must again be
strictly followed.
Administration Procedure
The following outlines the standard practice.
Two early childhood professionals are required to be present during the administering of the
medication.
The first early childhood professional must check the details on the label and details on the authority
form completed by the parent. This will generally be the early childhood professional with the higher
responsibility within the service.
The second early childhood professional double-checks this information.
The first early childhood professional pours the medication into a medicine cup or draws the
medication into a dispensing syringe, (whatever style is provided with the medication) as per the
amount required. This person checks the dosage level.
The second early childhood professional double-checks the dosage level.
The first early childhood professional administers the medication to the child while the second early
childhood professional is watching.
The first early childhood professional signs the authority form stating that the medication had been
administered.
The second early childhood professional signs to state that they witnessed the correct administration
of medication.
Depending on the services policy and procedure, the parent/ guardian may be required to read and sign the
medication authority when they collect their child. This would demonstrate to the service that they are aware
and informed of the administration of their childs medication.
Administering Medicines to Infants
Hold infant firmly and close for reassurance.
Tilt infant back slightly to just above horizontal position.
Use an eye dropper to squeeze the medicine towards the back of the tongue. (This avoids the taste
buds at the front of the tongue and avoids the tongue pushing the medicine forward out of the mouth).
Do not squirt all the medicine at one time into an infants mouth as they are likely to gag.
Talk to the infant in a calm, reassuring way.
General points when Administering Medication
Do not force the child to drink the medicine by holding him/her down. Often a distressed child who is
force-fed medicine will promptly either spit the medicine out or vomit.
Do not threaten the child. As adults, we understand the possible implications of not taking prescribed
medicine children do not. We should NEVER tell a child that if the medicine is not taken, he/she will
have to have a needle, or go to hospital, or get very sick and die.
A child refusing to take medicine is already afraid. Threatening him/her may result in a terrified child
who is no more likely to take the medicine than before.
If a child is distressed, allow him/her to settle down and tell them that you can try
again a little later when he/she feels more relaxed.

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Excursions
Excursions involve taking the children out of the service for an external planned activity. An excursion is a
great way for children to learn by using hands on experiences. For example, if you want to teach the children
how to care for pets, you may decide to visit the local veterinarian or the local zoo. There is an increased risk
attached to an excursion given the unpredictability of the external environment.
Each state and territory Regulations or standards will outline the minimum standards that must be met when
children are travelling outside the service. These requirements are very different from the requirements set
for care inside the service. If you are required to take children out of the service you must be familiar with
your state or territory Regulations.
There are many more risks involved when taking children away from the relative safety of the service. Again,
early childhood professionals have a duty of care and legal responsibility to act in the childs best interest
and follow all relevant legislation to ensure the childs safety.
Supervision: Early childhood professionals must plan the methods of supervision they will use while
on the excursion. In most cases, the venue to which the excursion will take place will heavily influence
the methods used.
The combination of childrens ages, abilities and contexts will affect strategies put in place for
maintaining supervision. Focus groups may be set up to allow for more effective supervision.
Case Study
Jane is taking her 24 preschool aged (four to five years old) children for a trip to the park.
The ratio is one adult to four children so there will be six adults in total Jane, two
assistants and three parent volunteers.
Jane is familiar with the children in her care and is aware that Hayley has ADHD and can
be quite challenging, Marlon has Down Syndrome and Jordan and Sam can get pretty
boisterous when they are together, which often leads to one of them getting hurt or
upset.
In order to best supervise all of the children, Jane has decided to allocate each adult to a
group of four children, making sure to place Jordan and Sam in different groups. Jane
has decided to place Hayley in her group as she is familiar with her behaviours and has
placed Marlon with one of the assistants who is also familiar with Marlons condition.
Jane gave clear instructions to the other adults about the importance of maintaining
supervision and a clear line of sight with the four children that are allocated to them, as
well as scanning the entire group. She also emphasised the importance of keeping direct
physical contact with children when crossing the road and walking on footpaths near
roads.
Child to staff ratios: Within all states and territories, the child to staff ratio alters upon children leaving
the service. This will require early childhood professionals to plan additional adults or early childhood
professionals to attend the excursion in order to ensure such legal requirements are covered. Once
the number of children and the ages of the children attending the excursion has been confirmed, the
number of adults attending must then be calculated as per the required child to staff ratios as
stipulated within the state/territory Childrens Services Regulations
Safety restraints: Some states and territories require early childhood professionals to source
methods of transport which have safety restraints or seatbelts located within them. Early childhood
professionals must ensure that such requirements are upheld. In the event restraints are required,
seat belts must only be used for one child and the child must be seated on their bottom with their legs
dangling forward. The seat belt must be checked for damage or fraying on each use.
Child seats such as capsules must be installed and fitted properly and securely. They should not be
able to be moved out of position once they are in place. If they can move, they have not been fitted
properly and must be refitted.

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Behaviour: Limits regarding childrens behaviour must be planned prior to taking children out of the
service. It is recommended for early childhood professionals to also develop a plan. This plan will take
into account a series of situations that could occur that will impact on the childs or groups safety while
out of the service, for example, a child becoming upset, tired, or overstimulated.
Licences: If early childhood professionals are to be responsible for transporting children, they must
ensure that they hold a drivers licence which will allow them to drive the mode of transport which has
been chosen.
Potential risk situations: Planning the venue for an excursion will be based on the potential risk
which may be present upon arrival. For example, venues with a large expanse of water like the beach
will in most cases be avoided as the risk of drowning for children would be extremely high. A venue
such as a park, however, may be more frequently chosen due to the easier nature of supervision this
venue allows.
Prior Planning
It is imperative that an excursion be planned in advance. Prior planning allows for smoother running and a
positive experience for all stakeholders involved. It is up to the early childhood professional to plan for the
safety and wellbeing of children, staff and volunteers attending the excursion. Creating a list outlining what is
required on the excursion is a great start to a successfully planned excursion.
Excursion Resource List
Before going on an excursion with any group of children, you should always create a checklist of essential
items. These essential items include:
water and cups
food
hats
sunscreen
blanket
fully stocked first aid kit
medication required by children
emergency contact numbers
a mobile phone (or change for a pay phone)
a class/group roll
group identification tags, bibs or hats
spare clothes (including nappies).
Written Permission
Before removing children from the childrens service, it is a legal requirement that parents or guardians give
written permission for their child to leave the service.
This permission may be:
ongoing, e.g. when a child is to be taken to preschool daily, or picked up and dropped off by the
service (service mini bus)
for one-off occasions, such as a special excursion, which needs a specific form signed relating to this
one-off event.

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When developing a permission form, the parent should be provided with the following information:
when and why the excursion is happening
when you are going
how you are travelling
which staff and adults are going to travel with the children
any special clothes the child might need to wear such as shoes, hats or rain coats
any special items the child may need to bring such as cups or towel
cost/s involved.
It may also be necessary to have permission forms and information about the excursion translated into a
familys first language as many families come from non-English speaking backgrounds. Some parents may
need a reminder a week and then the day before the excursion. Being a parent/guardian is a demanding job,
and reminders are valuable.
Service Communication
You must always leave at the service, a copy of:
your proposed route of travel and the destination
your time schedule, which includes arrival and departure times for your destination, as well as your
estimated time of arrival back at the centre
the names of children and adults on the excursion.
Discussions Points with Children
As well as early childhood professionals and other adults knowing what their responsibilities are, children
should also take some responsibility for their behaviour. Children need to know what is expected and how
they are expected to behave when travelling outside of the service.
Children need to be informed of all aspects of the excursion where they are going as well as why, and
what they expect to see and do there. They must be alerted to the risks during travelling and at the venue.
They also need to be advised of appropriate behaviour and reminded of legal requirements involved during
travel. These risks can be present during car or mini-bus travel, on public transport, on push bikes or while
walking.
Public transport
Children must be reminded to sit on the seat, facing forward with their feet off the seat.
Children must have consideration for other bus passengers.
Children must follow directions when boarding and alighting the bus.
Children must not put their arms or other body parts out of the bus.
Children must not throw objects out of the windows.
Before using a particular bus service, early childhood professionals should check that it meets
appropriate standards for the purpose of the trip.
As an added safety consideration, at least one member of the Education team involved in the
excursion should possess a First Aid Certificate. A first aid kit should be taken on the trip.

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Car or mini bus travel

Children must remain in their seat for the duration of the trip.
Children must keep their seat belt or child restraint fastened.
One child only must use each seat belt.
Children must remain still and quiet (as much as possible songs and
games may help with this).
Children must keep their arms or other body parts inside the moving
vehicle.
Children must not throw objects out of the windows.
Pushbikes
Young children generally are keen to learn how to ride a bicycle from around age 4. At this age, the child has
begun to refine their fine and gross motor skills and has achieved greater success with their kinaesthetic
awareness, especially in relation to balance, therefore increasing their ability to ride confidently. They are
likely to have observed peers and/or siblings riding bikes and are generally aware of the pedal and brake
effect, steering with the handle bars and the control the rider has over the bike. They are more adept at using
their senses, and their perceptual motor awareness is at a level which is deemed safe for the child to
practice safe riding skills off the road.
However, adults need to understand the potential risks of taking children under the age of 9 onto roads or
other traffic areas.
There are four basic riding skills which children should acquire.
Scanning the rider can look in all directions, checking for hazards and taking the necessary
measures to avoid danger while remaining in control of the bike.
Balancing being able to ride in a straight line rather than wobbling unsteadily. This is particularly
important for children riding on the road at a later age.
Stopping the child needs to focus on their actions and realise that stopping time is dependent upon
weight or rider experience, brake quality, surface, tyres.
Turning children must be in control of their bike when braking to turn corners or swerving to avoid
dangers.
When taking children on an excursion via bicycles, the following limits should be
discussed:
Children must wear safety helmets at all times.
Children must demonstrate control of their bike and be able to use the brake
effectively.
Children must not drive on the road.
Children must cross the road at a pedestrian crossing or traffic lights.
Children must cross the road with an adult.
Ideally, this method of transport would not be used by children's services due to the
safety factors.

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Walking
Children must remain in physical contact with an adult at all times.
Children must remain on the footpath.
Children must only cross a road with an adult.
Children must not run off in front of or behind adults.
Children must watch for cars entering and exiting driveways.
When supervising groups of children on foot, staff must model road safety behaviours. These include:
staying away from the curb
walking slowly and watching where they are going
looking out for cars going in and out of driveways
watching out for other pedestrians or cyclists on the footpath.
Children should be well prepared for an excursion on foot. Children should be appropriately dressed, taking
weather conditions into consideration, and footwear should be appropriate for the terrain, for example, nonslip shoes for walking on cement, or easily removed shoes for walking in sand. A hat and sunscreen protect
the children from the harmful effects of the sun, and rest periods in the shade are beneficial to avoid
dehydration or sunstroke. Access to water coolers, taps or drink bottles adds to this protection.
When walking with children, early childhood professionals should maintain management of the group by
keeping them together, for example, in pairs with a buddy or in a single line. Early childhood professionals
and adult supervisors should lead the group and be divided along the line towards the end, with at least one
adult following the entire group. This decreases the chances of children wandering off without being noticed.
Early childhood professionals leading the group should be watching for foreign objects, rocky surfaces or
potentially slippery surfaces and alert the children to these or take an alternative path.
When crossing roads, adults should model safe road rules such as looking left and right, listening for traffic
and crossing quickly when it is safe to do so. Always use traffic lights or pedestrian crossings where
provided.
School-aged children can be taught to get around safely on foot; however, many children dont realise busy
streets or highways can be dangerous. They rely on us to look out for them.
Within the room, early childhood professionals can implement their own program by setting up a set of traffic
lights, a pedestrian crossing and common traffic signs for pedestrians. Queensland Transport put out a great
Roadside kit aimed at the younger years. The kit contains: a set of stimulus/picture cards of children and
adults using safe traffic practices; a set of pedestrian and road signs; a teachers handbook with activity
ideas, and a set of story books which discuss road safety.
At the destination
Each destination will have its own risks involved and children need to be aware of how to behave to minimise
safety risks and injury. Possible risks may include water hazards, members of the public, debris, animals or
sun exposure.
Children must remain with the group at all times and be aware of their primary caregiver / focus Group
Leader and other children in their focus group.
Children must alert a staff member when they need to go to the toilet.
Children must have consideration for the public while at the destination.
Children must listen and follow directions.
Children must leave their service identification tags on (Note: name tags are not recommended for
child protection reasons).
Children must not approach or talk to any strangers.

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All of these issues can be discussed with children prior leaving the childrens service. Discussions, books
and demonstrations can be used for all aspects of safety. Children should not be expected to take complete
responsibility for their behaviour and remember all of your expectations. As stated previously, the chances of
children being harmed or hurt by hazards whilst out of the childrens services setting significantly increases.
Due to this fact, early childhood professionals must plan for everything which could possibly go wrong.
Although this is not a positive point of view to have, it will ensure that early childhood professionals are
prepared for any situation or scenario which could occur.
Hazards and Risks

There are a number of hazards associated with excursions. The most likely of these include the following.
Driving
While driving any vehicle it is possible that you may be distracted. These distractions while driving could
include:
childrens behaviour, for example children undoing their seat belts or arguing with one another
reading billboards
accidents on the road affecting the flow of traffic
music from the radio, tapes or CDs
a ringing mobile phone
environmental issues, for example the sun.
The above distractions can be minimised by the driver paying full attention to the road and pulling the vehicle
over to address risk situations if required.
Water
Children can drown in a little as five centimetres of water. If children are being taken to a venue which have
water bodies such as an ocean, pool or lake, the potential for such drowning to take place is very real and
significant.
Early childhood professionals should refrain from taking children to venues where water is present. Even if
the high staff to child ratios can be filled and maintained, the risks and hazards associated with such venues
is just too greater chance to take.
Accidents and illness

Children fall ill very quickly. Likewise, children can be involved in accidents which may require medical
attention for the slightest of falls. Early childhood professionals should be ready for such situations of they
occur.
It is a legal requirement for early childhood professionals to ensure they have the following items on them in
the event of such hazards and risks:
First aid kit this will allow for staff to treat any scratches, cuts or any other injuries which can be
dealt with via first aid treatment.
Mobile phone a fully charged phone should be on hand in order to contact an ambulance or parents
in the event of an emergency.
Group roll with parent contact numbers again, to allow for parental contact.
Allergy listings/medication a listing of childrens allergies should be taken with early childhood
professionals on excursions in order to ensure children are not exposed to substances which can
cause allergic reactions.
Any medications which children are required to take of a regular basis should also be brought on the
excursion.

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Crowding
Small children can easily be lost in large crowds of people if supervision is not effective.
By maintaining the correct child to staff ratios, regular head counts, close physical contact through holding of
hands and ensuring that children wear identification badges stating the name and number of the service in
the event they do get lost, will assist the risks associated with this hazard. Please ensure that this process is
according to service policies and procedures and procedures. Some services may not wish to have name
badges on each of the children so as to prevent potential stranger danger situations.
Other risks
Other risks associated with excursions may include:
a change of weather prior or while out on the excursion
issues with transport, such as the bus or a car breaking down
a mobile phone going flat
children having toileting accidents
a lack of toileting facilities at the venue
heavy traffic
traffic lights not working in a position where children are required to cross the road
early childhood professionals or parent helpers falling sick on the day of the excursion
children being dressed in inappropriate clothing (for example, lack of sun safe clothing for outdoor
excursions)
children being bitten by an animal or an insect at the venue of the excursion.
When planning an excursion it is always a good idea to visit the venue beforehand to identify any
risks or hazards which may be present and then plan for them accordingly
Emergency Evacuations
In the event of an emergency, adrenalin and nerves often kick in, which can affect ones logic. It is important
for you to be familiar with the emergency evacuation policies and procedures from your service. This is why
practice emergency evacuations are to be regularly conducted.
An emergency may occur in the childrens service and all children, families, employees and visitors present
in the service will need to be alerted. For some evacuations you are required to vacate the premises, and
with other emergency evacuations you are required to stay inside and lock the doors (lock down).
Emergencies in which an alarm may need to be raised include:
a fire inside or outside the service or at a nearby property
pollution inside the service
smoke in the air
hazardous substance and chemical spills
strange and unknown smells
floods
earthquake
bombing
explosions to an electrical appliance
damage to the building i.e. tree falling on building
intrusion by a stranger or armed robbery
loss of power or water supply
traffic accidents impacting on the service
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machine malfunctions.
When an emergency occurs, children, families, employees and visitors should
be alerted by an alarm. Each service will have their own particular sound they
use to alert all in the service that an evacuation is in progress. Whatever the
signal is in your service to conduct your emergency evacuation, it is vital that
you are aware of this sound and what it represents.
If your services evacuation alarm is the sound of a whistle, then it is imperative that whistles are not to be
included as part of childrens play or communication with other early childhood professionals. The sound of
your services chosen alarm should be reserved for emergency situations only. This will ensure that in the
event of an evacuation, early childhood professionals and children will respond to the sound they hear and
act appropriately
HINT
Emergency evacuation bags should also be considered within the service. Emergency evacuation bags
allow for staff to take essential items with them for children in the event that all are required to vacate the
building. One bag for each room should be packed and stored out of the reach of children but in a position
which is easily accessible by staff. Essential items which may be needed during the event of an evacuation
,and therefore packed within an emergency evacuation bag, may include:
a length of rope for children to hold on to in order to keep them all together when evacuating the
building it may be useful to tie ribbons or knots at points where you would like children to hold to
ensure children have space to walk out of the building safely without tripping over other children
the emergency contact details for each child these will be needed if the children are required to be
picked up due to severe damage to the building
a mobile phone to call emergency services
a first aid kit
sunscreen
a torch
a whistle
a radio in the case of a natural disaster to listen to advice given on
the radio
water with cups for the children
nappies
wet wipes
tissues
biscuits for a snack.
There are two basic categories that emergencies can fall into
Natural Emergencies and Non-natural Emergencies

Non-natural incidents may include:
a bomb threat
fire and smoke
a medical problem
terrorism
toxic gas
an armed hold-up
building collapse.
There is always the chance that a non-natural emergency may occur, but it will be less likely if organisational
policies and procedures are followed. There are, however, no organisational policies and procedures that
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can assist in preventing natural emergencies as they can be highly unpredictable. Naturally occurring
incidents include:
floods
severe thunderstorms
cyclones
heavy snow.
Fire is another type of emergency that we need to be prepared for but this type of emergency can be
classified as either non-natural or natural, depending on the cause. In the event of any of these
emergencies, it is essential that you stay calm, comfort any distressed children and follow your
organisational policies and procedures. Although every organisation will have their own policies and
procedures in the event of an emergency, all organisations will share key tasks that need to be carried out to
ensure the health and safety of everyone at the service.
Flood
In the event of a flood, the following key tasks should be completed:
Call the group roll.
The Director or Supervisor does a thorough check of the building.
Ensure a torch, phone, first aid kit, the emergency contact numbers and medications required by the
children are close by.
If the water level threatens the building, undertake the following actions:
o evacuate the children
o contact the Emergency Services.
Severe Thunderstorms and Cyclones

In the event of a severe thunderstorm or cyclone, the following key tasks should be completed:
Move the children inside if they are not already.
Call the group roll to ensure all children are safely inside.
Move the children away from the doors and windows.
Secure doors and windows.
Ensure that a torch, phone, first aid kit, the emergency contact numbers and
medications required by the children are close by.
Turn on a radio to follow any emergency instructions.
Heavy Snow
In the event of heavy snow, the following key tasks should be completed:
Move the children inside if they are not already.
Call the group roll to ensure all children are safely inside.
Move children away from the doors and windows.
Secure doors and windows.
Ensure that a torch, phone, first aid kit, the emergency contact numbers and medications required by
the children are close by.
Monitor the snow fall.
Evacuate the children if necessary.

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Fire
In the event of a fire, the following key tasks should be completed:
The staff member who locates the fire needs to sound the alarm.
Ask the children to line up at the door.
Get the roll.
Walk the children to the pre-determined meeting point.
Call the roll.
Call 000.
ACTIVITY
Locate a copy of the Emergency Evacuation procedure from your centre. In the text box below,
outline the steps you (as an Assistant) are required to complete.

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CHC30708 Certificate III in Childrens Services

This Training Booklet is part of a Set of Materials

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

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

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

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Other important information

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Working with Others

Assistant and Group Leader

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Cooperating with Others

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National Quality Standard

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Ineffective communication has repercussions!

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the minimum staffing levels and qualifications

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Policies and Procedures

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Approved Codes of Practice and Australian Standards

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Policies and Procedures

administration of first aid

handling contaminated matter

appropriate clothing and footwear

exclusion of sick children and staff

accident and injury

manual handling and lifting

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Step 1: Identify the Hazard

an empty power socket without a

a stressed staff member

a staff member diagnosing

a blocked fire exit

not wearing non-slip, covered shoes

children playing outside without hats

spiders on the bricks

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

There are seven (7) different classifications of hazards.

Mechanical and/or Electrical Hazards

Psychosocial Environmental Hazards

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This document is uncontrolled when printed.

Step 2: Assess the Risk

Is expected to occur frequently, in most circumstances; at least once per week.

Is expected to occur occasionally; at least once per month.

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Very minor injury / harm or near miss occurrence.

Minor injury / harm. First aid needed.

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

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

*Tables sourced from Risk Management ISO 31000: 2009

Step 3: Decide on Control Measures

Eliminate the Hazard