Accident or Injury Policy

Rationale

We are committed to ensuring children are cared for in a safe environment that reduces the chance of accidents and injury.

Procedure

We perform risk assessments regularly and record the outcomes and adapt where necessary to minimise the chance of accidents or injuries. We each hold a current Paediatric First Aid Certificate. Any assistants we employ will never have unsupervised access to children unless they hold a Paediatric First Aid Certificate and parental written permission has been given. All Paediatric First Aid Certificates are available for parents/carers to see upon request. A first aid box with appropriate content for the number and ages of children being cared for will be accessible at all times on the kitchen wall. This is regularly checked and re-stocked as necessary.

We will obtain written parental permission to seek emergency medical advice or treatment so that in an emergency, medical help can be accessed without delay.

If there is an accident or injury to a child we will reassure the injured child whilst making sure that the other children in our care are safe and reassured. We will assess the extent of the injury and will carry out any first aid procedures that are necessary and that we have been trained to do.

We will contact you straight away unless your child’s injury requires emergency medical treatment, then one of us will contact the emergency services. we will then contact you as soon as possible and accompany your child to the hospital. We will either take the other children with us, or call our emergency back-up cover to care for them if we both have to go.

If we are outside of our premises your child may be treated or assessed by another trained professional such as the first aider within that premises or a first aid professional organisation such as the British Red Cross at events.

Accident records need to be completed with details of the accident or injury and first aid treatment given and parents will be requested to sign these records on the same day or as soon as reasonably practicable.

We have a duty to inform Ofsted of any serious accident, injury to, or death of, any child whilst in our care and of the action taken. Notification must be made as soon as practicable, but within 14 days of the incident occurring otherwise we would be committing an offence. We also have a duty to inform the local child protection agencies and Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) of any serious accident or injury to a child in our care and act on advice given from the agency.

We will need to inform our insurance company of any details relating to a serious accident or injury. It is important that you keep me informed regarding your child’s condition following an accident or injury that has occurred whilst in my care and if you have sought medical advice. This will ensure we will continue to meet your child’s needs whilst in our care and enable us to make the correct notification should it be necessary at a later date.

If we have an accident, we will get the nearest responsible adult to help, while our emergency back-up cover is being contacted. This is in line with my Safety on Outings Policy.