Assignment for Inspire Education Child Care course.
mrbajaj
CHC30113-SubjectLearnerGuide1.pdf
CHC30113 Certificate III
in Early Childhood Education and Care
Children’s Health and Safety
Version 2.4 Produced 17 September 2018
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Compliant Learning Resources
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Learner Guide 1 Version No. 2.4 Produced 17 September 2018
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Version control & document history
Date Summary of modifications made Version
16 December 2013 Version 1 final produced following
validation. 1.0
16 April 2014 Minor alterations to wording to correct
spelling errors. 1.1
27 May 2014 Amended link to Sparkling Stars on p 129 1.2
28 August 2014 Minor wording changes throughout the LG 1.3
8 January 2015 Added additional links and made minor
wording changes throughout the LG. 1.4
9 March 2017
Added unit CHCEC016; updated links to
Sparkling Stars; minor alterations to
wording to correct spelling errors.
2.0
14 March 2017
Updated Intranet links; updated information
on Learner Guide Cluster; updated
information in Learning Outcomes
2.1
9 March 2018
Updates on the following:
Information relating to the revised NQS,
including ‘Educator-to-child ratios’
Wording and formatting throughout the
document.
Links updated.
Chapter contents restructured for
organisation.
Removed ‘Conclusion’ page.
2.2
4 April 2018 Updated terminologies 2.3
17 September 2018 removed a sentence in Cultural Influences
page 315 2.4
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
This is an interactive table of contents. If you are viewing this document in Acrobat,
clicking on a heading will transfer you to that page. If you have this document open
in Word, you will need to hold down the Control key while clicking for this to work.
LEARNER GUIDE ................................................................... 6
CHAPTER 1. FOLLOW SAFE WORK PRACTICES ................................ 13
1. The Early Childhood Code of Ethics .................................................................... 14
2. The Education and Care Services National Regulations and the National Quality
Standards ............................................................................................................. 16
3. Work Health and Safety Act and Regulations ..................................................... 29
4. Centre Policy and Procedures .............................................................................. 38
5. Work Place Health and Safety Hazards in Children’s Services ........................... 45
6. Work Place Emergency Procedures ..................................................................... 75
CHAPTER 2. IMPLEMENT SAFE WORK PRACTICES .......................... 79
1. Implement WHS Procedures and Work Instructions ......................................... 81
2. Safe Housekeeping Practices ............................................................................... 87
3. Risk Control Process ............................................................................................ 91
4. External Safety Risks ......................................................................................... 103
5. Indoor Risks ....................................................................................................... 104
6. Risk Reduction ................................................................................................... 105
7. Identify and Report Incidents and Injuries ....................................................... 106
8. Participate in Workplace Safety Meetings ......................................................... 110
9. Reflect On Own Safe Work Practices ................................................................. 110
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CHAPTER 3. ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN A SAFE AND HEALTHY
ENVIRONMENT FOR CHILDREN .................................................. 112
1. Support Each Child’s Health Needs ................................................................... 116
2. Discuss Individual Children’s Health Requirements and Routines With Families
At Enrolment and Then On a Regular Basis ...................................................... 121
3. First Aid, Anaphylaxis Management and Emergency Asthma Management
Training .............................................................................................................. 129
4. Expert Advice Regarding Medical Conditions .................................................. 130
5. Ensure That Individual Medical Management Plans for Children With a Specific
Health Care Need are In Place and Readily Available At the Service ............... 132
6. Provide for Each Child’s Comfort ...................................................................... 134
CHAPTER 4. SUPPORT EACH CHILD’S HEALTH NEEDS ................... 144
1. Rest Times .......................................................................................................... 144
2. Share Information .............................................................................................. 156
3. Individual Clothing Needs and Preferences ...................................................... 157
4. Effective Hygiene and Health Practices ............................................................ 160
5. Controlling and Preventing Cross Infection in Child Care ............................... 175
6. Management of Allergies .................................................................................. 209
CHAPTER 5. SUPERVISING CHILDREN TO ENSURE SAFETY .............. 215
1. The Environment and Supervision .................................................................... 217
2. Ensure Adequate Supervision of Children ........................................................ 219
3. Minimise Risks ................................................................................................... 227
5. Sun Safety ........................................................................................................... 257
6. Excursions ......................................................................................................... 260
CHAPTER 6. MANAGE INCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES ................... 278
1. Develop Plans to Effectively Manage Incidents and Emergencies ................... 278
2. Communicate Information to Families About the Service’s Emergency
Procedures and Incident Management Plans ...................................................284
3. Maintain a Portable Record of Children’s Emergency Contacts In Case of
Emergencies .......................................................................................................289
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CHAPTER 7. PROMOTE HEALTHY EATING ................................... 290
1. Experiences, Conversations and Routines ........................................................ 291
2. Model, Reinforce and Implement Healthy Eating and Nutrition Practices ..... 293
3. Support and Guide Children to Eat Healthy Food ............................................ 294
4. Activity Ideas to Encourage Healthy Nutrition ................................................. 296
5. Ready Access to Water .......................................................................................298
6. Plan Food and Drinks ....................................................................................... 300
7. Recommended Dietary Intake ...........................................................................303
8. Maintain Food Safety ......................................................................................... 323
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LEARNER GUIDE
Description
CHCECE002 – Ensure the health and safety of children
This unit describes the skills and knowledge to ensure the health and safety of
children. This unit applies to educators working in a variety of education and care
services.
Click here for more details
CHCECE004 – Promote and provide healthy food and drinks
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to promote healthy eating and
ensure that food and drinks provided are nutritious, appropriate for each child and
prepared in a safe and hygienic manner. This unit applies to educators working in a
range of education and care services.
Click here for more details
CHCECE016 – Establish and maintain a safe and healthy environment for
children
The unit describes the skills and knowledge to establish and maintain a safe and
healthy environment for children. This unit applies to educators working in a range of
education and care services.
Click here for more details
HLTWHS001 – Participate in workplace health and safety
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required for workers to participate in safe
work practices to ensure their own health and safety, and that of others.
The unit applies to all workers who require knowledge of workplace health and safety
(WHS) to carry out their own work, either under direct supervision or with some
individual responsibility.
Click here for more details
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About this Unit of Study Introduction
As a worker, a trainee, or a future worker you want to enjoy your work and become
known as a valuable team member. This unit of competency will help you acquire the
knowledge and skills to work effectively as an individual and in groups. It will give you
the basis to contribute to the goals of the organisation which employs you.
It is essential that you begin your training by becoming familiar with the industry
standards to which organisations must conform.
These units of competency introduce you to some of the key issues and responsibilities
of workers and organisations in this area. The units also provide you with
opportunities to develop the competencies necessary for employees to operate as team
members.
This Learner Guide Covers
Follow Safe Work Practices
Implement Safe Work Practices
Establish and Maintain a Safe and Healthy Environment for Children
Support Each Child’s Health Needs
Supervising Children to Ensure Safety
Manage Incidents and Emergencies
Promote Healthy Eating
Learning Program
As you progress through this unit of study you will develop skills in locating and
understanding an organisation’s policies and procedures. You will build up a sound
knowledge of the industry standards within which organisations must operate. You
will become more aware of the effect that your own skills in dealing with people has
on your success or otherwise in the workplace. Knowledge of your skills and
capabilities will help you make informed choices about your further study and career
options.
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Additional Learning Support
To obtain additional support, you may:
Search for other resources. You may find books, journals, videos and other
materials which provide additional information about topics in this unit.
Search for other resources in your local library. Most libraries keep information
about government departments and other organisations, services and
programs. The librarian should be able to help you locate such resources.
Contact information services such as Infolink, Equal Opportunity Commission,
Commissioner of Workplace Agreements, Union organisations, and public
relations and information services provided by various government
departments. Many of these services are listed in the telephone directory.
Contact your facilitator.
Facilitation
Your training organisation will provide you with a facilitator. Your facilitator will play
an active role in supporting your learning. Your facilitator will help you anytime during
working hours to assist with:
How and when to make contact,
what you need to do to complete this unit of study, and
what support will be provided.
Here are some of the things your facilitator may do to make your studies easier:
Give you a clear visual timetable of events for the semester or term in which you
are enrolled, including any deadlines for assessments.
Provide you with online webinar times and availability.
Use ‘action sheets’ to remind you about tasks you need to complete, and updates
on websites.
Make themselves available by telephone for support discussion and provide you
with industry updates by e-mail where applicable.
Keep in touch with you during your studies.
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Flexible Learning
Studying to become a competent worker is an interesting and exciting thing to do. You
will learn about current issues in this area. You will establish relationships with other
students, fellow workers, and clients. You will learn about your own ideas, attitudes,
and values. You will also have fun. (Most of the time!)
At other times, studying can seem overwhelming and impossibly demanding,
particularly when you have an assignment to do and you aren’t sure how to tackle it,
your family and friends want you to spend time with them, or a movie you want to see
is on television.
Sometimes being a student can be hard.
Here are some ideas to help you through the hard times. To study effectively, you need
space, resources, and time.
Space
Try to set up a place at home or at work where:
1. You can keep your study materials,
2. you can be reasonably quiet and free from interruptions, and
3. you can be reasonably comfortable, with good lighting, seating, and a flat
surface for writing.
If it is impossible for you to set up a study space, perhaps you could use your local
library. You will not be able to store your study materials there, but you will have quiet,
a desk and chair, and easy access to the other facilities.
Study Resources
The most basic resources you will need are:
1. A chair
2. A desk or table
3. A computer with Internet access
4. A reading lamp or good light
5. A folder or file to keep your notes and study materials together
6. Materials to record information (pen and paper or notebooks, or a computer
and printer)
7. Reference materials, including a dictionary
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Time
It is important to plan your study time. Work out a time that suits you and plan around
it. Most people find that studying in short, concentrated blocks of time (an hour or
two) at regular intervals (daily, every second day, once a week) is more effective than
trying to cram a lot of learning into a whole day. You need time to ‘digest’ the
information in one section before you move on to the next, and everyone needs regular
breaks from study to avoid overload. Be realistic in allocating time for study. Look at
what is required for the unit and look at your other commitments.
Make up a study timetable and stick to it. Build in ‘deadlines’ and set yourself goals for
completing study tasks. Allow time for reading and completing activities. Remember
that it is the quality of the time you spend studying rather than the quantity that is
important.
Study Strategies
Different people have different learning styles.
Some people learn best by listening or repeating
things out loud. Some learn best by doing, some
by reading and making notes. Assess your own
learning style, and try to identify any barriers to
learning which might affect you. Are you easily
distracted? Are you afraid you will fail? Are you
taking study too seriously? Not seriously enough?
Do you have supportive friends and family? Here
are some ideas for effective study strategies:
Make notes. This often helps you to remember new or unfamiliar information. Do
not worry about spelling or neatness, as long as you can read your own notes. Keep
your notes with the rest of your study materials and add to them as you go. Use pictures
and diagrams if this helps.
Underline key words when you are reading the materials in this Learner Guide. (Do
not underline things in other people’s books.) This also helps you to remember
important points.
Talk to other people (fellow workers, fellow students, friends, family, or your
facilitator) about what you are learning. As well as help you clarify and understand
new ideas; talking also gives you a chance to find out extra information and to get fresh
ideas and different points of view.
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Using this Learner Guide
A Learner Guide is just that, a guide to help you learn. A Learner Guide is not a text
book. Your Learner Guide will:
1. Describe the skills you need to demonstrate to achieve competency for this unit.
2. Provide information and knowledge to help you develop your skills.
3. Provide you with structured learning activities to help you absorb knowledge
and information and practice your skills.
4. Direct you to other sources of additional knowledge and information about
topics for this unit.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Learner Guide
Read through the information in the Learner Guide carefully. Make sure you
understand the material.
Some sections are quite long and cover complex ideas and information. If you come
across anything you do not understand:
1. Talk to your facilitator.
2. Research the area using the books and materials listed under the References
section.
3. Discuss the issue with other people (your workplace supervisor, fellow workers,
fellow students).
4. Try to relate the information presented in this Learner Guide to your own
experience and to what you already know.
5. Ask yourself questions as you go. For example, ‘Have I seen this happening
anywhere?’ ‘Could this apply to me?’ ‘What if...’ This will help you to ‘make
sense’ of new material, and to build on your existing knowledge.
6. Talk to people about your study.
7. Talking is a great way to reinforce what you are learning.
8. Make notes.
9. Work through the activities.
Even if you are tempted to skip some activities, do them anyway. They are there
for a reason, and even if you already have the knowledge or skills relating to a
particular activity, doing them will help to reinforce what you already know. If
you do not understand an activity, think carefully about the way the questions
or instructions are phrased. Read the section again to see if you can make sense
of it. If you are still confused, contact your facilitator or discuss the activity with
other students, fellow workers or with your workplace supervisor.
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Additional Research, Reading, and Note-Taking
If you are using the additional references and resources suggested in the Learner Guide
to take your knowledge a step further, there are a few simple things to keep in mind to
make this kind of research easier.
Always make a note of the author’s name, the title of the book or article, the edition,
when it was published, where it was published, and the name of the publisher. This
includes online articles. If you are taking notes about specific ideas or information, you
will need to put the page number as well. This is called the reference information. You
will need this for some assessment tasks, and it will help you to find the book again if
you need to.
Keep your notes short and to the point. Relate your notes to the material in your
Learner Guide. Put things into your own words. This will give you a better
understanding of the material.
Start off with a question you want answered when you are exploring additional
resource materials. This will structure your reading and save you time.
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CHAPTER 1. FOLLOW SAFE WORK PRACTICES
Early Childhood Education and Outside School Hours Care services are considered to
be high-risk environments, due to the nature of providing care and education services
for children, who by nature are at risk.
It is our role as educators and caregivers to ensure the health, safety, well-being and
rights of these children are protected at all times.
Early Childhood Education and Care services workers must at all times:
Implement work practices which support the protection of children and young
people.
Identify children and young people at risk of abuse or neglect by observing signs
and symptoms
Respond to disclosure, information or signs and symptoms in accordance with
state legislative responsibilities and the service policies and procedures
Routinely employ child-focused work practices to uphold the rights of the child
and encourage them to participate in age-appropriate decision-making
Maintain confidentiality at all times
Promptly record and report risk-of-harm indicators,
Apply ethical and nurturing practices in work with children and young people
Protect the rights of children and young people in the provision of services
Recognise and report indicators for potential ethical concerns when working
with children and young people
The Early Childhood Code of Ethics
states:
“the protection and wellbeing of children
is paramount.”
Source: Early Childhood Code of Ethics, 2006
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1. The Early Childhood Code of Ethics
The code of ethics describes the quality practice and the overall aims of the early
childhood profession. The core values of the Early Childhood Code of Ethics include:
The Code of Ethics puts forward underlying ethical principles that every educator
should follow in an Early Childhood Education and Care service. For example, section
one of the ‘code’ directly relates to how we can ensure the health and safety of children.
respect democracy honesty
integrity justice courage
inclusivity social
responsiveness cultural
responsiveness
education
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In relation to children, I will:
act in the best interests of all children
create and maintain safe, healthy, inclusive environments that support children’s
agency and enhance their learning
provide a meaningful curriculum to enrich children’s learning, balancing child and
educator initiated experiences
understand and be able to explain to others how play and leisure enhance children’s
learning, development and wellbeing
ensure childhood is a time for being in the here and now and not solely about
preparation for the future
collaborate with children as global citizens in learning about our shared
responsibilities to the environment and humanity
value the relationship between children and their families and enhance these
relationships through my practice
ensure that children are not discriminated against on the basis of gender, sexuality,
age, ability, economic status, family structure, lifestyle, ethnicity, religion, language,
culture, or national origin
negotiate children’s participation in research, by taking into account their safety,
privacy, levels of fatigue and interest respect children as capable learners by
including their perspectives in teaching, learning and assessment
safeguard the security of information and documentation about children, particularly
when shared on digital platforms.
Source: Early Childhood Code of Ethics, 2006
On the other hand from a legal perspective, Early Childhood Education and Care
services need to follow many pieces of legislation and industry standards in relation to
protecting children from the risk of harm. This includes international, federal and
state law.
An example of international legislation is The Convention on the Rights of the
Child (CRC). It is the most internationally recognised treaty in the world and sets out
the basic rights of children and the obligations of governments to fulfil those rights.
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The Convention of Rights for the Child is a very detailed convention consisting of 54
articles that is guided by four fundamental principles.
1. Non-discrimination of the child: in relation to their race, colour, gender,
language, religion, cultural, social or ethnic origin, or because they are disabled.
2. The best interests of the child.
3. Survival, development and protection: Governments must protect children
and ensure their optimal development
4. Participation: Children have the right to participate, have a say in decisions
that affect them and have their opinions taken into account.
The Australian government’s approach to this is the National Legislative Framework
which was established through an applied laws system and consists of the:
National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2009-2020
Education and Care Services National Law, and the Education and Care
Services National Regulations
National Quality Standards
The Education and Care Services National Law, and the Education and Care Services
National Regulations are known in the Early Childhood Education and Care industry
as ‘The National Law’.
2. The Education and Care Services National Regulations and the
National Quality Standards
Early Childhood Education and Outside School Hours Care services that operate in
Australia must be approved to operate and must comply with the Education and Care
Services National Law and the Education and Care Services National Regulations.
Known as ‘The National Law,’ these pieces of legislation sets out the following:
application processes for provider approval and service approval
setting out the rating scale and the process for the rating and assessment of
services against the National Quality Standard
minimum requirements relating to the operation of education and care services
organised around each of the seven Quality Areas
arrangements to move existing services into the new system
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The National Quality Standard, known as the ‘NQS,’ set a national standard
(benchmark) for early childhood education and care, and outside school hours care
services in Australia. The NQS applies to most long day care, family day care, outside
school hours’ care and preschools/kindergartens in Australia and is based on seven
quality areas:
The National Quality Standard is linked to the National Learning Frameworks that
recognise children learn from birth. It outlines practices that support and promote
children’s learning. All services must follow an approved learning framework:
Copies of the approved learning frameworks and accompanying educator guides can
be located at the following links:
Belonging, Being and Becoming (EYLF)
My Time, Our Place (FSAC)
Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework
•Educational program and practiceQA1
•Children’s health and safetyQA2
•Physical environmentQA3
•Staffing arrangementsQA4
•Relationships with childrenQA5
•Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
QA6
•Governance and leadershipQA7
•Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (Early Years Learning Framework)
The EYLF
•My Time, Our Place: Framework for School Age Care in Australia (Framework for School Age Care).
The FSAC
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The National Quality Framework (NQF) which has the aim of providing better
educational and developmental outcomes for children using education and care
services.
The National Law provides the objectives and guiding principles for the National
Quality Framework which are:
the rights and best interests of the child are paramount
children are successful, competent and capable learners
the principles of equity, inclusion and diversity underpin the framework
that Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures are valued
that the role of parents and families is respected and supported
that best practice is expected in the provision of education and care
services.
Source: National Quality Framework
National Quality Framework
National Standards
National Regulations
National Law
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Standard 2.1 Each child’s health and physical activity is supported and
promoted.
Standard 2.2 Each child is protected.
Quality Area 2 - Children’s Health and Safety focuses on safeguarding and
promoting children’s health and safety and puts forward key principles that should be
implemented in Early Childhood Education and Care services to protect children from
the foreseeable risk of harm, injury and infection.
The key factors related to Quality Area 2 that promote children’s health, safety and
wellbeing in services include:
maintaining adequate supervision of children
configuring groupings of children to minimise the risk of overcrowding, injury
and illness
monitoring and minimising hazards and safety risks in the environment
managing illness and injuries effectively
implementing effective hygiene practices
providing for individual children’s health, sleep, rest and relaxation
requirements
meeting children’s nutrition requirements and promoting healthy food choices
promoting children’s physical activity
encouraging and supporting childhood immunisation
understanding obligations under state or territory child protection legislation.
Source: Guide to the National Quality Standard
The following table outlines the link between the National Quality Standards and the
National Regulations. The information is quite detailed, and there is a lot of aspects to
be aware of when ensuring the environment promotes each child’s health, safety and
wellbeing.
•Children’s health and safetyQA2
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National Quality Standard
and Element Description and links to EYLF
National Law (section) and National
Regulations
Standard 2.1
Each child’s health is promoted.
The child care centre supports all aspects of children’s
health, with a focus on:
ensuring that their individual health and comfort
requirements are met
effective hygiene practices to control the spread
of infectious diseases are in place
the management of injuries and illness
Being healthy, well-rested and free of illness assists
children to be able to participate happily and successfully
in the learning environment.
Links to EYLF –
Outcome 3: Children have a strong sense of
wellbeing.
Physical wellbeing contributes to children’s ability to
concentrate, cooperate and learn (Early Years Learning
Framework, page 30; Framework for School Age Care,
page 30).
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Element 2.1.1
Each child’s wellbeing and
comfort is provided for,
including appropriate
opportunities to meet each
child’s need for sleep, rest and
relaxation.
To develop a strong sense of wellbeing, it is important
that children are supported to take increasing
responsibility for their own health and physical wellbeing.
By acknowledging each child’s cultural and social identity
and responding sensitively to their emotional states,
educators build children’s confidence, sense of well-
being and willingness to engage in learning
(Early Years Learning Framework, page 30; Framework
for School Age Care, page 30).
Children’s and families’ requirements for children’s
comfort and welfare in relation to daily routines, such as
rest, sleep, dressing and toileting/nappy changing, vary
due to a range of factors.
Issues that may influence a child’s individual
requirements for these routines include the child’s and
family’s sociocultural background, their personal
preferences and the routines and activities that are in
place at home.
Educators provide a range of active and restful
experiences throughout the day and support children to
make appropriate decisions regarding their participation
in activities and experiences. (Early Years Learning
Framework, pages 14 and 32; Framework for School Age
Care, pages 14 and 32.)
section 51(1)(a) Conditions on service
approval (safety, health and well-being
of children)
section 166 Offence to use
inappropriate discipline
regulation 81 Sleep and rest
regulation 168(2)(a)(v) Education and
care service must have policies and
procedures in relation to sleep and rest
for children
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Element 2.1.2
Effective illness and injury
management and hygiene
practices are promoted and
implemented.
Spending time in child care centres and being exposed
to a large number of children for some time provide an
opportunity for infectious diseases to be spread.
In assisting children to take a growing responsibility for
their own health and physical wellbeing, educator’s
model and reinforce health, nutrition and personal
hygiene practices with children. Routines provide
opportunities for children to learn about health and safety
(Early Years Learning Framework, page 32; Framework
for School Age Care, page 31).
Maintaining high standards of hygiene is essential in
preventing the spread of infectious diseases and
ensuring good health. Effective hygiene practices assist
significantly in reducing the likelihood of children
becoming ill due to cross-infection or as a result of
exposure to materials, surfaces, body fluids or other
substances that may cause infection or illness.
Educators promote continuity of children’s personal
health and hygiene by sharing ownership of routines and
schedules with children, families and the community.
(Early Years Learning Framework, page 32; Framework
for School Age Care, page 31).
section 51(1)(a) Conditions on service
approval (safety, health and well-being
of children)
regulation 77 Health, hygiene and safe
food practices
regulation 85 Incident, injury, trauma
and illness policies and procedures
regulation 86 Notification to parents of
incident, injury, trauma and illness
regulation 87 Incident, injury, trauma
and illness record
regulation 88 Infectious diseases
regulation 89 First aid kits
regulation 90 Medical conditions policy
regulation 91 Medical conditions policy
to be provided to parents
regulation 92 Medication record
regulation 93 Administration of
medication
regulation 94 Exception to
authorisation requirement—
anaphylaxis or asthma emergency
regulation 95 Procedure for
administration of medication
regulation 96 Self-administration of
medication
regulation 136 First aid qualifications
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regulation 162 Health information to
be kept in enrolment record, including
the immunisation status of the child
regulation 168 Education and care
service must have policies and
procedures
regulation 177 Prescribed enrolment
and other documents to be kept by
approved provider
regulation 178 Prescribed enrolment
and other documents to be kept by
family day care educator
Element 2.1.3
Healthy eating and physical
activity is promoted and is
appropriate for each child.
Good nutrition is essential to healthy living and enables
children to be active participants in play and leisure.
Education and care settings provide many opportunities
for children to experience a range of healthy foods and to
learn about food choices from educators and other
children (Early Years Learning Framework, page 30;
Framework for School Age Care, page 30).
section 51(1)(a) Conditions on service
approval (safety, health and wellbeing
of children)
regulation 77 Health, hygiene and safe
food practices
regulation 78 Food and beverages
regulation 79 Service providing food
and beverages
regulation 80 Weekly menu
regulation 168 Education and care
service must have policies and
procedures
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Standard 2.2
Each child is protected.
The child care centre ensures that all aspects of
children’s safety are protected.
Children have a fundamental right to be protected and
kept safe while they are in care. Children who are unsafe
are at risk of having their physical health and well-being
negatively impacted on, which, in turn, can negatively
affect children’s experiences, learning and wellbeing in
the present and throughout their future lives.
Links to EYLF –
Outcome 3: Children have a strong sense of
wellbeing.
Through a widening network of secure relationships,
children develop confidence and feel respected and
valued. A strong sense of wellbeing promotes children’s
confidence and optimism, which maximises their learning
and development (Early Years Learning Framework,
page 12; Framework for School Age Care, page 11).
Element 2.2.1
At all times, reasonable
precautions and adequate
supervision ensure children are
protected from harm and
hazard.
Educators promote children’s learning and development
by creating physical and social environments that have a
positive impact (Early Years Learning Framework, page
14; Framework for School Age Care, page 13).
Supervision is a key aspect of ensuring that children’s
safety is protected in the service environment. Educators
need to be alert to and aware of risks and hazards and
the potential for accidents and injury throughout the
service, not just within their immediate area.
section 51(1)(a) Conditions on service
approval (safety, health and wellbeing
of children)
section 165 Offence to inadequately
supervise children
section 167 Offence relating to
protection of children from harm and
hazards
section 169 Offence relating to staffing
arrangements
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Educators foster children’s capacity to understand and
respect the social and natural environment, and they
create learning environments that encourage children to
explore, solve problems and create and construct in
challenging and safe ways (Early Years Learning
Framework, pages 14–15; Framework for School Age
Care, pages 13–14).
Children have a right to be protected from possible or
potential hazards and dangers posed by products, plants,
objects, animals and people in the immediate and wider
environment.
section 170 Offence relating to
unauthorised persons on education
and care service premises
section 171 Offence relating to
direction to exclude inappropriate
persons from education and care
premises
section 189 Emergency removal of
children
regulation 77 Health, hygiene and safe
food practices
regulation 78 Food and beverages
regulation 79 Service providing food
and beverages
regulation 80 Weekly menu
regulation 82 Tobacco, drug and
alcohol-free environment
regulation 83 Staff members and
family day care educators not to be
affected by alcohol or drugs
regulation 86 Notification to parents of
incident, injury, trauma and illness
regulation 87 Incident, injury, trauma
and illness record
regulation 90 Medical conditions policy
regulation 91 Medical conditions policy
to be provided to parents
regulation 92 Medication record
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regulation 99 Children leaving the
education and care premises
regulation 100 Risk assessment must
be conducted before excursion
regulation 101 Conduct of risk
assessment for excursion
regulation 102 Authorisation for
excursions
regulation 161 Authorisations to be
kept in enrolment record
regulation 162 Health information to
be kept in enrolment record, including
the immunisation status of the child
regulation 166 Children not to be alone
with visitors
regulation 168 Education and care
service must have policies and
procedures
regulation 274 Swimming pool (NSW)
regulation 344 Safety screening
clearance – staff members (Tasmania)
regulation 345 Swimming pool
prohibition (Tasmania)
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Element 2.2.2
Plans to effectively manage
incidents and emergencies are
developed in consultation with
relevant authorities, practised
and implemented.
Children’s wellbeing can be affected by all of their
experiences within and outside the setting. It is essential
that educators attend to children’s wellbeing by providing
warm, trusting relationships and predictable and safe
learning environments (Early Years Learning
Framework, page 30; Framework for School Age Care,
page 29).
Planning to manage incidents and emergencies assists
services to protect adults and children, to maintain
children’s well-being and a safe environment and to meet
requirements of relevant Work Health and Safety
legislation.
Having a clear plan for the management of emergency
situations assists educators to handle these calmly and
effectively, reducing the risk of further harm or damage.
section 51(1)(a) Conditions on service
approval (safety, health and wellbeing
of children)
regulation 85 Incident, injury, trauma
and illness policies and procedures
regulation 86 Notification to parents of
incident, injury, trauma and illness
regulation 87 Incident, injury, trauma
and illness record
regulation 97 Emergency and
evacuation procedures
regulation 98 Telephone or other
communication equipment
regulation 160 Child enrolment
records to be kept by approved
provider and family day care educator
regulation 161 Authorisations to be
kept in enrolment record
regulation 162 health information to be
kept in enrolment record
regulation 168 Education and care
service must have policies and
procedures
regulation 177 Prescribed enrolment
and other documents to be kept by
approved provider
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regulation 178 Prescribed enrolment
and other documents to be kept by
family day care educator
Element 2.2.3
Management, educators and
staff are aware of their roles
and responsibilities to identify
and respond to every child at
risk of abuse or neglect.
Educators who give priority to nurturing relationships and
providing children with consistent emotional support can
assist children to interact with others in mutually
supportive ways and participate in positive learning
experiences (Early Years Learning Framework, page 12;
Framework for School Age Care, page 11).
Every centre’s management, educator, family day care
educator or staff member has a legal and ethical
obligation to act to protect any child who is at risk of
abuse or neglect. To be able to act when required, all
staff members must be aware of current child protection
policy and procedures, including their legislative
responsibilities in states and territories where these
apply.
section 51(1)(a) Conditions on service
approval (safety, health and well-being
of children)
section 162A Persons in day-to-day
charge and nominated supervisors to
have child protection training
regulation 84 Awareness of child
protection law
regulation 85 Incident, injury, trauma
and illness policies and procedures
regulation 86 Notification to parents of
incident, injury, trauma and illness
regulation 87 Incident, injury, trauma
and illness record
regulation 177 Prescribed enrolment
and other documents to be kept by
approved provider
regulation 178 Prescribed enrolment
and other documents to be kept by
family day care educator
Guide to the National Quality Standard, 2018;
The National Quality Standard and Quality Improvement, 2018
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3. Work Health and Safety Act and Regulations
A harmonised workplace health and safety (WHS) legislation has been introduced
across States and Territories to Australia.
WHS legislation includes the WHS Act, Regulations, Codes of Practice, and a National
Compliance and Enforcement Policy. The WHS Act will make it easier for businesses
and workers to comply with their requirements across different states and territories.
•Establishes the legal requirements.The Act
•These are more specific rules that must be followed. Non-compliance can result in prosecution, a prohibition notice, an improvement notice, and in some States, on the spot fines.
Regulations
•These are minimum standards that provide information on how to comply with the rules set out in the regulations. You cannot be prosecuted for not following a code of practice, but it is recognised as an approved way of working and can be used to evidence poor practice in a prosecution.
Codes of Practice /Guidance Notes
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States and Territories are using the following WHS legislation:
State/Territory Act Regulations Codes of Practice
Australian Capital
Territory WHS Act 2011 WHS Regulation 2011
ACT Codes of
Practice
New South Wales WHS Act 2011 WHS Regulation 2017 NSW Codes of
Practice
Northern Territory
Work Health and
Safety (National
Uniform Legislation)
Act 2011
Work Health and
Safety (National
Uniform Legislation)
Regulations
NT Codes of
Practice
Queensland WHS Act 2011 WHS Regulation 2011 Qld Codes of
Practice
South Australia WHS Act 2012 WHS Regulation 2012 SA Codes of
Practice
Tasmania WHS Act 2012 WHS Regulation 2012 Tas Codes of
Practice
Victoria
Occupational
Health and Safety
Act 2004
Occupational Health
and Safety Regulations
2017
Vic Compliance
Codes
Western Australia
Occupational Safety
and Health Act
1984
Occupational Health
and Safety Regulations
1996
WA Codes of
Practice
Western Australia has no applied the new laws at this stage due to the mining
component of the WHS Act not being ready for implementation. The date of
implementation of the model laws in WA has not been determined and will need to be
reassessed.
Victoria supports the principle of national harmonisation and continues to work
towards best practice legislation, but will not adopt the national model workplace
health and safety laws in their current form.
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3.1. The Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act
The Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act) is designed to help employers and
employees to understand their health and safety duties and rights in the workplace.
The WHS Act aims to:
Protect the health and safety of workers and other people by eliminating or
reducing workplace risks.
Ensure effective representation, consultation and cooperation to address
health and safety issues in the workplace.
Encourage unions and employers to take a constructive role in improving
health and safety practices.
Promote information, education and training on health and safety.
Provide effective compliance and enforcement measures.
Deliver continuous improvement and progressively higher standards of
health and safety.
Source: Guide to the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, QLD, p. 5
One main change in the new WHS Act is the employers are now referred to as the
Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU).
The PCBU is “a person conducting a business or undertaking alone or with others,
whether or not for profit or gain.”
Work Health and Safety
IS
Everyone’s responsibility!
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3.2. Rights and Responsibilities of Employers and Workers
Responsibilities of the Employer
The employer or person conducting a business or undertaking (the PCBU), has a
primary duty of care to ensure workers and others are not exposed to a risk to their
health and safety.
The employer must meet the requirements set under the legislation, so far as is
reasonably practicable, to provide a safe and healthy workplace for workers or
other persons (such as visitors and parents) by ensuring:
safe systems, procedures and practices of work
a safe work environment, including:
o safe use of equipment
o structures
o substances
facilities for the welfare and well-being of workers are adequate
notification and recording of workplace incidents
adequate information, training, instruction and supervision is provided
consultation with employees on matters that affect their health, safety and
welfare;
compliance with the requirements under the work health and safety
regulations.
effective systems are in place for monitoring the health of workers and
workplace conditions.
The WHS Act also states that PCBU’s must also have a meaningful and open
consultation about work health and safety with its workers, health and safety
representatives and health and safety committees.
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Responsibilities of a Worker
The definition of a ‘worker’ includes any person who carries out work for a ‘person
conducting a business or undertaking' (PCBU).
This term 'worker' includes any person who works as an:
employee
trainee
volunteer
apprentice
work experience student
contractor or sub-contractor plus their employees
A worker must, while at work:
take reasonable care for their own health and safety
take reasonable care for the health and safety of others
comply with any reasonable instruction by the employer or PCBU
cooperate with any reasonable policies and procedures set by the employer
or the PCBU
carry out their work in a way that does not put their own health and safety,
at risk, or that of others in the workplace
identify and report potential workplace hazards
report all work-related injuries
implement service’s policies and procedures
participate in workplace consultation about health and safety matters
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3.3. Duty of Care
A duty of care is the legal obligation to safeguard others from harm while they are
in your care, using your services, or exposed to your activities. This means that you
should always act toward others with watchfulness, attention, caution, prudence
and care.
If educators do not follow the correct standards of care then the “duty of care” can
be breached. A breach can occur if it can be proven that something should have
been done or if somebody failed to do something and a child was harmed or at risk
of harm.
“Under the National Law, the approved provider and other persons have a
responsibility for supporting the health, protection, safety and wellbeing of all
children. In exercising their responsibilities under the National Law, these
persons must take reasonable care to protect children from foreseeable risk of
harm, injury and infection.”
Source: Guide to the National Quality Standard
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Activity: Identify the Policy
The Sparkling Stars Education and Care Centre have a set of policies and
procedures that determine how staff carries out their duties. These policies can be
accessed via the Internet by following the link below:
Sparkling Stars Policies & Procedures
(Username: newusername - Password: newpassword)
Read each of the examples below where a staff member has not followed a Sparkling
Stars policy. Examine each one and determine which Sparkling Stars policy you
would point the staff member to, in order to solve the issue. Select the suitable policy
from the list below. Then reflect on what action Kim, Phoebe, Richard and Sabrina
should have taken in each circumstance.
Policies:
Workplace Health and Safety
Confidentiality
Suncare
Equipment
Look at the following questions and decide if you think there is a breach of the duty
of care. What Quality Area would each of these situations fall under in the National
Quality Framework?
Answer: Yes, a failure of the educators to ensure the child had sunscreen and a hat allowed the child to be sunburnt.
A child did not wear sunscreen or a hat during outdoor play and got sunburnt.
Is this a breach of “duty of care”?
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Health and Safety Representatives (HSR)
Most Early Childhood Education and Care services will have nominated a Health
and Safety Representative (HSR). This could be the Nominated Supervisor
(Director) or one of the Educators and are identified as a key contributor to health
and safety in the workplace by providing access to the views of workers.
HSRs represent workers on health and safety matters through ongoing
consultation and cooperation between workers and the employer (PCBU).
The responsibilities and duties of an HSR are to:
represent workers on work health and safety (WHS) matters
monitor WHS actions taken by the employer/PCBU
investigate WHS complaints from workers
look into anything that might be a risk to the WHS of the workers they
represent
Answer: Yes, a failure to adequately supervise the children and possibly the security of the fence allowed the child to wander away from the centre, therefore be put at risk of harm.
A child climbed over the fence and was outside of the centre grounds without an educator.
Is this a breach of “duty of care”?
Answer: Yes, it is the educator’s duty to ensure the gate remains securely latched and the children are supervised at all times. By the child wandering away unsupervised, the child is put at
risk of harm.
The gate was held open when a delivery was made at the centre. A child wandered out of the centre and to the neighbouring park. Is this a breach of “duty of care”?
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Health and Safety Committees
Health and Safety Committees bring together workers and management to assist
in the development and review of health and safety policies and procedures for the
workplace.
In an Early Childhood Education and Care service this process often happens as
part of staff meetings, and therefore all employees become part of the health and
safety committee.
The functions of the health and safety committee are:
to facilitate co-operation between employer/ PCBU and workers in
instigating, developing and implementing measures to ensure the health
and safety of workers
to assist in developing standards, rules and procedures relative to health and
safety.
Responsibilities of Visitors in the Workplace
Visitors include all other people that may enter the workplace. This may include
parents and families, other professional or suppliers. While at the workplace they
have work health and safety (WHS) responsibilities and must:
comply with any reasonable work health and safety instructions at the
workplace
take reasonable care not to put themselves or others at risk.
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3.4. State/Territory WHS Authorities
The following table shows details of the regulator in your State or Territory:
State Regulator Telephone Website
Commonwealth Comcare 1300 366 979 www.comcare.gov.au
New South
Wales SafeWork NSW 13 10 50 www.safework.nsw.gov.au
Queensland
Workplace
Health and
Safety Qld
1300 362128 www.worksafe.qld.gov.au
South Australia SafeWork SA 1300 365 255 www.safework.sa.gov.au
Western
Australia WorkSafe WA 1300 307 877
www.commerce.wa.gov.au/WorkSa
fe
Victoria WorkSafe
Victoria
1800 136 089
03 9641 1555 www.worksafe.vic.gov.au
Australian
Capital
Territory
WorkSafe ACT 02 6207 3000 www.worksafe.act.gov.au
Tasmania WorkSafe
Tasmania 1300 366 322 www.worksafe.tas.gov.au
Northern
Territory NT WorkSafe 1800 019 115 www.worksafe.nt.gov.au
4. Centre Policy and Procedures
Each Early Childhood Education and Care services must have their own policy and
procedures in place to meet their responsibilities under the Workplace Health and
Safety Act, and the State and Commonwealth legislation.
WHS policies and procedures should encompass the “whole person” approach and
covers their social, mental and physical well-being. They should focus on safety in the
workplace, to reduce or minimise injury or disease, and to ensure the health and
wellbeing of employees, visitors and clients.
By following the health and safety policies, procedures and daily practices, they
become your tools to ensure a safe and healthy work environment for all.
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The purpose of these policies, procedures and practices are to protect:
children and their family members,
the carers and staff,
your suppliers,
the local community, and
any peoples who come into contact with your workplace.
Since everybody is responsible for Workplace health and safety, it is important for each
of us to know the location and content of the centre's policy and be aware of our
responsibilities.
Examples of Workplace policies that may apply in an Early Childhood Education and
Care centre are:
Emergency planning
Emergency equipment
First aid
Accident and incident reporting
Hazard identification & control (Risk Assessment & Hazard Register)
Chemicals & hazardous substances
Electrical safety
Kitchen safety
Manual handling
Harassment and bullying
Workplace stress
Security
Slips, trips and falls
Vehicles and transports
Injury management
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4.1. Where to Find Workplace Health and Safety Information
You should first be introduced to Workplace Health and Safety policies, procedures
and practices during your Orientation/Induction, which should occur on your first
day.
During this process, you will be introduced to the centre's policies, procedures,
responsibilities, toilets, accessible areas evacuation points, emergency response
plans, etc.
Your job description will also have statements about your duties and
responsibilities to work health and safety, such as:
Ensure a safe, caring and stimulating environment exists for all children and
that the health and wellbeing of each child is a priority.
Assist in ensuring that the early childhood building, grounds and equipment
are maintained to a high standard of safety, cleanliness and repair.
Assist in maintaining accurate records in accordance with legislative
requirements and service policy and procedures.
Ensure the security of centre property and assets and maintain a
commitment to the care of all the centre’s property and assets.
To maintain an attractive and safe indoor and outdoor physical
environment and to report to the Team Leader on matters relating to the
children.
Many of your general duties will have a Workplace Health and Safety focus:
Disinfectant solutions for nappies, spray dispensers and bottles to be
changed daily, according to prescribed amounts.
Bathroom areas kept clean and disinfected, at least twice each day.
Wash, dry and fold and put away all laundry that you may be responsible
for.
Wash all tables and chairs after each lunch time.
Wash toys and equipment periodically.
Disinfect all children's mattresses weekly.
Wash all pots, paintbrushes and all glue pots after art and craft activities.
Wash all afternoon tea dishes and attend to general cleanliness of the
kitchen area as needed.
Clean and tidy storerooms, cupboards and sheds as needed.
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General care and maintenance of all equipment and building and report to
the Coordinator as needed. This may include dealing with resource
shortages and reordering this, or reporting this when necessary.
Maintain a clean and litter free outdoor area.
Return all equipment and supplies to their designated area.
Medical And Emergency Duties:
o To develop an awareness of accident procedures and record keeping.
o To be familiar with emergency procedures including evacuation
procedures.
o To identify, manage and monitor food allergies.
o To attend to minor first aid needs of the children, if you are a holder
of a first aid certificate.
o To ensure that all medications and poisons are kept out of reach of
the children.
General Care of the Children:
o To ensure the rights of the child
o To maintain at all times adequate supervision of the children and
being aware of staff/child ratios at all time.
o To model appropriate language and behaviour for the children
The most effective way for employees to be kept up to date and knowledgeable
about Workplace health and safety is through training and consultation.
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Training
induction training for new employees
first aid training for all employees.
Ongoing WHS hazard-specific training - e.g. In-house training sessions,
posters, information sheets etc.
Conducting emergency response drills, e.g. emergency, evacuation and fire
drills
Consultation
Consultation helps ensure that everyone has a clear understanding of what is
expected of them, how to implement quality practices and to be accountable for
their actions.
Consultation can occur through formal and informal processes and may involve
direct or representational participation. Effective consultation can occur through:
Including WHS matters on all staff meeting agendas
Requesting staff suggestions
WHS representatives
Referring to WHS matters and information in staff newsletters
Conducting staff surveys on WHS issues
Issuing and displaying WHS information on staff notice boards
Workplace Health and Safety for Employee’s
Consultation
Professional Development
Training
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Mandatory WHS Training Requirements
Emergency Evacuation Training
All businesses in Australia must now conduct mandatory training for all staff on
Emergency Evacuation.
Emergency and evacuation procedures
(1) The emergency and evacuation procedures required under regulation 168
must set out:
a) instructions for what must be done in the event of an emergency; and
b) an emergency and evacuation floor plan.
(2) For the purposes of preparing the emergency and evacuation procedures,
the approved provider of an education and care service must ensure that a
risk assessment is conducted to identify potential emergencies that are
relevant to the service.
(3) The approved provider of an education and care service must ensure that:
c) the emergency and evacuation procedures are rehearsed every 3 months
that the service is operating, by the nominated supervisor, staff members
and volunteers and children being educated and cared for by the service;
and
d) the rehearsals of the emergency and evacuation procedures are
documented.
(4) The approved provider of an education and care service must ensure that a
copy of the emergency and evacuation floor plan and instructions are
displayed in a prominent position near each exit at the education and care
service premises
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First Aid Training
Section 136 (1) of the national regulations outlines more extensive requirements
for centre-based services:
The approved provider of a centre-based service must ensure that the following
persons are in attendance at any place where children are being educated and
cared for by the service, and immediately available in an emergency at all times
that children are being educated and cared for by the service:
a) at least one educator who holds a current approved first aid qualification
b) at least one educator who has undertaken current approved anaphylaxis
management training
c) at least one educator who has undertaken current approved emergency
asthma management training.
Services must have staff with current approved qualifications on duty at all times
and immediately available in an emergency. One staff member may hold one or
more of the qualifications.
Food Safety Training Requirements
Child care services need to comply with the Food Safety Standards developed by
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).
All business that sells, serves, supply or provides food to clients must comply with
Food Safety Standards.
If your centre prepares food on the premises, they will require a Food Licence and
have a Nominated Food Safety Supervisor that has completed the appropriate
training.
Under the Food Act, all food handlers must be trained in hygiene and food safety
procedures relevant to the duties they are performing.
The States and territories may have specific child care regulations that require safe,
hygienic food preparation, storage and practice. Regulations may also require that
staff be employed who have completed training provided by a Registered Training
Organisation.
Under the Food Act, all food handlers must be trained in hygiene and food safety
procedures relevant to the duties they are performing.
The States and territories may have specific child care regulations that require safe,
hygienic food preparation, storage and practice. Regulations may also require that
staff be employed who have completed training provided by a Registered Training
Organisation.
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5. Work Place Health and Safety Hazards in Children’s Services
5.1. Hazardous Manual Tasks
Every year, many educators are injured in early childhood workplaces, and most of
these injuries are musculoskeletal (sprains and strains, fractures and soft tissue
injuries), caused by everyday activities like moving play equipment, lifting children
and sitting on small chairs.
Manual Handling
Manual handling is lifting and carrying, but it also includes using force to push,
pull, or hold something.
In children’s services, we need to lift, carry and move equipment and toys as part
of our role. Some things to be aware of include:
Minimise lifting where possible.
o lowering adjustable sides on cots,
o use steps for children to climb onto change tables( please remember
that supervision and holding the child’s hand is important),
o only non-walking children should be lifted,
o squat or kneel down to children’s level to comfort and interact rather
than bending from the waist.
o Ensure large, bulky equipment is stored in appropriate place and use
two people lift or a trolley to move.
Manual Tasks Health
and Safety
Slips, trips, falls
Manual Handling
People Lifting
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Ensure equipment is stored effectively.
o Position shelving at appropriate levels and provide step ladders etc.
to access higher stored items.
o Store heavy items between the shoulder and knee heights with lighter
equipment higher if necessary.
Educators should follow recommendation and standards from the “Manual tasks
involving the handling of people - Code of Practice 2001” when lifting, carrying and
providing services to children.
Figure: Injuries in Children's Services
Source: WorkSafe Injury Hotspots - Children’s Services
16%
9%
26%
7%
7%
11%
Psychological System
Shoulder
Back
Forearm/Wrists
Leg
Knee
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Slips, Trips and Falls
What's going to cause you to slip or trip or fall at work?
uneven floor surfaces like cracked tiles or torn, curled carpet
steps and different floor levels
toys, equipment and trolleys left in pathways / doorways
clothing caught on furniture or appliances
poor lighting
wearing the wrong shoes
slippery floors
How can you prevent slips, trips or falls at work?
Tidy the play areas ensuring clear pathways, so there is nothing to fall over.
Clean up spills straight away and use wet floor signs to alert others of hazard.
Use mats on slippery floors.
Hazardous Substances
A hazardous substance is any solid, dust, liquid or gas that may cause harm to you.
These may include:
cleaning products – detergents and disinfectants
medications
How to prevent risk?
Always make sure you read the labels
Don't put them into recycled drink or food containers
Follow all directions on the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). An MSDS
tells you about a hazardous substance and how to use it safely
Use PPE (gloves, masks, safety glasses, aprons) when around or handling
them
Attend training sessions about the hazardous substance
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Biohazards
Many of the tasks and duties that educators and staff perform in an Early
Childhood Education and Care setting involve body fluids and substances.
Fluids such as urine, blood, saliva and other body excretions such as faeces, all
contain a risk of spreading infection if handled inappropriately. Staff should always
exercise extreme care when carrying out nappy changing, toileting duties.
Workplace Stress
“The Work Health and Safety Act imposes a legal duty on business operators to do
what is reasonably practicable to eliminate or minimise risk to worker health and
safety. This duty extends to protecting workers from the risk of harm from stressors
at work.”
Source: Overview of work-related stress, pg.1
Stress can affect different people in different ways.
Environmental
Environmental stressors such as physical, chemical or biological agents can
influence the worker’s comfort and performance in their work environment and
might contribute to a stress response. These factors can cause stress on their
own, but often act to exacerbate a person’s response to another stressor.
Types of environmental stressors include:
noise
temperature and humidity
lighting
vibration
air quality
unguarded plant and equipment.
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Individual
People respond to stressors at work in different ways. It has been suggested that
this can, in part, be related to physiological and/or personality factors (e.g.
resilience).
Worker well-being appears to benefit from a combination of challenging work,
a supportive atmosphere and adequate resources.
While it is important to recognise these individual differences and to match jobs
and tasks to individual abilities, this does not reduce an employer’s legal duty
to minimise workers’ exposure to risk factors for work-related stress and to
ensure the workplace does not exacerbate an existing illness.
Source: Overview of work-related stress
What is Work-Related Stress?
Stress is a term that is widely used in everyday life with most people having some
appreciation about its meaning. Commonly it is believed to occur in situations
where there is excessive pressure being placed on someone.
Work-related stress describes the physical, mental and emotional reactions of
workers who perceive that their work demands exceed their abilities and/or their
resources (such as time, help/support) to do the work. It occurs when they perceive
they are not coping in situations where it is important to them that they cope.
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What is Not Work-Related Stress?
Work-related stress is not a disease. Worker's responses to stressors may be
positive or negative depending on the type of demands placed on them, the amount
of control they have over the situation, the amount of support they receive and the
individual response of the person. In the vast majority of instances, people adjust
to stressors and are able to continue to perform their normal work duties.
Health Effects
When stressful situations go unresolved, the body is kept in a constant state of
stimulation, which can result in physiological and/or psychological illness.
Common health outcomes linked to stress include cardiovascular disease, immune
deficiency disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, musculoskeletal disorders and
psychiatric/psychological illness.
Short-lived or infrequent exposure to low-level stressors are not likely to lead to
harm, in fact, short-term exposure can result in improved performance. When
stressful situations go unresolved, however, the body is kept in a constant state of
stimulation, which can result in physiological and/or psychological changes and
illness.
Short-term health issues linked to stress include:
Physical:
o headaches, indigestion, tiredness, slow reactions, shortness of breath
Mental:
o difficulty in decision-making, forgetfulness
Emotional:
o irritability, excess worrying, feeling of worthlessness, anxiety,
defensiveness, anger, mood swings
Behavioural:
o diminished performance, withdrawal behaviours, impulsive
behaviour, increase in alcohol and nicotine consumption
Common longer-term health issues linked to stress include:
cardiovascular disease (CVD), immune deficiency disorders
gastrointestinal disorders, psychiatric/psychological illness
(PPI) and musculoskeletal disorders.
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Possible Effects on Organisational Performance
Increased stress levels of workers in an organisation can lead to diminished
organisational performance as measured by the following:
productivity and efficiency may be reduced
job satisfaction, morale and cohesion may decline
absenteeism and sickness absence may increase
there may be an increase in staff turnover
accidents and injuries may increase
conflict may increase, and the quality of relationships may decline
client satisfaction may be reduced
There may be increased healthcare expenditure and workers’ compensation
claims.
The effects of work-related stress on organisational performance provide good
reasons — above and beyond legal duties and the direct financial and human costs
— as to why employers and other duty holders should reduce workers’ exposure to
workplace stressors.
Some potential work-related stressors are:
occupational bullying and violence
lack of decision making and control
role uncertainty
demanding work schedules or workloads
inadequate skills to undertake a job
unclear goals or expectations
inability to work successfully with colleagues or manager
job not a good fit for a person’s values
feeling undervalued or underutilised
company changes, job changes or job uncertainty
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Some potential non-work related stressors are:
relationship challenges
death or illness of a family member or close friend
illness and health concerns
financial difficulties
drug and alcohol abuse
lack of decision making and control
moving house and other major, consuming life disruptions
What Can Be Done to Prevent Stress?
Train supervisors in how to manage people.
Get extra staff for peak demand times.
Make sure everyone knows their job responsibilities.
Consult staff about changes.
Provide assistance/counselling
Are these risk factors in your workplace?
Can job demands be met?
Do workers:
o have control over how they do the work?
o get support from supervisors and co-workers
Are workers:
o clear about their job role?
o rewarded for doing a good job?
Are changes at work communicated ahead of time?
Are there good relationships among workers and others?
Does the workplace treat everyone fairly?
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5.2. Infection Control
The spread of infectious disease, especially respiratory and diarrhoeal infections,
occur more frequently in the child care environment due to the close contact
between a large number of children and staff. Using standard infection control
precautions and following both personal and workplace Hygiene Guidelines will
reduce the possibility of transmission and the risks.
Some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in rural areas are more at risk
of some infectious diseases, especially respiratory, diarrhoeal and ear infections
and their complications.
There are a lot of different diseases that spread through close contact with children
especially those staff conducting nappy changing and toileting tasks.
Infection control is about understanding infectious diseases and what causes them,
how they spread and how to prevent them. A key concept is the chain of infection,
which explains how germs can spread in education and care services.
There are four essential steps to the spread of infections. Infection control is aimed
at breaking this chain of infection. The steps are:
1. The person with the infection spreads the germ into their environment,
2. The germ must survive in the appropriate environment, e.g. air, food, water,
on objects and surfaces,
3. Another person then comes in contact with the germ,
4. This person then becomes infected.
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1. The person who has the infection spreads the germ into their
environment
This child or adult may or may not show any signs of illness. They may be
infectious before they become unwell, during their illness, after they have
recovered, or without any signs of illness at all.
For example, in cases of diarrhoea due to Giardia, children and staff who no
longer have diarrhoea may still have infectious Giardia in their bowel motions.
For this reason, the infection control process must always be followed by all
people in the child care centre.
2. The germ must survive in the appropriate environment
Infectious illnesses may be due to viruses, bacteria, protozoa or fungi. All of
these organisms are too small to see with the naked eye. These germs can
survive on hands and objects, for example, toys, door handles and bench tops.
The length of time a germ may survive on a surface depends on the germ itself,
the type of surface it has contaminated and how often the surface is cleaned. It
is also dependent upon environmental conditions such as temperature and
humidity. Washing with detergent and water is a very effective way of removing
germs.
3. Another person then comes in contact with the germ
Germs can be transmitted in a number of ways, including through the air by
droplets; through contact with faeces and then contact with mouths; through
direct contact with the skin; and through contact with other body secretions
(such as urine, saliva, discharges or blood).
4. The person becomes infected
When the germ has reached the next person, it must find a way to enter the
body. It can enter through the mouth, intestinal tract, nose, lungs, mucosa of
eyes, genitals or through a sore or broken and abraded skin. We can prevent
illness at this stage by preventing entry to the body (for example, by making
sure all toys that children put in their mouths are clean, having children,
parents and staff wash and dry their hands, covering wounds) and by
immunisation. Whether a person develops illness after this germ has entered
the body depends on both the germ and the person’s immunity.
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Common Diseases in Childcare Services
Cytomegalovirus is spread through urine and saliva causes a flu-like illness with
fever, sore throat and swollen glands although it does not usually cause illness in
healthy people, and they may be unaware that they have been infected.
Wash their hands regularly, especially after contact with urine and saliva
and after removing disposable gloves.
Use disposable gloves (e.g. latex or vinyl) for activities that involve contact
with urine and saliva.
Cover cuts with water-resistant dressings.
Provide information to workers about CMV risks during pregnancy and
work practices to reduce the risk of infection. Keep training records.
Regularly clean surfaces and items that are soiled with urine and saliva,
including nappy change mats, potties and toys.
Implement hygienic nappy changing and toileting practices
Instruct workers to inform their employer if they are pregnant or expect to
become pregnant.
Advise workers to discuss CMV risks with their doctor if pregnant or
planning a pregnancy.
Consider relocating workers who are pregnant, or who expect to become
pregnant, to care for children aged over two years of age.
Source: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) in early childhood education and care services
Infectious diseases can spread in a variety of ways:
Through the air
From direct or indirect contact with another person (including from a
mother to her unborn child)
Soiled objects
Skin or mucous membrane (the thin, moist lining of many parts of the body
such as the nose, mouth, throat and genitals)
Saliva
Urine
Blood and body secretions
Through sexual contact
Through contaminated food and water.
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Airborne Droplets from Nose and Throat
Some infections are spread when an infected person sneezes or coughs out tiny
airborne droplets. The droplets in the air may be breathed indirectly by another
person, or indirectly enter another person through contact with surfaces and hands
contaminated with the droplets. Some droplets are very fine and can be carried
long distances by air currents. This is known as an airborne spread and includes:
Chickenpox
Measles
Tuberculosis
Other droplets are larger and travel less than one metre in the air. Examples are:
Common cold
Mumps
Diphtheria
Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib)
Influenza
Streptococcal sore throat
Whooping cough (Pertussis)
Pneumococcal disease
Rubella
Meningitis (bacterial) including meningococcal infection
Parvovirus infection
Skin or Mucous Membrane (Lining of Nose and Mouth) Contact
Some infections are spread directly when skin or mucous membrane (the thin,
moist lining of many parts of the body such as the nose, mouth, throat and genitals)
comes into contact with other skin or mucous membrane. Infections are spread
indirectly when skin or mucous membrane comes in contact with contaminated
objects or surfaces.
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Examples of diseases spread by skin or mucous membrane contact.
Chickenpox
Cold sores (herpes simplex)
Conjunctivitis
Hand, foot and mouth disease
Molluscum contagiosum
Ringworm
Scabies
School sores (Impetigo)
Staphylococcus aureus
Thrush
Warts (common, flat and plantar)
Saliva
Some infections are spread by direct contact with saliva (such as kissing) or indirect
contact with contaminated objects (children sucking and sharing toys).
Examples:
Glandular fever (Mononucleosis)
Cytomegalovirus infection (CMV)
Hepatitis B
Urine
Some infections are spread when urine from an infected person is transferred from
soiled hands or objects to the mouth.
Example of a disease spread by urine:
Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
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Faecal-oral
Some infections are spread when microscopic amounts of faeces from an infected
person are passed directly from soiled hands to mouth or indirectly by way of
objects, surfaces, food or water soiled with faeces, to another. An infected person
doesn’t necessarily have symptoms of their illness.
Examples of diseases spread from faeces:
Campylobacter infection
Rotavirus infection
Cryptosporidiosis
Salmonella infection
Giardiasis
Thrush
Hand, foot and mouth disease
Shigella infection
Hepatitis A
Viral gastroenteritis
Worms
Blood
Some infections are spread when blood or other body fluids from an infected
person comes into contact with the mucous membranes (the thin, moist lining of
many parts of the body such as the nose, mouth, throat and genitals) or
bloodstream of an uninfected person, such as through a needle stick or a break in
the skin. The transmission of these infections is extremely unlikely in the child care
setting.
Examples of diseases spread through blood/body secretions:
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis C
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection
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Sexually Transmitted Infections
These infections are most commonly transmitted by sexual contact. Sexual
contact means:
genital to genital
oral to genital
oral
genital to anal.
Examples of sexually transmitted infections:
Chlamydia infection
genital herpes
genital warts
gonorrhoea
hepatitis B
human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
non-specific urethritis (NSU)
pubic lice (crabs)
syphilis
trichomoniasis
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Food or Waterborne Diseases
These diseases result from ingestion of water or a wide variety of foods
contaminated with disease-causing microorganisms or their toxins. Often these
infections are also spread by the faecal-oral route.
Examples of food or waterborne diseases:
botulism
Campylobacter infection
cholera
Cryptosporidium infection
haemolytic-uraemic syndrome
Listeria infection
Salmonella infection
Shigella infection
typhoid and paratyphoid
Yersinia infection
Diseases Where Person-to-Person Spread Occurs Rarely, If Ever
Some infectious diseases are almost never spread by direct contact with an infected
person. These diseases are usually spread by contact with an environmental source
such as animals, insects, water or soil.
Examples of diseases spread by contact with animals:
cat-scratch disease
hydatid disease
psittacosis
Q fever
rabies
toxoplasmosis
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Examples of diseases spread by insects and in the examples listed below,
specifically by mosquitoes:
Barmah Forest virus infection
dengue fever
malaria
Ross River virus infection
Examples of diseases spread by contact with water or soil:
amoebic meningitis
legionella infection
tetanus
Breaking the Chain of Infection
To stop infections spreading, you can break the chain of infection at any point
through:
• effective hand hygiene
• exclusion of ill children, educators and other staff
• immunisation
• cough and sneeze etiquette
• appropriate use of gloves
• effective environmental cleaning.
If these are not done properly, the many other processes that support infection
control, such as cleaning and food safety procedures, will not work well.
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5.3. Exclusion of Ill Children
It is important to identify and record signs of ill health in children and staff
members at child care workplaces.
Encourage parents to tell the staff when their child or other family members have
been ill.
If a child appears to be sick or if the child appears itchy or is scratching more than
usual:
Check the child for signs of fever, skin irritation or rashes;
Record the symptoms;
Notify the child’s parents as soon as possible;
Isolate the child from others;
Monitor the child’s temperature; and
Wash your hands before touching another child.
Staff members should seek medical advice if they are concerned and have not been
able to contact the sick child’s parents.
When staff members are handling sick children, they should not place their fingers
in their mouths, scratch themselves or rub their eyes and they should ensure that
they have covered cuts or other broken skin that they may have.
Exclusion of Sick children and Educators
“Excluding sick children and staff is one of the three most important ways of
limiting the spread of infection in the child care centre. The spread of certain
infectious diseases can be reduced by excluding a person, who is known to be
infectious, from contact with others who are at risk of catching the infection.”
Source: NHMRC - “Staying Healthy in Child Care: Preventing infectious diseases in child care,”
Fourth Edition
Parents may find an exclusion ruling difficult, and some parents may place great
pressure on the director to vary from the centre’s exclusion rules. Often these
parents are under great pressure themselves to fulfil work, study or other family
commitments. This may lead to stress and conflict between parents and centre
staff.
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It is important that as part of the enrolment process staff discuss the exclusion
process and the legal requirements so that emotions, feelings and issues of
inclusion and exclusion, fair and unfair behaviour, bias and prejudice do not
interfere with later decisions to exclude children due to illness.
In following the NQS, we need to ensure that families are informed about and
follow the service’s policy and guidelines for the exclusion of ill children, including
any relevant exclusion periods.
NQS Standard 2.1 Each child’s health and physical activity is
supported and promoted
NQS Element 2.1.2 Effective illness and injury management and
hygiene practices are promoted and implemented.
All centres will have a policy outlining the exclusion policy and procedures, as well
as any additional conditions that may apply. It is important to be familiar with this
policy.
The following are recommended minimum periods of exclusion, stated by the
Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Health, based on the
risk of infection but a child or staff member may need to stay at home longer than
the exclusion period to recover from an illness.
Recommended exclusion periods are based on the time that a person with a specific
disease or condition is likely to be infectious. Recommended ‘Not excluded’ means
there is no significant risk of transmitting the infection to others.
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Condition Exclusion of Case
(e.g. the child with condition)
Exclusion of contacts
(e.g. other family
members)
Chickenpox
(Varicella)
Exclude until all blisters have
dried. This is usually at least 5
days after the rash first
appeared in unimmunised
children and less in immunised
children.
Any child with an immune
deficiency (for example,
leukaemia) or receiving
chemotherapy should be
excluded for their own
protection. Otherwise, not
excluded.
Conjunctivitis Exclude until the discharge
from the eyes has stopped
unless the doctor has
diagnosed non-infectious
conjunctivitis.
Exclude until the discharge
from the eyes has stopped
unless the doctor has
diagnosed non-infectious
conjunctivitis.
Diarrhoea (no
organism identified)
Exclude until there has not
been a loose bowel motion for
24 hours
Not excluded
Giardiasis Exclude until there has not
been a loose bowel motion for
24 hours
Not excluded
Hand, foot and mouth
disease
Exclude until all blisters have
dried
Not excluded
Head lice
(Pediculosis)
Exclusion is NOT necessary if
effective treatment is
commenced prior to the next
day at childcare (i.e. the child
doesn’t need to be sent home
immediately if head lice are
detected).
Not excluded
Herpes simplex (cold
sores, fever, blisters)
Exclusion is not necessary if
the person is developmentally
capable of maintaining hygiene
practices to minimise the risk of
transmission.
If the person is unable to
comply with these practices
they should be excluded until
the sores are dry. Sores should
be covered by a dressing where
possible.
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Impetigo (school sores)
Exclude until appropriate antibiotic treatment has commenced. Any sores on exposed skin should be covered with a watertight dressing.
Not excluded
Influenza and
influenza-like
illnesses
Exclude until well Not excluded
Measles Exclude for 4 days after the
onset of the rash
Immunised and immune
contacts are not excluded.
Non-immunised contacts of a
case are to be excluded from
child care until 14 days after
the first day of appearance of
rash in the last case, unless
immunised within 72 hours of
the first contact during the
infectious period with the first
case.
All immune-compromised
children should be excluded
until 14 days after the first
day of appearance of rash in
the last case.11
Meningitis (bacterial) Exclude until well and has
received appropriate antibiotics
Not excluded
Meningitis (viral) Exclude until well Not excluded
Meningococcal
infection
Exclude until appropriate
antibiotic treatment has been
completed
Not excluded
Whooping cough
(pertussis)
Exclude until five days after
starting appropriate antibiotic
treatment or for 21 days from
the onset of coughing.
Contacts that live in the same
house as the case and have
received less than three
doses of pertussis vaccine
are to be excluded from the
centre until they have had 5
days of an appropriate
course of antibiotics. If
antibiotics have not been
taken, these contacts must
be excluded for 21 days after
their last exposure to the
case while the person was
infectious.
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For a more detailed list of exclusions, please refer to:
• Recommended minimum exclusion periods for infectious conditions
for schools, pre-schools and child care centres from the NHMRC
website http://compliantlearningresources.com.au/network/wp-
content/uploads/2018/02/Recommended-Minimum-Exclusion-
Periods.pdf
• “Staying Healthy in Child Care: Preventing infectious diseases in early
childhood education and care services ” 5th Edition (2013)
• Go to Sparkling Stars Infection Control and Hygiene in Children and
watch the following video: 3-“Exclusion Guidelines.”
Involvement of Parents
Provide parents with a copy of the centre’s policies on immunisation, medication,
infection control (hygiene) and exclusion when the child is enrolled. Encourage
parents to return and discuss these policies with you. The exclusion policy is often
the policy most likely to cause concern.
Make sure that parents understand why the centre has an exclusion policy. Most
parents will appreciate your attempts to prevent illness in their children. In
particular, it is important that parents support the centre’s policies on cleanliness.
Ask parents to encourage their children to wash and dry their hands on arrival at
the centre and when leaving.
Your local public health authorities can assist you with these situations or if you
have questions about exclusion.
Letters from the children’s doctor which state that the child should be allowed back
into care should be considered only as an advice, not as a rule. The Director should
be the only person responsible for ensuring that the child’s current condition meets
the centre’s criteria for return to care.
Whenever a child is excluded, take the opportunity to review your infection control
procedures with all carers. In particular, check that hand washing procedure are
being followed and maintained.
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The need for exclusion depends upon:
The ease with which the infection can be spread
The ability of the infected person to follow hygiene precautions
The severity of the disease
The exclusion procedure is used to:
Identify when symptoms or a medical diagnosis fit a condition with an
exclusion period; Refer to the table below for the recommended minimum
periods of exclusion
Advise the parents or staff member when they may return to the centre
The following steps must be taken within 24 hours of recognition:
Institute infection control measures
Contact your local PHU & seek advice on managing the outbreak
Advise all staff and parents/guardians of children
Post signage at entrance of facility and on bathroom doors
Monitoring and surveillance of children and staff
5.4. Personal Protective Equipment
What is personal protective equipment (PPE)?
PPE is clothing or equipment designed to control risks to health and safety in the
workplace.
It includes:
body protection - gloves, aprons
eye protection - goggles, sunglasses
foot protection - appropriate closed in shoes
head/face protection - sun hats
substances used to protect health - sunscreen
PPE is the least satisfactory solution to health and safety problems in the
workplace, as it does not address the hazard – it only provides a shield to protect
our health and safety.
This said, it is still important that they are used to protect the health and safety of
you and the children.
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What is my responsibility with PPE’s?
By law, you must cooperate with your employer’s health and safety requirements.
That means that if your employer requires you to use PPE, you must use it. If you
refuse to wear or use your PPE, your employer can take disciplinary action.
Tell your employer if the PPE becomes damaged, broken or if the PPE supplies,
such as gloves, are running low to ensure they can be ordered.
If you see someone not using PPE when they should be, it is important you inform
them of the correct procedure that is set in the policy and that the PPE is needed to
be used.
What does my employer have to do?
Your employer must provide you with PPE where it is necessary to ensure your
health and safety at work.
If your employer requires you to use PPE, they must provide you with adequate
instruction and training.
Your employer must also ensure that the PPE is provided in a clean and hygienic
condition, and is properly maintained.
5.5. Safety Signs
Standard safety signage should be displayed throughout the workplace to alert staff
and children of any potential risks and hazards that may be in the area.
Signs and symbols you see in the workplace are to remind you or tell you about
something. These physical reminders assist us to remember to follow good
workplace health practices.
Dangerous Goods
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Dangerous Goods Classifications
The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals
(GHS) is a single internationally agreed system of chemical classification and
hazard communication through labelling and Safety Data Sheets (SDS).
Dangerous Goods Signage
Explosive Flammable Oxidising
Gases Under Pressure Acute Toxicity Health Hazards
Corrosive Chronic Health Hazards Environmental
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Emergency – Information
Square or rectangle: GREEN or RED background, white symbol
Common Fire Equipment and Safety Signage
Fire Blanket Fire Telephone Fire Hose Reel
Fire Hose Reel Fire Equipment Fire Stairs
Fire Extinguisher
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Common First Aid and Safety Signage
Automated External
Defibrillator
Emergency Breathing
Apparatus
Emergency Eye Washer
Emergency Shower Emergency Stretcher Emergency Phone
First Aid Fire Exit Direction
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Caution – Be careful
Triangle: YELLOW background, black border and symbol
Common Warning Signage
Beware Wet Paint Electrical Hazard Biochemical Hazard
Beware Of Lifting Beware of
Vehicles/Traffic
Radiation
Poisonous Materials Slip Hazard Trip Fall Hazard
Beware Steps Beware Pedestrians
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Mandatory Information – You must wear this
Circle: BLUE background, white symbol/picture inside
Common Notice Signage
Earmuffs Must Be
Worn
Protective Eyewear
Must Be Worn At All
Times
Face Masks Must Be Worn
Child Supervision
Required
Gloves Must Be Worn Must Remain Locked At All
Times
Safety Clothing Must
Be Worn
Safety Vest Required
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Stop and Prohibition – ‘You must not …’
Circle: WHITE background with RED borders and crossbar; black symbol
Common Information Signage
No Unauthorised
Access
No Pictures/Cameras No Smoking
Potable (Drinkable)
Water
Non-Drinkable Water No Sharps/Needles
Wheelchair Access
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6. Work Place Emergency Procedures
6.1. Fire and Evacuation Drills
The Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011, Regulation 97 states,
“All child care centre must have an emergency and evacuation procedures required
under regulation 168 must set out:
(a) instructions for what must be done in the event of an emergency; and
(b) an emergency and evacuation floor plan.
And be displayed in a prominent position near each exit at the education and care
service premises, including a family day care residence and approved family day
care venue.
The centre must have evacuation drills every 3 months and the procedures and
outcomes of these drills documented.
Through regular drills, the children and staff become familiar with the procedures
and will learn quickly how to react to emergency situations.
Children should be prepared for the drills and know the procedures they need to
follow. Having a discussion and walking through the procedure slowly can assist
children and helps to alleviate any fears of the child.
Please make yourself familiar with the evacuation procedures in your
centre as roles and responsibilities may vary from centre to centre.
Evacuation Procedure
UPON DISCOVERY or NOTIFICATION OF FIRE – Blow the air horn/whistle to
alert all children, staff, visitors and parents of the emergency.
Remember to remain calm and do not give a sense of panic, reassure the children
and alert the fire brigade if any children or staff are missing.
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The Lead Educator in each room with help from Educators shall:
Immediately move all children from the building of the emergency to the
external evacuation assembly point (see Evacuation map for assembly
point), using evacuation cots for babies and toddlers, taking attendance
sheets/ class roll, gate keys and first aid kit, and collect any emergency
medication e.g. EpiPens, asthma medication, etc. for children in attendance.
DO NOT collect children’s belongings or put shoes on etc; our priority is to
exit the building with the children safely.
Staffs are to check all areas of the room are empty and close all windows and
doors (including bathrooms, cot rooms, art rooms, storerooms) as you leave.
Ensure that family members and visitors within your room follow your
direction to evacuate with your group to the designated assembly point.
Once assembled at the external evacuation assembly point, mark off each
child on attendance sheet,
Report numbers of children to Nominated Supervisor (Director).
Ensure all staff are accounted for/ assist other rooms where possible. Any
staff that are on breaks, programming or study need to return to their rooms
ASAP and assist staff to evacuate children.
The Nominated Supervisor (Director) or delegate will:
Call the fire brigade “000.”
Take mobile phone and centres emergency contacts for all children.
Check numbers of children and staff in attendance and inform parents of
the emergency. If a drill evacuation, parents to be notified on the collection
of the child.
The Nominated Supervisor or delegate will take further instruction from the
Fire Department and inform staff when it is safe to re-enter the building.
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6.2. Emergency Evacuation Procedures
The Emergency evacuation plan should be displayed prominently in each room
and the entrance of the building.
Emergency numbers should be located near telephones and emergency
evacuation plan
Educators should be fully trained and practised in emergency procedure
Educators need to know the location of and how to use fire extinguishers and
fire blankets
Children need to be taught to respond to a particular signal that is only used for
emergencies, such as a whistle and know what to do in an emergency situation.
Have a cot with wheels that will fit through a standard doorway, to safely
evacuate infants and toddlers.
All team members should be assigned specific roles as part of the preparation
for emergencies.
A system needs to be in place to account for all people, including children,
educators and any parents, students or other people who may be visiting at the
time of the emergency. (Children sign in sheets, and staff and visitor sign-in/out
book should be used to mark off a roll of all people in the centre.)
Parents need to be aware of the emergency procedures for the centre and
informed if there is an emergency evacuation and also need to be informed if
their child has been involved in a drill.
Assembly points- Assembly points should be carefully selected to ensure it a
safe distance from any hazard. A safe assembly area may be a neighbouring
yard, a shop, local park, etc. – this will depend on the geographic area in which
the service is situated
o In the event of a widespread emergency such as flooding or bushfire
where whole streets must be evacuated, it is likely that the assembly
point will be nominated by the evacuation personnel.
o It would be important to alert emergency personnel of the need for
assistance with transportation and ensure that an educator is
transported with the children.
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An emergency kit should be prepared for staff to take during the evacuation. It
should include:
first aid kit, torch
notepad and pens
scissors, whistle
mobile telephone
spare keys to the building
daily attendance records of children, staff and visitors
emergency contact details (telephone numbers) for parents
water, bottles, nappies, wipes etc.
spare clothes
the telephone number of the nominated person for emergency contact for
staff,
the telephone number for management, owner, and licensing authority.
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CHAPTER 2. IMPLEMENT SAFE WORK PRACTICES
Applying the principles of good practice
Child safe organisations require a policy framework that addresses specific
requirements outlined in the Children’s Protection Act 1993.
These include:
the centre’s commitment to the safety and protection of children
how all staff recognise and respond to suspicions of child abuse and neglect
standards of care for ensuring the safety of children including standards for
addressing bullying by children within the centre
codes of conduct for all staff within the centre
standards of care for all staff within the centre that reflect the duty of care to
children.
ECA Code of Conduct
Every staff member in an Early Childhood Education and Care service/centre should
know the Early Childhood Australia’s Code of Ethics off by heart. This code
provides a framework for thinking about the ethical issues early childhood
professionals encounter in their everyday work.
Rather than being a set of rules to follow, the Code is an aspirational document which
provides an ethical compass—a ‘resource for the journey’ (Mackay, 2004, p. 14).
Committing to or using the Code is about being willing to recognise the complexities
inherent in our work and the need to think carefully before acting.
The Code is made up of various sections which identify commitments to:
children
families
colleagues
profession
community and society
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Policies are not easy fixes
No policy or procedure can guarantee child safety, but by implementing good practice
principles, centres may promote child safety and wellbeing while minimising the risk
of harm to children.
Training and education is the best way to ensure that everyone in the centre
understands that safety is everyone’s responsibility. All staff should feel confident and
comfortable in discussing safety issues.
Training and support also promote an awareness of the appropriate standards of safety
required to be met by staff to ensure that the centre meets its duty of care when
providing services to children.
Some of the practices centres should be using include:
Encouraging children to use simple rules of hygiene including hand washing
and basic dental care
Ensuring equipment and toys are regularly cleaned/washed and well
maintained
Keeping facilities such as bathrooms, kitchens, sleep and rest and play areas
clean
Using hygienic toileting and nappy change methods
Using hygienic procedures for wiping noses
Displaying clear signs about the service's hygiene procedures
Hygienic food handling, preparation and storage and rubbish removal
Encouraging families to keep sick children at home
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1. Implement WHS Procedures and Work Instructions
The NQS has requirements under various Quality Standards for every centre to ensure
that policies and procedures are developed and implemented to cover the following
areas:
2.1.1
regulation 81 Sleep and rest
regulation
168(2)(a)(v)
Education and care service must have policies
and procedures in relation to sleep and rest for
children
2.1.2
regulation 88 Infectious diseases
regulation 89 First aid kits
regulation 93 Administration of medication
regulation 94 Exception to authorisation requirement—
anaphylaxis or asthma emergency
regulation 95 Procedure for administration of medication
regulation 96 Self-administration of medication
regulation
136 First aid qualifications
2.1.2, 2.1.3,
2.2.1 regulation 77 Health, hygiene and safe food practices
2.1.2, 2.2.2,
2.2.3
regulation 85
Incident, injury, trauma and illness policies and
procedures
regulation
177
Prescribed enrolment and other documents to be
kept by approved provider
regulation
178
Prescribed enrolment and other documents to be
kept by family day care educator
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2.1.2, 2.2.1
regulation 90 Medical conditions policy
regulation 91 Medical conditions policy to be provided to
parents
regulation 92 Medication record
regulation
162
Health information to be kept in enrolment
record, including the immunisation status of the
child
2.1.2, 2.2.1,
2.2.2, 2.2.3
regulation 86 Notification to parents of incident, injury, trauma
and illness
regulation 87 Incident, injury, trauma and illness record
2.1.2, 2.1.3,
2.2.1, 2.2.2
regulation
168
Education and care service must have policies
and procedures
2.1.3, 2.2.1
regulation 78 Food and beverages
regulation 79 Service providing food and beverages
regulation 80 Weekly menu
2.2.1
regulation 82 Tobacco, drug and alcohol-free environment
regulation 83 Staff members and family day care educators not
to be affected by alcohol or drugs
2.2.3 regulation 84 Awareness of child protection law
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2.2.1
regulation 99 Children leaving the education and care
premises
regulation
100
Risk assessment must be conducted before
excursion
regulation
101 Conduct of risk assessment for excursion
regulation
102 Authorisation for excursions
regulation
161 Authorisations to be kept in enrolment record
regulation
166 Children not to be alone with visitors
regulation
274
NSW
Swimming pools
regulation
344
Tasmania
Safety screening clearance – staff members
regulation
345
Tasmania
Swimming pool prohibition
2.2.2
regulation 97 Emergency and evacuation procedures
regulation 98 Telephone or other communication equipment
regulation
160
Child enrolment records to be kept by approved
provider and family day care educator
regulation
161 Authorisations to be kept in enrolment record
regulation
162 Health information to be kept in enrolment record
Source: Adapted from Quality Improvement Plan template (2017)
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As we learnt earlier, your centre will have many policies, procedures and practices but
just how do they fit together?
Policy
A policy describes the guideline or rule to be followed. A policy states the centre's
stance on a range of topics relating to the service provided and gives a framework for
decision making and ensures consistent practice.
Procedure
A procedure will detail the action to be taken to address the policy and outlines the
implementation process. It facilitates decision making, provides consistency and
independence and enhances effective management and teamwork.
Practice
The activities carried out to apply the policy as outlined in your policies and
procedures.
Work Instruction
A work instruction is a sequence of steps that describe a sequence of work required to
achieve a task efficiently and safely, using the tools in your workplace.
A work instruction will be written by experienced staff who will consider the following:
Hazard inspection
Risk assessment
PPE list
Tools and equipment list
Work sequence and required job outcome
Following the work instruction should allow a new staff member to safely and
efficiently complete the task after an example demonstration.
It is very important that you follow every step of the work instruction to meet safety
standards.
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If you are unsure or do not understand your job role or instructions provided to you
by your supervisor (Lead Educator or Nominated Supervisor/Director) it is important
that you ask for clarification. It is always better to use your imitative and clarify your
understanding than complete the task incorrectly.
An example work instruction for changing nappies is on the next page. Read through
the instructions carefully, are there any steps or extra instructions you might add?
Work instruction for: Sparkling Stars Early Education and Care Centre
Written by:
Date:
Supervisor has ensured the person completing the task has read and
understood the work instruction.
Signature: Date:
Worker has read and understood the work instruction before commencing the
task.
Signature: Date:
Description of job task: Changing Nappies
Identified risks / Hazards and required methods of control
Cross-contamination from urine, faeces, blood – PPE required
Manual Lifting injury – administration: procedure to be followed
Safe steps to complete the job (write dot point step by step instructions)
1) Wash your hands thoroughly, and dry them.
2) Check cleanliness of change table or mat.
3) Prepare change table or mat with a folded towel for a child to lay on.
4) Make sure you have all the materials you need within your reach.
5) Let the child know that you are going to change their nappy. Always approach
them from the front when picking them up or leading them to the change area.
6) Lift the child onto the change mat, using the correct lifting techniques as specified
by occupational health and safety standards and People Lifting Code of Practice.
7) Interact appropriately with the child, e.g. smiling and talking continuously whilst
changing their nappy.
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8) Undress the child then put gloves on to change their nappy. You should always
wear gloves when changing nappies.
9) Take the nappy off.
10) Using a cloth and warm soapy water to clean in the creases of the baby's
bottom, genitals and thighs. Place the used cloth into the cloth bucket and dry
the baby with a clean cloth.
11) Apply creams or lotions, if needed, using a cotton bud or cotton wool.
12) Dispose of the used nappy into a nappy bucket. You should use the sluice to
remove the faeces before putting the nappy in the nappy bucket.
13) Remove your gloves without touching the outside of the glove and place them in
a bin as soon as the soiled nappy is removed to prevent the spread of infection.
14) Lift the child's legs up gently to place clean nappy underneath the child’s bottom.
Put the baby's clothes back on, or replace them with clean clothes if necessary.
15) Wash the child's hands. Return the child to their play area.
16) Clean the change area with warm soapy water or safe cleaning product.
17) Wash and dry your hands.
Required equipment/tools
Lotion, wipes, change table/mat, towel, latex gloves, soap, fresh nappies
Required Personal Protective Equipment
Gloves
Training/instruction required before operation
Nappy changing procedure
WHS Policies
Demonstration of task by supervisor
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2. Safe Housekeeping Practices
A large part of your job role and responsibilities towards Workplace Health and Safety
will be to ensure that certain cleaning tasks are performed regularly:
Benches, tables, chairs and highchairs
Clean all benches, tables, chairs and highchairs after use, especially after meal times
and activity times, with warm soapy water. After the initial cleaning process,
disinfectant can be used if required.
At the end of the day: check all furniture items are clean and ready for the morning.
When cleaning benches, tables and highchairs, don’t just clean the surface area on top,
underneath should also be cleaned, don’t forget the legs. Stack chairs to one side rather
than placing them on tabletops when you clean the floor.
Toys
At the end of each day, all toys need to be washed and disinfected or if suitable wash
them in the dishwasher. Mouthed toys need to be constantly cleaned and if a toy has
been mouthed and discarded, immediately wash in hot soapy water before returning
it to the child. Washing all toys will help reduce the risk of cross-infection.
Floors
Sweep and mop floors after each meal, and especially after a messy activity. Always
place a ‘slippery when wet sign’ near any spill or whilst you are mopping to notify every
one of the risks. Regular sweeping and mopping ensure the floor is safe from slip and
trip hazards at all times and helps to prevent cross-contamination as the children,
especially infants and toddlers, are often moving around on the floor during play. The
floor should be cleaned with environmental friendly floor cleaner using the
appropriate bucket and mop for the area. Many centres will have a colour code system
for each area that requires a mop and bucket. Different coloured equipment will be
used for bathrooms, playrooms and kitchens to prevent cross-contamination from one
area of the centre to another.
Mats
Mats should be vacuumed as necessary during the day, especially if there has been a
spill (e.g. sand), and again at the end of the day.
Bins
Bins containing bodily excretions and bins containing food scraps must be covered at
all times and emptied at the end of each day. Bins should be clean weekly or as
required. A disinfectant on the nappy bin may be required as well.
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Toilets, Potties and Bathroom Areas
Potties are washed after each individual use.
Toilets and the bathroom areas will need to be cleaned once in the middle of the day
(usually during rest time), again at the end of the day. Any toileting accidents or water
spillages that occur may require a further clean. Bathroom areas need to be cleaned
with hot water and detergent, followed by disinfectant to prevent cross-contamination
of germs from the children using the bathrooms and also ensures the floors are dry to
prevent slipping.
Bathroom cleaning includes:
cleaning the inside and outside of toilets,
hand basins,
taps,
window ledges and windows,
mirror,
floor, and
bin.
The Nappy Change area should be cleaned after each individual nappy change and
thoroughly cleaned and left to air dry at the end of each day.
Linen, Blankets and Sleeping Mats
Each child should be allocated their own set of bed linen,
blankets and sleeping mat. Each should be stored
separately.
Cots, mattresses and linen are washed between each use
or at the end of each week.
Bed linen must be washed between each child’s use,
immediately if soiled and at least once a week. Sleep mats need to be disinfected after
each use.
Use a washing basket to carry used linen to ensure germs are not transferred onto your
clothing. Linen should be washed in hot water.
Cleaning Cloths
To help stop the spread of germs and bacteria from one surface to another, different
coloured cloths should be used for each task or duty, e.g. red cloths for cleaning tables,
yellow cloths for cleaning floors. Each care service will have its own procedure to
follow.
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Sample cleaning schedule for a centre:
Source: Staying Healthy in Child Care - 4th Edition
Cleaning In A Child
Care Centre
Washed After Each
Use
Wash Daily and When
Visibly Soiled
Wash
Weekly And
When Visibly
Soiled
Bathrooms.
As required and
especially if a toileting
accident occurs.
Wash tap handles,
toilet seats, toilet
handles and door
knobs. Check
bathroom during the
day and clean if soiled.
Nappy Changes
area Mat
General area
Toys and objects
Those at high risk of
being put in the mouth.
E.g. home corner food,
babies toys and rattles
etc.
Those that have been
mouthed
Surfaces
Those with frequent
children contact
E.g. bench tops, taps,
cots, tables and chairs
Mattresses,
mattress covers
and linen
If each child does not
use the same mattress
cover every day. If child
comes less than 5 days
If each child does not
use the same mattress
cover every day.
Door knobs. All
Floors (sweep and
mop) All
Low shelves and
self-choice shelves All
Other surfaces
often touched by
children doors,
window sills, etc.
All
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2.1. Contribute to Safe Work Practices
Your biggest contribution to safe work practices in the workplace is to follow
policies, procedures and work instructions accurately. It is important that whilst
you are carrying out your duties and performing your job role that you are
constantly monitoring for workplace hazards and risks.
In some instances, Workplace Health and Safety policies and procedures may need
to be updated, or there may be a reason as to why a staff member cannot follow
them. This may be due to the fact that the staff member does not fully understand,
or that they may need some extra training and guidance about what is required.
The supervisor must be informed of these circumstances. It is not appropriate to
just ignore them as it could lead to some major workplace health and safety issues
later on.
One of your tasks will be to perform daily risk assessments of the workplace using
a checklist or risk assessment tool.
2.2. Raise WHS Issues with Designated Persons
Assisting with risk assessment will be an important part of your role as an educator
working with children and young people.
We use risk assessment to help manage both health and safety and children’s
welfare. Your manager and other colleagues will have overall responsibility for risk
assessments. However, they will rely on staff to help them to gather information
and to recognise hazards and risks for employees, children and visitors.
In order to make risk assessments, we next have to learn how to recognise hazards
and risks.
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3. Risk Control Process
When a risk assessment has been determined that people are at risk of injury or illness
due to a hazard, employers must take action to eliminate the hazard or minimise the
risk.
Risk management is divided into four (4) primary activities. This includes:
3.1. Hazard Identification
The employer must take steps to identify all foreseeable hazards that could harm
employees or any other person at their workplace. The WHS Regulation
identifies a number of factors from which hazards must be identified. These
include work premises, work practices and systems, shift work arrangements,
plant, hazardous or biological substances, manual handling, the environment and
potential for violence.
What is a hazard?
“A hazard is anything in the workplace that has the potential to harm people.
Hazards can include objects in the workplace, such as a slippery wet floor or
dangerous chemicals.
Other hazards relate to the way work is done. For example, hazards on in
children’s services include manual handling of children and equipment or stress
or fatigue caused by the pace of work.”
Source: http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au
• identify all foreseeable hazards that could harm employees or any other person at their workplace.
1. Hazard Identification
• The employer must assess the risk that someone may be harmed by that hazard
2. Risk Assessment
• eliminate risks, or implement controls to minimise the risk
3. Control the Risk
• evaluate the effectiveness of the controls to ensure circumstances have not changed.
4. Evaluate
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Make a list of possible hazards you might find in an education and care centre:
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You may have included some of the following on your list:
toys and equipment
chemical hazards, such as cleaning materials and disinfectants
biological hazards, such as airborne and blood-borne infections
handling and moving equipment and children
unattended children
security of entry points and exits
drug and medication administration
visual or hearing impairment in children.
3.2. Risk Assessment
The employer must assess the risk that someone may be harmed by that hazard. It
is the overall process of estimating the extent of risk and deciding whether a risk is
tolerable.
What is a risk?
“A risk arises when it’s possible that a hazard will actually cause harm. The level of
risk will depend on factors such as how often the job is done, the number of workers
involved and how serious any injuries that result could be.”
Source: http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au
Risk is defined as the chance or likelihood that harm will occur from the hazard.
The likelihood is described as ‘the expectancy of harm occurring’. It can range from
‘never’ to ‘certain’ and depends on a number of factors.
Likelihood Almost certain Is expected to occur in most circumstances
Likely Will probably occur in most circumstances
Possible Could occur at some time
Unlikely Not likely to occur in normal circumstances
Rare May occur only in exceptional circumstances
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For example, the risk of someone tripping on a damaged floor surface will depend
on:
the extent of the damage,
the number of people walking over it,
the number of times they walk over it,
whether they are wearing sensible shoes, and
the level of lighting in the area.
After rating the likelihood the next step is to decide what consequence or impact
the hazard will have on someone if the situation does occur.
Consequence Insignificant Injuries not requiring first aid
Minor First aid required
Moderate Medical treatment required
Major Hospital admission required
Severe Death or permanent disability
Combining both answers together and matching the results on the matrix below
will show you the priority that is required to deal with the problem.
Risk Rating Matrix
Consequence
Likelihood
Insignificant Minor Moderate Major Severe
Certain Medium High High Very
High
Very
High
Likely Medium Medium High High Very
High
Possible Low Medium High High Very
High
Unlikely Low Low Medium Medium High
Rare Low Low Medium Medium Medium
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Priority of
Risk
Very
High
Act immediately to minimise the risk.
Eliminate, substitute or implement engineering control
measures.
Remove the hazard at the source. An identified extreme
risk does not allow scope for the use of administrative
controls or PPE, even in the short term.
High
Act immediately to mitigate the risk.
Eliminate, substitute or implement engineering control
measures.
If these controls are not immediately accessible, set a
timeframe for their implementation and establish short-
term risk reduction strategies for the timeframe. An
achievable timeframe must be established to ensure that
elimination, substitution or engineering controls are
implemented.
NOTE: Risk (and not cost) must be the primary
consideration in determining the timeframe. A timeframe
of greater than 6 months would generally not be
acceptable for any hazard identified as high risk.
Medium
Take reasonable steps to reduce the risk. Until
elimination, substitution or engineering controls can be
implemented, introduce administrative or personal
protective equipment controls. These “lower level”
controls must not be permanent solutions. The time for
which they are established must be based on risk. At the
end of the time, if the risk has not been addressed by
elimination, substitution or engineering controls a further
risk assessment must be undertaken.
Interim measures until permanent solutions can be
implemented:
Develop administrative controls to limit the use or
access.
Provide supervision and specific training related to the
issue of concern. (See Administrative Controls below)
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Low Take reasonable steps to lessen and monitor the risk. Implement permanent controls in the long term.
Permanent controls may be administrative in nature if the
hazard has low frequency, rare likelihood and insignificant
consequence
Interim measures until permanent solutions can be
implemented:
Develop administrative controls to limit the use or
access.
Provide supervision and specific training related to the
issue of concern. (See Administrative Controls below)
Conduct a Workplace Risk Assessment
There are various tools and templates available to assist you in conducting a
Workplace Risk Assessment. It is important that they are adapted to be specific to
your workplace.
Inspect the Workplace
Regularly walk around the centre and observe how things are done, this can help
you predict what could or might go wrong. Look at how people actually work, how
equipment is used, what chemicals are around and what they are used for, what
safe or unsafe work practices exist as well as the general state of housekeeping.
Things to look out for include the following:
Does the work environment enable workers to carry out work without risks to
health and safety (for example, space for unobstructed movement, adequate
ventilation, suitable lighting)?
How suitable are the tools and equipment for the tasks and how well are they
maintained?
Have any changes occurred in the centre which may affect health and safety?
As you walk around, you may spot straightforward problems, which you can action
immediately, for example cleaning up a spill. If you find a situation where there is
an immediate or significant danger to the children, move the children to a safer
location first and attend to the hazard urgently.
Make a list of all the hazards you can find, including the ones you know are already
being dealt with, to ensure that nothing is missed.
Use a checklist designed to suit your workplace to help you find and make a note
of hazards.
An example of a completed checklist is on the next page.
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Daily Health and Safety Workplace Checklist
Compliant
YES/NO
Issue
Identified
YES/NO
Hazard Level of Risk (Red,
Amber, Green)
Action required:
Remove risk
Control measure
(describe)
Date
rectified
Outside
Fencing is secure and
unscalable.
No breaches in
the fence
No materials
nearby to assist
children to scale
the fence.
YES NO
Playground
free of syringes
free of foreign
matter
perimeter fence,
enclosed areas
sandpit
o ensure no
animal faeces
o sharps or other
matter
NO YES Dog faeces in
sandpit
ELIMINATE – faeces
removed; sandpit
raked and sprayed
with disinfectant.
Children Isolated until
sand dries.
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Paths and paving
surfaces free of slipping
hazards, e.g. sand.
YES NO
Soft-fall and grassed
areas free from hazards.
YES NO
Tyres and other
playground equipment -
free of snakes, spiders
& other insects.
YES NO
Inside
Exits are clear. NO YES Boxes stacked in
doorway
ISOLATE – boxes
removed and stacked
in appropriate area
Heaters are guarded. YES NO
No hazardous materials
are within reach of
children.
NO YES Scissors left on
table
VERY HIGH-
possible/severe
ISOLATE – removed
and stored in the
correct area.
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3.3. Control the Risk
As we have seen, wherever practical the employer should eliminate risks, however,
if this is not reasonably practical, an employer should implement controls to
minimise the risk to the fullest extent possible.
Control measures are the measures or actions that are taken to remove or
reduce the risk.
Whenever possible, the risk should be removed. When it cannot be removed,
measures must be taken to reduce the risk.
Evaluate
The employer should continuously evaluate the effectiveness of the controls
implemented to ensure they remain adequate or that circumstances have not
changed.
Below are some hazards you might find in a childcare setting.
Possible control measures have been completed for one of them.
Try to complete the list with your own ideas:
Hazard Control measure
Sand thrown about Constant supervision
‘No throwing sand’ rule
Falling from a climbing frame
Broken or damaged toys or equipment
Choking on food
Poisoning by cleaning materials
Lifting equipment or children
Unattended children
Sickness or diarrhoea
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The Hierarchy of Control
The hierarchy of control is a list of control methods, in order of priority that can be
used as a tool to decide how you might approach eliminating or minimising
exposure to a hazard or risk.
The most effective way to manage risks involves eliminating them, or if that is not
possible, minimising the risks so far as is reasonably practicable.
In deciding how to control risks, it is best to consult with staff who will be directly
affected by this decision. Their experience will help you choose appropriate control
measures, and their involvement will increase the level of acceptance of any
changes that may be needed to the way they do their job.
Eliminate Most effective method for controlling the risk is to eliminate the hazard.
Example: A staff member tripped over an electric cord leading to an old wall-mounted fan. Fan
was broken and not required, so the fan and its cord were removed.
Substitute Replace one substance or activity with a less hazardous one.
Example: A staff member reported headaches after using bleach to clean the toilets.
Management researched alternative products (including their material safety data sheets),
decided to trial two different cleaning products.
Isolate Isolate equipment or materials away from people by moving them or by installing a barrier to
prevent contact.
Example: In one section of the playground the artificial grass had lifted and was a trip hazard.
This area of the playground a barrier was put up to block off this area until the artificial grass
can be fixed.
Engineering Controls
Redesign. This may involve redesigning the workplace, providing increased ventilation or
lighting or finding engineering solutions to make plant and equipment safer.
Example: One staff member has injured her back when lifting a toddler onto the nappy
change bench. A set of step could be installed so the children can walk up the step themselves
(this would be aided by the staff member by holding hands).
Administrative Controls
Training and information signs, low order level of control. Only used to control risks when
impracticle to control the risk through other methods.
Example: Training to idenitfy hazardous manual tasks, affects on the body and injury
prevention. Training to include information regarding control measures, selecting appropriate
manual handling techniques, using mechanical aids.
PPE PPE (including clothing and footwear) could help reduce the risk. PPE focuses on the person
rather than the hazard. Should be used in conjunction with other measures.
Example: Using gloves when cleaning/ changing/ handling soiled clothing.
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Hierarchy of Controls
Eliminate
Substitute
Isolate
Engineering
Administrate
PPE
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Activity Risk Assessment Tool
Identify the Activity
Location Who may be at risk?
Identify hazards, risks and rate the risks
1. Divide the activity into tasks
2. Identify the hazards and associated risks for each task
3. List risk controls already in place
4. Determine a risk rating using the Risk Rating Matrix
Tasks Hazards Risks Risk Rating
Existing Control
Measures Likelihood Consequence Risk Rating
Who conducted the Risk Assessment?
Completed by:
Signature:
Date:
Who approved the Risk Assessment?
Approved by:
Signature:
Date:
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3.4. Monitor and Review Risk Controls
As risks can change, all control measures should be regularly reviewed to ensure
they remain effective.
Staff and employers should be asked the following:
Did it work? Did the risk control address the identified hazard and
likelihood of it occurring?
Did it create another hazard? The risk control may have addressed the initial
hazard but did it create another one?
Example: The child-care centre installed a shade structure over the sandpit to
control the risk of employees and children getting sunburnt. However, the
structure was too low, and employees complained about back pain because they
had to bend to get under it and may hit their heads.
4. External Safety Risks
Fencing
The external environment of a centre must be fully enclosed as per state/territory
regulations. Inspection of boundary fences should be part of the centre’s daily safety
check to ensure no breaches.
Wheel toys
Wheel toys are low risks, but you still need to consider that children who are just
beginning to walk may need assistance.
Glass
Any glazed area accessible to children must be in accordance with Australian
Standards for safety glazing, or meet the requirement that guardrails or barriers are
installed to prevent a child striking or falling against the glass.
Sandpit
Ensure that sandpits are fully covered at covered and regularly raked to dispose of any
animal faeces, other contaminants or potentially dangerous objects. If faeces are found
in the pit, it may have to be sprayed with a non-toxic disinfectant.
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5. Indoor Risks
Glass
Any glazed area accessible to children must be in accordance with Australian
Standards for safety glazing, or meet the requirement that guardrails or barriers are
installed to prevent a child striking or falling against the glass.
Heaters
Electrical Heaters must meet the relevant state/territory regulations both for child
care facilities and general safety. All heating units must have a low-temperature
exterior to minimise burn and fire risk.
Curtains/Blinds
The cords on curtains and blinds must meet safety regulations, and be kept out of reach
of children as they can pose a strangulation risk. Other furniture such as sofa’s, cots,
chairs etc. shouldn’t be placed within reach of curtain/blind cords.
Furniture
Sharp edges of furniture should be capped or covered to minimise risks if children
bump or fall on them.
Toys
Always supervise children when they are playing with toys. Conduct risk assessments
for toys on a regular basis. Ensure no loose or damaged parts that could be a choking
hazard.
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Other potential hazards
Attention needs to be paid to the following potential hazards.
Electrical: cords, adaptors and power boards need to be out of children’s reach.
Unused power points must be plugged with protective caps.
Water: all children require supervision around water to prevent drowning.
Spillages need to be mopped up immediately.
Hot water requires a regulator to prevent scalds. A cup of tea can burn a child.
Surfaces: the floor or ground can present a tripping hazard if they are uneven.
Plastic: bags or wrappings can cause suffocation.
Chemicals: such as cleaning products pose a risk of adverse reaction, burns or
even poisoning.
Sun exposure: it doesn’t take much sun for a young child’s skin to burn.
Children are also much more susceptible to dehydration, so plenty of water to
drink is essential. Check out the Suncare policy in the Sparkling Stars Intranet
for more info on this.
Animals: insects, snakes, spiders, dogs, swooping magpies.
Environment: gas leaks, water leaks, fire, storms, earthquakes.
Human: aggressive children, aggressive or intoxicated parents, intruders.
6. Risk Reduction
Not all risks can be or should be removed completely. It is important that the
environments are not over-safe. You don’t want so many safety measures in place that
a child can’t do anything.
Explaining Hazards to Children
During the day at a child care centre, we often talk to the children about the rules and
dangers. It is also important to help children be aware of what the dangers are, make
them aware of the risks in their environment and how to minimise them.
For example, explain to the children the reasoning behind why we do not throw sand
in the sandpit, walking inside instead of running, so we don’t bump into the furniture
and hurt ourselves or recognising danger signage, such as the “wet floor sign”, to make
them aware that a danger. I.e. The wet floor sign highlights that we need to walk slowly
and carefully as the floor could still be wet.
By teaching the children to be aware of the risks and the consequences of hazards,
children will take more responsibility for their own safety and wellbeing.
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7. Identify and Report Incidents and Injuries
It is important that any workplace incident (or potential incident), whether the injury
occurs or not, is reported to the Health and Safety Representative and the Nominated
Supervisor (Director).
Each centre will have their own policy and procedures regarding reporting
requirements. Please ensure you carefully read and follow the procedures for your
centre.
A copy of the Sparkling Stars Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness Record can be
found at this link: Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness Record
Excerpt from the Sparkling Stars Workplace Health and Safety Policy
Staff will record all injuries or illness (to children and adults) in the centre’s
Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness Record within an accepted time frame.
Details entered will include date, time, and place of incident, injury or
condition, a brief description of events, adult witnesses, any anticipated
treatment or outcome. (See Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness Record)
Notification will be forwarded to Director of any injury /illness, and for staff
subsequent leave required.
Staff will record all incidents with the potential to cause injury or illness in the
centre’s Damage Report book.
An example of a completed Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness Record and
description of incident and injury is included on the next page.
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Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness Record
Details of person completing this record
Name: Alana Green
Position/role: Early Childhood Educator
Date and time record was
made:
20/04/20xx Time: 10:00 AM/PM
Signature: Alana Green
Child details
Child’s full name: Jessica Mills
Date of birth: 12/9/year Age: 3 y/o
Gender: Male Female
Incident details
Incident date: 20/04/20xx Time: 9:30 AM/PM
Location: Sparkling Stars Childcare Centre – External Play Area –Swings
Name of witness: Alana Green (Educator)
Signature of
witness:
Alana Green Date: 20/04/20xx
General activity at the time of:
incident injury trauma illness
Children were playing in the outdoor play area, on the swings.
Cause of injury/trauma:
One the boys from the group pushed Jessica on the swing. Jessica called out ‘Higher!
Higher!’ Mark pushed her a bit harder, and Jessica fell off the swing. I rushed over and
found Jessica holding her knee. I noticed some abrasions and a minor cut, about 0.5cm
long on Jessica.
Circumstances surrounding any illness, including apparent symptoms:
NA
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Circumstances if child appeared to be missing or otherwise unaccounted for (including
duration, who found the child, etc.):
NA
Circumstances if child appeared to have been taken or removed from service or was
locked in/out of service (including who took the child, duration):
NA
Nature of injury/trauma/illness
Indicate on diagram the part of body affected
Abrasion/Scrape
Allergic reaction (not
anaphylaxis
Amputation
Anaphylaxis
Asthma/respiratory
Bite wound
Bruise
Broken bone/fracture/
dislocation
Burn/sunburn
Choking
Concussion
Crush/jam
Cut/open wound
Drowning (non-fatal)
Electric shock
Eye injury
Infectious disease
(including
gastrointestinal)
High temperature
Ingestion/inhalation/
insertion
Internal injury/ Infection
Poisoning
Rash
Respiratory
Seizure/unconscious/
convulsion
Sprain/swelling
Stabbing/piercing
Tooth
Venomous bite/sting
Other (please specify)
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Action Taken
Details of action taken (including first aid, administration of medication, etc.):
Supervisor notified and treatment provided. Disinfectant, cleaned abrasion and washed
cut with diluted water. Band-Aid applied.
Did emergency services attend? Yes No
Was medical attention sought from a
registered practitioner/hospital? Yes No
If yes to either of the above, provide details:
NIL
Have any steps been taken to prevent or minimise this type of incident in the
future?
Supervisor notified.
Notifications (including attempted notifications)
Parent/guardian Mrs Mills Date:
20/04/20xx
Time:
11:00 AM/PM
Director/educator/
coordinator: Supervisor
Date:
20/04/20xx
Time:
9:30 AM/PM
Regulatory authority
(if applicable)
Date:
/ /
Time:
AM/PM
Parental acknowledgement:
I, (name of parent/guardian), have been notified of my child’s
incident injury trauma illness
Signature Date: / /
Additional notes
NIL
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8. Participate in Workplace Safety Meetings
All centres will hold staff meetings on a regular basis. These meetings are extremely
valuable for the efficient operation of the centre. These meetings will most likely be the
best time to raise Workplace Health and Safety Issues, identified hazards or incidents
that have occurred at the centre.
Most of the time, it is best to report the safety issue to the supervisor, this is the usual
practice in most centres; even if the staff member feels that they can resolve it
themselves. In the long run, the supervisor needs to be aware of Workplace Health
and Safety issues. Such issues need to be documented for future reference, and the
supervisor will manage this.
Take along any observations, checklists or hazard reports you have completed to team
meetings that can support your discussion. Always think about ways to solve these
issues if they haven’t already been dealt with. The first question your managers and
supervisors will ask is “How do we resolve this”. If you have already researched the
issue beforehand, this can demonstrate that you are contributing to the team and to
the development and implementation of safe workplace policies and procedures in
own work area.
9. Reflect On Own Safe Work Practices
Reflect on own safe work practices
Reflection is included in the EYLF: Principle 5. Ongoing learning and reflective
practice and can be used to build your professional knowledge and develop learning.
Reflection is an ongoing, process of thinking honestly, deeply and critically about all
aspects of professional practice with children and families
How can you use reflective practice to reflect on your own safe work practices?
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Methods You Can Use to Support Reflective Practice
Reflective journals or diaries
Meetings
Mentor or critical friend
Reflective practice notice board
Professional learning experiences
Action research
Maintain Currency of Safe Work Practices
It is important that you stay up to date and understand the latest information
concerning Workplace Health and Safety. You can do this by reading journals,
researching, explore safety websites, especially the Safety Regulator sites mentioned
earlier in this workbook, attend meetings and stay up to date with your centre’s
policies, procedures and safety protocols.
Collect Information
•Identify safety issue
•Gather evidence
•Talk to children, families, staff and other professionals
•Reflect Question/Analyse
•What is happening? Why? How?
•When? Who is implicated? Who is affected?
•What could be improved?
Plan
•Based on what you learned, decide wether change is necessary.
Act/Do
•Change or modify practice
Review
•Monitor changes and take new action if necessary
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CHAPTER 3. ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN
A SAFE AND HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT
FOR CHILDREN
Every person who works in or with children in an Early Childhood Education and Care
service must have a strong commitment to child safety and establish and maintain a
child safe and child-friendly environment.
This means providing a clean and safe environment where every person has the right
to be treated with respect and is safe and protected from harm.
This commitment also fulfils a centre’s obligations under the Children’s Protection
legislation in different states/territories, the ECA Code of Ethics and the UN
Convention on the rights of the child.
Guided by the NQF
A centre’s approach to establishing and maintaining a safe and healthy environment
for children can be guided by requirements in the NQF, the NQS and
recommendations of the Early Years Learning Framework.
In an Early Childhood Education and care setting, the commitment to the safety and
well-being of all children and young people who access the services; and the welfare of
the children and young people in care, must always be the first priority.
Everyone within the centre has a role to play in ensuring a safe environment for
children and young people. This includes management, employees and volunteers
working with children and young people or in close proximity to them and employees
with access to the records of children and young people.
A recommended approach to ensuring that this commitment is met may be to appoint
a child safety officer as the first point of contact to provide advice and support, to
employees, volunteers, children, parents and caregivers regarding the safety and well-
being of children and young people accessing the centre.
The child safety officer could also be responsible for monitoring the child safety policy
and practices, including any ongoing training needs relating to child protection issues.
Note: appointing of a child safety officer is provided as a recommendation only and
is not a mandatory requirement for a centre’s child safety policy.
Part of your role in the centre will be to follow the appropriate practices and
requirements under the NQF, NQS and the EYLF. Understanding how to navigate
through the framework and standards documents to find recommended or required
practices to meet the national quality rating and assessment process for approval of
centres is a necessary part of this.
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The following table gives you an outline of how establishing and maintaining a safe
and healthy environment meets the different areas of the NQS and EYLF.
National Quality Standard
Quality Area 1: Educational program and practice
Quality Area 2: Children’s health and safety
Quality Area 3: Physical environment
Quality Area 4: Staffing arrangements
Quality Area 5: Relationships with children
Quality Area 6: Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
Quality Area 7: Governance and leadership
Early Years Learning Framework
Principles
Secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships
Partnerships
High expectations and equity
Respect for diversity
Ongoing learning and reflective practice
Practice
Holistic approaches
Responsiveness to children
Learning through play
Intentional teaching
Learning environments
Cultural competence
Continuity of learning and transitions
Assessment for learning
Outcomes
Children have a strong sense of identity
Children are connected to and contribute to their world
Children have a strong sense of wellbeing
Children are confident and involved learners
Children are effective communicators
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NQF & NQS Resources
For further information about the ACECQA, the Education and Care Services
National Law and Education and Care Services National Regulations, National
Quality Standards and the assessment rating system, please visit the following website:
https://www.acecqa.gov.au/nqf/about
Guide to the National Quality Framework
This is an excellent resource for centres and centre staff.
The guide outlines each of the seven quality areas in the National Quality Standard
and includes:
an introductory statement for each quality area, which provides context and the
rationale, as well as a list of the standards and elements that fall within the
quality area
a list of the relevant sections of the National Law and National Regulations that
apply to the quality area
a description of each standard and an explanation about how it contributes to
quality education and care for children
reflective questions for the service to consider when working towards each
standard
A guide to practice for each element, which describes how the element might be
put into practice at the service and how the element may be assessed. This
consists of guidance applicable to all service types and children of all ages,
followed by any specific guidance identified for the service type or age of the
children.
suggestions for further reading, summarised by quality area, to support readers’
understanding of the quality area
A copy is available at the following link: Guide to the National Quality Framework
(2018)
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Educators’ Guide to the Early Years Learning Framework
The following concepts of the Framework are explored in the guide:
belonging, being and becoming and their links to learning
principles, practices and pedagogy, including play and partnerships with
families, to support learning
reflective practice
curriculum decision making to foster children’s learning in areas identified by
five broad Learning Outcomes
facilitating children’s transitions in the early years
developing cultural competence
Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural competence
using theoretical perspectives
A copy is available at the following link:
Sparkling Stars Resource Links
(Username: newusername Password: newpassword)
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1. Support Each Child’s Health Needs
The childcare service must support all aspects of a child’s health, with a focus on:
Ensuring that their individual health and comfort requirements are met
Effective hygiene practices to control the spread of infectious diseases are in
place
The management of injuries and illness
An important objective of the National Quality Framework is to ensure the safety,
health and wellbeing of all children attending education and care services. When
a child who has a specific health care need, allergy or relevant medical condition
is enrolled at an education and care service additional requirements must be met
to ensure that the child’s safety, health and wellbeing is protected.
Once the enrolment record has been completed, it should be reviewed to identify
whether the child has a specific health care need, allergy or relevant medical
condition.
Where a child is identified with a specific healthcare need, allergy or relevant
medical condition the service will need to obtain a copy of the child’s medical
management plan from the parents and prepare risk minimisation plans and
communications plans for each child.
These plans should be in place prior to the child commencing at the
service.
It is important that services have procedures in place for carefully considering
enrolment records as part of the enrolment and orientation policy and procedure
(regulation 168(2)(k)). Once enrolled, each child’s parents should be regularly
consulted regarding any medical conditions a child may have developed since
enrolment.
*Regulation 168 - Education and care service must have policies and procedures
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When a child with a specific healthcare need, allergy or relevant
medical condition is enrolled at the service.
A number of issues must be considered when a child with a specific healthcare need,
allergy or relevant medical condition is enrolled at the service. Critically, key
requirements must be in place before the child commences attending the service, with
several other issues requiring consideration:
Has the child’s parent provided a medical management plan for the child?
Has a risk minimisation plan been developed in consultation with the parents
of the child?
Has a communications plan been prepared?
Will it be necessary to adjust any of the usual practices of the service in order to
be fully inclusive of the child?
An education and care program must be delivered to all children being educated and
cared for that is designed to take into account the individual differences of each child
(section 168(1)(d)). All aspects of the service’s operation should be considered in
relation to the child’s inclusion in the program and to ensure that their safety, health
and wellbeing is protected at all times.
What precautions may be necessary in order to protect the safety, health and wellbeing
of the child?
The nature of specific health care needs, allergies and medical conditions varies
significantly. Every reasonable precaution must be taken to protect children from
harm and from any hazard likely to cause injury (section 167). For example, in some
cases, it may be necessary for one or more staff members to access additional
professional development or training to assist in meeting a child’s needs.
Both the approved provider and the nominated supervisor of an education and care
service must ensure that every reasonable precaution is taken to protect children being
educated and cared for by the service from harm and from any hazard likely to cause
injury. (Reg. 167 (1,2))
Each education and care service must have in place policies and procedures for dealing
with medical conditions of all children (regulations 168 and 90).
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Medical Conditions Policy
Regulation 168 of the National Law requires Early Education and Care services to
have a medical conditions policy that details the following:
the management of medical conditions including asthma, diabetes or a
diagnosis that a child is at risk of anaphylaxis
the nominated supervisor, staff members and volunteers are to be informed
of agreed practices in relation to managing those medical conditions
a child enrolled at the service who has a specific health care need, allergy or
relevant medical condition, must have in place:
o a medical management plan provided by the parents of the child and
for the medical management plan to be followed in the event of a
related incident; and
o a risk minimisation and communications plan (regulation 90)
This policy applies at any time that a child with specific health care need, allergy
or relevant medical condition is being educated and cared for by an education and
care service, including during excursions. Preparations for high-risk scenarios,
including establishing clear decision-making processes for calling an ambulance,
should be addressed in the medical conditions policy.
The medical conditions policy must provide for the management of any medical
condition that an enrolled child may have, which may not be limited to asthma,
diabetes and a diagnosis that a child is at risk of anaphylaxis. Specific health care
needs, allergies or relevant medical conditions may be ongoing or acute/ short-
term in nature.
The medical conditions policy must be followed (regulation 170) and be readily
accessible and available for inspection at all times the service is educating and
caring for children or on request (regulation 171).
Parents require a copy
A copy of the medical conditions policy must be provided to the parent of a child
enrolled at the service who has a specific health care need, allergy or relevant
medical condition (regulation 91).
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When a child is enrolled who has a specific health care need, allergy or
relevant medical condition
A medical management plan, risk minimisation plan and communications plan
must be prepared for every child who is enrolled who has a specific health care
need, allergy or relevant medical condition (regulation 90(1)(c)). Generally, a
registered medical practitioner will have been consulted in the diagnosis and
management of a specific healthcare need, allergy or relevant medical condition.
Medical Management Plan
A parent of the child must provide a medical management plan for the child. This
medical management plan must be followed in the event of an incident relating to
the child's specific health care need, allergy or relevant medical condition
(regulation 90(1)(c)(i) and (ii)).
Best practice is that the child’s registered medical practitioner is consulted by
parents in the development of the medical management plan and that the advice
from the medical practitioner is documented in the medical management plan.
The medical management plan should detail the following:
details of the specific healthcare need, allergy or relevant medical condition
including the severity of the condition
any current medication prescribed for the child
the response required from the service in relation to the emergence of
symptoms
any medication required to be administered in an emergency
the response required if the child does not respond to initial treatment
when to call an ambulance for assistance.
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Risk Minimisation Plan
A risk-minimisation plan must be developed in consultation with the parents of a
child and ensure:
that the risks relating to the child's specific health care need, allergy or relevant
medical condition are assessed and minimised; and
if relevant, that practices and procedures are in place including the safe
handling, preparation, consumption and serving of food are developed and
implemented; and
that the parents are notified of any known allergens that pose a risk to a child
and strategies for minimising the risk are developed and implemented; and
that all staff members and volunteers can identify the child, the child's medical
management plan and the location of the child's medication are developed and
implemented; and
if relevant, to ensure that practices and procedures are ensuring that the child
does not attend the service unless the child has at the service their relevant
medications if this would pose a significant risk (regulation 90(1)(iii)).
Communications Plan
A communications plan must be prepared (regulation 90(1)(iii)) to set out how:
relevant staff members and volunteers are informed about the medical
conditions policy; and, the medical management and risk minimisation plans
for the child; and
a parent of the child can communicate any changes to the medical management
plan and risk minimisation plan for the child.
The communication plan must set out how the above communication will
occur.
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2. Discuss Individual Children’s Health Requirements and Routines With
Families At Enrolment and Then On a Regular Basis
For a child enrolled at the service who has a specific health care need, allergy or
medical condition, the centre must keep health information in the enrolment record;
which must include:
details of any specific healthcare needs of the child,
o including any medical condition and allergies; and
o whether the child has been diagnosed as at risk of anaphylaxis
any medical management plan, anaphylaxis medical management plan or risk
minimisation plan to be followed in relation to a specific healthcare need,
medical condition or allergy; and
details of any dietary restrictions for the child (regulation 162).
The table on the next page looks at the responsibilities and required actions each party
has when a child is ill and requires a medical management plan; for example:
the responsibilities the service will have to the parents and child, and
the responsibilities the parent has to the service
Responsibilities of the Service and Parents to Children Requiring Health Assistance
Education and care services must: Parents should be asked to:
All
education
and care
services
Have a medical conditions policy in place that meets the requirements of
regulation 90.
Ensure that the nominated supervisor, staff members and volunteers
understand and implement the medical conditions policy.
Review enrolment records and identify any children with medical conditions
as part of the enrolment and orientation procedures for the service.
Monitor the safety, health and wellbeing of all children being educated and
cared for.
Ensure all parents are regularly asked if their child has developed any
specific health care need, allergy or relevant medical condition.
Inform the service at any time of
any specific healthcare needs,
allergies or relevant medical
conditions for their child.
Prior to
enrolment of
each child
Seek information from parents about any specific health care need, allergy
or relevant medical condition in relation to individual children, including
whether a medical practitioner has been consulted in relation to the specific
health care need, allergy or relevant medical condition.
Inform the service of any specific
healthcare need, allergy or
relevant medical condition for their
child prior to enrolment.
For each child enrolled who has a specific health care need, allergy or relevant medical condition
Before the
first day of
attendance
at the
service
Require a parent to provide a medical management plan for the child.
In consultation with the child’s parents, develop a risk minimisation plan in
relation to the child.
Develop a communications plan in relation to the child.
Record any prescribed health information and keep the medical
management plan, anaphylaxis medical management plan (if applicable)
and risk minimisation plan on the enrolment record.
Provide a medical management
plan to the service for their child.
Participate in the development of
a risk minimisation plan and
communications plan in relation to
their child’s specific health care
need, allergy or relevant medical
condition.
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Ensure any relevant authorisations for the administration of medication are
recorded on the enrolment record.
During the
attendance
of the child
at the
service
Monitor the safety, health and wellbeing of the child.
Regularly review the risk minimisation plan and communications plan for
the child.
Ensure that parents are regularly asked to provide any updated information
relating to the nature of, or management of, their child’s specific health care
need, allergies or relevant medical condition.
If necessary, ensure an updated medical management plan is provided by
the child’s parents.
Ensure the practices and procedures of the service are inclusive of the
child.
Inform the service of any
relevant changes relating to
the nature of, or management
of, the child’s specific health
care need, allergies or
relevant medical condition.
If necessary, provide an
updated medical management
plan for the child.
Other considerations
Every reasonable precaution must be taken to protect children from harm and from any hazard likely to cause injury (section 1 67). What
precautions may be necessary in order to protect the safety, health and wellbeing of a child who has a specific health care need, allergy
or relevant medical condition?
An education and care program must be delivered to all children being educated and cared for that is designed to take into account the
individual differences of each child (section 168(1)(d). Will it be necessary to adjust any of the usual practices of the ser vice in order to
be fully inclusive of the child?
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Notification of Changes to the Medical Conditions Policy
Parents of children enrolled at the service must be notified at least 14 days before
making any change to the medical conditions policy, if the change may have a
significant impact on the service's provision of education and care to any ch ild
enrolled at the service, or the family's ability to utilise the service (regulation 172).
If the notice period would pose a risk to the safety, health or wellbeing of any child
enrolled at the service, the parents of children enrolled at the service m ust be
notified as soon as practicable after making a change to a relevant policy
(regulation 172(3)).
Medication
In most cases, medication must not be administered to a child being educated and
cared for unless the administration is authorised. The enrolment record kept for
each child must include details of any person who is authorised to consent to
medical treatment or administration of medication to the child (regulations 160
and 161).
A medication record is kept for each child to whom medication is to be
administered by the service. The record must include the authorisation to
administer medication (including, if applicable, self -administration), signed by a
parent or a person named in the child's enrolment record as authorised to consent
to the administration of medication (regulation 92).
The medical conditions policy of the education and care service must set out
practices in relation to self-administration of medication by children over
preschool age if the service permits self-administration (regulation 90(2)).
In the case of an emergency, authorisation may be given verbally by a parent or a
person named in the child's enrolment record as authorised to consent to
administration of medication or, if such a person cannot reasonably be contacted
in the circumstances, a registered medical practitioner or an emergency service
(regulation 93). Medication may be administered to a child witho ut authorisation
in case of an anaphylaxis or asthma emergency (regulation 94).
Incidents, injuries, trauma and illness
The incident, injury, trauma and illness policies and procedures must include
procedures to be followed in the event that a child is injured, becomes ill or suffers
a trauma (regulation 85).
An incident, injury, trauma and illness record must be kept that includes details of
any illness which becomes apparent while a child is being educated and cared for
and details of any medication administered or first aid provided and any medical
personnel contacted.
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2.1. Discussing Routines
Upon enrolment individual routines of children must also be discussed with the
families of the children, to ensure that the individual children’s and the families’
requirements for comfort and welfare are considered.
Issues in relation to daily routines, such as rest, sleep, dressing and toileting/nappy
changing, vary due to a range of factors including home routines and child
development. These individual children’s health requirements and routines should
be reviewed and updated on a regular basis.
Issues that may influence a child’s individual requirements for these routines
include:
the child’s and families social and cultural background,
their personal preferences; and
the routines and activities that are in place at home.
A centre that has extensive knowledge of each child and their family can assist staff
in developing strategies that are consistent with home, reflect common values and
provide learning opportunities for individual children.
Centre meals must be prepared and
served in consideration of each child’s
individual allergies, likes and dislikes
and eating abilities. Where the special
need relates to religion or health issues,
the menu and/or program can often be
varied to accommodate this need and or
individual programs may be developed to incorporate physical, emotional, social
and cognitive development.
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2.2. Ensure That Any Concerns or Questions About a Child’s Health
Needs are Conveyed to Their Family
It is important that all staff ensure that any concerns or questions about a child’s
health needs are presented and raised with the child’s family.
These concerns will characteristically focus on how staff at the centre can best meet
the needs and requirements of the child’s health needs/requirements and should
assist staff to complete your Medical Management Plans, Risk Minimisation Plans
and your Communication Plans.
Examples of Risks, Situations, Concerns to Consider When Enrolling a
Child and Completing the Health Risk Minimisation Plans
What are the triggers (is sufficient information provided in their medical
management plan)?
What and where are the potential sources of exposure to the triggers?
Are there any special activities that may introduce children to triggers?
Does the child have age appropriate health education and is the child able
to seek help if they feel unwell actively?
Do families have relevant and up-to-date health information available at
home?
What communication would the families like to receive regarding the child?
Does the child have a medical management plan or inclusion
support plan completed by their doctor/specialist?
Do families know and understand the centre’s health conditions policy, the
medications policy, exclusions policy?
Does the child have a Medical Action Plan and where is it kept?
What medication is required and what are the details of administration?
Are there any specific training requirements necessary for the appropriate
of use equipment/medication?
Is the child able to participate in excursions/outings?
Does the child have any other health conditions, such as allergies, asthma
or anaphylaxis?
Does the child have an Action Plan and Risk Minimisation plan for each
health condition?
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Dealing With Concerns That Parents Raise
Always listen to the parent’s concerns and avoid interrupting with immediate
explanations or justifications; it is important that the parents feel that their
concerns have been heard and that you have shown an interest in the parent's
welfare as well as the child's.
Finding solutions/answer to both your concerns and the parents is part of the
consultative process, ask for the parent’s opinion, together you could brainstorm
as many solutions as possible, then collaboratively evaluate the pros and cons of
each solution.
Examples of Risks, Situations, and Concerns parents may consider
when enrolling their child in the centre who has Asthma.
What are the potential sources of exposure to their asthma triggers?
Where will the potential source of exposure to their asthma triggers occur?
Are all staff (including relief staff, visitors and parent/carer volunteers)
aware of which children have asthma/anaphylaxis or existing health
conditions?
Does the bullying policy include health-related bullying?
Is there age-appropriate health education for children at the service and are
children actively encouraged to seek help if they feel unwell?
Do you have current up-to-date health information available at the service
for parents/carers?
What are the lines of communication in the children’s service?
What is the process for enrolment at the service, including the collection of
medical information and Action Plans for medical conditions?
Who is responsible for the health conditions policy, the medications policy,
Asthma Action Plans and Risk Minimisation plans?
Does the child have an Asthma Action Plan and where is it kept?
Do all service staff know how to interpret and implement Asthma Action
Plans in an emergency?
Do all children with asthma attend with their blue/grey reliever puffer and
a spacer? (a children’s face mask is recommended for children unable to use
a spacer correctly, consider face mask use in children under 5 years old)
Where are the Asthma Emergency Kits kept?
Do all staff and visitors to the service know where Asthma Emergency Kits
are kept?
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Who is responsible for the contents of Asthma Emergency Kits? (checking
reliever medication expiry dates, replacing spacers and face masks as
needed)
Do you have one member of staff on duty at all times who has current and
approved Emergency Asthma Management training?
Who else needs training in the use of asthma emergency equipment?
Do you have a second Asthma Emergency Kit for excursions?
What happens if a child’s reliever medication and spacer are not brought to
the service?
Does the child have any other health conditions, such as allergies or
anaphylaxis?
Do they have an Action Plan and Risk Minimisation plan for each health
condition?
Do plants around the service attract bees, wasps or ants?
Have you considered planting a low-allergen garden?
Have you considered where food and drink consumption and disposal is
occurring? (including food and drink consumed by all staff and visitors)
Could traces of food allergens be present on craft materials used by the
children? (e.g. egg cartons, cereal boxes, milk cartons)
Do your cleaners use products that leave a strong smell, or do you plan to
renovate or paint the centre when children are present?
Do your staff use heavy perfumes or spray aerosol deodorants while at work?
Are you in a bushfire-prone area where controlled burning may occur?
What special activities do you have planned that may introduce children to
asthma triggers?
Parents’ knowledge and understanding of their child is integral to the work of the
centre’s support team. The process of identifying an individual child’s support
needs and monitoring these needs throughout the centre support team structure is
an important aspect of the child's learning.
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3. First Aid, Anaphylaxis Management and Emergency Asthma
Management Training
Centre-based education and care services
At least one educator who holds the following qualifications must be in attendance
at any place where children are being educated and cared for by the service, and
must be immediately available in an emergency, at all times th at children are being
educated and cared for by the service:
at least one educator who holds a current approved first aid qualification
at least one educator who has undertaken current approved anaphylaxis
management training
at least one educator who has undertaken approved emergency asthma
management training (regulation 136(1)).
A person may hold one or more of the above qualifications. Where children are
being educated and cared for on a school site this requirement may be met if the
educator(s) are in attendance at the school site and are immediately available in
an emergency.
Family Day Care Services
A family day care service must ensure that each family day care lead educator and
family day care educator engaged or registered with the service:
holds a current approved first aid qualification; and
has undertaken current approved anaphylaxis management training; and
has undertaken current approved emergency asthma management training
(regulation 136(3)).
Health, Hygiene and Safe Food Practices
The service must implement adequate health and hygiene practices, and safe
practices for handling, preparing and storing food to minimise risks to children
being educated and cared for by the service (regulation 77).
Any food provided by the service must be nutritious, adequate in quantity and be
chosen with regard to the dietary requirements of individual children including
any health requirements (regulation 79).
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4. Expert Advice Regarding Medical Conditions
Below are links to relevant organisations that provide specialist advice, medical
management templates or training in the management of specific health care
needs, allergies or medical conditions; including asthma, diabetes or a diagnosis
that a child is at risk of anaphylaxis.
Diabetes
Diabetes Australia www.diabetesaustralia.com.au
Australian Diabetes Society www.diabetessociety.com.au
Anaphylaxis and Allergies
Australian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy www.allergy.org.au
Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia www.allergyfacts.org.au
Royal Children’s Hospital, Department of Allergy and Immunology
www.rch.org.au/allergy
Asthma
National Asthma Council Australia www.nationalasthma.org.au
Asthma Australia www.asthmaaustralia.org.au
Other
Royal Children’s Hospital fact sheets www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo
Emergencies - when to call an ambulance fact sheet
Epilepsy Foundation of Victoria www.epilepsyfoundation.org.au
Source: FACTSHEET National Quality Framework Children with Medical Conditions Attending
Education and Care Services
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4.1. Consult With Relevant Authorities to Ensure That Health
Information is Current
It is important that the centre (and staff) are
working with and conveying the most up-to-date
health information. To do this, the staff will need
to consult with the relevant authorities to ensure
that their health information is the most current
and up-to-date.
Examples of relevant authorities that you consult
with to obtain current health information may include:
Local Doctor or specialist
Health Nurse
Local Government (Department of Health)
Federal or State Government (Department of Health)
Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA)
http://www.allergy.org.au/
Asthma Australia http://www.asthmaaustralia.org.au/default.aspx
Internet Sources:
Information sourced from the internet will need to be validated first. While the information on
the “site” may have been researched, reviewed and presented with all due care, the content is
often provided for general education and information only.
In certain cases, it will be necessary to organise a meeting between a child’s doctor
or specialist in order to provide the best care.
Useful Resource Links:
Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority.
http://www.acecqa.gov.au/
Australian Government: Department of Health
http://health.gov.au/
Australian Government. National Childcare Accreditation Council.
(Archived resources for educators)
http://ncac.acecqa.gov.au/educator-resources/factsheets.asp
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
http://www.nhmrc.gov.au
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5. Ensure That Individual Medical Management Plans for Children With
a Specific Health Care Need are In Place and Readily Available At the
Service
It is of the utmost importance that the centre and the staff ensure that individual
medical management plans for children with a specific healthcare need are in the
appropriate place and that they are always readily available.
The Individual Medical Management Plans
Essential to achieve educational equality for children with health management
needs
Ensures access to education for children with special health care needs, whether
or not the child is classified as eligible for special education
What is a Medical Management Plan?
A Medical Management Plan is a formal written agreement often developed with the
interdisciplinary collaboration of the centre staff in partnership with the child's family,
the child, and the child's health care provider(s) or specialists. Children with extreme
need for care may even need an Inclusion Support Plan developed to cater to their
needs and requirements.
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Examples of the following documents are available on the Sparkling Stars intranet:
Sparkling Stars Childcare Centre Templates
(Username: newusername - Password: newpassword)
• Inclusion Support Plan
• Individual Health Care Plan
• Risk Minimisation Plan
Why Use a Medical Management Plan?
Ensures that the centres have needed information and authorisation
Addresses family & centre concerns
Clarifies roles & responsibilities
Establishes a basis for ongoing teamwork, communication, & evaluation
A good Medical Management Plan contains information, guidelines & standards that
promote a child's health & educational goals, avoids unnecessary risk, restriction,
stigma, illness, & absence.
Every student with an impairment or physical disability should have their needs
documented and the services to be provided established through a Medical
Management Plan. The Medical Management Plan clarifies the provision of
medication, monitoring of health status, & other aspects of health management.
Who might need a Medical Management Plan?
Children with:
Asthma
Serious allergies
Chronic medical conditions
Disabilities or impairments
ADD/ADHD
Medication needs
Need for catheterization
Need for toileting assistance
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Activity:
Download a copy of the Individual Health Care Plan and a Risk
Minimisation Plan from the Sparkling Stars Intranet and fill one out for a
child who has ASTHMA.
Guidance: Check out this example once you’re finished to see how close you were
http://www.nationalasthma.org.au/asthma-tools/asthma-action-plans
6. Provide for Each Child’s Comfort
Centre’s need to consider each individual children’s and families’ requirements for
comfort and welfare, especially in relation to daily routines; such as rest, sleep,
dressing and toileting/nappy changing.
There are a variety of factors that may influence a child’s individual requirements
and can include the child’s and family’s sociocultural background, their personal
preferences, their parent's requirements, the routines and activities that are in place
at home.
The Early Years Learning Framework Educators describes how “Educators and co-
ordinators will provide a range of active and restful experiences throughout the day
and support children to make appropriate decisions regarding their participation in
activities and experiences.” (Early Years Learning Framework, pages 14 and 32);
This is all part of the holistic approaches used in modern centres and recognises the
connectedness of mind, body and spirit of the children that attend.
An accredited centre that meets the NQS and follows the recommendations of the
Early Years Learning Framework will use many strategies to “provide for each child’s
comfort”.
It is important that children are given opportunities to:
Communicate their needs for comfort and assistance
Recognise and communicate their bodily needs
Demonstrate a sense of belonging and comfort in their environment
have opportunities to engage in appropriate quiet play activities for children
who do not require sleep or rest
Be supplied with clean, appropriate spare clothes when they need them
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Educators and staff can assist this by providing:
groupings of children configured to provide for each child’s comfort and to
minimise the risk of overcrowding
sleep and rest practices that are consistent with contemporary views about
children’s health, safety and welfare and that meet children’s individual needs
physical spaces being made available for children to engage in rest and quiet
experiences
a range of active and restful experiences and supporting children to make
appropriate decisions regarding participation
respect for children’s needs for privacy during toileting and/or dressing and
undressing times
children’s and families’ individual clothing needs and preferences being met to
promote children’s comfort, safety and protection within the scope of the
service’s requirements for children’s health and safety.
The strategies described above meet the requirements under Element 2.1.2 - Each
child’s comfort is provided for, and there are appropriate opportunities to meet each
child’s need for sleep, rest and relaxation.
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6.1. Configure Groupings of Children to Provide for Each Child’s
Comfort and to Minimise the Risk of Overcrowding
The arrangement of the environment plays
a key role in guiding the behaviour of young
children.
A poorly arranged physical setting actually
sends messages which may trigger
behaviours such as aggressive play,
running, or superficial interactions with
toys and materials. Altering the physical
space and layout of the room can eliminate
such challenging behaviours.
Observe children closely to determine what messages the physical environment is
sending. If it appears that the space suggests undesirable behaviours to children -
like running indoors - be willing to modify the arrangement of equipment and
furnishings to send a different message. If the behaviour suggests there is not
enough room (example: pushing shoving and taking things from other children)
then breaking up the groups into smaller ones may be a solution.
Include cosy and well-defined play spaces to discourage running indoors.
Wide-open areas tend to encourage children to use the space for rowdy,
high-speed play.
Use low shelves or other borders (tape on the floor, area rugs, raised edges)
to designate the size of each type of play space. The size of a play area tends
to indicate how many children can play there.
A cosy book area, for example, should be very small and have a clear
boundary if only one or two children are to play there. Other spaces, like
block areas, can be larger because the nature of the play can handle a larger
group.
Spend time demonstrating and explaining to children how new equipment
should be used in order to prevent potential injuries and set the stage for its
appropriate use.
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6.2. Ensure Physical Spaces are Available for Children to Engage In
Rest and Quiet Activities
Children need quiet as well as active play opportunities.
Designate passive areas for quiet play (like puzzles, books, listening to soft music,
looking at photographs, puppets, nature table/interest table, sand and water play)
by taking advantage of cosy spaces or adding carpet or pillows to absorb sound.
Inside you could set up a book nook, drawing centre or set up some bean bags in a
quiet area, for outside you could set up a construction zone, art area, sensory or
nature zone.
With children old enough to use computers or notepads there are plenty of
appropriate software titles, or movies to keep them engaged.
A passive play area or designated space can often take up less room than the space
required for active play. Be sure that the kinds of materials and the physical
arrangement of the play spaces clearly give children the message of active versus
quiet play and that the two areas are distinct and separate.
Quiet play areas are important, as they will provide the children with the chance to
relax and carry out the experiences they choose as well as spend time on their own.
In the sleep/rest area space sleep mats at least two feet apart to provide a path for
children to walk easily and safely without disturbing the other children. Provide
night lights in a darkened sleep room to prevent tripping accidents.
6.3. Active and Restful Experiences to Appropriate Decisions
Regarding Participation
In order to assist in creating a sense of achievement, start by suggesting
experiences that are simple and that the child can easily accomplish. After this, you
can move onto more complicated and challenging experiences
The term 'experience' is quite frequently used in the child care industry.
The word ‘experience’ is often used in discussions regarding the activities that are
organized for children.
An experience relates to something that actively involves the child. Examples of
this include playing some sort of game, (for instance, hide and seek), or it may be
an object that the child is playing with (for instance a puzzle or drawing a picture),
talking to the teacher, helping clean up after a meal. An experience can be defined
as virtually anything that happens during the day that is meaningful or of
significance to the child.
What do you like to do in your spare time? Do you prefer to go to the movies or go
for a swim? Maybe you like to socialise with friends or perhaps you would rather
read a book on your own?
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The way in which you choose to spend your time is determined by your interests
and what brings you enjoyment. This is the same for children as well.
In order to get children involved in a particular experience, it is vital to ensure that
it will be of interest to them. Read the following material to look into this subject
in greater detail.
The things that you enjoy doing in your spare time are dependent on what you find
interesting. You may have noticed that you usually like doing the things that you
are good at or those things which you may be particularly skilled at.
Children are exactly the same! They all have separate personalities and their own
specific likes and dislikes.
When organising experiences for children that are in your care, it is imperative to
take into consideration the same things.
Providing a Variety of Areas and Experiences
A child care environment needs to have lots of choices! Just like you, children want
to choose what they'd like to participate in and when.
You should always try to include a choice of experiences, as well as different types
of experiences. The choices should be provided consistently over the day with
enough time for the children to participate in the experiences they wish to and
should reflect needs, abilities and interests.
The main points to remember about an environment for children are that it should
be:
safe
hygienic
presentable
inviting
challenging
stimulating
inclusive
supportive of children's strengths, needs and interests.
Respect the children's rights; respect the environment in which you work; respect
the resources you have, and you will find that the children will do the same.
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As well as offering choices, you also need to consider the environment in the
following ways to encourage the children to play and learn.
Within an environment, there are some areas that are almost always present,
although they may change position within the room. These areas still need to look
inviting to the children.
Some of these areas include:
home play area
block area
book area
art area
music area
nature area.
Within these common areas, you can create many different experiences. Let's look
at the block area for example. In the block area you may set up the following
experiences at different times:
wooden blocks
Lego® Duplo
other Lego® products
animal characters
people characters
dolls house
sand in a container
shredded paper
cardboard boxes.
The list is endless, yet all enhance various opportunities for play. The same can be
done with all the areas within a room.
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Experiences with Overlapping Developmental Areas
Something that you may be asking yourself is: ‘Do any of these play areas cross
over?’
The answer is yes they do! All of the play areas intertwine and support one another
in the promotion of the development of the whole child. Different areas of
development are encouraged at once.
For example, by allowing for both individual and group opportunities at all times,
you are providing opportunities for social development across all of the play areas.
Another example is, by providing a challenge you will extend the individual as well
as promoting cognitive development and emotional development.
You can see from these examples that there are many ways to creatively encourage
a child's development, and you need to keep these in mind as you design
environments for the children in your care.
Active / Passive Play
Think about how you feel over the day. Are there times when you're full of energy
and wanting to be involved in an exciting activity? Are there other times when you
just want to relax and rest and have some quiet time? Children are just the same.
They need an environment in which they can feel comfortable whatever their
mood.
When educators are planning both the inside and outside spaces play areas they
take into account a variety of play styles.
Play spaces should be divided into:
Active areas, where play will involve movement (such as blocks, cars, home
corner, bikes, and swings)
Passive areas, where play involve little movement (such as books, listening
to soft music, looking at photographs, puppets, nature table/ interest table,
sand and water play).
In this way, the play spaces will complement the type of play rather than be in
opposition to each other.
Individual or Group Spaces
There also need to be places for children to participate in either individual or group
work, areas that are alive with the hustle and bustle of activity, and of course, areas
where children can go to simply relax.
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Support Children’s Learning through Play
Early childhood educators take on many roles and use a range of strategies to
support children learning through play by:
engaging in sustained shared conversations to extend children’s thinking as
they play
providing a balance between child initiated and led learning and adult
initiated learning
creating indoor and outdoor learning environments that encourage children
to explore, solve problems, create and construct.
allowing large blocks of uninterrupted time for play
observing, documenting and assessing play as they analyse the learning
taking place
intentionally teaching through encouraging, questioning, mediating,
sustaining, extending, and resourcing.
making decisions about when to be in or out of the play.
Source: Learning Through Play
(https://ieccwa.org/uploads/IECC2012/HANDOUTS/KEY_1288710/LearningThroughPlay_ha
ndout.docx)
Holistic approaches recognise the connectedness of mind, body and spirit. Educators and coordinators provide a range of active and restful experiences
throughout the day and support children to make appropriate decisions regarding their participation in activities and experiences (Early Years
Learning Framework, pages 14 and 32)
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Involving Children in the Decision Making Process
Prior to involving children in the decision-making process, adults need to plan for
children’s involvement. Some tips which help this process are:
Gather with the children prior to the activity.
Addressing any special needs that children may have.
Ensure that the process is accessible to the children involved – a listening
culture among staff is essential so that children feel valued and respected, able
to express their views at any time and that their views will be heard and acted
upon. Commitment is required from organisations as is the early involvement
of children and young people in issues and making their involvement central.
Give enough information to make a choice about whether they want to take part
(you may have child-friendly booklets or fact sheets available).
Have options of how to the children are expected to engage, suggest a range of
participatory activities
Creating child-friendly materials – Flexibility is important as well as a wide
range of methods and approaches. An informal atmosphere with a social aspect
is recommended as is the employment of child-friendly methods and
environments.
Identifying support workers who the children are familiar with and can assist
them – Skills Development and training for staff around participation with
young people assists with the staff being better support workers for the children
and enhances their confidence and competence.
Making sure the roles, boundaries and expectations are clear – Clarity is
necessary about adult involvement, about purpose, objectives and parameters
for decision-making. When young people are recruited, they need clear
information about what to expect and honesty about the degree of power-
sharing available.
Developing a timeframe for the work.
Identifying resources available – Resources are important and sometimes are
linked to the need for staff training or the need for projects to have longer-term
funding.
Decide on the level of influence children will have on decisions.
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Be Positive
Using positive communication skills is important to ensure children feel safe to tell
adults what they think. To achieve this staff need to:
Really tune in to what the child is saying and the emotions behind the words.
Look the child in the eye – this helps you avoid conflict and allows you to see
what the child might be feeling or thinking. At different ages, some children are
uncomfortable making eye contact, but by repeating back what you think they
have said, they will know that you have an understanding of what they are
meaning.
Be actively listening which helps children cope with young emotions. They tend
to get frustrated a lot, especially when they can’t express themselves as well as
they would like. By allowing them time to finish sentences and repeating back
what they have said it makes them feel respected and their thoughts valued.
Ask open-ended questions to encourage children to speak freely in the
discussion.
Be honest – when we lie to them, we lose their trust.
Don’t criticise the children for using incorrect words. The idea is to give the
child a chance for free expression.
Keep in mind:
Make sure you suggest experiences that are familiar to the child initially. Then when they are
comfortable you can gradually introduce the unfamiliar. It is important to always keep in mind,
the emotional needs of the child.
To encourage a sense of achievement, suggest uncomplicated experiences that the child can
easily accomplish, then offer more complicated experiences in order to provide them with a
challenge.
It is imperative to take into consideration, the interests of children and to ensure that they are
included in the experiences that you have organised.
If you can offer experiences that are of interest to children, they are much more likely to want to
participate in the activity and will enjoy it much more.
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CHAPTER 4. SUPPORT EACH CHILD’S HEALTH
NEEDS
In this section, we will look closely at our most important consideration when caring
for children – ensuring their health and safety.
Everything we do at our centres must, first and foremost, ensure the safety and health
of the children in our care. In order to achieve this, we need to ensure we initially
provide a safe environment for the children and make sure that the daily routines and
activities maintain this high level of safety.
Even with the utmost care, however, children still get sick, and accidents do still
happen, so we also need to know what to do in those situations. This will be explored
further below.
1. Rest Times
1.1. Needs for Rest, and Sleep/Rest Patterns
Rest and quiet times are essential for the wellbeing and development of children.
The children need to take necessary breaks throughout the day get through with a
happy and cheerful demeanour and to renew their energy for an active day.
It is important that when we set up the rest/sleep area, we do so in a way that is
conducive to rest, such as:
Ensure the temperature is comfortable.
The room is darkened but with a small amount of light for safety reasons.
Soft relaxation music may also help children to unwind.
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1.2. Signs of Fatigue and Sleep Behaviours
The stress of getting used to child care, the changes to the daily routine and dealing
with a lot of new people and other children can be emotionally demanding.
Educators need to take into account the effect of the child care environment and
transition to care when discussing sleep and rest routines with parents of newly
enrolling children and planning these routines to meet the child’s needs. The child
care environment usually offers more opportunities for children to be physically
active so they may also become more physically tired at centre than they do at
home.
We need to discuss with the parents the individual signals of tiredness and other
sleep cues children mat display. Our role is to identify their need for sleep and
accommodate it into our routine.
Recognising
Cues for
Sleep/Rest
Babies
Birth – 24 months
Toddlers
24 -36 months
Children
36 months plus
Needs for rest 16 to 20 hours per
day
40-minute sleep
cycle and cannot
differentiate
between day and
night
wake to feed
every 3-5 hours
12 out of 24 hours
is spent asleep
without waking. A
nap during the day
averages one and
a half hours
ranging up to
about 2.5 hours
10 to 11 hours at night
Rest/ Sleep
Patterns
Three different
sleep states –
REM- during
which they will
suck, grimace,
smile and
occasionally twitch
their fingers and
feet,
By 3 years of age,
the daytime nap is
reducing and then
ceases
Dream (REM)
sleep continues to
decrease while
the other stages of
sleep lengthen
and become more
consolidated
By 12 years of age,
slow wave (deep)
sleep occurs mainly in
the first half of the
night while dream
sleep (REM)
decreases to adult
levels of about 15-
20% of the total time
spent asleep. "Night
terrors" - where the
child appears to wake,
is very frightened and
inconsolable - are not
uncommon from 4 to
8 years of age.
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1.3. Building Self-help Skills: Sleep/Rest Time
Use sleep and rest times as opportunities to introduce more self-help behaviours
in children.
Sleep time routines can be created for children by:
Letting the children set up the room for sleep or rest time
putting out their own bedding and pack up the beds afterwards
Putting away their own linen.
1.4. The National Quality Framework and Rest Time
Rest time is specified in the National Education and Care regulations and the
National Quality Standards to assist centres to support children’s health and well-
being.
Regulation 81, Sleep and Rest, states:
“ (1) The approved provider of an education and care service must take
reasonable steps to ensure that the needs for sleep and rest of children
being educated and cared for by the service are met, having regard to the
ages, development stages and individual needs of the children.
(2) The nominated supervisor of an education and care service must take
reasonable steps to ensure that the needs for sleep and rest of children
being educated and cared for by the service are met, having regard to the
ages, development stages and individual needs of the children.
(3) A family day care educator must take reasonable steps to ensure that
the needs for sleep and rest of children being educated and cared for by
the educator as part of a family day care service are met, having regard
to the ages, development stages and individual needs of the children.”
Source: Education and Care Services National Regulations (2011), p. 101-102.
Supporting the regulations, the National Quality Standard, Quality Area 2-
Children’s health and safety states….
2.1.1 Each child’s wellbeing and comfort is provided for, including
appropriate opportunities to meet each child’s need for sleep, rest and
relaxation.
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The key factor to Quality area 2 includes promoting the children’s health, safety
and well-being by providing for individual children’s health, sleep, rest and
relaxation requirements.
Fundamentally, providing for children’s wellbeing is to ensure that routines,
activities and experiences support children’s individual requirements for health,
nutrition, sleep, rest and relaxation. This incorporates learning about themselves
and their ability to take increasing responsibility for self-help and basic health
routines.
This promotes a sense of independence and confidence. As children become more
independent, they take greater responsibility for their own health, hygiene and
personal care, and they become aware of their own and others’ safety and
wellbeing. This safety and well-being include knowing when their bodies are in
need of some quiet time or relaxation.
Source: Guide to the National Quality Standard
1.5. Rest Time in Action
Educators at many centres know the sleep needs and preferences of each child in
their rooms. Within the group there may be some babies who have two long periods
of sleep a day, others have several short ‘catnaps’ while the majority of children
ages 2-6 years having one sleep after lunch, which varies from 20 minutes to two
hours.
Carers try to make the same ‘rest spot’ available to each child on the days they
attend, either the same cot or positioning the beds in a similar configuration
around the room.
Carers are very observant, alert to each child’s cues, and take into account each
child’s usual sleep habits as well as any other factors that may influence when and
how much sleep each child needs (Example, if the parent has mentioned that
morning the child was up late the night before.)
Children’s personal rituals are respected, and carers ensure they have familiar
comforters, such as blankets, dummies, cuddly toys. Toddlers and pre-school age
children are given unhurried time to complete their preparations for sleep,
including toileting, changing into comfortable clothes and taking their shoes off.
One of the toddler’s families, like their child to be dressed in their pyjamas for sleep
time, following their same daytime routine as they do at home. The Educator
supports these families request as it assists the child to be comfortable, secure and
settled. Educators familiar to the children are available if children need help to
relax and go to sleep. This could include comforting the child, tucking the child in
and saying ‘Good night’ and/or gently patting or sitting next to the child.
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Around the time when lunch finishes, the educator dim the playroom lights, play
soft music and talk softly to convey that quiet time has begun. For children who
have already slept or who are not sleepy, there are books and quiet activities
provided on their beds. This peaceful time of the routine, in the busy day, is stress-
free and appreciated by the children and educators.
Educators do take their breaks during this time; however, all children are
supervised at all times ensuring child to educator ratios are always correct.
The cot and sleep room have sound monitors and windows so carers can frequently
check sleeping children.
As each child wakes, their carer responds with a soothing voice and a cuddle. They
recognise that the ‘waking up’ routine is just as important as the settling routine.
Children are not hurried, changed if needed, offered a drink then helped to join the
group playing quietly in the playroom.
1.6. Tips for Sleep and Rest Time
Recognise the children's cues and signals - rubbing eyes, yawning, etc.
Create sleep/rest spaces where children can sleep quietly and safely.
Position each child in the same sleeping place each day, draw a diagram of
the room so that relief staff can ensure consistency.
Encourage parents to bring their child's security object from home - blanket,
soft toy, dummy, etc.
Develop sleep/rest time rituals and/or routines that you repeat each day
with individual children. I.e. Singing a lullaby or rocking patting to sleep.
Share information with parents about their child's sleep routine and suggest
resources to parents who may be having difficulty with children sleeping at
home.
Allow for children's differences when planning sleep time, e.g. Sit first with
children who settle easily and then focus on the children who require more
time and attention later.
Cooperate with parents’ preferences; for example, the parent wants their
child to sleep for one hour only.
A ‘tucking in’ routine adds a homely and unhurried feel to rest times. This
will help promote children’s feelings of comfort and security, especially for
infants and toddlers.
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Once most children are settled, you could read a book or tell a story aloud.
There are many excellent children’s books and poems based around bedtime
that could be used for this purpose. Reading instalments from a longer book
over several days is also a popular option for older children.
Never make children stay in their beds as a form of punishment. If you do,
children will make unpleasant associations with rest/sleep time or going to
bed and may resist or misbehave at that time each day.
Provide quiet activities for those children who do not require sleep. Provide
books or puzzles or make “rest-time bags” and fill with quiet resources for
the children to have on their beds.
1.7. Average Sleep Required for Children 0-12 Years
• 16 - 20 hours per dayNeonate
• 15 hours per day3 Months
• 14 hours per day 6 to 12 Months
• 10 - 13 hours per day1 to 3 Years
• 10 - 12 hours per nightPreschoolers
• 6 years - 10-12 hours per night
• 12 years - 10 hours per night 6 to 12 Years
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1.8. Sleep Cycles and Patterns
Babies birth – 12 months
16 to 20 hours per day
40-minute sleep cycle and cannot differentiate between day and night
wake to feed every 3-5 hours
Toddlers – 12 months to 24 months
12 out of 24 hours is spent asleep without waking. A nap during the day
averages one and a half hours ranging up to about 2.5 hours
Children – 36 months plus
10 to 11 hours at night
1.9. Rest/Sleep Patterns
Babies birth – 24 months
Three different sleep states – REM- during which they will suck, grimace,
smile and occasionally twitch their fingers and feet
Toddlers – 24 months to 36 months
By 3 years of age, the daytime nap is reducing and then ceases
Dream (REM) sleep continues to decrease while the other stages of sleep
lengthen and become more consolidated
Children – 36 months plus
By 12 years of age, slow wave (deep) sleep occurs mainly in the first half of
the night while dream sleep (REM) decreases to adult levels of about 15-20%
of the total time spent asleep. "Night terrors" - where the child appears to
wake, is very frightened and inconsolable - are not uncommon from 4 to 8
years of age.
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1.10. Safe Sleeping
How to sleep a baby safely:
1. Sleep baby on the back from birth, not on the tummy or side
2. Sleep baby with head and face uncovered
3. Keep baby smoke free before birth and after
4. Provide a safe sleeping environment night and day
5. Sleep baby in their own safe sleeping place in the same room as an
adult caregiver for the first six to twelve months
Source: https://rednose.com.au/downloads/Safe_Sleeping_Long_Brochure.pdf
1.11. Safe Equipment
Baby furniture accounts for around 20 percent of injuries to children aged 12
months or less. It is important to ensure the equipment in the nursery meets
Australian Standards.
Cots
All cots sold in Australia need to comply with the Australian Standard for Cots
(AS/NZS 2172), and should be labelled as such. The following are the requirements
for cots:
The bars or panels should be spaced between 50 mm and 95 mm apart –
bigger gaps can trap a baby’s head, arms or legs. If the bars or panels are
made from flexible material, the maximum spacing between the bars or
panels should be less than 95 mm.
The cot should have a minimum depth of 600 mm from the base of the
mattress to the top of the cot.
The gap between the mattress and the cot sides and ends should be less than
20 mm.
Check that there are no spaces between 30 mm and 50 mm that could trap
your child’s arms or legs.
Check that there are no small holes or openings between 5 mm and 12 mm
that could trap your child’s fingers.
Place the cot in a safe spot and use locking brakes.
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Sources: Kidsafe Family Daycare Safety Guidelines, 2012, pg.21;
Baby furniture - safety tips
Making a Baby’s Cot
Source: https://rednose.com.au/article/how-to-make-up-babys-cot
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Wrapping Babies for Sleep
Many young babies are wrapped for sleep time. Wrapping is often used to help the
baby feel safe and reassured while sleeping.
Wrapping can be a great way to calm babies down. Be aware though, that wrapping
will not work for all babies. While some will love it and quickly associate being
wrapped with comfort and sleep, others will hate being contained and be upset
until unwrapped or wiggle out within minutes! Some babies enjoy having their
arms wrapped but prefer one, or both, hands-free to suck on their wrist, hand or
fingers.
When wrapping a baby:
Ensure that baby is positioned on the back with the feet at the bottom of the cot.
Ensure that baby is wrapped from below the neck to avoid covering the face.
Sleep baby with face uncovered (no doonas, pillows, cot bumpers, and lamb’s
wool or soft toys in the sleeping environment).
Use only lightweight wraps such as cotton or muslin (bunny rugs and blankets
are not safe alternatives as they may cause overheating).
The wrap should not be too tight and must allow for hip and chest wall
movement.
Make sure that baby is not overdressed under the wrap. Use only a nappy and
singlet in warmer weather and add a lightweight grow suit in cooler weather.
Modify the wrap to meet the baby’s developmental changes, e.g. arms free once
‘startle’ reflex begins to disappear at around 3 months; (Moro or ‘startle’ reflex
should have disappeared by 4-5 months).
When a baby is able to roll from their back to their tummy and then onto their
back again during supervised play (usually 4-6 months) the use of a wrap can
be discontinued for settling and sleep.
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Source: http://www.abc.net.au/parenting/parenting_in_pictures/wrapping_newborn.htm
1.12. Alternatives to Sleep Time
All children need rest, though for some children rest may not mean sleep. Most 4-
5-year-olds do not need a daytime sleep if they are getting adequate rest at night.
The purpose of rest times is for children to have the opportunity to rest and slow
down their bodies to allow them to recharge their energy for the remainder of the
day. Engaging in quiet activities is one-way children can relax their bodies during
this time. Rest time is not a time for staff to catch up on paperwork and
programming. Though some tasks, such as the “What we did today” cleaning
bathrooms, and cleaning room floors may be able to be completed in this if time
and staffing allow.
For children that do not need to sleep, it is helpful to allow them to play with quiet
activities. You may choose to set aside a separate area or simply provide books or
puzzles for children to have while on their beds. Many centres choose to read
stories to the whole group or small groups of children or do children’s mediation
or relaxation techniques during rest time.
One important thing to remember is that a quiet area where children can go to relax
should be provided throughout the day. Well-rested children have more energy,
and are more alert and curious. Over-tired children are often emotional, prone to
accidents and intolerant of the behaviour of other children. Ensuring that all
children have the sleep or rest they need will contribute to their individual
wellbeing and the harmony of the group.
Source: Kearns, the Big Picture, 2010
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1.13. Appropriate Quiet Play Activities
There are many activities that you could introduce as alternatives to sleep or rest.
The range will depend on the resources available at your centre.
Teddy Bears Picnic – pop down a picnic rug, toy tea set and your child’s
favourite soft toy friends
Book and CD story sets
Threading – try pipe cleaners and large holes for 2s and fishing line or thin
wire and smaller holes for 3+
Puzzles – those which provide an appropriate level of challenge are great for
any age.
Stickers and a sticker book.
Collage – add lightweight collage materials, a piece of thin card and a glue
stick for minimal mess.
Playdough – vary your usual ‘tools’ to extend interest in the activity. Try
sticks and other natural materials, cupcake wrappers and pop sticks, rubber
stamps and rolling pins, items with interesting texture, or add your child’s
favourite figurines. You’ll find my favourite homemade playdough recipe
here.
Books Quiet Play Activities for 3+
Felt or flannel board stories
Audio stories
Simple sewing activities – you’ll find suggestions here, here, here, and here.
Modelling – with air dry clay (look for the less messy porcelain white option)
or plasticine/modelling clay. Here are some ideas for modelling.
Watercolour painting – once a child has practised the process of using
watercolours it can become a very independent, low mess creative option for
quiet play.
Block construction
Figurines – add your child’s favourite figurines or small vehicles to a play
scene.
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2. Share Information
At the end of the day, it is always important that you share information about
individual children’s rest and sleep patterns with parents and families’. If the child
was unsettled or refused to sleep, the parents will need to know as this may affect the
behaviour or activity of the child once they return home. Unsettled sleep patterns
could also represent signs of stress or illness.
Privacy
In an Early Childhood Education and Care setting, you must respect children’s needs
for privacy during any toileting and dressing and undressing times.
This could be maintained in a centre by the following policies and procedures:
Only named staff identified by your centre should undertake the intimate care of
children.
Managers must ensure that all staff undertaking the intimate care of children are
familiar with, and understand the Intimate Care Policy and Guidelines together
with associated Policy and Procedures.
All staff must be trained in the specific types of intimate care that they carry out
and fully understand the Intimate Care Policy and Guidelines within the context of
their work.
Intimate care arrangements must be agreed by the centre, parents / carers and
child (if appropriate). Intimate Care Policy and Guidelines Regarding Children
Intimate care arrangements must be recorded in the child’s personal file and
consent forms signed by the parents/carers and child (if appropriate).
Staff should not undertake any aspect of intimate care that has not been agreed
between the centre, parents / carers and child (if appropriate).
Centres need to make provisions for emergencies, i.e. a staff member on sick leave.
Additional trained staff should be available to undertake specific intimate care
tasks. Do not assume someone else can do the task.
Intimate care arrangements should be reviewed at least six months. The views of
all relevant parties, including the child (if appropriate), should be sought and
considered to inform future arrangements.
If a staff member has concerns about a colleague’s intimate care practice, they must
report this to their designated manager/educator.
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3. Individual Clothing Needs and Preferences
Now that you know how to give children an understanding of their physical needs and
how to meet them, it's time to plan some experiences that involve these issues.
Although it's generally the child's parents who provide the clothes to wear, it's our
responsibility to ensure that as conditions change so does the child’s clothing
requirement. For example, at certain times of the year weather can be unpredictable -
What starts out as a very cold morning can soon turn in to a very warm day. It would
be inappropriate and uncomfortable to leave a child in a thick warm coat all day in
these circumstances. Therefore we must constantly consider the environment and
change a child’s clothing to suit their needs.
Older children may be able to choose what they prefer to wear, and if appropriate we
can encourage them in their decision making or discuss other more appropriate
alternatives.
It is suggested in most services that parents pack extra clothing for children, but there
may be times when a child has exceeded the contents of their bag and requires extra
clothing from the service.
When choosing clothing for children, some safety issues need to be considered.
Clothing should be:
easy to take on and off
free from ribbons and bows, and things which may trap fingers and toes
appropriate for the season and weather.
Think about how:
all-in-one suits could cause children to slip if they are learning to stand or walk
long pants protect children’s knees when crawling
some clothing can restrict movement and discourage development
jeans with buttons/belts (or overalls) may be tricky for children who are being
toilet trained to remove so they can access potty/toilet.
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The centre will normally inform parents of clothing that is considered to be
inappropriate or unsuitable for children to wear while attending the centre.
These may include:
Clothing that poses a potential health and safety risk. For example, hooded
jumpers with cords increase the risk of choking, or wearing thongs to climb
outdoor equipment;
Clothing that restricts movement, the child’s ability to play or inhibits the
development of self-help skills.
Clothing that is too revealing and may potentially place a child at risk. For
example, some styles of swimwear, midriff tops;
Clothing that contravenes the sun protection policy. For example, strapless
tops or singlets; or
Clothing that offends others. For example shirts or baseball caps with slogans,
images or language that may potentially provoke a negative response or offend
another person’s beliefs or values.
Staff will ensure that the children are dressed appropriately for Indoor/Outdoor
environmental conditions and temperatures.
Sun hats and lightweight long-sleeved clothing for outside in Summer (refer to
Sun Protection Policy)
Beanies and jackets for outside in winter.
Heavy or restrictive outer clothing will be removed to prevent overheating
during sleep and ensure the children are comfortable (Refer Rest Time Policy)
The children will be strongly encouraged by staff to wear protective clothing (smocks,
aprons) when participating in messy activities.
painting and collage experiences;
clay or water play; or
cooking
Whenever possible, staff will inform parents in advance of potentially very messy
activities, so parents can dress their children appropriately (i.e. old, easy to wash
clothes).
Appropriate clothing for the environment and weather conditions will be discussed
with children and included in the experiences and activities.
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3.1. Building Self-help Skills: Dressing/Undressing
For young children, this skill can often be the most difficult to master.
Dressing and undressing can offer children
some challenging moments. You can use
these moments to:
promote cooperation
encourage decision making
develop and practise self-help skills.
For instance, when taking off the sock or
bootie of a very young infant, you can pull the sock half off and encourage the child
to pull it right off. Little coordination is needed when the task is set up like this.
Children get a lot of pleasure and satisfaction from helping out. The idea is to
simplify the task, so the child gets to practice and remember the process. At first,
it takes longer to work cooperatively together, but when children are encouraged
to help dress/undress themselves, they become more proficient. They reach the
point where they need very little help, except with such things as buttons, zips and
laces.
Work through the information below, for ideas on how you can build self-help skills
and promote cooperation in the dressing and undressing processes.
Encourage parents to provide clothing that is easy to manage - tracksuit pants,
Velcro runners etc.
Step in to prevent frustration when children attempt a task that may be too
difficult.
Talk with them about what you are doing.
Give lots of positive encouragement for all attempts.
Keep instructions simple, take it one step at a time and provide opportunities to
practice.
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4. Effective Hygiene and Health Practices
Personal Hygiene
Personal hygiene includes the cleanliness and hygiene of your body (hair, teeth, hands
and feet), clothes and accessories (jewellery, watches etc.). This means washing your
hands, especially, but also your body. It means being careful not to cough or sneeze on
others, not working around food if you are unwell, putting items such as tissues (that
may have germs) into a bin, and using protection (like gloves) when you might be at
risk of catching an infection.
Example: When you are holding a baby over your shoulder, if they sneeze or vomit,
germs will spread over your clothes, neck and hair. Strategies to help prevent the
spread of germs in this example include having a spare change of clothes for yourself,
always using a clean cloth to put over your clothes when holding a baby, use
antibacterial wipes to wipe over neck and hair.
Handwashing
Infections can be spread by a person who shows no signs of illness. Hand washing is
one of the most effective ways of preventing the spread of infection. The best way to
prevent the transmission of disease is to wash and dry your hands thoroughly.
Educating staff to wash and dry their hands effectively decreases the amount of disease
in infants and toddlers. Hand washing is effective because it loosens, dilutes and
flushes off germs and contaminated matter.
It is something we can all do to help maintain high standards of cleanliness and keep
the children at the centre healthy. We’ve all been washing our hands for many years.
However it may surprise you how many of us don’t actually wash our hands properly!
How Easily are Diseases Spread in a Centre?
Some viruses such as measles and norovirus are very infectious and will very easily
infect non-immune people. Measles virus can remain airborne for up to 2 hours after
a person has left a room so that further people are exposed. Norovirus is a very
common cause of diarrhoea and can infect 50% or more of people in a group. At the
other extreme, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV are very difficult to spread in a child
care setting.
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To promote and enable effective hand washing requires:
Hand basins should be readily accessible and located where they will be most needed,
including nappy changing areas, toilets, food preparation areas and outdoor areas.
Hand basins should be an appropriate size and at an appropriate height, for both staff
and children. Installing hands-free taps and liquid soap dispensers will reduce the
opportunities for diseases and infections to spread.
How to Wash Hands
Read through the handwashing procedure below. It shows the correct way to wash
your hands to reduce the spread of infection.
Use liquid soap and running water.
Rub hands together vigorously as you wash them "Counting to ten."
Wash your hands all over, including:
o Back of hands
o Wrists
o Between the fingers
o Under fingernails
Rinse hands well "Counting to ten."
Turn off the taps with paper towel
Press dry hands with a new piece of paper towel
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Children that are under the child care professional supervision should be shown and
assisted in completing the above routine, making sure to supervise and observe them
so they develop a hand washing habit.
When carrying out the above routine, it is important that you count to ten both when
you are soaping and rubbing hands as well as when you are rinsing them off. Even
though this seems a long time, the challenge is to allow enough time in the daily
program for children to wash their hands well. Babies will need to have their hands
washed more often than and just as thoroughly as the older children.
It is very important that your centre ensures that the information about correct hand
washing procedures is displayed in relevant areas of the centre. This information
could also include not only how to wash your hands but also, when to wash your hands
and when to wash the hands of the children.
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When Should You Wash Your Hands?
It is very important to regularly wash your hands when caring for children to stop the
spread of germs or bacteria.
Wash your hands:
when you arrive at the centre. This reduces the introduction of germs.
before handling food and drink
before eating
after going to the toilet
after cleaning up faeces and/or vomit
before and after administering first aid
after using paint or other materials
after cleaning up body fluids
before and after nappy changing
after handling pets
after blowing your nose
after wiping noses, either the child's or yours
after coughing into your hand
after scratching your head or playing with your hair.
before going home. This prevents taking germs home.
(Using a sanitary solution, after shaking someone's hand will help reduce the
spread of germs within your centre)
Can you think of any other times when you might need to wash your hands?
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When to wash the children's hands:
When they arrive at the centre, this reduces the introduction of germs (Parents
can help with this).
Before eating.
After having their nappy changed, as their hand could become contaminated
with germ whilst on the change mat.
After going to the toilet.
After playing outside.
After touching nose secretions.
Before going home: This prevents taking germs home.
Having the information about correct hand washing procedures displayed in relevant
areas, will bring it to the attention of every one, (staff, children and children's parents)
and thereby helping to reduce the risk of cross-contamination and the spread of
infection.
Soaps and Drying Hands
It is essential that when hand washing both \children and adults use soap to eliminate
the transmission of germs. The soap removes the dirt, grease and oil and then it is
washed down the sink by the water. Liquid soap should be used instead of cakes of
soap as germs can grow on the wet soap as it is left on the sink. Soap and water are the
best way to clean hands though, in situations where water is not available, germicidal
(non-water) solutions can be used.
Drying hands is just as important to effective hand washing as using soap and water.
The best way to reduce transmission of germs is to use disposable towels or electric
hand dryers. Paper towels can also be used to turn off taps before it is discarded in the
bin.
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Handling and Disposing of Bodily Fluids
Soiled items such as disposable gloves, paper towels, disposable nappies, dressings
and used first aid items should be treated as “contaminated waste”. They should be
disposed of in bins lined with a plastic bag and clearly marked to indicate that the bin
is for a special purpose and the waste should not be handled. The bins for
contaminated waste should be in an area where children will not be able to access
them.
Remember!
Always Wear Gloves
Wearing gloves does not replace the need for handwashing as gloves may have very
small holes or be torn during use. Hands may also become contaminated during
removal of gloves. A pair of new disposable gloves should be used for each child.
Procedure for dealing with spills of body fluids
1. Put on gloves.
2. Get a piece of absorbent paper towel and plastic bag.
3. Place over spill and let it soak up the spill.
4. Carefully remove paper and put in paper in plastic bag.
5. Take off gloves and also place in plastic bag before
disposing in the bin.
6. Wash and dry your hands and place on a new pair of
gloves.
7. Wipe or mop area with warm soapy water.
8. Apply disinfectant to area.
9. Let air dry.
10. Take off gloves and wash hands.
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4.1. Promote and Implement Effective Hygiene Practices
Maintaining high standards of hygiene is essential in preventing the spread of
infectious diseases and ensuring good health. Effective hygiene practices assist
significantly in reducing the likelihood of children becoming ill due to cross-
infection or as a result of exposure to materials, surfaces, body fluids or other
substances that may cause infection or illness.
In their settings, educators and co-ordinators promote continuity of children’s
personal health and hygiene by sharing ownership of routines
and schedules with children, families and the community
(Early Years Learning Framework, page 32; Framework for
School Age Care, page 31).
Source: Guide to the NQS
When you promote and implement effective hygiene practices
children will learn to take increasing responsibility for their
own health and physical wellbeing.
Centres can support this by ensuring the implementation of:
Health and hygiene policy and procedures
Written procedures and schedules for maintaining a regular regime of
washing children’s toys and equipment
Nappy-changing and toileting procedures displayed in toilet and nappy-
changing areas
Information about correct hand-washing procedures displayed in relevant
areas of the service, such as bathrooms, nappy change areas and food
preparation areas.
Evidence that families are provided with information and support that helps
them to follow the service’s hygiene procedures.
Hygiene practices that reflect current research, best practice and advice
from relevant health authorities
Safe and hygienic storage, handling, preparation and serving of all food and
drinks consumed by children, including foods brought from home
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Educators and staff can support this by implementing:
The service’s health and hygiene policy and procedures consistently
Actively supporting children to learn hygiene practices (including hand
washing, coughing, dental hygiene and ear care)
Appropriate hygiene practices in relation to hand washing, toileting, nappy
changing and cleaning of equipment
Clean toileting and nappy-changing facilities
Fresh linen and sheeting for each child using cots or mattresses.
Maintenance of a regular regime of washing children’s toys and equipment.
The outcome of ensuring this occurs is the learning outcome for children under the
EYLF:
Outcome 3: Children have a strong sense of wellbeing - Children take
increasing responsibility for their own health and physical wellbeing
This will become evident, for example, when children:
• recognise and communicate their bodily needs (for example, thirst, hunger,
rest, comfort, physical activity)
• are happy, healthy, safe and connected to others
• engage in increasingly complex sensory motor skills and movement patterns
• combine gross and fine motor movement and balance to achieve
increasingly complex patterns of activity including dance, creative
movement and drama
• use their sensory capabilities and dispositions with increasing integration,
skill and purpose to explore and respond to their world
• demonstrate spatial awareness and orient themselves, moving around and
through their environments confidently and safely
• manipulate equipment and manage tools with increasing competence and
skill
• respond through movement to traditional and contemporary music, dance
and storytelling
• show an increasing awareness of healthy lifestyles and good nutrition
• show increasing independence and competence in personal hygiene, care
and safety for themselves and others
• show enthusiasm for participating in physical play and negotiate play spaces
to ensure the safety and wellbeing of themselves and others
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Educators can promote this learning, for example, when they:
actively support children to learn hygiene practices
promote continuity of children’s personal health and hygiene by sharing
ownership of routines and schedules with children, families and the
community
discuss health and safety issues with children and involve them in
developing guidelines to keep the environment safe for all
engage children in experiences, conversations and routines that promote
healthy lifestyles and good nutrition
model and reinforce health, nutrition and personal hygiene practices with
children
provide a range of active and restful experiences throughout the day and
support children to make appropriate decisions regarding participation
Source: Guide to the EYLF, pg. 31
4.2. Ensure That the Service Accesses Information On Current Hygiene
Practices
Current and up-to-date information can be gathered from local councils, health
organisations and many websites on hygiene.
Some of the things that you should be researching under hygiene practices are:
Ensure hygiene practices reflect current research, best practice and advice
from relevant health authorities
Implement the service's health and hygiene policy and procedures
consistently
Actively support children to learn hygiene practices (including hand
washing, coughing, sneezing, dental hygiene and ear care)
How to model appropriate and
current hygiene practices in
relation to hand washing,
toileting, nappy changing and
cleaning of equipment
Provide clean toileting and
nappy-changing facilities
Display correct hand-washing
procedures in relevant areas of
the service, such as bathrooms, nappy change areas and food preparation
areas
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Where Can You Get Up to Date Resources?
Public Health Units in Australia
Work Health and Safety Authorities
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Food Authorities
Additional Resources for Current Hygiene Practices:
Australian Government: Department of Health http://health.gov.au/
• National Health Medical Research Council: http://www.nhmrc.gov.au
• Kids Matter: https://www.kidsmatter.edu.au
• Immunisation: http://www.immunise.health.gov.au/
• Work Health and Safety – WorkSafe: http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au
• Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ):
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx
• Reducing the Risk of Infectious Diseases in Child Care Workplaces -
Work Safe Western Australia
• Hygiene in child care - an NCAC Factsheet for Families
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• National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
o Staying Healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood
education and care services (5th Edition) (PDF, 2.6MB)
o The chain of infection - Poster (PDF, 211KB)
o Changing a nappy without spreading germs - Poster (PDF, 847KB)
o How to use alcohol-based hand rub - Poster (PDF, 552KB)
o How to wash hands - Poster (PDF, 771KB)
o Recommended minimum exclusion periods - Poster (856KB)
o The role of hands in the spread of infection - Poster (PDF, 325KB)
o Exclusion periods explained - Information for families (PDF, 1MB)
o Breaking the chain of infection - Information for families (PDF,
1.3MB)
o What causes infections - Information for families (PDF, 917KB)
o Part 5 Fact Sheet - Croup (PDF, 73KB)
o Part 5 Fact Sheet - Warts (PDF, 57KB)
4.3. Advice from Relevant Health Authorities
When following the centre’s health and safety policies and procedures, it is also
important that you are meeting the requirements, recommendations and relevant
advice from health authorities.
4.4. Support Children to Learn Personal Hygiene Practices
Learning hygiene practices appropriate to their age and abilities should always be
supported in the centre, we can help them do this by:
showing or explaining what to do in a clear manner
making it easy for them (providing the right equipment)
using encouragement, reminders and praise
model the good hygiene practice
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As children learn through play, it is also a good learning tool for teaching and
reinforcing positive hygiene practices. A fun way to encourage children to wash
their hands includes singing songs while hand washing.
Hand Washing Songs
Sung to the tune of "Row, row, row your boat"
Wash, wash, wash your hands,
Play our handy game.
Rub and scrub, scrub and rub,
Germs go down the drain.
Sung to tune of “Twinkle,Twinkle”
Twinkle, twinkle little star
See how clean my two hands are
Soap and water wash and scrub
Get those germs off rub a dub
Twinkle, twinkle little star
See how clean my two hands are.
4.5. Reporting and Documenting Illness
It is essential to document the child’s illness using an Incident, Injury, Trauma and
Illness Record. This form needs to be signed by the parent on collection.
The report needs to include:
child’s name, date and time,
signs and symptoms,
treatment, and
signature for educator
Each centre will have their own procedures and forms for reporting illness. Please
click on the following link to view Sparkling Stars Incident, Injury, Trauma and
Illness Record.
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Strategies to Respond to Child’s Illness
Common Illness/
Symptoms Signs Treatment and Care of Child
High Temperature Temperature greater
than 37.5 degrees C
(oral/-mouth) or 37
degrees C (axillary-
armpit)
Inform the qualified educator.
Ensure you follow strict hygiene
procedures ( gloves and hand washing)
Sit child away from other children in a
quiet place.
limiting the number of educators dealing
with the child to prevent cross infection
Stay with child and comfort
Provide water to the child
Remove excess clothing
Parents to be called to collect the child.
Paracetamol; can be given only with
permission from the parents.
Encouraged parents to seek further
medical advice.
Ensure all toys and equipment the child
has had contact with are cleaned.
Diarrhoea and
vomiting
Diarrhoea and/or
vomiting
Inform the qualified educator.
Ensure you follow strict hygiene
procedures ( gloves and hand washing)
Sit/ lay child away from other children in
a quiet place.
limiting the number of educators dealing
with the child to prevent cross infection
Stay with child and comfort
Provide water to the child
Ensure child has clean clothing on
Provide child with a container to vomit in
(if needed)
Parents to be called to collect the child
Encourage parents to seek further
medical advice.
Ensure all toys and equipment the child
has had contact with are cleaned.
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Conjunctivitis Discharge from
the eye (thick and
coloured white,
yellow or green.)
Redness of the
eye,
Sore and
itchiness of the
eye,
Swollen eyelids,
Eye sensitive to
bright light.
Inform the qualified educator.
Ensure you follow strict hygiene
procedures ( gloves and hand washing)
Clean eye (Wipe the closed eye gently
but firmly to remove the excess
discharge. use a separate cotton wool
ball or tissue for each eye to avoid
cross-infection and use warm water.
Sit child away from other children in a
quiet place.
limiting the number of educators dealing
with the child to prevent cross infection
Stay with child and comfort
Parents to be called to collect the child
Encourage parents to seek further
medical advice.
Ensure all toys and equipment the child
has had contact with are cleaned.
Skin Rashes –
measles, mumps,
chicken pox etc.
Skin can look :
small, red, pin-
heads bumps
fine and lacy
markings
large red blotches
solid red area all
joined together
blisters
NOTE: Rashes often
have other symptoms
such as high
temperature and
lethargic. All of these
symptoms are signs
of their individual
illness/ infection.
Inform the qualified educator.
Ensure you follow strict hygiene
procedures ( gloves and hand washing)
Sit/ lay child away from other children in
a quiet place.
limiting the number of educators dealing
with the child to prevent cross infection
Stay with child and comfort
Treat other symptoms such as
temperature.
Parents to be called to collect the child
Encourage parents to seek further
medical advice.
Ensure all toys and equipment the child
has had contact with are cleaned
Source: NHMRC - Staying Healthy in Child Care: Preventing infectious diseases in child care,
Fourth Edition
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5. Controlling and Preventing Cross Infection in Child Care
There are steps that can be taken in child care centre to reduce the risk of transferring
infectious diseases. These include:
Encourage immunisation for staff members and children ( not compulsory
though children that are not immunised the child will be excluded from the
centre in case of outbreak) ;
Establish policies to outline centre hygiene procedures and exclusion of sick
people;
Provide adequate facilities for hand washing, cleaning and disposing of waste;
Establish proper procedures for infection control, especially for:
o Good personal hygiene including washing hands properly;
o Safe and hygienic practices for high-risk activities such as dealing with
blood and body fluids, nappy changing and toileting, handling dirty linen
and contaminated clothing and preparing and handling food;
o Good management of toys, play clothing and play equipment (such as
sand pits and wading pools); and
o General cleaning of the childcare workplace;
Provide staff members, children and visitors with information on infection
control policies and procedures (e.g. posters displayed showing correct hand
washing procedure etc.)
Provide adequate supplies of protective equipment such as disposable gloves.
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5.1. Configure Groupings of Children to Minimise the Risk of Illness
and Injuries
Configuring groupings of children to minimise the risk of illness
Whenever children are together, there is a chance of spreading infections. This is
especially true for infants and toddlers who are likely to use their hands to wipe
their noses or rub their eyes and then handle toys or touch other children. These
children then touch their noses and rub their eyes, so the virus goes from the nose
or eyes of one child by way of hands or toys to the next child who then rubs his own
eyes or nose.
To reduce the risk of becoming sick with the flu, child care providers and all the
children being cared for must receive all recommended immunisations, including
flu vaccines. The single best way to protect against the flu is to get vaccinated each
year. This critically important approach puts the health and safety of everyone in
the child care setting first. The flu vaccine is recommended for everyone 6 months
of age and older, including childcare staff.
Your centre may even establish a policy that any child with respiratory symptoms
(a cough, runny nose, or a sore throat) AND fever should be excluded from the
child care program. The child can return after the fever has resolved (without the
use of fever-reducing medicine), the child is able to participate in normal activities,
and staff can care for the child without compromising their ability to care for the
other children in the group.
In many Early Education and Care centres, staff cannot care for sick children and
in most cases are not trained to. Some centres may ensure the child is kept
comfortable in a separate area, so a cold, a cough, or even diarrhoea doesn’t spread
throughout the facility. In these programs, the staff member would be trained to
care for ill children, often in a “get-well room” where they won’t pass the disease to
others. There may also be a place to lie down while remaining within sight of a staff
member if a child needs to rest.
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Configuring groupings of children to minimise the risk of injuries
When configuring groupings of children to minimise the risk of injuries, it is
important that staff in the centre take into account the physical attributes of the
child such as the children’s height, strength and physical abilities, as these are key
factors when selecting tricycles, mounting hooks in cubbies or deciding to purchase
chairs with or without sides.
Similarly, the size and weight of equipment such as balls, boxes and toys should
ensure safe lifting, carrying or stacking. When working with very young children,
avoid small objects which could be easily swallowed or put in their ears or nostrils.
It is also important that staff in the centre take into account these physical
attributes when children are playing together as this can sometimes lead to
accidents. Some of the children may be bigger than the other children they are
playing with and may cause injuries whilst running around and playing.
5.2. Maintain Written Procedures and Schedules to Ensure a Regular
Regime of Washing Children’s Toys and Equipment
It is important that the centre maintain both written policy and procedures to
ensure toys and equipment are safe, and that possible risks to a child’s health
through the spread of infection and germs has been minimised through conducting
regular risk analysis, safety audits and following cleaning schedules, detailing when
and how the toys and equipment should be washed, checked, maintained and
provided to children.
Cleaning Toys, Clothing Furniture and Equipment
Preferably buy washable toys if practicable and
ensure toy cleanliness, wash mouthed toys daily using
warm water and soap, and dry in the sun, rotate toys
to allow for washing and use individual toy bags for
babies, clean books by wiping with moist cloth and
drying, clean toy storage areas weekly.
Whenever you are cleaning toys and equipment check
for broken or damaged pieces, consider the risks of
having faulty toys and equipment available to
children.
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Washing toys is a very important part of reducing the spread of infection and
germs. Toys especially those in rooms with younger children, or used outside need
to be washed every day. Warm water, detergent and soap are the best advice to
remove the spread of germs. If your centre has a dishwasher, then you could also
use that. An alternative method is to place the toys in a string bag, and them soak
in detergent; afterwards, you can hose the toys off and leave them hung up in the
bag to dry off outside.
A simple strategy you could establish is to start a "Toy Wash Box" and as you see
the toys that are discarded during the day; or especially if a child sneezes on it (or
is unwell) remove the toy and place it in the “Toy Wash Box” out of the reach of the
children.
A prime example would be to have two boxes in the nappy change area:
A box of clean toys
A box of to be washed toys
Then if a child needs a toy while they are having their nappy changed, give them
one from the clean toy box, and once the nappy has been changed; place the toy
immediately in the "to be washed box'.
Another strategy you could use is to provide colour coded sponges in each area, e.g.
Blue in the bathroom, Red in the kitchen, Yellow in the indoor play
area, Green in the outdoor area, and Orange in the Sleep area. Always
make sure to keep the cloths separate, wear gloves whenever cleaning and then
hanging the gloves out to dry when finished (turned inside out), always wash your
hands after you have finished any cleaning activities.
Your written procedures and schedules could follow a similar timeline as listed
below.
Daily washing schedules should include:
Toys, any object put in mouth or sneezed on
Bathroom, taps, toilet seat, handles and door knobs
Surfaces such as bench tops, taps and cots and tables
Mattress covers and linen
Floors
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Weekly washing schedule should include:
Low shelves
Doorknobs
Any other surfaces not touched by children regularly.
Remember:
Use good cleaning and washing techniques rather than just using
disinfectant
Clean items before using bleach
Store disinfectants and dilute disinfectant safely
5.3. Special Areas for Cleaning
Nappy Change Area
Clean the change area (both table and mat) thoroughly after each nappy change
with detergent and warm water. If the mat has faecal matter on it wash with
detergent and warm water, then wipe with bleach and leave to dry. At the end of
each morning and the end of each day remove the mat, wipe with bleach and leave
to dry, preferably outside.
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Clothing
Staff clothing or over-clothing should be washed in hot water. Over-clothes, such
as aprons or gowns with button upfronts, are great PPE to be worn by staff as these
can be removed at the end of the day when spoilt and washed ready for the next
day. This strategy helps to protect the early childhood education and care worker's
family when they return home. Over clothes should be worn over clothing that
cannot be washed daily; such as jumpers.
Children’s dress up clothes should be washed on a regular basis.
Linen
Wash linen in hot water. Do not carry used linen against your own clothing or
coverall. Instead it should be transferred to a basket (preferably on wheels). Treat
soiled linen as you would a soiled cloth nappy. It can be advisable for the centre to
have an external contractor collect the linen and take them away to be washed.
Sandpits
Sandpits can be a source of infection and health risks and will need to be kept well
maintained and clean. Sand can often become contaminated with faeces and urine,
usually from animals and insects, although sometimes from the children. Any sand
that has become contaminated by faeces, blood or urine should be removed using
a shovel and plastic bags and disposed of appropriately.
Toys
Use washable toys that will not get damaged if washed at the centre. Follow the
cleaning routines described above to wash and maintain them.
Dummies
Dummies must never be shared by children, when not in use they should be stored
in individual plastic containers and have the child's name clearly marked on the
container. Make sure they do not come in contact with another dummy.
Toothbrushes
Toothbrushes must never be shared by children, when not in use they should be
stored out of reach and make sure they do not come in contact with one another.
The bristles should be exposed to the air, to let them dry as a bacterium will grow
on them if they are wet or damp. Do not let one toothbrush drip onto another as
this may spread germs.
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Cots
If a child spoils a crib or cot you should follow the procedure below:
Put on gloves
Clean the child
Wash the child's hands
Clean the cot
Remove bulk of soiling/spill with absorbent paper towels
Remove any visible soiling by cleaning thoroughly with detergent and water
Provide clean linen
Place soiled linen in a lined, sealable laundry bag
Remove gloves and dispose of correctly
Wash your hands
5.4. Provide Families With Information and Support That Helps Them
to Follow the Service’s Hygiene Procedures
Good hygiene in childcare services is essential for reducing the risk of cross-
infection and helps children to develop hygiene habits that they will use throughout
their lives.
Families should be aware of the standards of hygiene used by early childhood
education and care staff that minimise the spread of infection. Families can assist
services to maintain a hygienic environment by practising good hygiene with their
own children at home. Current and up-to-date Hygiene and Health Information
sheets on the hygiene standards carried out at the centre can be provided to the
parents.
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How is Children’s Hygiene Encouraged?
Early childhood education and care staff can reduce the spread of infection by
encouraging children to follow simple hygiene rules. Using scaffolding to enable
children’s self-help skills can also be promoted by supporting them to develop
hygienic habits and routines. Hygiene can be reinforced at the service through the
centre’s program, experiences and activities, as well as through the use of daily
routines such as mealtimes, nappy changing and toileting.
Early childhood education and care staff can further support children’s hygiene by
role modelling hygienic practices such as thoroughly washing and drying hands,
and using serving utensils or disposable gloves to handle food. By setting hygiene
rules with children and providing positive feedback and support, child care
professionals can help children to develop personal hygiene skills.
What Can Families Do to Support Service Hygiene?
Families can greatly assist their Early Education and Care service by following the
same simple hygiene procedures when they are at the service and ensuring children
practice these hygiene strategies at home.
One of the best ways to stop the illness from spreading is through thorough hand
washing and drying. By washing hands with their child upon arrival and departure
from the service, families can assist to minimise infections that are brought into
and leave the service.
Thorough hand washing and drying at home will reinforce good hygiene habits
with children and minimise cross infections.
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Other helpful hygiene practices that families can include are:
Reminding your child about when they should wash their hands: For
example, before eating, after toileting and after touching animals
Providing your child with a supply of spare clothes from home in case of
toileting accidents and food and liquid spills
Keeping your child at home when they are ill until they are no longer
contagious and are well enough to return to care
5.5. Source Information About Recognised Health and Safety
Guidelines
There is a large range of health and safety guidelines for the child care centres
available. It is extremely important that you are aware of not only what they are
but where you can go to locate them.
Copies of the guidelines that are relevant to your centre should be kept on location
in the administration or managers office, and available for all staff to access at any
time.
Alternatively, access to health and safety guidelines can also be obtained through
Health and Safety organisations or via the internet.
These guidelines should always be used as a source of best practice when
reviewing risk controls that you have in place and for assessing any residual risk
of these controls.
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Health and Safety Guidelines
Staying Healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early
childhood education and care services 5th Edition, 2012
Covers:
Concepts in infection control
Main ways to prevent infection
Monitoring illness in children
Procedures in Child Care
Issues for employers, educators and other staff
http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/publications/attachme
nts/ch55_staying_healthy_childcare_5th_edition_0.pdf
Family Day Care Safety Guidelines, Aug 2012
Risk & Safety Requirements
National Safety Guidelines developed by Child Accident
Prevention Foundation of Australia (CAPFA, trading as
Kidsafe) which aim to prevent unintentional child injury in
home-based education and care services, e.g. family day
care
Note: This resource is an extremely valuable resource for
checking environmental safety
http://www.kidsafesa.com.au/__files/f/11828/Kidsafe_Family_
Day_Care_Safety_Guidelines_2014.pdf
Health & Safety in Children’s Centres: Model Policies &
Practices (rev. 2nd ed)
http://eduserve.com/sites/default/files/iccc_resources/Child_C
are_Model_Policies.pdf
ASCIA guidelines for prevention of anaphylaxis in
schools, pre-schools and childcare: 2012 update
The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy
has developed Guidelines for Prevention of Anaphylaxis in
Schools, Pre-schools and Childcare to assist school, pre-
school and childcare staff in the appropriate implementation
of risk-minimisation strategies.
http://www.allergy.org.au/images/stories/pospapers/ASCIA_g
uidelines_anaphylaxis_2012.pdf
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Australian Dietary Guidelines (2013)
http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/guidelines/publications/n55
Infant Feeding Guidelines: information for health workers
(2012)
http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/guidelines/publications/n56
Safe Infant Care to Reduce the Risk of Sudden
Unexpected Deaths in Infancy Policy Statement and
Guidelines
Queensland Health has developed the Safe Infant Care to
Reduce the Risk of Sudden Unexpected Deaths in
Infancy Policy Statement and Guidelines to assist staff in
the promotion of safe infant care practices in order to
reduce the risk of sudden unexpected infant deaths and
fatal sleeping accidents.
http://compliantlearningresources.com.au/network/sparkling-
stars/files/2017/03/Safe-Infant-Sleeping-Policy-Statement-
and-Guidelines.pdf
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5.6. Ensure That Service Procedures are Followed, In Relation to
Notifying Families of Illness or Injuries That Affect Children
While In Education and Care
Handling Infections and Illnesses
The centre’s policy should focus on trying to reduce the spread of infectious
diseases within the centre whilst keeping in mind the idea that too much
cleanliness is not necessarily a good thing as proposed by many experts studying
in the area of immunology.
The amount of time children spend in child care centres, or other facilities provides
increasing opportunities for infectious diseases to be spread.
It is not possible and to some extent, not entirely desirable, in terms of the
development of the child’s immune system, to prevent the spread of all infections
and illnesses within child care centres.
Each child and staff member must always be well enough to attend and participate
fully in activities. Children requiring one to one attention can be considered to need
home care.
Exclusion rules and policies should apply even if it has not been possible to provide
a specific diagnosis of the child's illness. For example:
Children should be excluded for a 24 hour exclusion period:
after vomiting, diarrhoea or any bowel or stomach upset, this means the
child should be 24 hours clear of any symptoms of vomiting/diarrhoea
AFTER the reintroduction and tolerance of a full diet: i.e. full strength milk
or formula for babies; fruit, vegetables, bread, meat etc.… for toddlers/pre-
schoolers
after a temperature increase, meaning that the temperature has stayed at
the 'NORMAL LEVEL' around 36 - 37c for 24 hours without paracetamol or
any other administered agent.
after commencing a course of antibiotics or antifungals medication. This
gives time for the medication to begin to take effect and allows time to
observe any adverse reactions to the medication.
Rules for General Sickness
The centre has the right to exclude any child or staff member who has an illness
that may affect the health of others.
As a general principle, children should not be brought to the centre unless they are
able to cope adequately with the normal routines and activities.
They should also not be brought to the centre if they will expose others to
unnecessary infection.
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If a child does not have an infectious disease but exhibits any of the following signs
they should be excluded:
sleeps at unusual times
has a raised temperature that remains above 37.5c or continues to rise
is crying constantly as a result of discomfort due to illness
is reacting badly to medications
is in need of constant one to one care
It is important that discussions occur with the parents as soon as possible in these
circumstances so that the child can be taken to a doctor for consultation.
It is essential that contagious diseases be reported to the Director as soon as
possible so that other parents can be notified.
Communicating Illness
Every centre should have a communications policy regarding notifying parents
about the illness or injuries of children while in education and care. The policy
should cover:
Who contacts the parents,
How contact will be made, and
When will contact be made
Families will need to be contacted to ensure that they have a decision on what
action will be taken.
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Illness or Injury Best Practice Procedures
When a child becomes ill or injured during care, centres should:
•This should be done as soon as practically possible. Staff should request that they or a responsible person nominated by the family, pick up, take charge of the child and take to the child’s doctor
Notify the family
•Until the child’s family or nominated person arrives the child should be provided first aid (if appropriate) and kept in a relaxed, safe environment.
Keep the child under adult supervision
•If prior consent has not been provided by parents or legal guardian, make every attempt to secure consent from parents or legal guardian or gain consent form a registered medical practitioner. Legislative requirements should be followed at all times. See REG
If medication is required in an Emergency
•Administer the medication and record the details in accordance with regulations, ensure that a record of the illness, injury or accident is made using an Accident/Injury/Illness Reporting Form and that a copy is provided to the child’s family.
Ensure family is notified of any medication administered
•In the event of hospitalisation or death of a child the manager or authorised supervisor must be contacted in accordance with Regulation. The manager or authorised supervisor is required to ensure that the parent or guardian of the child, a police officer and the Director of Community Services are informed in accordance with Regulation. In the case of a death of a child, the centre manger should inform the police who will inform the parent or guardian. The relevant state WorkCover authority must also be contacted.
Notify the centre manager
•Any personal or health related information obtained by centre staff in relation to children, children’s parents and families must be treated with utmost confidentiality.
Ensure Confidentiality
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Common Childhood Illnesses and Appropriate Responses
Common Illness in
Childhood
Method of
Transmission? What should your response be?
Whooping cough
(Pertussis)
Contact with airborne
droplets
Exclude child until five days after starting appropriate antibiotic treatment or for 21
days from the onset of coughing.
Contacts that live in the same house as the case and have received less than three
doses of pertussis vaccine are to be excluded from the centre until they have had
5 days of an appropriate course of antibiotics. If antibiotics have not been taken,
these contacts must be excluded for 21 days after their last exposure to the case
while the person was infectious.
Influenza Contact with airborne
droplets
Exclude until the child is well.
Rubella or measles Contact with airborne
droplets
Exclude until fully recovered or for at least 4 days after onset of rash.
Immunised and immune contacts are not excluded.
Non-immunised contacts of a case are to be excluded from child care until 14 days
after the first day of appearance of rash in the last case unless immunised within
72 hours of the first contact during the infectious period with the first case.
All immunocompromised children should be excluded until 14 days after the first
day of appearance of rash in the last case.
Hepatitis A Faecal-oral
contamination
Exclude until a medical certificate of recovery is received, but not before seven
days after the onset of jaundice.
Worms Faecal-oral
contamination
Exclusion not necessary if treatment has occurred
Viral gastroenteritis Faecal-oral
contamination
Exclude until diarrhoea has ceased for at least 24 hours. If child develops lactose
intolerance and ongoing loose bowels a doctor’s certificate is required.
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Chicken Pox Secretions come into
contact with mucous
membranes, broken skin
Exclude until all blisters have dried. This is usually at least 5 days after the rash
first appeared in unimmunised children and less in immunised children.
Any child with an immune deficiency (for example, leukaemia) or receiving
chemotherapy should be excluded for their own protection. Otherwise, not
excluded.
Cold Sores (herpes
simplex)
Secretions come into
contact with mucous
membranes, broken skin
Exclusion is not necessary if the person is developmentally capable of maintaining
hygiene practices to minimise the risk of transmission. If the person is unable to
comply with these practices they should be excluded until the sores are dry. Sores
should be covered by a dressing where possible.
Ringworm Secretions come into
contact with mucous
membranes, broken skin
Re-admit the day after appropriate treatment has commenced.
Glandular fever
(Mononucleosis)
Direct contact with
saliva
Exclusion is NOT necessary
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) From urine
contaminated surfaces
Exclusion is NOT necessary
Hepatitis B Blood from an infected
person comes into direct
contact through broken
or abraded skin or with
the mucous membranes
of another person.
Exclusion is NOT necessary
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Hepatitis C Blood from an infected
person comes into direct
contact through broken
or abraded skin or with
the mucous membranes
of another person.
Exclusion is NOT necessary
HIV Blood from an infected
person comes into direct
contact through broken
or abraded skin or with
the mucous membranes
of another person.
Exclusion is NOT necessary. If the person is severely immunocompromised, they
will be vulnerable to other people’s illnesses.
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5.7. Advise Families and Public Health Authorities Where Necessary of
Cases of Infectious Diseases At the Service and Provide Them With
Relevant Information
A long history of major public health problems in both Australia and the rest of the
world has created the need for public health legislation to contain the spread of
communicable diseases. Even though death and illness from communicable
diseases were significantly reduced in the 20th century, particularly vaccine-
preventable diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, influenza, polio,
etc. Other diseases, such as food and water-borne diseases and sexually
transmitted infections, continue to pose problems.
When we are rejoicing with advances in the treatments of many illnesses and
diseases, the World Health Organisation has released a global warning on the
spread of Ebola and the possibility of a pandemic (a worldwide epidemic).
The Guide to the NQS states in Element 2.1.2 that “Effective illness and injury
management and hygiene practices are promoted and implemented.”
It outlines how an Early Education and Care service should use guidelines in
dealing with infectious diseases, and address child and staff immunisation,
including exclusion periods. It further states that the service’s guidelines for the
exclusion of ill children and educators should be consistently implemented.
Early Childhood Education and Care centres are required to inform the
local public health unit of the following notifiable conditions:
Diarrhoea (if several children in one group are ill);
Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib);
Hepatitis A;
Hepatitis B (recent illness only);
Measles;
Meningococcal infection;
Parvovirus B19 (if 2 or more cases);
Pertussis;
Roseola (if two or more children in one group are ill);
Scarlet fever; and
Tuberculosis (TB).
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Some conditions require urgent notification to enable prompt public health action,
and immediate phone contact with the Public Health Unit is required. For example,
in the case of invasive meningococcal disease, public health units will undertake
contact tracing and provide clearance antibiotics for eligible contacts.
What should centre staff do when a notifiable disease is recognised in
their setting?
Under the public health legislation, staff should exclude from care or work any
suspected persons, and the local Public Health Unit should be notified and
provided with any details of any known or suspected persons (children or staff)
with any of the notifiable diseases.
Staff should report to and seek advice from the local Public Health Unit if two or
more persons (children or staff) have gastroenteritis.
Staff will need to seek advice from the Local Public Health Unit if any person has a
serious illness such as meningitis, food poisoning, gastroenteritis, streptococcal
infection, tuberculosis, hepatitis A or disease as listed by the recommended
notifiable diseases.
In the case of a person presenting symptoms of a notifiable disease:
Isolate Child: the child should be isolated from other children providing
the sick child, and all other children can be adequately supervised.
OR
Isolate Staff member: Isolate the affected staff member from other
children and staff and ensure they are replaced to ensure the appropriate
supervision of children.
Notify Parents/Carer or Family: It is extremely important that the
family of the affected person are notified as soon as practically possible, and
request that they or a responsible person nominated by the parent or
guardian, pick up and take charge of the child/staff member and take them
to the doctor.
Assess the person: Assess the child/staff member for any need for first
aid or emergency treatment, make them comfortable and reassure them.
Keep the child under adult supervision until the child’s family or some other
responsible person who has consent takes charge of the child except as
required by law under the legislation. Check the details in your local
state/territory Public Health Act.
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Inform other families: Inform all other families of children at the centre
as soon as possible, of the presence of the infectious disease in
o a child in your care,
o a centre staff member or
o a person working or visiting the centre.
o In providing such information, ensure confidentiality of any personal
identifying or health information of any person or child with an
infectious disease.
Contact Public Health: When a confirmed outbreak of an infectious
disease has occurred, discuss the situation with the local Public Health Unit,
and request the Public Health Unit to provide written advice and
information about identification, prevention and management of possible
infection or serious illness.
By informing the public health unit, the centre benefits because public
health staff may be able to help:
Identify the cause of the illness
Explain the consequences to children and staff of an infection
Trace the source of the infection (for example, contaminated food)
Advise on appropriate control measures (for example, vaccines,
antibiotics, exclusion, education, infection control practices)
Public health staff can provide valuable advice and support and have access to
resources that may be necessary to manage outbreaks.
Sanitise the Centre: Ensure all bedding, towels, clothing, toys,
equipment and utensils used by the child or staff member are washed and
dried in the sun, or present the child’s clothes to the family to wash.
Remain Vigilant: Be vigilant (monitor and observe) for the same disease
occurring in any other child or person that has been in contact with the
child (most incubation periods for common infectious diseases are around
1 to 2 weeks).
Ensure confidentiality: Ensure confidentiality of any personal or
health-related information obtained by children’s centre staff in relation to
any children, children’s parents and families.
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Note: Be aware that infection with HIV, AIDS, Hepatitis B, or Hepatitis C are
not grounds for exclusion (unless the person is acutely infectious or has a
secondary infectious infection). If a children’s centre staff or other staff
member is informed that a child or any person associated with the centre has
HIV, AIDS, Hepatitis B, or Hepatitis C, this information must remain
confidential unless the person or parent has given explicit consent to inform
others.
Administering Medication
If medication is required in an emergency without the prior consent of the child’s
parent or legal guardian, make every attempt to secure consent from a parent or
legal guardian or consent from a registered medical practitioner.
Administer medication and record the administration in accordance with the
Regulation, ensure that a record of the illness, injury or accident is made in an
Incident, Injury, Trauma or Illness Record and that a copy is given to the child’s
family.
Hospitalisation or Death of a Child
In line with Regulations 12, in case of a serious illness where a child required or
ought to have required hospitalisation, the approved provider must notify the
regulatory authority within 24 hours of the incident. Only those that require
immediate medical attention should be reported to the regulatory authority. In the
event of a death of a child in the service, the approved provider must also notify the
regulatory authority as soon as practicable, but within 24 hours of the incident.
Reporting can be done by using the National Quality Agenda IT System (NQA IT),
an online tool that assists in easy communication with the regulatory authorities
without heaps of paperwork.
Ensure current records of children’s immunisation status are up-to-date and a
procedure is in place to maintain the currency
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What is Immunisation?
Immunisation protects people against harmful infections before they come into
contact with them in the community. Immunisation uses the body’s natural
defence mechanism - the immune response - to build resistance to specific
infections. Immunisation helps people stay healthy by preventing serious
infections.
Immunisation means both are receiving a vaccine and becoming immune to a
disease, as a result of being vaccinated.
All forms of immunisation work in the same way.
When a person is vaccinated, their body produces an immune response in the same
way their body would after exposure to a disease, but without the person suffering
symptoms of the disease. When a person comes in contact with that disease in the
future, their immune system will respond fast enough to prevent the person
developing the disease.
All vaccines currently available in Australia must pass stringent safety testing
before being approved for use by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
This testing is required by law and is usually done over many years during the
vaccine’s development.
Why immunisation is so important
Immunisation is a simple, safe and effective way of protecting both the children
you love and yourself against certain diseases that can cause serious illness and
sometimes death. If a child is protected through immunisation, they will not
develop symptoms of the disease and therefore won’t be able to pass the infection
on to other people – especially:
Very young babies who haven’t been fully immunised yet
People aged 65 years and over
Pregnant women
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 years and over
Anyone aged 6 months and over who has a chronic condition placing them
at increased risk of complications from influenza
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Some immunisations, including rubella immunisation, can help protect unborn
babies.
Young children and babies are more prone to illness as their immunity has
not developed fully.
Children are often less likely to practise good hygiene (for example washing
their hands, covering their mouth when they cough and using tissues) and
more likely to expose you to their bodily fluids!
Some infectious diseases can be very serious. For example, whooping cough
(also called pertussis) can be deadly for young babies, but will often be a
mild illness in adults.
Many infectious diseases, such as measles, are highly infectious several days
before any symptoms appear.
Recommended Immunisations for Children
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) recommend that
Australian babies and children are immunised against the following diseases:
Chickenpox
Diphtheria
Haemophilus influenza type
b (Hib)
Hepatitis b
Measles
Meningococcal c
Mumps
Pneumococcal infection
Poliomyelitis
Rotavirus (for babies under
six months)
Rubella
Tetanus
Whooping cough
Recommendations
It’s also recommended that older children and some adults are immunised against
meningococcal C, pneumococcal infections, hepatitis A and influenza. Although all
Australians can be immunised against these diseases, the vaccines are free only for
some high-risk groups.
When enrolling a child in your child care centre, you must ask the question about
immunisation to ensure children have had their immunisations and when they are
updated families should advise you of the date. Keeping the centre records up to
date for each child will ensure you have the knowledge of every child’s
immunisation status.
Staff Immunisations
Child care staff may also be exposed to diseases that are preventable by
immunisation including hepatitis A, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella and
pertussis. Staff that have not previously been infected with or immunised against
these diseases are at risk of infection. All of these diseases can cause serious illness
in adults. Some of these diseases, such as rubella and chickenpox, can cause serious
damage to an unborn baby if a woman is infected during her pregnancy. Child care
staff will normally be at minimal risk of hepatitis B. If advice on risk is needed, ask
the local public health unit.
Which staff members should consider immunisations?
People working closely with children, including:
Childcare and preschool staff
School staff (including teachers, school nurses, out-of-school carers, welfare
coordinators)
Youth and children's service workers (including child protection workers)
Health and allied health workers
Correctional staff working where children cohabitate with mothers
Health and allied health workers
Vocational students on placement
Source: Why immunisation is important
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Employers have an obligation to prevent or minimise the risk to childcare staff
from exposure to diseases that are preventable by vaccination. Immunisation of
staff is one effective way to manage the risk in childcare settings, as these diseases
are usually infectious before the onset of symptoms.
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) recommend that
childcare staff should be immunised against:
Hepatitis A
Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR). Childcare staff born during or since 1966
who do not have vaccination records of two doses of MMR, or do not have
antibodies for rubella, require vaccination
Varicella, if they have not previously been infected with chickenpox
Pertussis. An adult booster dose is especially important for those staff caring
for the youngest children who are not fully vaccinated
Although the risk is low, staff who care for children with intellectual
disabilities should seek advice about hepatitis B immunisation if the
children are unimmunised
Children’s Immunisation Status
Early childhood education and care services staff can be exposed to infectious
diseases through contact with infectious children and their blood and body
substances.
Recommended vaccinations for non-immune staff who work with young children
include:
hepatitis A
measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) (persons born during or since 1966 who
have only received one dose of the MMR vaccine should have a second dose)
chickenpox (if not previously infected)
pertussis (whooping cough) (an adult booster dose)
influenza (annual vaccination).
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Changes to Legislation
In an effort to improve childhood immunisation rates, many state governments
have amended their Public Health Act legislation, meaning that early childhood
education and care services cannot enrol a child unless the parent/guardian has
provided documentation that shows the child:
is fully vaccinated for their age, or;
has a medical reason not to be vaccinated, or;
has a parent/guardian who has a conscientious objection to vaccination or;
is on a recognised catch-up schedule if
their child has fallen behind on their
vaccinations.
The child’s immunisation status must be
recorded upon their initial enrolment in
the service and at each immunisation
milestone (2, 4, 6, 12 & 18 months and
3½ - 4 years).
In the event of an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease,
unimmunised children may be required to stay at home for the
duration of the outbreak.
Immunisation and Parent Eligibility for Some Government Benefits
A number of government family assistance payments require children to meet the
immunisation requirements. Some Government benefits are available to parents
of children who meet certain immunisation requirements, that is, they are up to
date with immunisation or have an appropriate exemption (benefits can be
received without a child being fully immunised).
For more information, parents can visit
www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/enablers/immunisation-requirements
or visit a Centrelink or Medicare Service Centre.
The Australian Childhood Immunisation Register
An Australian, State and Territory Government initiative, the Immunise Australia
Program aims to increase national immunisation rates for vaccine-preventable
diseases. The Immunise Australia Program implements the National
Immunisation Program (NIP) Schedule which currently includes vaccines against
a total of 16 diseases.
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Access to the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR)
After registering, parents/guardians can log onto the Medicare online services
website and print a copy of the ACIR Immunisation History Statement or relevant
form that needs to be completed by their doctor/immunisation nurse.
The ACIR Immunisation History Statement is issued to parents after their child’s
18 months and 3½ - 4-year-old milestone vaccinations automatically but can be
requested at any time.
The statement will show the words ‘up to date’ next to Immunisation status in the
top section of the form as highlighted in the example below:
Source: NSW Health Immunisation Enrolment Toolkit
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Upon enrolment ask the parents if you can take a copy of this statement to add to
your enrolment records and update your Immunisation register.
Where a child is not up to date with their scheduled vaccinations the words ‘not up
to date’ will be shown as highlighted in the example below:
Source: NSW Health Immunisation Enrolment Toolkit
Online versions of the ACIR Immunisation History Statements were shown in the
previous examples.
A mailed version is shown below:
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Early Childhood Education and Care Immunisation Schedule register
Under Element 2.1.2 of the NQS, centres must keep current records of the status of each child’s immunisations, including a written
process for obtaining information from families about their children’s current immunisation status. These records will be viewed by
NQS auditors as part of the Quality Improvement process.
The schedule above is an example taken from the NSW Immunisation register template available at
www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation/Documents/immunisation-reg-template.xls
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5.8. Provide Information to Families and Educators About Child and
Adult Immunisation Recommendations
Centre Policies on Immunisation
Every centre should have the following:
A staff immunisation policy should be developed stating the
immunisation requirements for childcare staff at the centre
A staff immunisation record should document previous infection or
immunisation for any relevant diseases (as listed above).
Requirements for all new and current staff to complete the staff
immunisation record
Regularly update staff immunisation records as staff become vaccinated
Current up-to-date information for staff about diseases that are preventable
by immunisation, this could be presented through in-service training or
written material such as fact sheets and newsletters
Strategies in place to ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to encourage
non-immune staff to be vaccinated
* Childcare workers born during or since 1966 who do not have vaccination records
of two doses of MMR, or do not have antibodies for rubella, require vaccination.
Staying up-to-date with immunisations is the most effective way you can protect
yourself and the children and babies you work with from vaccine-preventable
diseases.
This means that services should be able to provide the latest recommendations on
immunisations to parents and families upon request. It is this information
available as part of your enrolment pack.
Quality Area 2 Each child’s health and physical activity is supported and
promoted.
One of the key factors related to meeting the requirements in Quality Area 2 are that centres promote children’s health, safety and wellbeing in services including encouraging and supporting childhood immunisation.
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How can you keep up to date with current information about child and
adult immunisation? (and keep your children’s parents up to date at
the same time)
The Immunise Australia Program aims to increase national immunisation
rates by funding free vaccination programs, administering the Australian
Childhood Immunisation Register and communicating information about
immunisation to the general public and health professionals.
https://www.australia.gov.au/information-and-services/health/childrens-health-and-
immunisation
http://www.immunise.health.gov.au/
The Understanding Childhood Immunisation (UCI) booklet is an easy to
understand resource aimed at informing parents and guardians on what
immunisation is, why they should vaccinate their child/ren against vaccine-
preventable diseases, vaccines their child/ren will receive under the National
Immunisation Program and addresses frequently asked questions.
There are two versions of the Understanding Childhood Immunisation (UCI)
booklet:
detailed booklet on 'Understanding Childhood Immunisation'; and
the handy quick reference booklet, 'Your Guide to Understanding Childhood
Immunisation'.
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is Australia’s
leading expert body promoting the development and maintenance of public and
individual health standards.
Staying Healthy - Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and
care services is a great resource that covers:
concepts of infection control
monitoring illness in children
suggested procedures
issues for employers, educators and other staff
fact sheets on diseases common to education and care services
forms, useful contacts and websites.
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This resource represents an increased focus on a risk-management approach to
infection prevention and control principles in daily care activities.
Staying Healthy provides educators and other staff working in education and care
services with simple and effective methods for minimising the spread of disease. It
contains more ‘how to’ advice on procedures and discussing exclusion periods with
parents.
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The most recent schedule for the National Immunisation Program is below:
(updated 8 December 2017 )
Age of Child Recommended Immunisation
Birth An injection for hepatitis B
2 months A combined injection for diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough
(pertussis), hepatitis B, polio, Hib (haemophilus influenzae
type b)
An injection for pneumococcal
Oral drops for rotavirus (Oral dose of rotavirus vaccine 6-14
weeks of age)
4 months A combined injection for diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough
(pertussis), hepatitis B, polio, Hib (haemophilus influenzae
type b)
An injection for pneumococcal
Oral drops for rotavirus (Oral dose of rotavirus vaccine 10-24
weeks of age)
6 months A combined injection for diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough
(pertussis), hepatitis B, polio, Hib (haemophilus influenzae
type b)
An injection for pneumococcal
12 months A combined injection for measles, mumps, rubella
A combined injection for Hib (haemophilus influenzae type b),
meningococcal C
An injection for pneumococcal
18 months A combined injection for measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox
(varicella)
A combined injection for diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough
(pertussis)
4 years A combined injection for diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough
(pertussis), polio
An injection for pneumococcal
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6. Management of Allergies
A child may need to be given medication whilst at Sparkling Stars. There is no room
for error in handling and administering medications, so the centre has a policy for staff
to follow. Read the Immunisation, medication and management of illness policy in the
intranet.
The 5 Rights of Administering Medication
1. Right child
Check the child’s name and date of birth on the medication label.
2. Right medication
Read the label to make sure you have the correct medication.
Check to see:
o Medication is in the original labelled container
o Expiration date is not exceeded
3. Right dose
Check dose on label and authorization form
Use proper measuring device
Check measuring device carefully and have another educator double
check dose.
4. Right time
Check the permission form to match the time with the label
Check that medication is being given within 30 minutes before or after
prescribed time
Look at the clock and note the time
The right time includes both time and date
5. Right way is the way and place that medication is given (i.e., orally, topically,
inhaled, etc.). Example, asthma medication to be given through nebulizer or
spacer depending on doctors instructions.
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Storage of Medication
Medication needs to be stored appropriately, away from children and in childproof
containers. A major hazard is the possibility of the child finding a bottle of some
medication--whether his own or another child’s, and taking a large dose.
Most child care centres have detailed policies and procedures.
Medication will only be administered by the centre staff if:
it is prescribed by a doctor and has the original label detailing the child’s name
and required dosage
the parent/guardian has completed and signed an authority to give medication
form
medication must be given directly to the staff member and not left in the child’s
bag or locker
before medication is given to a child the staff member will verify the correct
dosage with another staff member. After giving the medication, the staff
member will complete the following details on the authority to give medication
form - the name of child, date, time, dosage, medication given; the person who
administered, the person who verified with signatures to validate.
medication will never be added to a child’s bottle for administration
Where medication for treatment of long-term conditions or complains such as asthma,
epilepsy or ADD is required, the centre may require a letter from the child’s medical
practitioner or specialist detailing the medical condition of the child, correct dosage as
prescribed and how the condition is to be managed. Please check and read the policy
and procedures for administering medication.
No medication should ever be given without the parents’ knowledge and
permission.
Each centre will have a medication authority form for the parents to complete.
Please access the Authority to Administer Medication Form at the following
webpage:
Sparkling Stars Childcare Centre Forms
Please access the Immunisation Medication and Management of Illness Policy here::
Sparkling Stars Childcare Policies and Procedures
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6.1. Anaphylaxis
The most severe form of allergic reaction is anaphylaxis. This is a severe allergic
reaction or attack that usually occurs within 20 minutes of exposure to the trigger
and can rapidly become life-threatening.
Allergic reactions are common. They happen when the immune system reacts to
something in the environment that is normally harmless: e.g. food proteins, pollens
or dust mites. It can be triggered by an allergen coming into contact with the skin,
eyes, nose, eyes, lungs or the stomach/bowel.
How to protect children with allergies?
Each centre will have their own strategies to ensure all educators are informed if
children have allergies or are at risk of an anaphylaxis reaction.
Strategies include having a list and or individual posters in each playroom,
outdoors, the staff room and in the kitchen. Children’s anaphylaxis medical action
plans need to be displayed in a place that is easily accessed if needed. Anaphylaxis
medication needs to be kept in the child’s room in a secure place that is dry and
cool though easily accessed by the educators.
It is essential that good communication with relief educators is maintained. When
relief educators arrive at the centre, they should be informed about any children
who have allergies, their triggers and treatment procedures.
When preparing, storing and serving food, it is essential that you follow strict food
handling procedures to prevent cross-contamination of food.
Educators and the cook need to ensure they keep the trigger food separate from the
other children’s meal. This includes:
If you use a food that is a trigger allergen for a child in the centre, wash
contaminated kitchen utensils, plates and pots and pans used in hot soapy
water or in the dishwasher between uses.
Use hot, soapy disposable paper towelling to wipe surfaces that have had the
food allergen on them. This allows removal of the allergen without
contamination of the everyday sponge or washcloth.
Use separate sponges (colour coded) for washing up to reduce the risk of
cross-contamination. Do not store sponges together.
Use a plastic basket in the fridge to contain allergic foods, eg. Milk, eggs etc.
so not to contaminate food in storage.
Make individual plates up for children with allergy and mark clearly with
their name and the date.
Ensure children do not share food or utensil.
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6.2. Allergic and Anaphylactic Reactions
Many allergic reactions are mild, but some can be severe and even life-threatening.
Signs and symptoms
Mild to moderate allergic reaction
A reaction will include one or more of these symptoms, and it is possible that a
number of them will happen at the same time:
hives or welts (a red, lumpy rash, like mosquito bites).
a tingling feeling in or around the mouth
abdominal pain, vomiting and/or diarrhoea
facial swelling
Severe allergic reaction (Anaphylaxis)
This term is used to describe a severe allergic reaction that involves breathing
and/or circulation (heart and blood). Any of these symptoms, as well as one or
more of the above symptoms of a mild-moderate allergic reaction, indicates
anaphylaxis:
difficulty with breathing and/or noisy breathing
swelling of the tongue
swelling and/or tightness in throat
difficulty talking and/or hoarse voice
loss of consciousness and/or collapse
when a person becomes pale and floppy (infants/young children)
Treatment
The first line treatment for anaphylaxis is adrenaline, which may be given as an
EpiPen® injection.
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Epipen® Administration Techniques
Source: https://www.allergy.org.au/health-professionals/anaphylaxis-resources/how-to-give- epipen
If a child has had a history of anaphylaxis, an adrenaline auto-injector should be
prescribed for the treatment or future episodes. Indications for prescribing an
adrenaline auto-injector, can be found at the Australasian Society of Clinical
Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA).
The following recommendations should be considered:
Each child who has been prescribed an adrenaline auto-injector needs an
Anaphylaxis Action Plan, completed by a doctor.
If an adrenaline auto-injector is used, always call an ambulance by phoning
000
Reference: The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne: Allergic and Anaphylactic reactions.
https://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/fact_sheets/Allergic_and_anaphylactic_reactions/
To view a template for an anaphylaxis Medical Action Plan, please click on the
following link. http://compliantlearningresources.com.au/network/sparkling-
stars/?p=3405
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6.3. Management of Asthma
Asthma is a common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized
by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction and
bronchospasm.
Asthma can be triggered by any of the following:
Pollens
Moulds
House dust mites
Animal dander and saliva (cat, dog, horse, rabbit)
Chemicals used in industry
Venom from insect stings
Some foods and medicines
o peanuts
o eggs
o tree nuts (e.g. cashews)
o cow’s milk
o fish and shellfish
o wheat
o soy
o sesame
If it is known that a child suffers from asthma, there should be a completed Asthma
Management Plan contained in their student profile.
Always follow organisational policies and legislative requirements in relation to
medication for asthma.
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CHAPTER 5. SUPERVISING CHILDREN TO ENSURE
SAFETY
Supervision is the most essential skill you will develop as a lead educator or educator;
you will use this skill every minute of your working day.
The safety and wellbeing of all the children in your care depend on it.
The National Quality Framework, which includes the National Education and Care
Services National Law and Regulations, state that it is an offence to inadequately
supervise children. (Section 165) and the National Quality Standard supports this law
through element 2.2. At all times, reasonable precautions and adequate supervision
ensure children are protected from harm and hazard.
Each centre must have developed and implemented policy and procedures designed to
meet legislative requirements for supervision of children.
These policies will include:
child-staff ratios
requirements when supervising in particular areas, e.g. outdoor play area
requirements when supervising particular activities, e.g. toileting
requirements when supervising particular groups, e.g. a group of 3-year-olds
on tricycles
requirements when supervising children’s arrival and departure from the
service
requirements when supervising on excursions
Four Principles of Supervision
1. Knowing
2. Listening
3. Positioning
4. Scanning
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Knowing
Being aware of where children are and the number of children you are
supervising and doing regular head counts.
Being aware of activities and equipment that requires special supervision, for
example, safety or turn taking.
Before the day begins, think about the children you will be working with (their
ages & the experiences & routines that are planned for the day.)
Be aware of areas that require a high level of supervision
Be aware of particular children who may require extra adult
attention/supervision
Listening
Listening for unusual sounds, crying or silence (a good indicator that something
unusual may be happening.)
Sounds can tell you a lot about what is happening - angry, raised voices are a
sign of pending aggression, unusual silence may also alert you that something
atypical is happening.
Be aware of the sounds of your day & you will quickly notice ‘different’ sounds
if and when they occur.
Scanning
Watching and being aware of all activities occurring in the area you are
supervising
Looking around regularly (always look up, look around)
Be aware of all children around you and what they are doing.
Be aware of where other adults are supervising
Always be vigilant & never assume that ‘someone else’ is taking responsibility.
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Positioning
Position yourself to get the best possible view
Never have your back to children
Activities requiring special supervision must have an educator nearby
Never leave children unattended
Always inform another educator if you need to leave your supervision area.
It can also be helpful to let children know that you can see them (this can
sometimes help to modify rough or dangerous play).
Remember that you must follow correct procedure should an accident occur, which
includes completing an Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness Record. Have another
look at the form on the intranet if you need a reminder.
The Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness Record can be
located here:
Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness Record
1. The Environment and Supervision
Well-designed environments will take supervision into account and allow educators
monitor and interact with the children with ease. For example, ensuring indoor
furniture is positioned to create learning areas through using low shelving and mats to
designate areas ensuring open sight lines that make supervision easy from many
points in the room.
Active Supervision
While supervising it is important that you interact with the children. By interacting
with the children you are modelling appropriate behaviours, ways to play and how to
interact with others. By being an active participant in children’s play you are
supporting their learning through “teachable moments”.
“Teachable moments” are those spontaneous situations that you use a play situation
or time of discovery to build on the children’s learning. By engaging the children in
conversations and discussions, you will be extending on the children’s learning
through scaffolding.
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This links directly to the National Quality Standard 1.2.2 Educators respond to
children’s ideas and play and extend children’s learning through open-ended
questions, interactions and feedback.
Positive interactions with children help to build trusting relationships where we learn
about and from each other. This not only benefits the child but also benefits the
educators as it develops job satisfaction, therefore, maintaining the consistency and
sustainability of the workplace and workforce.
Educators effectively supervise children by actively watching and attending their
environment.
Educators should avoid carrying out activities that will draw their attention away from
supervision such as reading or speaking on the phone. If they are required to move
away from actively supervising children, they should make sure they are replaced by
another educator.
Active supervision of children can be achieved in the following ways:
Direct and constant monitoring by carers in close proximity to children is useful
for actively supervising activities that involve some risk, for example woodwork
activities, cooking experiences and any children’s play that is in or near water
Careful positioning of carers to allow them to observe the maximum area
possible. By moving around the area carers can the ensure the best view
possible, and that they are always facing the children
Scanning or regularly looking around the area to observe all the children in the
vicinity is useful when carers are supervising a large group of children
Listening closely to children near and far will help to supervise areas that may
not be in the carer’s direct line of sight. This is particularly useful when listening
out for sleeping babies through a monitor or when supervising areas where
children may be playing in corners, behind trees or play equipment.
Observing children’s play and anticipating what may happen next will allow
carers to assist children as difficulties arise and to intervene where there is
potential danger to children
Balancing activities to ensure risk is minimised and there are sufficient carers
to attend to children’s needs
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Informing New Staff
It is extremely important that new or relief educators are provided with details and
responsibilities of supervising children as soon as they start. This information could
be included in their induction/welcome pack on the first day of work. Include a copy
of the centre’s supervision policy and get them to sign off on a letter agreeing that they
are aware of all conditions/requirements.
2. Ensure Adequate Supervision of Children
Supervision is the key aspect of ensuring that children’s safety is protected in the Early
Education and Care environment. Educators need to be alert to and aware of risks and
hazards and the potential for accidents and injury throughout the service, not just
within their immediate area.
Some key factors described in the NQS that relate to Quality Area 2 include:
maintaining adequate supervision of children
configuring groupings of children to minimise the risk of overcrowding, injury
and illness
Element 2.2.1 At all times, reasonable precautions and adequate
supervision ensure children are protected from harm and hazard.
To meet these requirements, a centre must ensure that children are:
supervised in all areas of the service, by being in sight and/or hearing of an
educator at all times, including during toileting, sleep, rest and transition
routines
unable to access unsupervised or unsafe areas in the service
only taken outside the service premises by an educator, coordinator,
nominated supervisor, parent or authorised nominee
Groupings of children need to be configured to provide for each child’s comfort and to
minimise the risk of overcrowding and of course, ensure appropriate supervision.
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An educator’s role in meeting the requirements for supervising are to:
supervise children closely when they are in a situation that presents a higher
risk of injury—for example, during water play or woodwork experiences or on
an excursion
adjust the levels of supervision depending on the area of the service and the
skills, age mix, dynamics and size of the group of children they are supervising
Centre staff should understand how to design, plan and arrange equipment, furniture
and activities to ensure effective supervision while also allowing children to access
private and quiet spaces.
Part of the role of supervising is also to monitor the environment to ensure the safety
of the children. Failing to comply with this requirement is an offence under the
National Law (section 167 Offence relating to the protection of children from harm and
hazards).
Children have a right to be protected from possible or potential hazards and dangers
posed by products, plants, objects, animals and people in the immediate and wider
environment.
Educators and co-ordinators can assist children by:
Talking with them about safety issues
and correct use of equipment and the
environment and, where appropriate,
involving children in setting safety rules
Discussing sun safety with children and
implementing appropriate measures to
protect children from overexposure to
ultraviolet radiation
Children should never be able to:
Access potentially hazardous items, such as medications, detergents, cleaning
products and garden chemicals, and that such items are clearly labelled at all
times
Access power points, double adaptors and power boards and that other
electrical equipment and electrical cords are secured
Only be taken outside the service premises by an educator, co-ordinator, parent
or authorised nominee.
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Duties an educator can perform whilst supervising:
toys and equipment can be made available to children only in areas where they
may be used safely
ensure a tobacco, drug and alcohol-free environment
simple warning signs where potentially dangerous products are stored
poisonous or hazardous plants identified, explained to children and in some
instances removed or not made accessible to children, or children are
adequately supervised
hot drinks and hot food being made and consumed away from areas that are
accessible to children
that, where drinks, food and cooking utensils/appliances are used as part of the
program, they do not present a significant risk to children
secure, protective caps placed in all unused power points that are accessible to
children
climbing equipment, swings and large pieces of furniture have stable bases
and/or are securely anchored
climbing equipment, swings and other large pieces of equipment are located
over areas with soft fall surfaces recommended by recognised safety authorities
close supervision of children at all times when they have access to animals
animals kept separate to and apart from areas used by children unless involved
in a specific activity that is directly supervised by educators
A centre can ensure that staff are following the appropriate policies and
procedures by establishing the following documentation:
written procedures for conducting daily safety checks and identifying and
undertaking the maintenance of buildings and equipment
complete daily safety checks of buildings, equipment and the general
environment
records of pest/vermin inspections and/or eradication
the service’s policy and procedures on delivery and collection of children that
ensures that children are released only to authorised nominees
records of children’s attendance, including arrivals and departures, with the
signature of the person responsible for verifying the accuracy of the record or
the person collecting the child
a written process for monitoring who enters and leaves the service premises at
all times
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the service’s policy and procedures on excursions that include evidence of a
written risk assessment undertaken prior to conducting an excursion
evidence of detailed information provided to families regarding excursions,
including the destination, mode of transport, educator-to-child ratios and the
number of adults in attendance, and written authorisation for children to be
taken outside the service premises, including for excursions or routine outings
(except during emergency situations)
the service’s medical conditions policy
the service’s policy on dealing with water safety, including safety during water-
based activities
enrolment records that include authorisations and health information
the service’s policy and procedures on sun protection and evidence that
information about the service’s approach to sun protection is shared with
families
evidence that information about the service’s approach to safe sleep is
documented and shared with families.
Source: Guide to the NQF, 2018
Educator to Child Ratios
Under Quality Area 4 (Staffing Arrangements) of the National Quality Standards,
centres must focus on the provision of qualified and experienced educators, co-
ordinators and nominated supervisors who are able to develop warm, respectful
relationships with children, create safe and predictable environments and encourage
children’s active engagement in the learning program.
Centres can do this by upholding Element 4.1.1 The organisation of educators across
the service supports children’s learning and development, which covers the educator-
to-child ratios.
Some States and Territories have made provisions that affect requirements for
services.
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Centre-Based Services
Ratios are calculated across the service (not by individual rooms) and are based on the
youngest child in care.
Age of children Educator to child ratio Applies
Birth to 24 months 1:4 All States and Territories
Over 24 months
and less than 36
months
1:5 All States and Territories
except Vic
1:4 Vic
Over 36 months
up to and
including
preschool age
1:11 ACT, NT, QLD, VIC
1:10 NSW, WA
1:10 for centre-based
services other than a
preschool
1:10 for disadvantaged
preschools
1:11 for preschools other
than a disadvantaged
preschool
SA
1:10
2:25 for children
attending a preschool
program
TAS
1:10 WA
Over preschool
age
1:15 NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC
1:15 NSW – applies 1 October
2018
1:11 ACT
1:13
(or 1:10 if kindergarten
children are in
attendance)
WA
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Family Day Care Services
Age of children Educator to child ratio Applies
Birth to 13 years
1:7, with no more than
four children preschool
age or under
All States and Territories
Source: Educator to child ratios (from Revised NQF, 2018)
Qualifications and Ratio of Staff
Diploma and Certificate III
Centre-based services
Under the National Quality framework 50
percent of educators required to meet the
relevant ratios in a centre based service
working with children preschool age and under,
must have, or be actively working towards, at
least an approved diploma level education
and care qualification.
All other educators required to meet the
relevant ratios at the service must have, or be
actively working towards, at least an approved
certificate III level education and care
qualification.
Family day care services
All family day care educators must hold or be
‘actively working towards’ at least an approved
certificate III level education and care
qualification.
In South Australia, a family day care educator
must hold at least an approved certificate III
level education and care qualification.
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Number of children in
attendance at any one time Early childhood teacher requirement
Fewer than 25 children* The service needs to have access to an early childhood
teacher for at least 20 percent of the time the service is
operating. This may be achieved through an information
communication technology solution.
25 – 59 children* The service must employ or engage a full-time or full-time
equivalent early childhood teacher, or have an early
childhood teacher in attendance for:
6 hours per day, when operating for 50 hours or
more per week OR
60% of the time, when operating for less than 50
hours per week
60 – 80 children* The service must employ or engage a full-time or full-time
equivalent early childhood teacher, or have an early
childhood teacher in attendance for:
6 hours per day, when operating for 50 hours or
more per week OR
60% of the time, when operating for less than 50
hours per week.
Additionally, from 2020, the service must employ a second
early childhood teacher or suitably qualified person in
attendance for:
3 hours per day, when operating for 50 hours or
more per week
OR
30% of the time, when operating for less than 50
hours per week
These requirements do not apply if the service has 60 to
80 approved places, and employs or engages a full time
or full-time equivalent early childhood teacher at the
service, and employs or engages a second early
childhood teacher or suitably qualified person for half the
hours or full-time equivalent hours at the service.
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More than 80 children* The service must employ or engage a full-time or full-time
equivalent early childhood teacher, or have an early
childhood teacher in attendance for:
6 hours per day, when operating for 50 hours or
more per week
OR
60% of the time, when operating for less than 50
hours per week.
Additionally, from 2020, the service must employ a second
early childhood teacher or suitably qualified person in
attendance for:
6 hours per day, when operating for 50 hours or
more per week
OR
60% of the time, when operating for less than 50
hours per week
These requirements do not apply if the service has more
than 80 approved places, and employs or engages a full
time or full-time equivalent early childhood teacher at the
service, and employs or engages a second full time or full-
time equivalent early childhood teacher or suitably
qualified person at the service.
* Saving provisions apply in NSW - see regulation 272
Source: Qualifications for working with school-age children;
Qualifications for family day care services
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3. Minimise Risks
3.1. A Safe Environment
Accidental injury is the leading cause of death in children.
Children have the right to be safe wherever they are, including their child care
service. Safety starts with the environment, which includes the buildings, outdoor
areas and all equipment.
All staff and management at a child care centre are responsible for providing and
maintaining a safe environment, and encouraging children to act safely within it.
Each child care centre will have its own policies and procedures to help its staff
achieve this, as well as following relevant state or territory regulations.
Buildings and Grounds
A child care centre will ideally be located in a purpose-built facility, designed
specifically to meet the needs of its users and comply with the relevant safety
regulations. However, they are often located in buildings that were originally
constructed for a completely different purpose and have been adapted for use as a
child care centre.
Ensuring the safety of buildings and grounds should include daily safety checks to
determine that everything is in good order, identify and remove hazards, and
organise maintenance and repairs.
Equipment
Equipment used in a child centre includes many different things used on a daily
basis, such as furniture, appliances, kitchen implements, cleaning supplies and
play equipment. You must also check and maintain these all on a daily basis.
You should also consider the age group of the children. Some items may be safe for
one age group to use, but be a hazard for younger children. Ensure you provide
equipment for the correct developmental level of children. Keep in mind that you
may need to demonstrate proper use of some items, especially when it comes to
new equipment!
Prevent children’s access to unsafe or unsuitable equipment or areas to minimise
risk of accidents. Cleaning materials must be securely stored. Waste materials have
to be disposed of appropriately and according to regulations.
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Ventilation and Heating
The centre’s environment can make a difference to the health and wellbeing of the
children at the centre. Environmental factors such as heating, cooling and
lighting all affect our health.
Ventilation is also important with a good flow of fresh air to help reduce the build-
up of allergens, pollutants and germs. Natural light and having good quality
artificial lights are also necessary for good health.
The Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011 specifically deals with
the Physical Environment including Regulation 110 Ventilation and Light -
detailing that centres must be well ventilated, have adequate natural light and
temperatures must be maintained to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the
children.
Centre Safety Checklist
To avoid or reduce accidents and injuries it is important to create and maintain a
safe environment. Recognising potential hazards, eliminating or controlling
hazards, responding quickly and appropriately to emergencies, is important. This
checklist highlights key issues to regularly check, assess and maintain a safe indoor
and outdoor environment.
Safety checklists can be completed daily to ensure the environment is safe for the
children. Educators normally do these checks as part of opening the centre or
before setting up the environment. To complete the checklists educators need to
carefully walk around the indoor or outdoor areas and carefully look at each check
point and assess if it is in safe order or if maintenance is required. If maintenance
is required you need to assess the risk to the children and respond appropriately to
eliminate or control the hazard. This could be removing the hazard, blocking off
the area until maintenance can be carried out. If you are not able to eliminate the
hazard, it is important to immediately report to the Nominated Supervisor
(Director). Do not leave the hazard and wait until the end of the week or day!
FACT: Did you know the preferable temperature of a room is between
20-25 degrees Celsius?
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Below is an example of an indoor and outdoor checklist. This will differ for every
centre as each have their own unique needs, though many will contain similar
checks.
Indoor Safety Checklist.
Staff member Completing:
Room:
Educators to initial when each check is completed.
KEY: safe X needing attention – If needing attention please write details under maintenance required
Maintenance
required.
Week Beginning:
14th Oct 2013 M T W TH F Urgent
Non-
Urgent
Toys and children’s equipment e.g. tables, high chairs.
Toys and equipment are in
good repair
All accessible toys are
suitable for that age group
Broken/unsafe toys and
equipment are stored out of
children’s reach
Toys are stored safely
Safety harnesses in high
chairs clean, in good
working order
Heating and electrical
Electrical outlets are capped
with safety plugs
Electrical cords are out of
children’s reach
All heaters within children’s
reach are safely guarded
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Cots/Beds and Bedding
Cots safely arranged
Cots are in good repair
X
Leg
broken on
folding cot
There are no entrapment
hazards on the cot or
because of the way the cot is
positioned.
Bedding is stored
appropriately
Storage
Cleaning materials, detergents etc
are stored out of children’s reach or
in secured cupboards labelled with
chemical warning displayed.
All chemicals are stored away from
food.
Medicines stored out of children’s
reach / in appropriate. container in
fridge
First aid kit easily accessible though
located out of children’s reach
Items such as scissors, knives,
plastic bags, matches etc kept out of
children’s reach
Safety latches on cupboards are in
good working order
General
Entries and exits are clear and exit
doors are able to be opened easily by
adults.
Rubbish bins are empty and clean
Floors are clean and dry
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There are no cords within children’s
reach eg curtain/blind cords
Windows are not damaged, are
screened and allow adequate air
flow.
Fire Exits are clear
Outdoor/External
Outdoor area is free of hazards eg
broken equipment, rubbish, water
collections, garden tools, trip
hazards etc (also being aware of
possible vandalism Eg. syringes,
broken glass)
Gates are locked/closed and latches
are in working order
There is nothing near any fence/gate
that would assist children to climb
over
Fences are in good repair and height
of all fences/gates meets standards
The sandpit is clear of rubbish
(raked daily)
Soft fall is clear of rubbish (eg
syringes, broken glass, and rocks)
and other objects that may be a
hazard if children fell.
The soft fall under/around
equipment is the required depth
(raked as appropriate)
Comments/ Maintenance required:
Leg need fixing or replace cot immediately – do not use broken cot
Staff Member’s Signature: Date:
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3.2. Identify Existing and Potential Hazards and Record Them
According to Workplace Procedures
Staff can identify any existing and potential hazards in the centre by conducting
regular risk assessments and safety audits.
Risk assessments
A risk assessment involves determining the level of risk associated with each task,
product or activity so that the actions to control the risk can be prioritised and put
in place.
The method of assessing the risk involves considering the likelihood and
consequences of an incident occurring.
A sample Risk Assessment Tool is available on the Sparkling Stars Intranet:
Sparkling Stars Childcare Centre Templates
(Username: newusername - Password: newpassword)
Conducting a Risk Assessment
First step is to identify a hazard. In this example we are analysing the risk of “play
marbles”.
The next step is to list any hazards that a child “playing with a marble may face”.
Then identify the risk that may occur due to the hazard.
In some cases there may be multiple hazards and risks associated with a single
product/item or activity.
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Once you have identified the hazards and associated risks, the next step is to look
at the Likelihood and Consequence (Impact) of the hazards.
Likelihood
Is an estimate of the likelihood of an incident occurring, this can be influenced by:
How often the action is undertaken?
The number of people performing the same or a similar action?
The duration of time for which the action is performed?
Distractions?
The environment?
The availability and use of equipment?
The capacity and characteristics of the people in the environment?
The characteristics of the child?
Consequences (Impact)
The consequences of an incident are the severity of a potential injury or illness that
could result from the identified hazard. What could the impact be?
You could refer to past history or to past injury reports, statistics or information on
similar activities, in related or other industries.
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Risk Rating
By comparing the likelihood and consequence on the table below and seeing where
they intersect gives us an indication of the overall importance of managing this
hazard (known as the Risk Rating) and then we can try to reduce/eliminate the
risk.
Here we have looked at the hazards, the risks of it occurring, the likelihood and
consequences which ended up giving us a risk rating.
To establish what sort of controls need to be put in place we need to look at a Risk
Treatment Chart, such as the one below.
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When looking at our Risk Rating we see that the highest score was “Very High” in
red box in our Risk Rating Chart, which equates to “Avoid the Risk” in the chart
below:
Even though it is only rated as “possible” the risk consequence is rated as “severe”.
Looking at our “Hierarchy of Controls” (on the next page), the best control to put
in place in this circumstance is to “Eliminate” the risk, to remove the risk from the
centre.
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Conducting Daily Checks
Centre staff must complete safety checks and audits on a regular basis. It is
important that both internal and external areas are checked thoroughly and nay
hazards if identified are analysed and if required removed.
Example: Health and Safety Workplace Audit Checklist
A full version of this Health and Safety Workplace Audit Checklist is available on
the Sparkling Stars Intranet: (also covers Daily/Weekly/Monthly checks)
Sparkling Stars Childcare Centre Templates
(Username: newusername - Password: newpassword)
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Further examples of areas that should be checked daily for risks are:
Roads and Car Parks
Streets/Roads – Clear vision, speeds restricted
Car Parks – Pedestrian access clear pedestrians comply
Tree’s – No overhanging branches, no dead branches
Lighting – adequate
Other security hazards – clear of potential risks
Paths – clear of slips, trips and falls hazards
Timber surfaces – no loose splinters
Other - free from other risks
Perimeter of Property
Power lines – no low power lines, poles and lines in good order
Fencing – adequate height and good repair
Gates – childproof catches, good repair, self-closing, double gated
Paths – free of trips/slips hazards, good repair
Timber surfaces – no loose splinters
Lighting – adequate
Other observations – free from other risks
Buildings External
Gutters and drainage – in good repair, free from leaks, free from slips, trips
and hazards
Doors – self closing, free from trip hazard
Lawns and ground surfaces – free from serious slip and trip hazards, free
from sharp vegetation
Paths – free from slips, trips hazards and in good repair
Lighting – adequate
Other observations – free from other risks
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Entrance, Office and Passageways
Sign in/out records – complete and accurate
Floor surfaces – free from slip/trip risks, clear of obstruction
Ramps and stairs - free from slip/trip risks, clear of obstruction
Fire exits signs – clear and undamaged, illumination working
Lighting – adequate
Switchboard – locked and secure, safety switch present
Fire extinguishers – in test (6 monthly) and full
Electrical test and tag register – up to date
Photocopier – well ventilated, not too close to staff
Filing cabinets/book cases – unlikely to fall and secure, tidy and organised
Printers/faxes – adequate power points, area clean and tidy
Storage – adequate and tidy
Housekeeping – organised, well laid out, tidy
Passageways – clear and free from trips and falls
Windows – locks working, clean, restricted access for children
Furniture, fittings and shelves – adequate, in good repair, secure with no
risk of falling
Chairs – provide adequate back support, in good repair
Phone cables – tidy and present, no trips/falls risks
Electrical cords – not accessible to children, clean and tidy and adequate
power points
Evacuation procedures and emergency records – up to date and complete
Chemicals and substances – SDS available and used
Cleanliness – overall area clean
Employee induction records – up to date and complete
Other observations – free from other risks
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Nursery and Toddlers Rooms
Gates and fences – childproof, in good repair, gates self-closing
Doors – self closing, free from slips hazard
Power outlets – protective caps, in good repair, adequate number
Power cords and boards – out of reach of children
Cleaning records – up to date and comprehensive
Hand washing – Thorough for each required situation
Sanitising – occurring for each required situation
Floors – clean free from slip trip risks
Lighting – adequate
Furniture, fittings and shelves – adequate, in good repair, secure with no
risk of falling
Chairs – provide adequate back support, in good repair
Toilets – clean, regularly sanitised
Washing facilities – clean, adequate and maintained
Water play – supervised
Children – always directly supervised
Daily checklists – completed
All chemicals – stored in dangerous products storage area mixed in correct
ratio
SDS – available for all chemicals
Childproof locks – in place
Latex gloves – available at nappy change area
Plastic gloves – available at each tissue box and food preparation area
Hand wash – available in each area where hand wash facilities not available
Phones – labelled with poisons information number
Heavy items – Stored on ground, nothing heavier than 3kg stored above
shoulder height
Room and yard – checked daily for dangerous objects and spiders
Tarps (if used) – folded and stored away
Team members – wearing closed in shoes, have and wear appropriate hats
and using correct food handling procedures
Toys – do not present choking, swallowing hazard
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Equipment – stored neatly and not present a falling hazard
Evacuation procedures – clearly displayed
Fire exits and doorways – clear for evacuation including cots
Mouthed toys – in separate container for washing
Children’s dietary requirements – clearly displayed
Climbing equipment – is stable, located appropriately in soft fall areas, no
hard objects in fall zone
3.3. Considerations When Setting Up Indoor and Outdoor Play Spaces
The Physical Environment Factor
Adequate, well maintained fencing
Climbing equipment meet safety standards
Trip hazards such as poorly constructed pathways or poorly set out play
areas
appropriate soft-fall
Appropriate Safety devices such as child-resistant locks on gates and
cupboards
Appropriate fitted child restraints on highchairs
The Behaviour Factor
Children can be unpredictable and at different ages children can respond
differently to equipment and experiences.
Considerations include:
Inability of the child to understand and anticipate cause and effect
Lack of fear
Ability to concentrate and stay ‘on task’/easily distracted
Emotional status such as anger, fear or shyness
The young child’s tendency to imitate and follow others.
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The Age Factor
It is essential that the play spaces are set up using age appropriate equipment and
toys. Equipment and toys should match the age and developmental abilities of the
children you are caring for. For example for children under 2, when they tend to
explore using their mouth, small beads or toys are not suitable as they are a
choking hazard. 2-3 year old Children are still developing balance and control of
movement and need simple, low obstacle courses to explore to ensure they do not
have fall injuries.
3.4. Outdoor Play Spaces
Safety considerations:
Layout- positioning of activities.
Fixed equipment -
o Entrapment
o Protrusion and sharp objects
Loose parts and broken toys
Uneven surfaces and trip hazards–poorly maintained paths and soft fall, toys
and equipment not kept in appropriate area.
Maintenance
Fall Zone – Soft fall and appropriate distance from other equipment and
activities.
Supervision
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Fall Zones around Equipment
It is recommended that the measured fall zones surrounding playground
equipment be filled with certified playground surfacing material.
Source: Kidsafe Family Daycare Safety Guidelines 2012, pg.17
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3.5. Basic Home Fire Safety
Part of keeping children safe in Early Childhood Education and Care services is
understanding key points about fire and your role in fire safety.
Fire spread and speed
Fire spreads very quickly, often it will only take minutes, from the start of a house
fire to full involvement of the fire in the room of origin.
Heat transfer
o The transfer of heat causes a fire to spread from one point to another.
Radiation
o Radiation is the transfer of heat energy by rays.
Convection
o Convection is the transfer of heat through a liquid or gas due to the
circulation of the fluid.
Conduction
o Conduction refers to the transfer of heat through a solid material
from a region of higher temperature to a region of lower temperature.
Combustible Fuels
Typical fire fuels include:
common solid combustibles such as wood, leaves, grass, scrub, rubber and
paper
flammable liquids such as diesel fuel, petrol, kerosene and alcohol – it is not
the liquid itself that burns but the flammable vapours given off by that liquid
flammable gases such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), natural gas,
acetylene and hydrogen.
Sources of Heat
Fires are started and sustained by the presence of sufficient heat. A key to fire
prevention is to eliminate heat sources or to keep them away from combustible
fuels.
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Open Flames/Sparks
Any kind of open flame (from candles, fireplaces, kerosene lamps, and heaters,
barbecues, cutting torches, welding equipment and defective exhaust systems)
can be sufficient to ignite common combustibles.
Highly flammable materials such as flammable gases and vapours can be
ignited by sources of sparks such as electric motors, relays, switches,
telephones, radios and power tools.
Electrical equipment
Electricity generates a certain amount of heat when it flows. Sometimes this is
used deliberately to produce heating equipment. But even in other types of
electrical equipment there is some heat generated.
The abuse of electrical equipment, if overloaded and/or poorly maintained, can
overheat enough to cause ignition. Placing heaters too close to combustible
materials or overloading power boards and double adaptors are just some of
the ways a fire can start.
Many processes produce hot surfaces. A hot surface can set fire to solid
combustibles in contact with it.
Hot Surfaces
In the home, common hot surfaces include:
oven
hot water service
electric blankets
heaters including fixed electrical or gas heater, heating vents, portable
heaters
appliances that may be constantly running such as computers,
televisions, DVD players, VCR players.
Smoking Materials
Smoking materials include cigarettes, cigars and matches. They are a common
cause of ignition, especially when they have been disposed of carelessly.
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Role of Fire Services
prevention
preparation
response
recovery
High-Risk Groups in Basic Home for Safety
Greater Risk of Dying
people aged 65 years and over
children aged between 0–4 years
adults affected by alcohol consumption
Greater Risk of Injury
males
young children aged 0–4 years
adults aged 20-44 years
older adults (65+ years)
low socio-economic status
poor educational background
ethnic minorities
individuals who smoke
individuals who drink excessively
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Behaviour That May Contribute to Fire Injury and Fatalities
Older people:
may experience impaired hearing, diminished vision and poorer sense of
smell, which affects their ability to identify a fire
may be affected by memory loss or poor cognition
may be affected by mobility issues, which reduce their capacity to escape
safely and quickly if a fire occurs in their home
may be more likely to economise and use older appliances, such as portable
heaters and electric blankets
are more likely to live in older homes, which may not include features such
as an electrical safety switch or may be unable/unwilling/unaware of the
need for home maintenance
have difficulty installing and maintaining working smoke alarms
may reject or not relate to their risk factor and the fire safety information
targeted at them
may experience difficulties with reading or writing English and therefore be
unable to access fire safety information
may be reluctant to ask for assistance – even though the need for assistance
will increase with age as the likelihood of living alone increases with age.
Children under 5 years of age may:
be at higher risk in their home environment, which is determined by their
parent’s social and financial background
be more likely to be involved in fire play due to natural curiosity
have a developmental disadvantage as they are not able to react
appropriately and escape a house fire – they require assistance from an
older family member
be left unsupervised near cooking and heating sources
have parents who are unable to access mainstream fire safety information
due to their cultural and linguistic background
be at higher risk due to their access to cigarette lighters, matches, candles
and other sources of ignition.
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People who experience social and financial disadvantage may:
consider fire safety to be a low priority
be unable to access basic home fire safety information
use old appliances, which are unsafe
be unable to afford repairs and maintenance
use unusual methods of heating, cooking and lighting – in the hope of saving
costs
participate in activities that increase their fire risk
have poor or no social networks/supports/contacts
have limited access to resources to ensure their safety such as secure
housing.
People who smoke or are affected by alcohol and other drugs (including
medication) may:
fail to properly extinguish butts
lack insight into their behaviour and actions
have a diminished capacity to identify if a fire has started
be unable to respond quickly in a fire
be unable to evacuate safely in a fire.
A working smoke alarm:
acts as an ‘electronic nose’
alerts people to smoke from a fire
gives people more time to escape to safety – often within minutes, a small
fire can grow to an entire room.
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Why Smoke Alarms are Important
Smoke alarms save lives and protect property from the powerful destruction of fire.
Every year 50 Australians and many more are injured from house fires where no
smoke alarms were installed.
There are two different types of smoke alarms:
ionisation
photo-electric
Smoke Alarm Placement
A smoke alarm should be installed in homes on the ceiling away from a wall:
outside bedroom/s or sleeping area/s
where the primary carer sleeps in a separate room, outside the room where
the primary carer sleeps
where a person sleeps with the door closed, inside the bedroom
between kitchen/living areas and bedroom/s
in a common hallway that connects bedrooms
at separate ends of the house if sleeping areas exist in both areas.
Installation
As a community sector worker, you are in a position to advise clients:
to test their smoke alarm once a month by pressing the test button with a
broom handle to make sure the battery and the alarm sounder are operating
to dust or vacuum around the smoke alarm vents once a year in accordance
with the manufacturer’s instructions (smoke alarms cannot tell the
difference between smoke and dust)
and/or your supervisor/client’s family carer, if you notice that a client’s
smoke alarm is not working
to change their smoke alarm battery once a year at a designated time such
as the end of daylight saving or the first of April.
To meet the regulatory requirements, smoke alarms installed in homes must meet
Australian Standard 3786 or Australian Standard 12239.
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State/Territory legislation regarding smoke alarms is outlined below:
State Legislative Requirement for Smoke Alarms
NSW mandatory legislation for all new homes and homes undergoing
renovations
mandatory legislation for all existing homes
Queensland mandatory legislation for all new homes and home undergoing
renovations
mandatory legislation for all existing homes
South
Australia
mandatory legislation for all new homes and home undergoing
renovations
mandatory legislation for all existing homes
Victoria mandatory legislation for all new homes and home undergoing
renovations
mandatory legislation for all existing homes
Australian
Capital
Territory
mandatory legislation for all new homes and homes undergoing
renovations
Northern
Territory
mandatory legislation for all new homes and homes undergoing
renovations
Tasmania mandatory legislation for all new homes and homes undergoing
renovations
Western
Australia
mandatory legislation for all new homes and homes undergoing
renovations
any home being offered for sale or for a new tenancy lease is
required to have a mains powered smoke alarm installed
all rental properties will be required to have mains powered smoke
alarms installed by 1 October 2011
Maintenance
It is important that all smoke alarms are tested and batteries replaced on a
regular basis. Smoke alarms have a limited working life and need to be replaced
every 10 years to provide adequate protection for your home and family.
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Testing Smoke Alarms
Install a smoke alarm in the correct location
Test that the smoke alarm is working
o Once a month check the battery by pressing the test button. If you cannot
reach the button easily, use a broom handle.
Know the smoke alarm warning sound (‘beep beep beep’)
Know what to do when the smoke alarm sounds
Know the chirping sound that indicates the battery is going flat and needs to be
replaced or that the entire unit may need to be replaced
Keep them clean. Dust and debris can interfere with their operation, so vacuum
over and around your smoke alarm regularly.
3.6. Cleaning Products and Other Dangerous Products and Chemicals
Children are naturally curious and explore their environment though their senses
by touching and tasting. Dangerous products such as cleaning products, garden
and pest control chemicals, medications and sharp objects must be kept out of
children reach.
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To safely manage the use of dangerous products:
Do not expose children to fumes or sprays of cleaning products, i.e. spray
cleaning products on paper towel rather than on the table when children are
around or use squeeze bottles.
Do not consume hot drinks around children or in children play areas.
Lock chemicals and cleaning products in high locked cupboards.
Display simple warning signs and safe storage of dangerous products in each
room.
Minimise use of toxic products by using environmentally friendly products,
without minimising hygiene.
Obtain Material Safety Data Sheets from manufactures to provide
information about risk facts and safety implications of the product.
Cleaning Products
The National Health and Medical Research Council Staying Healthy in Child Care
Preventing infectious diseases in child care 4th edition publication, states that
“washing the germs down the drain is better than trying to kill the
germs with disinfectant,” and believe effective cleaning with detergent and
warm water, followed by rinsing and drying is seen as the most effective cleaning
process for most surfaces.
The NHMRC believes disinfectants are usually not necessary. Most germs will be
washed away with warm soapy water and do not survive on the surface if exposed
to the air and light. If disinfectants are to be used it is essential to clean the surface
before disinfecting.
Each centre will have their own policies and procedures on the types of cleaning
products that they use and the cleaning procedures that they follow. It is important
to follow your centres procedures though taking into account that the procedures
are safe for the children, educators and the environment.
Some centres are still using chemicals for general cleaning such as bleach and high
grade disinfectants. If you are using these products please ensure that you follow
the manufacturer’s directions, especially the dilution amounts, and that they are
not used near the children.
There are many environmentally friendly cleaning products including detergents,
disinfectants and floor cleaners. These are not only better for the environment but
many believe they are also better for the health of the children and educators that
are using them.
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There has been an interesting research project by Fresh, Green, Clean and the
sustainability Fund Managed by Sustainability Victoria – The Clean and
Sustainable Indoor Cleaning Project conducted in 2008. The trial was conducted
in 3 child care centres to implement safe, sustainable and effective daily cleaning
procedures.
Staff are to ensure the safety of children at the childcare centre at all times, they
should always ensure the following requirements are met:
All areas where potentially dangerous products are kept are clearly labelled
with warning signs
All medications and dangerous chemicals are stored in clearly labelled areas
and containers on high shelves out of children’s reach
The main first aid kit and all room kits are kept out of reach of children
All hazardous products are kept out of children’s reach at all times
Care is taken to ensure all plants in the Centre grounds are non-poisonous
Staff thoroughly check each playground before the children go out, to ensure
it is free of any potentially dangerous vermin or objects
Staff discuss these dangers with the children to develop their awareness of
dangerous products and objects
The Centre aims to provide families with information from recognised
health and safety authorities about the safe storage of potentially dangerous
products in the home
A first aid action plan and safety data sheets on products used in the
Centre is displayed in the laundry, bathrooms and kitchen
Where possible, the Centre should aim to keep the use of toxic and other
potentially dangerous products to a minimum; however they should not
jeopardize the hygiene standards of the Centre.
Staff are to ensure that warning signs are located where potentially
dangerous products are stored or located, this areas might be e.g. cleaning
cupboard. All signs are of the regulatory standard and are clearly visible.
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3.7. Keep Records of Pest/Vermin Inspections and/or Eradications
Records of all pest management actions are to be maintained including
information on the number of pests and other indicators of pest activity that verify
the need for action. Records of pesticide use should be maintained on site to meet
the requirements of the State regulatory agencies and centre administration.
Records are be used to help evaluate the implementation and success of an
eradication program and must be available upon request to centre staff and the
general public.
Information that you need to record includes:
The full product name of the pesticide applied
The situation in which you used the pesticide, the rate of application and
quantity of the pesticide applied
A description of the equipment used to apply the pesticide
The property address and the area where the pesticide was used (e.g.
interior, exterior, subfloor, roof cavity)
The date and the time of the application
The name, address and contact details of the person who applied the
pesticide. If you applied the pesticide yourself, write down your own details.
If you employed someone to apply the pesticide, then that person must
record their name, as well as your name, address and the contact details as
their employer
The name, address and contact details of the owner or the person who has
the management or control of the property where the pesticide was applied
If the pesticide was applied outdoors and through the air using spray
equipment, then you must make a record of weather conditions including
wind speed and any other relevant conditions
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4. Safe Collection of Children
Education and Care Services should have administration policies and procedures
ensuring that parents completing enrolment documents detail who is authorised to
collect the child from the service.
The enrolment form is a signed contract and is legally binding.
Collection of Children
The “Guide to the Education and Care Services National Law and the Education and
Care Services National Regulations 2011” states the following:
A child may only leave the education and care service premises under any of the
following circumstances:
a parent or authorised nominee collects the child
a parent or authorised nominee provides written authorisation for the child to
leave the premises
a parent or authorised nominee provides written authorisation for the child to
attend an excursion
the child requires medical, hospital or ambulance treatment, or there is another
emergency.
Source: National Law: Sections 165, 167
National Regulations: Regulations 99, 158–159, 176
Absent Children
If a child at the service appears to be missing or cannot be accounted for, or appears
to have been taken or removed from the service premises in a way that breaches the
National Regulations, it is considered a serious incident and the regulatory authority
must be notified within 24 hours of the incident.
The National Regulations require children’s attendance records to be kept.
Services should develop a combination of systems which show when each child is
absent, is in attendance or has left for the day.
For example, in a long day care service there might be a magnetic board in each room
indicating each child’s presence or absence, which is updated upon the child’s arrival
and departure. This might be used in combination with sign in/out records.
Before closing a centre-based service, educators should look for visual cues that a child
may still be on the premises (for example, a backpack left on a hook) and physically
check each area, including sleeping areas, to ensure no child is accidently locked
inside.
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Minimising the Risk of Child Abuse In Education and Care Services
The task of protecting children in the care of organisations is multi-faceted.
It requires attention to three key areas. These are:
Administration (ensuring screening and other personnel practices);
o Staff must have completed police checks prior to employment (QA2.3.1)
o All parents must complete enrolment details providing collection
arrangements (QA2.3.2)
o All parents collecting children are checked on the approved list(QA2.3.2)
o Incident, injury, trauma and illness policies and procedures (QA2.3.4)
physical environments (to reduce opportunities for situational maltreatment)
o secure environments(QA2.3.1,2.3.2,2.3.3,2.3.4)
o supervised contact only with children (QA2.3.1,2.3.4)
o Tobacco, drug and alcohol free environment )(QA2.3.2)
the organisation's culture (creating a child-focused environment of respect). The
use of a wide range of policies serves to create the most effective models for child-
safe organisations.
o Staff of all Education and Care facilities in Australia are required to be aware
of and understand the principles contained in the following:
The National Law
National Quality Framework
National Quality Standards
United Nation Rights of the Child
ECA Code of Ethics
The links to the above websites can be found below:
http://www.acecqa.gov.au/national-law
http://www.acecqa.gov.au/national-quality-framework
http://www.acecqa.gov.au/national-quality-framework/the-national-quality-
standard
https://www.unicef.org.au/Discover/What-we-do/Convention-on-the-Rights-
of-the-Child/childfriendlycrc.aspx
http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/wp-
content/uploads/2014/07/code_of_ethics_-brochure_screenweb_2010.pdf
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4.1. Supervision of Every Person
Every person who enters the service premises where children are present should
be supervised at all times. Visitors must have a reason for being there. If you notice
someone either internal or external to the centre and you don’t know them, ask or
notify a Supervisor immediately.
4.2. Develop and Maintain a Written Process for Monitoring Who
Enters and Leaves the Premises At All Times
Care arrangements for children in Australian society vary significantly from family
to family and even within sibling groups. It is imperative that childcare
professionals and other childcare service employees are informed and remain up
to date about who has legal access to a child and information about that child.
At all times anyone entering the centre
must be supervised. It is not appropriate
to just allow people to wander through
the centre unsupervised when children
are in your care.
Your centre will have a policy for
attending to visitors which should be
followed for the safety of all staff and
children in the centre. Such policies
might be that every person that enters
your child care centre signs a visitors book and that the staff member on duty check
the identity of the person who is entering the centre and logs it down in the book.
Childcare service providers should use a verification procedure, such as a driver’s
licence check, to ensure only authorised persons are permitted to collect a child. If
an unauthorised person presents to collect a child, the child’s parent (or if a parent
is unavailable, an authorised person) should be immediately informed and
authorisation for that person to collect the child obtained if appropriate.
All childcare service providers must have a policy that clearly sets out procedural
arrangements for the collection of children. State and territory licensing and
regulatory processes for the provision of childcare services stipulate that a child
may only be collected from a childcare service by a parent or authorised person.
The National Quality Standards under the National Quality Framework reiterate
this position.
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Childcare service enrolment forms should therefore require detailed written
information about each person authorised to collect a child, including the person’s
full name, residential address, telephone number and relationship to the child.
Any trades person that enters the centre will also have to provide all details of their
identity and contractor details as well as the reason for attendance at the centre.
5. Sun Safety
Children are typically in care when daily ultraviolet (UV) radiation levels are at their
peak, meaning they are uniquely placed to educate about sun protection behaviour,
minimise UVR exposure and ultimately reduce a child’s lifetime risk of skin cancer.
Every centre should have the following
have a written sun protection policy meeting minimum standards relating to
curriculum, behaviour and the environment
be working to increase shade
reschedule/minimise outdoor activities during peak UV periods of the year
educate, model and reinforce positive sun protection behaviour
Current research suggests that childhood exposure to UV radiation contributes
significantly to the development of skin cancer in later life. Educating children and
reducing their UV exposure is expected to have a major impact on the future incidence
of skin cancer in Australia.
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Sun-safe Activities
Planning the day’s activities to minimise the children’s exposure to the sun,
especially between 10am and 3pm.
Covering as much of the children’s skin as possible with loose fitting clothes.
Choosing a hat with a broad-brim or in a legionnaire style so the face, neck and
ears are protected.
Make use of available full shade and provide shade in the play area. The
material used should cast a dark shadow.
Infants and young children should be regularly checked to ensure clothing, hat
and shade positioning to ensure he/she continues to be well protected from UV
radiation.
Apply a SPF30+ broad spectrum water resistant sunscreen. Broad spectrum
water resistant sunscreen (SPF 30+) may be applied to any small areas of skin
that cannot be protected by clothing (such as face, ears, and backs of hands).
Sunscreen will need to be applied 20 minutes before going outside and
reapplied every couple of hours or more often if it has been wiped or washed
off.
Early childhood services across Australia can also be awarded SunSmart status and
acknowledged for their past and ongoing efforts around skin cancer prevention.
Contact the Cancer council for further details.
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Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek, Slide
The Cancer Councils new Sun Safety program details important and easy messages
that can be taught to children. Go to their website for copies of the song and lyrics for
the “SunSmart Countdown.”
Source: SunSmart Countdown
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6. Excursions
6.1. Planning
The Education and Care Services National Regulations 100-102 state the
requirements for an excursion including risk assessment and authorisation for
excursions. There are no explicit child: educator ratios for excursions stated in the
new regulations, instead services are required to undertake a risk assessment prior
to an excursion to identify any risks and how these will be managed and minimised.
This includes how many adults will be needed to adequately supervise the group of
children on the excursion.
The risk assessment MUST consider:
items to be taken on the excursion
the minimum educator to child ratio required under the National
Regulations(that would be used while at the centre)
whether a higher ratio of educators (or other responsible adults, such as
parent helpers) is appropriate to provide supervision given the risks posed
by the excursion
the proposed route and destination
any water hazards
risks associated with water-based activities
transport to and from the proposed destination
number of adults and children
proposed activities
proposed duration
whether any specialised skills are required to ensure children's safety.
While an increased educator to child ratio for excursions is not specified in the
National Regulations, there is a requirement to adequately supervise children at all
times. A thorough risk assessment should determine whether minimum ratios are
sufficient to provide adequate supervision of children while attending an
excursion.
An excursion risk assessment template is provided by the ACECQA for centres.
Please follow the link below to view the ACECQA Excursion risk management plan
in the Sparkling Stars resources.
Sparkling Stars Childcare Templates
(Username: newusername Password: newpassword)
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Excursion Risk Management Plan
EXAMPLE EXCURSION RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN
Excursion destination insert Date(s) of excursion: insert
Description of Destination Describe the type of destination e.g. Library, park, swimming pool, farm, nature walk
Destination Address Need the address so parents know where to contact/collect children if required
Proposed Departure Time insert Proposed Return Time insert
Estimated Travel time to Estimation of travel time TO
destination
Estimated Travel time
from
Estimation of travel time FROM
destination
Destination Contact insert Destination Phone insert
Method of transport,
including proposed route
Bus, cards, train etc…
Planned Stops or Breaks For extended travelling times or for lunch rest breaks, toilet stops
Name of excursion co-
ordinator
Who is organising the excursion?
Contact number of excursion
co-ordinator
(BH) their work number (M) Their mobile number (remember that by law staff must be
contactable at all times or have access to a phone when supervising
children.
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Number of Attending
Children
insert Age Range of Children Break into groups
0-1, 2-4, 5+ etc…
Number of educators Does number reflect staff to child
ratios
Number of
parents/volunteers
insert
*Educator to child ratio, including whether this
excursion warrants a higher ratio?
Please provide details.
As per standards
*Proposed activities Detail each of the different activities that will be planned for the children
Water hazards? Yes/No
If yes, detail in risk assessment
below.
How will you ensure that
children are well supervised?
i.e. Head counts
List the strategies used to supervise children effectively
*Food and drink
arrangements:
List menus
*Toileting arrangements:
Detail for each stop/rest area as well as destination
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*Excursion resources:
Detail the resources required
What information needs to be
included on the permission
slip?
Detail the different information that must be provided to parents/guardians
What information will you
need to include on your
emergency contact list?
detail parents/guardians plus alternative contacts
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Excursion checklist (Tick whichever items are required)
emergency services
Medication (i.e. EpiPens, Inhalers)
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Risk assessment (Example)
Activity Hazard identified Risk assessment
(use matrix below)
Elimination/control
measures
Who is
Responsible?
When?
Swimming Drowning Extreme • Increased
supervision
• Flotation devices
• Controlled swimming
areas (depth)
All staff
When children near
swimming areas
Outdoor activities
(including
swimming)
Sunburn High Sunsafety protection:
• Hats
• Sunscreen (SPF 30+)
• Sunsafe clothing
All staff
• Prior to going
outside
• Sunscreen
refreshed every
1 hr; and
• After swimming
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Risk Matrix
Consequence
L ik
e li h
o o
d
Insignificant Minor Moderate Major Catastrophic A
lm o
s t
c e
rt a
in
Moderate High High Extreme Extreme
L ik
e ly
Moderate Moderate High Extreme Extreme
P o
s s ib
le
Low Moderate High High Extreme
U n
li k e
ly
Low Low Moderate High High
R a
re
Low Low Low Moderate High
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Plan prepared by Staff member name Staff member name Staff member name
Prepared in consultation with: Staff member name
Communicated to: Management, participating staff, parents/guardians
Venue and safety information reviewed and attached Yes / No
Comment if needed:
Reminder: Monitor the effectiveness of controls and change if necessary. Review the risk assessment if an incident or
significant change occurs.
This plan has been adapted from the Guide to the EYLF and is available on the Sparkling Stars Intranet.
Visit the excursion venue or location in advance so the staff can identify risks and
include them in their risk management plan.
The mandatory educator to child ratios must be followed during your excursion. AS
you would expect the adult to child ratio should be higher on an excursion than when
staff and children are at the centre. (Parents or guardians may also be available to help
during the excursion).
Do a head counts or roll calls at pivotal points throughout the excursion including
getting on and getting off transport, arrival and departure from the venue, food, drink
and toileting breaks.
Other ways to ensure children’s safety include allocating small groups of children to
each educator or adult and to use the bubby system where children are allocated a peer
bubby to stay with for the duration of the excursion.
Parents need to be fully informed of the excursion details and have provided
written consent for their child to participate. Parent permission form should
include information including:
the child’s name,
the reasons for the excursion,
the date and time of the excursion,
description of the excursion
method of transport,
the proposed activities to be undertaken by the child during the excursion,
the period the child will be away from the premises,
the anticipated number of children likely to be attending the excursion,
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the anticipated ratio of educators attending the excursion to the anticipated
number of children attending the excursion,
the anticipated number of staff members and any other adults who will
accompany and supervise the children on the excursion,
cost of the excursion
that a risk assessment has been prepared and is available at the service.
NOTE: If the excursion is a regular outing, the authorisation is only required to
be obtained once in a 12 month period.
Other questions you will need to answer include:
What will the weather be like?
Are the activities on the excursion developmentally appropriate for the age
and abilities of the children?
The best time of day to suit the majority of the children?
Are there any special requirements needed during the excursion?
What resources do you require? (essentials include water, food, first aid kit,
change of clothes, mobile phone, sunscreen)
Allowing the children to assist age appropriately, and let them be part of the
planning can add to their enjoyment of the excursion, as well as assisting them be
aware of rules and limits.
Preparing Children for an Excursion
Prepare children for excursions, telling them about where they are going and
what to expect. This increases their interest and makes it more likely that
they will stay focused and with the group.
Research with the children about the place you are going and interesting
facts about what you might see and learn. Example: provide activities about
the topic of the excursion, read stories, talk about children’s past
experiences or use the internet to research.
Discuss the rules and expectations before each excursion. Example: Create
booklet or poster with the children with the rules and expectations of the
excursion.
Remind why rules are necessary. Allow children to ask questions and tell
others who may be new to the service about the rules. If children feel
ownership of them and if they think they are fair and understand why they
exist, they are more likely to cooperate.
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What to Take on the Excursion
As part of the risk assessment you need to list items you need to take on the
excursion.
Items include:
A first aid kit,
Medication (if required), e.g. EpiPen® if a child has anaphylaxis or asthma
medication for children with asthma.
Mobile phone
List of all children attending and emergency contact numbers.
Sunscreen
Tissues
Face wipes
Spare clothing
Water and food
6.2. Provide Detailed Information to Families Regarding Any
Excursion Being Undertaken
When planning an excursion it is important
that you as a child care worker ensure that
safety checks are consistently implemented
and action is taken as a result of the checks.
Excursions, services must comply with the
various requirements of state and territory
licensing bodies and/or National standards.
A greater ratio of carers to children will
often be required when taking children on
an excursion outside the centre.
Extra diligence is required by carers to
ensure children are closely supervised during excursions. Careful advance planning of
destinations, transport, meals and toilet breaks will help to identify potential hazards
and to determine the level of supervision required.
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If additional adults are required to assist with the excursion, they will need to be fully
informed of the supervisory and safety requirements. It can be useful to allocate a
specific group of children to each supervisor for the whole excursion.
Children can be closely monitored by regular head counts throughout the excursion.
Supervisors should remain in close proximity to the children at all times. If the
excursion is near water extra precautions and supervision will be required.
Source: http://ncac.acecqa.gov.au/educator-resources/pcf-
articles/Supervision_in_Children%27s_Services_Sept05.pdf
Authorisation for Removal of a Child
When a staff member or family day carer takes a child outside the premises, the family
day carer’s residence or family day care venue, the proprietor must ensure that the
parent or guardian provides written authorisation.
The authorisation must state:
The reason the child is to be taken outside the premises
The date the child is to be taken on the excursion
The proposed destination for the excursion
The method of transport to be used for the excursion
The proposed activities to be undertaken by the child during the excursion
The period the child will be away from the premises
The number of staff members, family day carers, and any other responsible
person who will accompany and supervise the child on the excursion
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Authorisation for Routine Outings
A staff member or a family day carer may take a child
on a routine outing if written authorisation has been
given by the child’s parent or guardian within the
previous 12 months. However obtaining
authorisation more regularly would be advisable.
Authorisations are also required for the
regular practice fire drills done as they will generally involve children leaving
the premises
Authorisations for routine outings must be distinguished from those required
for excursions: A separate risk assessment is required for each excursion prior
to the excursion taking place
Authorisation may be given by a parent or guardian or other person named in
the child’s enrolment record as having lawful authority to authorise the taking
of the child outside the premises, family day care residence or family day care
venue by a staff member or family day carer
6.3. Supervision on Excursions
Constant and effective supervision cannot be over emphasised. Many excursions
include travelling, visiting public places and using public toilets. These are all high
risk areas for children.
To minimise these risks it is important to provide appropriate adult-to-child ratios
and supervision.
Giving responsible adults that are assisting with the excursion, clear instructions
of their responsibilities and role. Adults role and responsibilities include:
holding children’s hands,
having allocated children in their view at all times,
ensuring children are supervised when going to the toilet, sitting with
children when travelling,
monitoring children’s behaviour and setting safety limits (Example, guiding
and directing children’s safe and appropriate behaviour)
While on the excursion, educator and other supervising adults need to remind
children of the rules and expectations. You can do this by using language to provide
positive reinforcement, modelling the correct and expected behaviours and
reminding or questioning children as a group during the excursion to reinforce
expected behaviours.
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Road Safety
It is important that children under 4-5 years hold an adults hand when crossing
the road. Older children may hold each other’s hands while under the supervision
of adults. All children should have road safety education and this can start from a
very young age. Before going on an excursion it is important to prepare the children
and this can include
role playing and having dramatic play opportunities for crossing the road.
Example: Set-up a pedestrian crossing or a set of lights for the children to
role play safe road crossing procedures,
if travelling in cars of a bus learn about wearing seatbelts and learn songs or
use black crepe paper to attach chair to role-play putting on seat belts and
travelling on a bus.
reading books, using puzzles, games or watching videos to demonstrate road
safety procedures.
REMEMBER adults are role models for children and it is essential that we model
the correct behaviour when crossing the road.
Always cross at lights and crossings where possible,
Practice correct road crossing procedures. STOP, LOOK, LISTEN!
Do not walk from behind a car.
Teach children about the GREEN and RED light signs- Green is good and
red is danger.
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6.4. Safely Transport Children in Vehicles
Car Restraints
By law, children must be restrained at all times when travelling in a car in Australia.
All Australian car restraints must comply with Australian Safety Standards. When
fitted correctly, car restraints have proven to be very effective in preventing injuries
to children in a crash. It is essential that the car restraint manufacturer's
instructions be followed exactly. Take the time to check that the restraint is fitted
correctly every time you put a child in a vehicle.
When choosing a restraint it is important to consider whether it will fit into your
vehicle, will passengers in the front seats be comfortable with the restraint in place,
is there enough head room in the vehicle to allow you to lift the child in and out of
the restraint, and are the seat belt and tether straps long enough to secure the
restraint. There are two ways of attaching the tether strap to your vehicle. These
are the anchor bolt (pre 1992) which has a key-hole fitting and the anchor bolt (post
1992) which has a hook fitting.
Source: http://www.childsafetyawareness.com/safety-tips/18-car-restraints
As you can see from the below that there are a number of restraints, it is important
that as a child care worker (and parent) that if you are using any of these type of
restraints that you are fully aware on how to use them correctly to ensure that
maximum safety of the child.
Baby Restraints
Babies which weigh up to 9kg or are up to 700mm long (usually up to 6 months of
age) are most suitably restrained in a rearward-facing infant restraint. Infant
restraints face rearward as most crashes occur in a forward position. The impact is
distributed and jarring of the neck and head is minimised. Infant restraints utilise
an upper tether strap and a rear adult seat belt.
These restraints are commonly referred to as a 'baby capsule'.
It is recommended that a baby stay in a rearward facing position for as long
as possible as this is the safest way to travel.
Every time you use an infant restraint you must
check that the body band or harness is adjusted so
that it fits the baby as snugly as possible.
If you use a baby rug, place it over the baby after
you have secured the baby into the restraint.
Shoulder straps will need to be adjusted as the
baby grows so that they come from the slots closest
to the baby's shoulders.
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Toddler Seats
Children weighing between 8 and 18kg or approximately 6 months to 4 years are
most suitably restrained in forward-facing toddler seats. Toddler seats are attached
to the car using an adult seat belt and an upper tether strap.
Toddler seats have a six point harness system to secure the child.
Every time you use the restraint you need to check that the seat belt is firm
and that the straps are tightened to fit snugly and
are not twisted.
Refer to the manufacturer's instructions to ensure
that you know how to adjust the harness system.
The shoulder straps will need to be adjusted as the
child grows to ensure that they come from the slots
closest to the child's shoulders.
Continue to use the toddler seat until your child
has outgrown the restraint
Booster Seats
Booster seats are available for children who have outgrown their toddler seat or
weigh between 14 and 26kg. These limits vary according to different seats so check
the manufacturer's guidelines. A booster seat raises the
height of the child so that the adult seat belt fits the child
properly.
It is best to wait until the child understands not to touch
the seat belt before promoting him or her to the booster
seat.
Booster seats are held in place by the child's body
and the lap sash seat belt in the car. It is
recommended that an h-harness be used in combination with a booster seat.
Children should use a booster seat until the height of the child’s eyes is at
the same level as the vehicle seat back or head rest.
Some booster seats have 'horns' or guides to help ensure that the seat belt is
passing around the child at the correct level. Alternatively a sash guide can
be purchased and used with an adult lap sash belt.
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Harnesses
Child harnesses are suitable for children weighing between 14 and 32kg. An h-
harness looks similar to a racing driver's harness. It has two straps coming down
over each shoulder and a connecting strap between the two. H-harnesses are used
with a seat belt.
Harnesses can be used with a booster seat until the child
grows out of the seat and then alone in the rear seat of the car.
Some harnesses are supplied with a buckle which allows the
harness to be used with lap/sash belts.
Harnesses are very useful when travelling in a taxi or
transporting extra children whom you do not have a child seat
for as they are very portable.
Special Needs
Children with special needs such as those who are in plaster casts and others who
have medical conditions or developmental delay, sometime require specialised
restraint options.
The safety consultants at the Safety Centre can assist in finding options for
transporting children with special needs.
The 'TADVIC' buckle cover is designed so that children cannot undo the seat
belt buckle.
The 'Securap' is a band which brings the shoulder straps of toddler seats
closer together so that young children cannot flex their arms out of the
harness system.
A 'special needs harness' is available when a child cannot be secured into a
child seat.
Occupational therapists and paediatricians can often suggest options for
transporting children with special needs.
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Travelling with Children
Travelling with children can be a trying time. Remember to allow a little extra time
so that tension is minimised. Praise good behaviour.
Often children try to escape from their restraint. Handle this problem as
soon as it starts by explaining the rules that you can't go anywhere unless
the seat belts are all buckled. Reward good behaviour.
Talk or sing when you are travelling with children to make the time pass
more quickly. Save special games to be played in the car such as 'I spy' so
that children realise that travelling is a special time.
If you have both an active toddler and a baby, take the baby out of the car
safely before the active toddler gets out.
Take regular breaks when driving to minimise the distress to both driver
and passengers
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CHAPTER 6. MANAGE INCIDENTS AND
EMERGENCIES
1. Develop Plans to Effectively Manage Incidents and Emergencies
“Planning to manage incidents and emergencies assists services to:
protect children, adults and staff
maintain children’s wellbeing and a safe environment
meet the requirements of relevant workplace health and safety legislation.
Having a clear plan for the management and communication of incidents and
emergencies assists educators to handle these calmly and effectively, reducing the risk
of further harm or damage.”
Source: Guide to the National Quality Standard, 2018
A service can meet the NQS requirements by implementing the following:
emergency procedures displayed prominently throughout the premises
educators given ready access to an operating telephone or other similar means
of communication at all times
emergency telephone numbers displayed near telephones
educators and co-ordinators having ready access to emergency equipment, such
as fire extinguishers and fire blankets.
It is important as part of your risk assessment process that you have your emergency
plans looked over by the appropriate authorities to ensure that you have covered the
risks appropriately. This will also meet the recommendation of NQS Element 2.2.2
which recommends that centres ensure that “Plans to effectively manage incidents and
emergencies are developed in consultation with relevant authorities, practised
and implemented.”
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What types of emergencies need to be considered?
Emergency events could include:
Fire at the premises
Bomb threat
Threatening intruder
Gas leak or chemical spill
Natural disaster such as bushfire, flooding and severe storms
Medical situations requiring emergency services to be contacted
If you require advice in developing your emergency evacuation plan contact or consult
with your local fire, police, ambulance or emergency services authority.
Emergency Management Plan Template
A full Emergency Management Plan template for Early Childhood is available on the
Sparkling Stars Intranet:
Sparkling Stars Childcare Centre Templates
(Username: newusername - Password: newpassword)
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An Example of a Risk Assessment Completed for Emergency Situations:
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1.1. Ensure Emergency Procedures Should Be Displayed Prominently
Throughout the Premises
An approved service is required to have policies and procedures
which set out instructions for what must be done in an
emergency and to have an emergency and evacuation floor plan.
The policies and procedures must be based on a risk assessment
that identified any potential emergencies relevant to the service.
The emergency and evacuation floor plan, and instructions
should be displayed in a prominent position near each exit at the service premises.
The approved provider must also ensure that emergency and evacuation
procedures are rehearsed every three months by the staff members, volunteers and
children present at the service on the day of the rehearsal. The responsible person
present at the time must also participate in the rehearsal.
The rehearsals must be documented, such as on a specific Emergency Evacuation
Rehearsal register, or noted in a centre diary or communications book.
If the approved service caters for children over preschool age, they should plan
rehearsals to cover before and after school sessions, and vacation care.
An example of an evacuation plan is below:
National Regulations: Regulations 97, 168
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1.2. Make Certain that All Educators Have Ready Access to a Phone or
Similar Means of Communication
Whilst working at the child care centre, it is important that staff have ready access
to a phone or similar means of communication, so as to be able to have contact in
case of an emergency situation arising.
National Regulations: Regulation 98 (Telephone
or other communication equipment) states that
the approved service must ensure that, when
educating or caring for children as part of the
service, the nominated supervisor and staff
members of the service have ready access to an
operating telephone or other similar means of
communication to enable immediate
communication to and from parents and emergency services.
This includes when children leave the premises, such as on an excursion or a
routine walk to the local park.
Telephones should be located where educators can easily access them without
leaving children unsupervised. If this is a mobile phone, it must be capable of
making and receiving calls. That is not locked for outgoing calls or out of credit.
NQS Compliance: Assessors conducting a site audit for compliance against the NQS Element 2.2.2 will be looking to see if educators having ready access to an operating telephone or other similar means of communication.
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1.3. Ensure Emergency Numbers are Located near Telephones
As a child care worker you not only have a duty of care to other staff member but
mainly to the children you look after as well as their parents who attend the centre.
It is very important that Emergency numbers are located near the telephone
systems/handpieces so as to be available if and when needed.
Some of the important emergency contacts are:
Emergency Contact Telephone Number:
Police
Fire
Ambulance
Triple Zero (000)
State Emergency Service (SES) 132 500
Poisons Information Centre 13 11 26
NQS Compliance: Assessors conducting a site audit for compliance against the NQS Element 2.2.2 will be looking to see if emergency telephone numbers are displayed near telephones.
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2. Communicate Information to Families About the Service’s Emergency
Procedures and Incident Management Plans
Your centre must have policy and procedures that cover emergencies and/or
evacuations and will detail the process you must follow when faced with an emergency
situation.
This information must also be supplied to all families upon enrolment and updated
when any changes to procedures occur.
You can communicate this information to families about the service’s emergency
procedures and incident management plans in a variety of ways; for example:
Enrolment packs
Information booklets
Notice board signs
Newsletters
Procedure manual available for parents/carers to view
2.1. Discuss and Practise Emergency Drills With Children, Educators
and Any Other People On the Premises
The approved provider must ensure that emergency and evacuation procedures
are rehearsed every three months by the staff members, volunteers and children
present at the service on the day of the rehearsal. The responsible person present
at the time must also participate in the rehearsal.
The rehearsals must be documented, such as on a specific Emergency Evacuation
Rehearsal register, or noted in a centre diary or communications book.
If the approved service caters for children over preschool age, they should plan
rehearsals to cover before and after school sessions, and vacation care.
It is important that staff discuss and practise emergency drills with children, so
they have an understanding what is required when they hear an emergency
warning.
When conducting orientation and induction for new staff/carers and relief staff an
overview of emergency procedures should always be included.
National Regulations: Regulations 97, 168
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This will constantly ensure that all staff and carers are fully aware of their roles and
responsibilities when they are present in the event of an emergency situation.
Orientation strategies should also be considered for visitors, volunteers and
parents who may spend time engaged within children’s programs at the service.
2.2. Ensure That Emergency Equipment is Available and Tested and
Staff are Trained In the Use of It
It is important that the staff at the
child care centre ensure that all
emergency equipment is available
and tested and that all staff are
trained in the use of it.
This emergency equipment
includes:
Fire extinguishers
Fire alarms
Fire blankets
Automated external defibrillator (AED)
Epi-pens
All staff should be trained in how to use all equipment. Training can include:
In service or professional development training
Training by the emergency services
Online training
There will be procedures relating to the use and operation of all emergency
equipment in your centre and you should ensure you locate, read and understand
the procedures as they relate your role in the centre.
The centre will need to arrange for regular servicing and maintenance of emergency
equipment. All equipment should only be maintained by qualified personnel, and
any maintenance carried out should be recorded, and a copy of that maintenance
should be kept at the centre.
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Types of Fire Extinguishers
Below is a list of fire extinguisher types and their uses. You should ensure you
understand what extinguisher is used for what purpose to ensure the safety of all
staff visitors and children in your centre. You should also frequently advise staff of
the uses for each extinguisher. It may seem a repetitive task if you are repeating the
same information however; you need to ensure that in an emergency staff use the
correct extinguisher for the correct type of fire. For example: it would be dangerous
to anyone in the centre and possible in the vicinity if a staff member used a RED
water extinguisher on an electrical fire.
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Other Emergency Safety Equipment
Automated external defibrillator
AEDs are designed to be used by
laypersons who ideally should have
received AED training. However, sixth-
grade students have been reported to
begin defibrillation within 90 seconds, as
opposed to a trained operator beginning
within 67 seconds.
Fire Blanket
A fire blanket is a safety device designed
to extinguish small incipient (starting) fires.
It consists of a sheet of fire retardant
material which is placed over a fire in order
to smother it
First Aid Kit
The centre should have a number of these
available. Plus an extra for
excursions/outings.
Manual Fire Alarm Activator
In a larger centre and many larger public
buildings you may see these activators
typically located throughout the property.
Simply break the glass and press the button
inside to activate. The fire department is
automatically notified in these
circumstances.
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Home Fire Alarm
These alarms are activated by smoke or
heat as well as by fire. Every centre should
have these installed and be aware of
maintenance responsibilities. (see diagram
below)
Recommended Locations for Fire Safety Equipment
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3. Maintain a Portable Record of Children’s Emergency Contacts In Case
of Emergencies
Each child care centre must maintain the information needed to protect children’s and
staff’s health and safety during emergencies.
The centre must maintain an emergency “ready-to-go” file which includes copies of
sign-in/sign-out forms, medication administration forms, and incident/injury forms.
A responsible staff person must be assigned to take the emergency “ready-to-go” file.
Additionally, there must be an assigned back-up for this person, should they be off-
site or unable to fulfil this responsibility
The centre must maintain a daily sign-in and sign-out sheet that includes:
The first and last names of staff, volunteers and children
The times of arrival and departure for staff, volunteers and children
The names of visitors (times of arrival and departure)
In the event of an emergency, a staff person must be assigned to be responsible
to take this list to the pre-identified evacuation site or safe area in the facility
When it is necessary to evacuate a child care centre or family child care home, certain
records must be taken along so the staff and providers can continue to provide care for
children at the temporary location and communicate with parents, staff and key
contacts. When an emergency occurs there may not be time to gather these materials
together before evacuation is required. Some materials, such as copies of each child’s
individual information, parent contact information, information on children and
adults with special needs, information to facilitate family reunification (such as release
forms) as well as blank incident/injury forms can be kept in the file and the other
materials added daily (e.g., sign-in sheets). If copies of the latter materials are made
at the beginning of the day and placed in the file, the program will be able to evacuate
the facility more quickly.
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CHAPTER 7. PROMOTE HEALTHY EATING
“Good nutrition is essential to healthy living and enables children to be active
participants in play and leisure. Education and care settings provide many
opportunities for children to experience a range of healthy foods and to learn about
food choices from educators and other children
Source: Early Years Learning Framework, page 30; Framework for School Age Care, page 30
Infants, children and adolescents need sufficient nutritious food to grow and develop
normally. The focus should be on maintaining a rate of growth consistent with the
norms for age, sex and stage of physiological maturity.
Relative to their body weight, children’s nutrient and energy requirements are greater
than those of adults. Children are nutritionally vulnerable up to around 5 years of age,
after which their growth rate slows and their nutritional needs reduce relative to their
body size. As a child’s rate of growth is a fundamental indicator of nutritional status
and health and wellbeing, parents, carers and health professionals must be responsive
to the developmental and nutritional needs of children.
The ‘Australian Guide to Healthy Eating’, has introduced what is called Foundation
Diets which “represent the basis of optimum diets for infants, children and
adolescents. Sufficient nutritious foods must be provided to support optimum growth
and development in all children.”
Element 2.2.1 Healthy eating is promoted and food and drinks provided by the
service are nutritious and appropriate for each child.
EYLF Outcome 3: Children have a strong sense of wellbeing.
Educators in Early Education and Care centres need to create a variety of opportunities
for children to learn about healthy lifestyles, including the nutritional information
about the foods they eat. Children need to learn that good nutrition is essential to
healthy living and enables children to be active participants in play.
“Physical wellbeing contributes to children’s ability to concentrate, cooperate and
learn. As children become more independent they can take greater responsibility for
their health, hygiene and personal care and become mindful of their own and others’
safety.”
Source: Belonging, Being, Becoming, pg.30
•Children’s health and safetyQA2
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1. Experiences, Conversations and Routines
Establishing good mealtime routines in childhood helps with maintaining a regular
meal pattern throughout adolescence and adulthood. A regular meal pattern forms the
foundation for a healthy, balanced diet. Children have small stomachs, and their
energy and nutrient requirements are best met through small and frequent nutritious
meals and snacks.
Safe and Positive Mealtimes
As educators, you need to be close enough to supervise the children and monitor their
safety while they are eating. This is essential for the children’s safety during mealtimes.
Hazards such as allergic reaction and choking are just a couple of the concerns which
can affect children during mealtimes. It is essential that children are given appropriate
foods which reflect both their age and developmental capabilities.
Choking Risks for Toddlers and Young Children
When children inhale or ingest food it can easily lead to a blockage of their airways as
they are small in comparison to adults. Children should be always be supervised and
seated whenever they are eating.
It is not recommended for children to be given hard, small, round and/or sticky solid
foods because they can cause choking and aspiration.
Certain food items pose a greater choking risk to young children, these are:
hard food that can break into smaller lumps or pieces
raw carrots, celery and apple pieces, which should be grated, finely sliced,
cooked or mashed to prevent choking
nuts, seeds and popcorn
tough or chewy pieces of meat
sausages and hot dogs, which should be either skinless or have the skin
removed, and be cut into small pieces.
Hard lollies and corn chips also present a choking risk, but these should not be offered
in the service as they are ‘discretionary’ choices. Extra care should be taken with these
foods.
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Food Intolerances
Reactions due to food intolerance are usually less severe than those of food allergy,
and a larger dose of the suspect food is usually required to cause a reaction.
Symptoms include:
headaches,
skin rashes, and
stomach upsets
Work with parents to develop a plan to manage a child’s food intolerance – this may
include minimising the child’s exposure to particular foods.
Using Routines
Early childhood Education and Care services provide many opportunities for children
to experience a range of healthy foods and to learn about food choices from educators
and other children.
Routines that you establish with the children can provide many opportunities for
children to learn about and practice health and safety.
Getting children to wash their hands before snacks, lunch, after going to the
toilet
Brushing teeth after a meal
As children get older and develop more skills it is important to involve them in the set
up and clean-up of the mealtime routine. Toddler and pre-school age children can
begin to assist in setting the tables, serving themselves using tongs and scrapping their
bowls into the scrap bowls. Children can also take turns of emptying scrap bowls. If
your centre has a worm farm or compost, this is also a great way to reinforce
environmentally sustainable practices with the children.
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2. Model, Reinforce and Implement Healthy Eating and Nutrition
Practices
Both parents and carers can support quality optimal dietary patterns by modelling
behaviours and purchasing and preparing nutritious foods.
Mealtimes should be a relaxed and enjoyable experience where the educators can role
model positive eating habits and join in conversations with the children. Seating
children together in small groups with an educator allows for good communication
and a relaxed, social atmosphere where children are given time to eat and enjoy their
meal.
Both educators and parents have a big influence on the children and what they learn
about food. Children learn a lot by watching what you do and from listening to you. By
sitting with children at meals and demonstrating healthy eating behaviours, talking
about food and nutrition, children can learn good eating habits.
Some important points about this role include:
Sitting with children during meals and snacks.
When providing food, eat the same food as the children.
Encourage children to taste all the foods offered at a meal or snack.
Never give or deny food as a reward or punishment.
Make sure the social environment is calm and positive.
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3. Support and Guide Children to Eat Healthy Food
Kitchen Fun
One way of getting children interested in healthy food is to let them be involved in the
preparation and cooking of food. There are many simple recipes around that children
could quite easily assist you with.
Look for different ways of presenting the food as well, you don’t need to be a gourmet
chef to make the food look good. Think of interesting ways to present the food, which
will inspire the children and get them, talking, telling stories, playing and learning
about their food.
Bring the children's attention to the shape of the whole fruit, how it grows, the texture
of the skin, the smell, and let them explore the seeds.
Compare the seeds of one fruit to the seeds of another. Collect seeds from all the fruits
and look at them all together.
By showing a positive healthy interest in food is providing a healthy role model that
will assist the children to develop a positive attitude of their won towards food.
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Dress Up the Room
To help children enjoy mealtimes you can make the meal area attractive and relaxed,
with appropriate sized furniture. Most child care centers use a child-sized table and
chairs for meals. Family child care providers may use child-sized furniture or arrange
chairs, high chairs, and booster seats around the family table.
Let the children dress up the room with tablecloths, flowers and other decorations.
Some simple origami folds make beautiful serviettes for the table and can help create
a more home-like environment at mealtimes or let them role play going out to a café
or restaurant.
Seating children together in small groups will stimulate good communication skills
and a relaxed atmosphere. Be prepared to move around and sit with different groups
of children to assist and support them.
Appropriate Size Serving Utensils
Provide appropriately sized servings and easy to use utensils so children can manage
by themselves, but always be prepared to assist and support them in learning as hands
will still be used while children learn the art of using a fork, or a spoon, especially
babies and toddlers. Provide child-sized utensils for eating. Small spoons are essential.
A plate with edges or a small, shallow bowl helps young children to scoop up their food
more easily. Use serving utensils that make it easier to serve the right size portions of
food. Utensils should be easy to handle, implements such as tongs, smaller serving
spoons and scoops work well.
Even try using serving utensils of a different colour. Having all serving utensils the
same colour, and a different colour from eating utensils, will help children distinguish
cooking and serving utensils from eating utensils. It’s easier for children to remember
not to lick the red spoon. If you can’t find coloured plastic utensils, mark serving
utensil handles with vinyl tape. This tape lasts a long time and stays on well in the
dishwasher.
Serve finger foods frequently. Foods such as small meat or cheese cubes, vegetable
sticks and fruit chunks teach coordination to children. Finger foods are a good way to
introduce new foods.
Learning eating skills can be messy. Encourage children to help you clean up spills.
Place a drop cloth or old shower curtain on the floor to make clean-up easier. Have
paper towels and a sponge handy. A spill is not a catastrophe, but rather an
opportunity to help children learn.
Use plastic squeeze bottles as children can squeeze jellies, peanut butter, mustard,
mayonnaise, ketchup, and other spreadable ingredients onto their foods.
Meal conversations assist in providing relaxed and enjoyable experiences where staff
role model positive eating habits and talk about the food that they are eating as
learning extensions.
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Some things you can talk about include:
the name of the food,
the taste of the food,
the colour of the food,
the texture of the food,
how the food helps them grow
You might also talk to children about:
whether they have tasted this food before?
what it feels like?
what it smells like?
where it comes from?
4. Activity Ideas to Encourage Healthy Nutrition
Using food throughout your program can teach children about where food comes from
and how it is prepared and the nutritional values of food. Cooking experiences are also
opportunities for children to practice mathematical and science concepts.
Some simple ideas include:
Home corner
Restaurant/cafe play
Shop dramatic play
If you have fruit trees or a vegetable garden, allow the children to help you pick
the fruit and vegetables and use them for meals. This is a very powerful way to
show children where food comes from and how it is made. Children are more
likely to taste and try new foods if they are involved in growing it.
Implement cooking experiences and support the children to measure, count,
pour and mix the ingredients.
Allow children to assist in preparing meals and planning menus. Children may
choose their sandwich fillings and which fruit they would like to eat.
Involve children in excursions to the local shop to buy the ingredients for
cooking experiences. Older children can practice their writing skills by
preparing a shopping list, while younger children may be able to cut and paste
pictures from magazines. Encourage children to assist with choosing the food
items you need and discuss the nutritional value of the foods.
Make a healthy eating collage where children identify healthy food and drink.
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Depending on the age group of the children, you could also introduce the ‘traffic light’
system used in many schools:
o Green – everyday, fresh foods/eat plenty
o Amber – more processed foods/eat sometimes
o Red – highly processed foods/eat occasionally
For most children who are healthy, active and growing well, there is no need to worry
about fussy eating. If a child excludes an entire food group or has a very limited range
of foods for an extended period of time, a referral to an Accredited Practising Dietician
may be helpful.
Some tips for managing fussy eaters include the following:
Make sure that the child has not filled up on drinks or discretionary choices
before a meal or snack.
Maintain regular mealtime routines.
Make the mealtime enjoyable.
Ensure that you are modelling healthy eating behaviours.
Continue to offer foods that have been previously refused. Sometimes children
need to be exposed to a new food a few times before they will even taste it.
Set a time limit of 20–30 minutes for a meal. After this time, remove any
uneaten food and let the child leave the table. Do not offer alternative food or
drinks until the next planned meal or snack.
HEALTHY EATING GUIDELINE
“Offer an appropriate amount of food, but allow children to decide themselves how
much they will actually eat.”
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‘I’m still hungry’
Having extra food available is important if a child is still hungry. Extra servings of the
main meal or a part of the main meal can be offered, if available. If not available, offer
a small piece of fruit or a couple of crackers.
Children’s appetites will vary from day to day, but if a child constantly appears hungry
at the end of meals, discuss this with the nominated supervisor and with the child’s
family.
5. Ready Access to Water
Appropriate Drinks While In Care
It is essential that children are offered healthy drinks throughout the day to add to
their nutritional intake and to keep them hydrated.
Our bodies are made up of 50-60% water and as we are active during our day we lose
water from our bodies through sweating, going to the toilet and breathing. It is
important to replace this water to maintain good health.
Toddlers need around 1 litre of fluid a day and pre-schoolers around 1.2 litres each day
to stay hydrated (more in hot weather), this will vary from child to child and you must
consider the total volume of liquids they may have already consumed.
Most children enjoy drinking water if they get into the habit from an early age. Centres
that make water the preferred drink throughout the day, and always have water
available for children, will allow them develop the good habit of hydrating by drinking
water.
Drinking water after eating is another healthy habit for children to develop. Some
services do this as part of their dental health policy. By rinsing their mouth after a
meal, children will reduce the amount of sugars remaining on their teeth which will,
in turn, reduce the chance of decay. The condition of baby teeth will affect permanent
teeth so forming these sorts of healthy habits in early childhood will have lifelong
benefits.
HEALTHY EATING GUIDELINE
“Offer meals and snacks at regular and predictable intervals.”
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Examples of how to provide water include:
Have children’s individual drink bottle filled with clean fresh water and
available during indoor and outdoor play.
Have a jug of water available for children during lunch, morning tea and
afternoon tea.
Encourage children to ‘swish and swallow’ after meals and snacks.
Throughout the day and at transition times encourage children to have a drink
of water before moving onto the next activity.
Milk or milk alternatives are also important for children to ensure they receive the
correct vitamins and minerals within their diet. Many centres serve milk at morning
tea and / or afternoon tea as part of the recommended 3 serves of dairy per day.
Appropriate Drinks for Children and Babies
Drinks 6 -12 months 1-3 years 3-5 years
Cow’s Milk Not suitable as a
drink at this age
though from 8
months small
amounts can be
added to food and
in cooking, for
example cereals.
Children will start to
be introduced to
cow’s milk from 12
months. Now
suitable as a drink
and is suitable to
replace formula.
Reduced fat cow’s
milk recommended
as a drink. Great
source of calcium.
Soy Milk (enriched
with calcium)
Not suitable. Soy
formulas are able to
be purchased.
May be used in
case of allergy to
cow’s milk or
preference of the
parents.
May be used in
case of allergy to
cow’s milk or
preference of the
parents.
Oat, rice, barley or
coconut milk
Not suitable Not suitable as a
replacement for
cow’s milk (unless
medically advised)
Not suitable as a
replacement for
cow’s milk (unless
medically advised)
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Water Cooled boiled water
introduced.
Encourage use of a
sipper sup. Babies
under 6 months
may be offered
cooled boiled water
in a bottle as an
extra feed during
hot weather.
Healthy choice.
Encourage children
to drink regularly.
Healthy choice.
Encourage children
to drink regularly.
Fruit Juice Not suitable Not necessary.
Not recommended
to be provided in a
child care centre. A
piece of fruit is a
healthier option.
Not necessary.
Not recommended
to be provided in a
child care centre. A
piece of fruit is a
healthier option.
Cordial, soft drinks,
flavoured mineral
water or sports
drinks.
Not suitable Not suitable Not suitable
6. Plan Food and Drinks
Our food co-ordinator, Anna, has many things to think about when she plans the
children's menu. Not only does she have to incorporate all the nutritional guidelines
but she has to make the food look and taste great too!
Educators will need to ensure that individual dietary needs and nutritional
requirements of all children are catered for. They will also need to consider:
cultural requirements,
individual preferences, and
allergies and intolerances.
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When planning your menus, talk with families as they know their child best. Families
have specific knowledge of what the child likes to eat, any preferences and any allergies
they are prone to.
They can also provide you with information about:
what type of milk an infant takes,
if they have started solids yet
how they like to feed themselves
any routines that are followed
6.1. Planning a Menu
All children will have different tastes,
differing appetites, and a different
willingness to try new foods, and all of
these may change over time. Planning
menus that vary daily and weekly can help
ensure that children receive adequate
nutrients every day and introduce them to
a variety of healthy nutritious food
options.
When planning the menu for the week you need to consider:
nutrients children need at different ages and stages of their development
individual children’s special dietary needs and preferences
cultural factors
attractive ways to serve food that looks appealing to children
Eat for Health: Australian Dietary Guidelines (2013) - NHMRC
Eat for Health: Infant Feeding Guidelines (2012) - NHMRC
Get up and Grow resources
o Get up and Grow Directors_Book
o Get up and Grow Staff_and_Carer_Book_1
o Get up and Grow_Cooking_for_Children
o Get up and Grow_Family Book
Policies and procedures of the centre
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The following link provides an example of a menu used at Sparkling Stars. Please
be aware this menu would need to be modified for younger children. These would
include babies, considering choking risk and developmental level, and children
with allergies or cultural and religious food preferences requested by their parents.
Sparkling-Stars-Sample-Menu
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Your centre's food and nutrition policy should be available for parents to read in
your handbook. The centre’s menu plan for the week, should be simply presented
and placed in a prominent position where both adults and older children can see
what foods are being provided.
Discussion of the menu plan, as well as other food activities that occur in your
service, allows you to find opportunities to educate both the parents as well as the
children about healthy choices. Many parents will seek information about the types
of foods they should provide and strategies they can use to encourage their child to
eat healthy foods.
Another way of diversifying the menu is to share popular recipes with parents and
ask them for recipes that their children enjoy and you can include in some of your
menus.
Get children involved in learning about healthy eating and share their investigation
with their parents. Arrange a guest speaker to talk to parents about nutrition.
Many services also include healthy eating ideas and information in their
newsletter.
Please Note: the “Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents (2003)” has been superseded by the “Eat for Health: Australian Dietary Guidelines (2013)”
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7. Recommended Dietary Intake
Research conducted by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
has led to an approximate Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI), the RDI can guide us
in calculating the appropriate amounts of nutrients that we need to eat each day.
Under packaging laws in Australia this information must be on every food product you
buy from the supermarket.
Reading and interpreting food labels can assist in choosing healthy food choices for
children.
7.1. Read and Interpret Food Labels
Nutrition Information Panels
Nutrition information panels must contain information on the average amount of
energy, protein, fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, sugars and sodium (salt) in the
food. In Australia, nutrition labels are required to also include data per
100g/100mL of the product, as well as per serving size. This is done to make
comparing similar products simpler for consumers.
Ingredients must be listed in descending order (by ingoing weight). This means
that when the food was manufactured, the first ingredient listed contributed the
largest amount and the last ingredient listed contributed the least.
If 20 grams of fat is listed in the ‘per 100g’ column,
this means the product is 20% fat and a high fat food.
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More information on Nutrition Panel Information can at the following
link:
Nutrition Panel Information: Food Labelling Brochure
Quantity Per Serve
The ‘quantity’ information is provided so you know how much is in a serving (for
example, one serve may be 6 biscuits). One thing to be aware of is that, even when
you might assume you have a single serve portion, there may in fact be multiple
serves (for example a 250ml bottle of juice may in fact be 2 serves).
Energy/Kilojoules
The energy value is the total amount of kilojoules from protein, fat,
carbohydrate, dietary fibre and alcohol that is released when food is used
by the body.
The following table looks at the typical ingredient found on nutrient labels. The
RDI given is for adults only. For children’s RDI you may have to halve the amounts
shown.
Ingredient RDI Nutrient Information
Protein
Women: 45-
60g/day
Men: 65-80g/day
Protein is essential for good health and is
particularly important for growth and
development in children. Meat, poultry, fish,
eggs, milk and cheese are animal sources of
protein. Vegetable sources of protein include
lentils, dried peas and beans, nuts and cereals.
Fat
Should be 30% of
total energy intake,
that is 70g/day.
Fat is listed in the nutrition information panel as
total fat (which is the total of the saturated fats,
trans-fat, polyunsaturated fats and
monounsaturated fats in the food).
Saturated Fat
Should be less than
10% of your total
energy intake, that
is less than
24g/day.
A separate entry must also be provided for the
amount of saturated fat in the food.
Carbohydrates
45-65% of total
energy intake (230-
310g/day).
Carbohydrates can be found in bread, cereals,
rice, pasta, milk, vegetables and fruit.
Carbohydrate in the nutrition information panel
includes starches and sugars.
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Sugars Experts define a
moderate intake as
about 10 per cent
of the total energy
intake per day.
Sugar is a carbohydrate and are included as
part of the carbohydrates in the nutrition
information panel as well as being listed
separately. The sugars listed will include
naturally occurring sugars, such as those found
in fruit, as well as added sugar. Remember
products with ‘no added sugar’ stated may still
contain high levels of natural sugars.
Fibre
Women: 25g/day
Men: 30g/day
Not all nutrition panels state fibre content unless
a nutrition claim is made on the label about
fibre, sugar or carbohydrate, for example ‘high
in fibre’, ‘low in sugar’.
Sodium/salt
Should be 920-
2300mg/day. An
upper limit of
1600mg is
recommended for
those with or at risk
of heart disease.
Sodium is the component of salt that affects our
health. High levels of salt in our diets are not
recommended and have been linked with high
blood pressure and stroke, which is why it is
included in the nutrition information panel. High
salt content is often found in processed foods,
including breads and cereals.
Calcium
Women 50+ and
men 70+:
1300mg/day
All other adults:
1000mg/day
Iron
Women 19-50:
18mg/day
Women 50+ and
men 19+: 8mg/day
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7.2. Ingredients of Concern
Common Allergens
Separate advisory statements must be made on the label for the following
ingredients:
aspartame –‘contains phenylalanine’
added caffeine in cola drinks – ‘contains caffeine’
guarana – ‘contains caffeine’
Quinine –‘contains quinine’
Unpasteurised egg products–‘unpasteurised’
The eight most common food allergens, gluten and sulphites must always be listed
in the ingredients list or in a separate advisory statement. Products containing
Royal Jelly must also provide a warning statement on the food label.
For further information on food allergies and intolerances, including labelling
requirements, visit:
http://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/_Documents/foodsafetyandyou/food_alle
rgy_intolerance_brochure.pdf
Look for warning statements like ‘contains peanuts’ or ‘contains
dairy products’, or ‘starch (wheat)’.
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Food Additives
Food additives are often added to our food and often play important part in
ensuring our food is safe and meets the needs of consumers.
“Food additives can be used to:
Improve the taste or appearance of a processed food. For example, beeswax
- glazing agent (901) may be used to coat apples to improve their
appearance.
Improve the keeping quality or stability of a food. For example, sorbitol -
humectant (420) - may be added to mixed dried fruit to maintain the
moisture level and softness of the fruit.
Preserve food when this is the most practical way of extending its storage
life. For example, sulphur dioxide - preservative (220) - is added to some
meat products such as sausage meat to limit microbial growth.”
Source: Food Standards
Food additive names can be confusing. To help reduce this confusion; each food
additive is given a short code number.
You can read more about Food Additives here:
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/additives/Pages/default.aspx
Banned Additives
Many parents will be vigilant about some of the ingredients in food given to their
children. Some additives may be banned in one country but declared safe to eat in
another. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) for instance was for many years treated
with condemnation by many consumers, but recent studies have found:
“The overwhelming evidence from a large number of scientific
studies is that MSG is safe for the general population at the levels
typically incorporated into various foods. This has been confirmed
by a number of expert bodies.
A small number of people may experience a mild hypersensitivity-
type reaction to large amounts of MSG when eaten in a single meal.
Reactions vary from person to person but may include headaches,
numbness/tingling, flushing, muscle tightness, and general
weakness. These reactions normally pass quickly and do not
produce any long-lasting effects.”
Source: Food Standards
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MSG can be identified on nutrition labels as:
‘Flavour enhancer (MSG)’, or
‘Flavour enhancer (621)’
For a list of banned additives and more information on food labelling and
packaging laws please go to www.foodstandards.gov.au
7.3. Recommended Daily Servings
Infants Dietary Requirements (birth – 6 months)
Breast milk about 800 mL per day
8–12 times over a 24-hour period during the first week of life
Minimum at least six times in a 24-hour period.
Nutritional Needs of Babies
Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for around the first 6 months, and should
continue for 12 months and beyond for as long as the mother and child desire.
Points to consider when introducing solid foods to infants are:
Breast milk supplies adequate water up to around 6 months of age, but
cooled boiled water may need to be provided for formula-fed infants from
birth.
A wide variety of solid foods should be introduced from around 6 months,
with first foods being iron rich (e.g. iron-fortified cereal, meat and
alternatives).
Texture of solid foods should be appropriate to the infant’s development.
Some foods may need to be introduced many times before they are accepted.
Hard pieces of food (e.g. some raw vegetables/fruit, whole nuts) should be
avoided. Nut butters or pastes do not increase the risk of allergies and can
be introduced from 6 months.
Breast milk or infant formula should be the main drinks in the first 12 months;
however cow’s milk may be served in small quantities as custards, with cereals, or
as yoghurt between 6 and 12 months.
Source: Eat for Health: Infant Feeding Guidelines, 2012
Supply = Demand
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Toddlers Dietary Requirements
Vegetables/legumes – 2.5 serves
Fruit – 1 serves
Lean Meat, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts/seeds, legumes - 1 serves
Grain – 4 serves
Milk Yoghurt Cheese – 1.5 serves
Nutritional Needs of Toddlers
A wide variety of nutritious foods is needed to support normal growth and
development
Parents and carers can support quality optimal dietary patterns by
modelling behaviours and purchasing and preparing nutritious foods
Reduced fat milk, yoghurt and cheese products are recommended for
children 2 years and older
Dietary restrictions are not generally suitable for growing children and
adolescents and suspected food intolerance and allergy should be confirmed
by a medical practitioner
Adolescents may be vulnerable to disordered eating
Source: Eat for Health: Australian Dietary Guidelines, 2013
Dietary Requirements of Children (3yrs – 9yrs)
Vegetables/legumes – 4.5 to 5 serves
Fruit – 1 to 2 serves
Lean Meat, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts/seeds, legumes – 1 to 2.5 serves
Grain – 4 to 5 serves
Milk Yoghurt Cheese – 1.5 to 2.5 serves
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Nutritional Needs of Children
A wide variety of nutritious foods is needed to support normal growth and
development.
Parents and carers can support quality optimal dietary patterns by
modelling behaviours and purchasing and preparing nutritious foods.
Reduced fat milk, yoghurt and cheese products are recommended for
children 2 years and older.
Dietary restrictions are not generally suitable for growing children and
adolescents and suspected food intolerance and allergy should be confirmed
by a medical practitioner.
Adolescents may be vulnerable to disordered eating.
Source: Eat for Health: Australian Dietary Guidelines, 2013
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What is a Serve?
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7.4. Recommendations for Healthy Eating
Guideline 1 To achieve and maintain a healthy weight, be physically
active and choose amounts of nutritious food and drinks to meet your
energy needs
Children and adolescents should eat sufficient nutritious foods to grow and
develop normally. They should be physically active every day and their
growth should be checked regularly.
Older people should eat nutritious foods and keep physically active to help
maintain muscle strength and a healthy weight.
Guideline 2 Enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods from these five
groups every day:
Plenty of vegetables, including different types and colours, and
legumes/beans
Fruit
Grain (cereal) foods, mostly wholegrain and/or high cereal fibre varieties,
such as breads, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles, polenta, couscous, oats, quinoa
and barley
Lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds, and legumes/beans
Milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or their alternatives, mostly reduced fat (reduced
fat milks are not suitable for children under the age of 2 years)
And drink plenty of water.
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Guideline 3 Limit intake of foods containing saturated fat, added salt,
added sugars and alcohol
Limit intake of foods high in saturated fat such as many biscuits, cakes,
pastries, pies, processed meats, commercial burgers, pizza, fried foods,
potato chips, crisps and other savoury snacks.
Replace high fat foods which contain predominantly saturated fats such as
butter, cream, cooking margarine, coconut and palm oil with foods which
contain predominantly polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats such as
oils, spreads, nut butters/pastes and avocado.
Low fat diets are not suitable for children under the age of 2 years.
Limit intake of foods and drinks containing added salt.
Read labels to choose lower sodium options among similar foods.
Do not add salt to foods in cooking or at the table.
Limit intake of foods and drinks containing added sugars such as
confectionary, sugar-sweetened soft drinks and cordials, fruit drinks,
vitamin waters, energy and sports drinks.
If you choose to drink alcohol, limit intake. For women who are pregnant,
planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding, not drinking alcohol is the safest
option.
Guideline 4 Encourage, support and promote breastfeeding
Guideline 5 Care for your food; prepare and store it safely
For more information regarding these guidelines go to (Eat for Health: Australian
Dietary Guidelines, 2013)
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The types of food in this graph are based on an average Australian Diet and are by
no means the only foods of this type that are acceptable. The size of the food
product in this graph is meant to give a proportionate indication of how much of
that food to eat in comparison to the other foods.
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7.5. Addressing Individual Dietary Needs and Preferences
Individual Needs
Individual dietary needs of children are determined by their age, developmental
stage of the child and also by their likes and preferences. Parents can assist you in
what the likes and dislikes of their children. Young children can be fussy eaters too!
Just because a child may not like tomatoes today, doesn’t mean they will always
feel that way. After watching the educators and other children enjoying what they
eat, the child may decide they like it too. Always offer new foods for children to try
and encourage them to taste unfamiliar food.
Religious Needs
Religious and spiritual beliefs will also influence the type of foods that children eat
and will need to be considered when you are menu planning. For example many
Muslim families follow Halal, many Jewish families only eat Kosher. This means
the food has been processed or prepared following religious protocols. This is no
different than some parents only wanting their children to eat vegetarian food, the
culinary suggestions from families will be often influenced by their religion. These
details are usually discussed with families during the enrolment and orientation at
the centre.
Examples:
People of the Jewish faith usually do not eat pork.
People who follow the Hindu religion do not eat beef.
Cultural Influences
Cultural preferences can also influence a child’s diet. Families and children from
different countries may be used to different ways of cooking and eating certain
foods. It is important to take into account cultural influences when planning menus
for the children.
How to locate information of a child’s preferences:
Check children’s profiles and enrolment forms
Talk about food with the children
Discuss some favourite recipes with families
Even if your service doesn’t have families from different backgrounds it still is
important to have food from different cultures. This allows children to appreciate
diversity, respect difference and try new foods.
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Example:
Asian cultures eat many rice based dishes
Indian cultures use blends of aromatic spices as part of their cuisine.
7.6. Implications of Poor Diet
By eating well, your children will have the energy they need to play, concentrate
better, learn, sleep better and build stronger teeth and bones.
What Does Being Healthy Mean?
Being thin or able to participate in professional sports is not a measure of good
health. It's about having a balance between healthy eating and regular physical
activity in a way that works for each individual.
Being healthy is about much more than ‘looking good’.
Being healthy helps children to:
Build strong bones and teeth
Grow and develop to their full potential
Improve their concentration at school
Improve their coordination, balance and strength
Maintain a healthy weight
Be bright and active, encouraging active participation and curiosity.
Being unhealthy can lead in later life to:
Type II diabetes
High blood pressure and cholesterol levels
Some types of cancers
Heart disease
Obesity
Dental caries and decay
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7.7. Health Effects Associated With Diet
Overweight and obesity
The most immediate consequences of overweight and obesity in childhood are
social discrimination (associated with poor self-esteem and depression), increased
risk of developing negative body image issues, and eating disorders. Overweight
children and adolescents are more likely to develop sleep apnoea, breathlessness
on exertion and reduced exercise tolerance, some orthopaedic and gastrointestinal
problems, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and early signs of metabolic and clinical
consequences, such as hypertension, hyperinsulinemia, hypertriglyceridemia and
type 2 diabetes.
Underweight
In infancy and early childhood, underweight and failure to thrive can be more
prevalent than overweight and obesity in some communities. Failure to thrive is
most commonly a result of socioeconomic factors, including poor living
conditions133 but can also occur among affluent sections of the community due to
inappropriate dietary restrictions (e.g. based on fears about ‘unhealthy’ dietary
habits).134 Specialist advice should be sought on underweight and failure to thrive
in infants and children (for further information on growth see Appendix H).
Inappropriate dietary restriction and eating disorders occur in some adolescents.
We will learn more about how poor nutrition can affect a child’s development in
“Learner Workbook Five (5) Play and Development”.
7.8. Nutrition for Groups at Risk
Malnutrition is a condition that results from having an unhealthy diet that is not
balanced with the healthy foods that provide all the nutrients, vitamins and
minerals needed for our bodies to grow and develop.
Poverty has a huge impact on children’s health and wellbeing and children living
in poverty can often suffer from malnutrition.
According the NHMRC, in 2000, in some remote and rural areas of Australia, a
substantial proportion of Indigenous children were suffering from levels of
malnutrition. In the Darwin area, 20 per cent of children aged less than 2 years
were malnourished. (NHMRC, (2000) Nutrition in Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Peoples- An Information Paper)
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In the indigenous people groups, there is a large difference between urban, rural
and remote communities and the nutritional level. The factors contributing to the
restricted availability of healthy food to Indigenous people include low
socioeconomic status, various environmental and social factors, and geographic
remoteness.
In rural areas malnutrition levels can even be affected by seasonal change including
the availability of fresh nutritional food, such as fruit and vegetables.
Research shows, that many Aboriginal children have poorer growth than non-
Aboriginal children after weaning. Malnutrition in early childhood has been linked
to problems with mental development and disorders including anaemia and
recurring infections. Infections place extra nutritional demands on the body, which
creates a vicious circle. Without enough nourishing food, the child runs the risk of
never reaching their full height or development.
Even people who have plenty to eat may be malnourished if they don't choose
healthy foods that provide the right nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
Some diseases and conditions prevent people from digesting or absorbing their
food properly and this can also lead to levels of malnutrition.
For example:
Someone with coeliac disease has intestinal problems that are triggered by
a protein called gluten, which is found in wheat, rye, and barley.
Children with cystic fibrosis have trouble absorbing nutrients because the
disease affects the pancreas, an organ that normally produces enzymes
necessary for digestion.
In these cases it is essential for families to seek professional assistance, from
Doctors and dieticians, to ensure their children are having a balanced diet and all
their nutritional needs are met.
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7.9. Providing Education and Support to Families
Family Education
The Infant Feeding Guidelines for Health Workers recommends the following
education materials which target the family, particularly fathers, ethnic and
cultural groups, and disadvantaged socio-economic groups. Hard copies of these
materials are available through the Australian Breastfeeding Association. Online
versions can be downloaded, as follows:
7 Helpful Hints for Learning to Breastfeed (1998)
7 Helpful Hints for Solving Breastfeeding Problems (1998)
7 Reasons Why Mother’s Milk is Better for Your Baby and You (1998)
7 Important Facts for Fathers about Breastfeeding (1998)
7 Suggestions for Breastfeeding Your Baby—anywhere, anytime (1998)
non–English language materials (1998)
Let’s Give Our Baby the Best (1998)
Mother’s Milk—perfect anytime anywhere (1998)
You Can Breastfeed Your Baby (1998)
The WHO Code
The WHO Code is the abbreviated name for the International Code of
Marketing Breastmilk Substitutes developed in 1981 by the General Assembly
of the World Health Organization, following consultation with key stakeholders,
including governments and infant food manufacturers. In subsequent years
additional World Health Assembly resolutions have further defined and
strengthened the Code.
The aim of the WHO Code is:
“To contribute to the provision of safe and adequate nutrition for infants,
by the protection and promotion of breastfeeding, and by ensuring the
proper use of breastmilk substitutes, when these are necessary, on the
basis of adequate information and through appropriate marketing and
distribution.”
Source: The WHO Code
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The main elements of the WHO Code are as follows:
There should be no advertising or other promotion to the general public of
products within the scope of the Code; i.e., breastmilk substitutes (including
infant formula and complementary foods), bottles or teats
Health facilities and health professionals do not have a role in promoting
breastmilk substitutes
Free samples of breastmilk substitutes or items that promote breastmilk
substitutes should not be provided to pregnant women, new mothers, or
health facilities
Health risks to infants who are artificially fed, or who are not exclusively
breastfed, should be highlighted through appropriate warnings and
labelling
Labelling of breastmilk substitutes should contain instructions on how to
use the product to minimise the risks of use.
Pictures or text that idealise the use of breastmilk substitutes should not be
used.
The Australian National Breastfeeding Strategy 2010-2015 notes:
“The Best Start inquiry recommended the Australian Government adopt
in full the WHO’s International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk
Substitutes and subsequent WHA resolutions (HoR 2007). The
Australian Government’s response to the inquiry noted the
recommendation and stated that the Australian Government would
consider Australia’s response to the WHO Code in the context of
developing an Australian National Breastfeeding Strategy. This will be
progressed under the implementation plan and governance
arrangements for the Australian National Breastfeeding Strategy and
with respect to the development of the infant formula policy guidelines
and revision of the Infant Feeding Guidelines for Health Workers”
Health workers have a responsibility to promote breastfeeding first but, where it is
needed, to educate and support parents about formula feeding. Some mothers may
experience feelings of grief or loss if they decide not to breastfeed. A mother’s
informed decision not to breastfeed should be respected and support from a health
worker and/or other members of the multidisciplinary team provided.
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This responsibility is outlined in the WHO Code and the Australia New Zealand
Food Standards Code.
Under the WHO Code:
feeding with infant formula should only be demonstrated by health workers,
or other community workers if necessary, and only to the mothers or family
members who need to use it
the information given should include a clear explanation of the hazards of
improper use.
7.10. Food Allergies and Medical Conditions
It is very important to consider food allergies when organising meals for the
children. You must be aware of any food allergies or food intolerances that a child
in your care has, especially those with the potential to cause serious illness.
When the body has contact with a food allergen (a trigger – this could be many
things) and the immune system reacts as if it is a damaging substance, this is
known as a food allergy. Upon any amount of contact, the body releases histamines
and other substances into the blood stream, which trigger a series of allergic signs
and symptoms. Food intolerances are sometimes confused with food allergies.
Food intolerances can have similar signs and symptoms but don’t involve the
immune system in response to the allergen.
The most frequent food allergens are eggs, fish, milk, peanuts, shellfish, soy, tree
nuts and wheat.
Signs and symptoms that could signal an allergic reaction might include nausea,
vomiting, cramping, diarrhoea, difficulty breathing, sneezing, itching, swelling and
rashes on the body.
Some food intolerances or medical conditions that children may have include:
Lactose intolerance – children who are allergic to dairy products
Coeliac disease – children become ill if they eat any food products
containing gluten, which is found in wheat, barley and rye products.
Diabetes – children can become very thirsty and tired
Asthma – children can begin to cough excessively, wheeze and have
difficulty breathing.
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Treatment and Prevention of Allergic Reactions in Children
The severity of allergic reactions may vary. Stopping the child’s contact with the
allergen will usually be sufficient treatment for minor reactions. Additionally, a
doctor can prescribe anti-allergen medication and cream to relieve symptoms.
You must take the child to the doctor straight away if the reaction is severe, such as
a rash and swelling increasing up the throat and face area or if the child is having
difficulty breathing. Children may carry an Epi pen in case of emergency if they
have severe allergies.
A severe and life-threatening allergy is called anaphylaxis. In these cases the
allergen can cause children’s lips and throat to become swollen and airways can
become blocked, making it difficult for them to breathe. This can usually occur
within seconds or up to 20 minutes after the child has contact with the allergen. As
soon as signs are evident, take immediate action as the child’s health can quickly
deteriorate, leading to a life threatening situation.
Common triggers include nuts or any foods that have nut products in them, eggs
or bee stings. Latex and seafood are also known to cause an anaphylactic attack.
Instances of this type of allergy are increasing in children, especially compared with
previous generations. It is critical that as carers we recognise the symptoms and
act immediately.
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8. Maintain Food Safety
8.1. Food-Handling Requirements
The principle role of food handlers in a centre is preventing children from getting
microorganism contamination and/or allergic reactions.
Under The Food and Safety Standards – Standard 3.2.2 Food Safety Practices and
General Requirements, the owners of food businesses are responsible for making
sure that people who handle food or food contact surfaces in their business, and
the people who supervise this work, have the skills and knowledge they need to
handle food safely.
What Do ‘Skills’ and ‘Knowledge’ Mean?
Skill: Your staff and their supervisors must be able to do their work in ways
that ensure that your business produces safe food.
Knowledge: Your staff and their supervisors must know about issues
associated with food safety and safe food handling practices that are relevant to
your business and the jobs they do for you.
A food handler in the centre prepares and cooks whole chickens. The
staff member who does this work must have appropriate food safety and
food hygiene knowledge and skills to make sure that the chicken is
prepared safely for service.
The food safety skills and knowledge needed for this job include:
knowing that raw chickens are likely to be contaminated with dangerous
bacteria and that eating undercooked chicken can cause food poisoning;
knowing the cooking time and temperature needed to make sure that the
chicken and the stuffing are thoroughly cooked;
the skill needed to check the chicken to make sure it is thoroughly cooked;
knowing the correct storage temperatures for both raw and cooked
chickens; and
the skills needed to make sure that equipment is set at the right temperature.
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The food hygiene skills and knowledge needed for this job include:
knowing that hands, gloves or the equipment used to handle raw chickens
can contaminate cooked chickens;
the skill to wash hands and equipment in ways that reduce the potential for
contamination;
knowing about other things that could contaminate the cooked chickens,
such as dirty clothes or dirty work benches; and
the skills needed to keep the work area clean.
Source: Food Handling Skills and Knowledge
Food handlers must have the skills and knowledge that they need to handle food
safely to carry out the duties they are performing. However, if other staff assist
when people are away, or sometimes have the role to supervise other food handlers,
then they must also have the skills and knowledge for these duties.
Early Childhood Education and Care staff skills and knowledge must include food
safety and food hygiene matters. Food safety issues cover what staff must do to food
to keep food safe. Food hygiene practices cover what staff must do to keep things
clean so they do not contaminate food.
Food handlers must:
Take all reasonable measures to handle food and food contact surfaces and
equipment in a way that will not compromise the safety and suitability of
food;
Wash their hands with soap and warm running water in handwashing
facilities whenever their hands are likely to be a source of contamination of
food and specifically:
o before commencing and recommencing handling food (including
after breaks),
o after using the toilet or changing nappies,
o immediately before handling ready-to-eat food, and
o immediately after coughing, sneezing, using a handkerchief or tissue,
eating, drinking, touching hair, scalp, nose etc.
Advise the director if they are suffering from, are a carrier of, or have
symptoms of food-borne illness so they can be allocated alternative duties,
if required. Common symptoms include vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal
cramps, nausea and fever.
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Avoid Cross Contamination
Keep raw and cooked or ready to eat foods separate by:
o cleaning and sanitising utensils, surfaces and equipment between
preparing raw and cooked foods or use separate equipment,
o storing raw foods below cooked foods.
Clean and sanitise utensils, equipment and surfaces per the cleaning
schedule
Use equipment and containers that can be easily and effectively cleaned, will
not absorb grease, food or water and will not contaminate the food;
Cover food with plastic wrap or place in a container with a lid; and
Store food off the floor.
Chemicals and cleaning products need to be stored away from food ensuring
they cannot contaminate food and according to the manufacturer’s
instruction.
Food Handlers Must Report When They are Unwell
In certain cases, it makes sense for us to stay at home when we unwell, so we cannot
pass our germs on to the children, families and staff with whom we have contact.
This is even more crucial if we are a food handler. Illnesses or health issues such as
skin conditions, diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea, coughing, sneezing, cuts and
scratches etc. can affect our ability to do the job safely. Informing the supervisor se
we can be given alternative duties is vitally important in this situation.
Whatever role you have in the service you need to be aware of the policies that
govern food handling activities. If you are ever unsure of whether you should be
handling food, or if you see a colleague not following safe food handling practices,
speak with your service supervisor.
8.2. Assist In Developing and Maintaining Food Safety Procedures
When you are performing food preparation, food handling or food service duties
you must always be aware food safety and food hygiene. Like any other safety issue
in the centre, if something is not right or someone is put at risk then you must
inform your supervisor immediately.
If you can see a better or more efficient way of doing something without
compromising the safety of the food suggest it to your supervisor.
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8.3. Follow Food Safety Procedures
Food Preparation and Food Safety
Preparing and providing food for the children is part of the responsibilities of the
educators in a child care centre. The qualified cook may prepare the food though it
is the role of the Educators to serve the food.
The prevention of food borne illness involves attention to hygiene, proper handling
and preparation of food and care during food storage and distribution.
As stated in the National Regulation (2011) 90-91: children are to be provided
with food and beverages that are nutritious, varied and adequate in quantity. All
children must have access to safe, clean drinking water and it should be offered
regularly. Water should be offered with meals though is important for children to
also have access to water at other times during the day. Many child care centres
have individual water bottles for the children. It is extremely important that the
drink bottles are topped up during the day and that they are washed with soapy
water daily.
Educators should not prepare food if they are unwell or are at risk of spreading
infection.
Getting Ready for Meals and Snacks
Follow good personal hygiene: including having clean, safe clothes
(including covered in shoes) and your hair is pulled back.
Ensure you use appropriate PPE’s: use gloves and aprons when preparing
food, serving and feeding children.
Before meals, clean all tables that are to be used for the meal.
Wash and dry your hands before preparing or serving food. If you are
interrupted to care for another child while preparing food or spoon feeding
an infant, be sure to wash and dry your hands again before you continue.
Check that all the children’s hands are washed before they eat or drink.
Food Safety Tips!
Remember the “temperature danger zone” – Keep
cold food below 5 degrees C and hot food above 60
degrees C.
Cook food thoroughly.
Separate cooked and raw food and don’t use the
same utensils and chopping boards for both.
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Child Care centres need to comply with the Food Safety Standards developed by
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au
The Food Preparation Standards state child care centres should:
Keep raw food separate from cooked and ready to eat foods.
Use different utensils and chopping boards for raw, cooked and ready to
eat foods.
Thoroughly rinse fruit and vegetables in clean water.
Use clean, sanitised utensils (tongs, spoons and spatulas) to serve food.
Use only clean disposable gloves and change them once every hour.
Comply with FSANZ standards for cooling, freezing and thawing foods.
Store food in a material that is clean, non-toxic.
Serve food in eating and drinking containers (plates, bowls, cups etc.) that
are in good condition. Not chipped, broken or cracked.
Soruce: ACECQA – NCAC Fact sheet 3, “Food Safety”, 2005
It is also important to familiarise yourself with the food safety policy
and procedures in your centre.
Please click on the following link to view Sparkling Stars
Nutrition Policy (Click here)
(Username: newusername Password: newpassword)
Time and Temperature
The time & temperature of potentially hazardous foods must be controlled through
the process, from delivery, storage, preparation and cooking, and to serving to the
children.
Food deliveries should be from reputable companies that can show they are
safely transporting foods. Potentially hazardous food should be transported
at 5C or below.
Check that fridges are operating effectively at 5C or below and heating/hot
holding equipment is operating effectively at 60C or above.
Cook potentially hazardous food (such as chicken) thoroughly to above
75C.
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Minimise the time potentially hazardous foods are between 5C and
60C by:
o refrigerating as soon as received or prepared (allow steam to
dissipate if steaming hot)
o keeping under refrigeration as much as possible: only remove when
ready to prepare, cook or serve
o preparing small batches of ready to eat foods such as salads and
sandwiches so they can be refrigerated as each batch is completed
o Thawing, as much as possible under refrigeration. If thawed out of
refrigeration the food must be cooked or consumed in the following
4 hours.
o cooling rapidly by dividing into shallow containers, stirring
occasionally, placing in a freezer, refrigerator or cool room
o reheating rapidly to 60C before serving
Follow the 2 hour - 4 hour guide:
This includes preparation
and cooking times Action
Less than 2 hours Refrigerate or use
immediately.
Between 2 hours and 4
hours Use immediately.
More than 4 hours Throw out.
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8.4. Confirm Safety of Any Drinks, Food and Cooking Utensils and
Appliances Used As Part of the Program
Every child care centre staff member who is responsible for preparing or serving
food needs to know and understand how to minimise possibility of the
transmission of food borne illness in children and staff. The most effective way to
minimise transmission is by utilising effective hygiene and safe food handling
practices.
Food borne illness commonly occurs in settings where food is prepared or served
to a large number of people, and types of illness include bacterial and viral
gastroenteritis, food poisoning from toxin producing bacterial contamination, and
potentially serious infections such as hepatitis A, salmonella, shigella, and shiga-
like toxin producing Escherichia coli.
Minimise Transmission of Food Borne Illness
To minimise transmission of food borne illness in children and staff, centres should
use the best practice this may include but not limited to:
Have a designated area for food preparation and storage, which is safe and
hygienic
Store cooked and uncooked meat in separate refrigeration compartments
Use separate colour-coded chopping boards for cooked and uncooked food
Use separate colour- coded chopping board
Have facilities that include a stove or microwave oven, sink, refrigerator,
suitable waste disposal, and a hot water supply
Have a designated area for preparation of bottles for children under 2 years
Ensure all food or bottle preparation and storage areas are separate from
nappy change and toileting areas
Ensure that if meals are being prepared in the centre that cooks who are
employed have completed basic training in food safety and nutrition in
accordance with the FSANZ Food Safety Code.
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Ensure food preparation and serving staff:
o Wash hands before and after handling food or utensils
o Wash hands and clean nails after: - arriving at and leaving from work, -
using the toilet, - having contact with unclean equipment and work
surfaces, soiled clothing and dish cloths, - toileting children - wiping
children’s noses or their own noses - removing gloves (see section 1.2
hand-washing for further information)
o Wear a hair covering that completely covers hair if practicable
o Avoid direct touching of ready to eat food by following proper food
handling technique and using clean implements and gloves,
o Advise the centre director of any gastrointestinal illness,
o Do not prepare food while suffering from any gastrointestinal illness
until at least one full day after recovery, or from any hand infection
Preferably do not have staff who change nappies involved in food
preparation on the same day, however if this is impractical, ensure staff use
principles of infection control and safe food handling, particularly hand
washing and using gloves.
Prepare and serve food in accordance with the FSANZ Fact Sheets, which
say to consume food as soon as it is cooked to 60°C or higher. As is also
stated in the fact sheets, food can be left to cool at ambient temperature, but
food becomes contaminated as soon as it starts cooling. It is recommended
that you allow food to cool enough to be safe for children to eat but no longer
than 2 hours. Left-over food should immediately be stored in the
refrigerator at 5°C or lower.
Ensure the food preparation staff clean and sanitise the food preparation and
serving areas at the end of each day.
For cleaning and sanitising food contact surfaces and utensils, use neutral
detergent and water to remove visible contamination such as food waste, dirt and
grease, then sanitise using either heat or chemical sanitisers that are suitable for
food contact surfaces. Chemical sanitisers must be used according to supplier or
manufacturer’s instructions
Be aware of and accommodate the special needs of culturally and linguistically
diverse families in relation to special rules for storing, preparing and serving foods
such as Halal and Kosher food; Halal and Kosher food can be stored or refrigerated
in separate and sealed containers, ask families about any special requirements for
storing, preparing and serving foods, and ask them for preferred recipes.
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Ensure microwave food safety by:
Being aware that microwaves are useful for defrosting, cooking and re-
heating foods however, food borne disease can also result if the usual rules
of food Health & Safety in Children’s Centres are not followed. Defrosting in
a microwave also partially cooks the food and makes an ideal medium for
growth of bacteria.
Using a microwave oven appropriately:
use only microwave safe dishes, utensils and wrap
defrost foods only if you are planning to cook the food immediately after it
has thawed
use microwave safe dishes for defrosting foods, and cover with microwave
plastic wrap or microwave safe covers
as different food items defrost, remove them and avoid cross contamination
or mixing of food juices
be careful when removing food or liquids from the microwave and removing
the plastic wrap as food and liquid continues to cook for some time and you
can burn yourself on escaping steam or boiling liquid
food that has been cooked or reheated in a microwave and is not going to be
consumed immediately should be placed in the refrigerator for cooling, not
left on the bench to cool
leftover food that has been cooked and reheated should be discarded
rotate and mix foods at intervals to ensure they are cooked through evenly
when re-heating foods such as casseroles the liquid should be stirred every
3 - 5 minutes to ensure it is fully heated through
clean the microwave daily as food is usually spattered inside.
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Preparation of Infant Formula
Always wash hands before preparing formula and ensure that formula is
prepared in a clean area
Wash bottles, teats, caps and knives – careful attention to washing is essential
– and sterilise by boiling for 5 minutes or using an approved sterilising agent
Boil fresh water and allow it to cool until lukewarm – to cool to a safe temperature,
allow the water to sit for at least 30 minutes (in places with clean water supply
which meets Australian standards, hot water urns such as hydroboils are safe to
use for formula reconstitution, provided the supply of very hot water has not been
depleted)
Ideally prepare only one bottle of formula at a time, just before feeding
Always read the instructions to check the correct amount of water and powder
as shown on the feeding table on the back of the pack – this may vary between
different formulas
Add water to the bottle first, then powder
Pour the correct amount of previously boiled (now cooled) water into a sterilised
bottle
Always measure the amount of powder using the scoop provided in the can, as
scoop sizes vary between different formulas
Fill the measuring scoop with formula powder and level off using the levelling
device provided or the back of a sterilised knife – the scoop should be lightly
tapped to remove any air bubbles
Take care to add the correct number of scoops to the water in the bottle – do not
add half scoops or more scoops than stated in the instructions
Keep the scoop in the can when not in use – do not wash the scoop as this can
introduce moisture into the tin if not dried adequately
Place the teat and cap on the bottle and shake it until the powder dissolves
Test the temperature of the milk with a few drops on the inside of your wrist – it
should feel just warm, but cool is better than too hot
Feed infant – any formula left at the end of the feed must be discarded
A feed should take no longer than 1 hour – any formula that has been at room
temperature for longer than 1 hour should be discarded
Formula that has been at room temperature for less than 1 hour may be stored
in a refrigerator for up to 24 hours (in a sterile container) – discard any
refrigerated feed that has not been used within 24 hours
When a container of formula is finished, throw away the scoop with the container,
to ensure that the correct scoop is used next time
Source: Infant Feeding Guidelines: information for health workers (2012) Pg. 76
Note: Information on preparing bottle feeds can be found in the Infant Feeding Guidelines:
information for health workers (2012)
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Transporting Formula Feeds
Prepare the feed and put in the refrigerator
Ensure feed is cold before transporting
Do not remove feed from the refrigerator until immediately before transporting
Transport feed in a cool bag with ice packs
Use feeds transported in a cool bag within 2 hours, as cool bags do not always
keep foods adequately chilled
Re-warm at the destination (for no more than 15 minutes)
If the destination is reached within 2 hours, feeds transported in a cool bag can
be placed in a refrigerator and held for up to 24 hours from the time of preparation
Sterilisation by Boiling
Wash bottles, teats and caps in hot soapy water with a bottle/ teat brush before
sterilisation
Place utensils, including bottles, teats and caps in a large saucepan on the back
burner of the stove
Cover utensils with water, making sure to eliminate all air bubbles from the bottle
Bring water to the boil and boil for 5 minutes. Turn off – do not allow it to boil dry
Allow the equipment to cool in the saucepan until it is hand hot and then remove
it – be very careful if children are present
Store equipment that is not being used straight away in a clean container in the
fridge
Boil all equipment within 24 hours of use
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Sterilisation Using Chemicals
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully when making up the solution to
ensure the correct dilution
Discard the solution after 24 hours, thoroughly scrub the container and
equipment in warm water with detergent and make up a new solution
Make sure all equipment is made of plastic or glass: metal corrodes when left in
chemical sterilant
Completely submerge everything, making sure there are no air bubbles, and
leave it in the solution for at least the recommended time – equipment can be
left in the solution until it is needed
Allow the equipment to drain, do not rinse off the sterilising liquid or there will be
a risk of re-contamination
Store the sterilising concentrate and solution well out of the reach of children
Sterilisation Using Chemicals
Good practice in bottle-feeding involves making feeding a comfortable experience
for parent and infant while avoiding risks associated with incorrect bottle-feeding.
This includes:
always checking the temperature of the formula before feeding by shaking a little
milk from the teat onto the inside of the wrist – it should feel warm, not hot
holding, cuddling and talking to (if it is not too distracting) the infant while feeding
and responding to infant cues – parent–infant contact is extremely important
not leaving an infant to feed on their own (i.e. with the bottle propped) – the milk
may flow too quickly and cause the infant to splutter or choke
not putting an infant to sleep while drinking from a bottle – as well as the risk of
choking this increases the risk of ear infection and dental caries
Advice for parents
Put an infant to bed without a bottle or take the bottle away
when the infant has finished feeding.
Don’t let the infant keep sucking on the bottle.
Avoid leaving an infant unattended with a bottle containing
liquids (i.e. no bottle propping)
Source: Infant Feeding Guidelines: information for health workers (2012) Pg. 79
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Bottled Breast Milk
Use the following guidelines in relation to bottled breast milk:
always wash hands thoroughly prior to handling breast milk and bottles
ensure bottled breast milk is always labelled with the child’s name, mother’s
name and the date it is expressed
breast milk can be stored in the refrigerator for 48 hours and in a deep
freezer for up to 3 months
frozen breast milk can be thawed by placing in either cool or warm water,
don’t put in boiling water or use a microwave as the milk will curdle, shake
the bottle if the fats and milk have separated
thaw under running water, start with cold water then increasingly warm
water and test the temperature of the milk on your wrist before giving it to
the baby
throw away any unused breast milk, do not refrigerate or refreeze breast
milk once it has been thawed or heated.
After use, rinse teats and bottles with water, wash in hot soapy water, rinse
with water, then sterilise them by using a cold water chemical steriliser,
following the manufacturer’s instructions, then air dry.
Information on breastfeeding can be obtained from Australian Breastfeeding Association at
http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au
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