Providing a Safe Environment for Children
D2-explain how establishing a safe environment can support the procedures necessary for accidents, illnesses and emergencies. When supervising indoor and outdoor activities it is important that equipment is of the highest safety standard. Space must be allowed for children to hop skip and run etc… And no room should be over crowed whether it is with toys or people. This means as a practitioner you should think about the size of groups of children that are using one area as if there is to many there will be more accidents as their won’t be enough space.
Also before allowing children to use equipment check all equipment to make sure it’s safe and remove any broken or faulty items. Safe environment is full of potential risks to a child’s health and safety and accidents to happen, however with care and planning activities it lessens the risk, allowing children to explore and develop their skills without unnecessary danger. Everybody who works with children is responsible for their safety. It’s important that the environment children are playing in is regularly checked before and during activities.
If you have checked an area and equipment for safety before children start playing here and questioned whether the activity is suitable for the children. Risk assessments are a key in safety, you evaluate the risk of the activity and any possible hazards and then decide how high the risk is and if it is to high you either need to find ways to lessen the risk or not do the activity at all. B1- Consider possible ways to maintain the safety and privacy of children and to respect their wishes.
There are many ways to maintain the safety and privacy of children, this involves policies and procedures such as safe guarding, making sure all staff are suitable to work with children and they are asked to have regular CRB checks and staff training so they can learn new skills, also there are procedures that have to be done such as a having a passcode when someone other than the child’s parent/carer is picking them up, security passes must be worn and all children must be signed in and out when they arrive and leave the setting.
Confidentiality is also important any information about a child must be kept within the setting, and records must be sorted away safely, also as a practitioner you shouldn’t gossip about a child or their family whether you’re in the setting or outside the setting. The Childs privacy is also important this is done by having doors n the toilets, having separate changing area’s and having a quiet area for if a child’s unwell, also any accidents should be cleaned up quickly and not made a scene as the child might become upset by it. Also having a key worker allows children to be reassured and have one to one time with a member of staff their close to.
