Accidents and First Aid At Brookdale Day Nursery Ltd we aim to protect children at all times. We recognise that accidents or incidents may sometimes occur. We follow this policy and procedure to ensure all parties are supported and cared for when accidents or incidents happen; and that the circumstances of the accident or incident are reviewed with a view to minimising any future risks.
Accidents
Location of accident files: Main office
The person responsible for reporting accidents, incidents or near misses is the member of staff who saw the incident or was first to find the child where there are no witnesses. They must record it on an Accident Form and report it to the nursery manager. Other staff who have witnessed the accident may also countersign the form and, in more serious cases, provide a statement. This should be done as soon as the accident is dealt with, whilst the details are still clearly remembered. Parents must be shown the Accident Report, informed of any first aid treatment given and asked to sign it on the same day, or as soon as reasonably practicable after The nursery manager reviews the accident forms at least monthly for patterns, e.g. one child having a repeated number of accidents, a particular area in the nursery or a particular time of the day when most accidents happen. Any patterns will be investigated by the nursery manager and all necessary steps to reduce risks are put in place The nursery manager will report serious accidents to the registered person for investigation for further action to be taken (i.e. a full risk assessment or report under Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR)) The Accident File will be kept for at least 21 years and three months Where medical attention is required, a senior member of staff will notify the parent(s) as soon as possible whilst caring for the child appropriately Where medical treatment is required the nursery manager will follow the insurance company procedures, which may involve informing them in writing of the accident The nursery manager/registered provider will report any accidents of a serious nature to Ofsted and the local authority children s social care team (as the local child protection agency), where necessary. Where relevant such accidents will also be reported to the local authority environmental health department or the Health and Safety Executive and their advice followed. Notification must be made as soon as is reasonably practical, but in any event within 14 days of the incident occurring. Head injuries
If a child has a head injury in the setting then we will follow the following procedure:
Calm the child
Assess the child s condition to ascertain if a hospital or ambulance is required. We will follow our procedure for this if this is required (see below)
If the skin is not broken we will administer a cold compress for short periods of time, repeated until the parent arrives to collect their child
If the skin is broken then we will follow our first aid training and stem the bleeding
Call the parent and make them aware of the injury
Complete the accident form
Keep the child in a calm and quiet area whilst awaiting collection
We will follow the advice on the NHS website as per all head injuries https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/minor-head-injury/
For major head injuries we will follow our first aid training.
Transporting children to hospital procedure
The nursery manager/staff member must:
Call for an ambulance immediately if the injury is severe. DO NOT attempt to transport the sick child in your own vehicle Whilst waiting for the ambulance, contact the parent(s) and arrange to meet them at the hospital Arrange for the most appropriate member of staff to accompany the child taking with them any relevant information such as registration forms, relevant medication sheets, medication and the child s comforter Redeploy staff if necessary to ensure there is adequate staff deployment to care for the remaining children. This may mean temporarily grouping the children together Inform a member of the management team immediately Remain calm at all times. Children who witness an incident may well be affected by it and may need lots of cuddles and reassurance. Staff may also require additional support following the accident. *If a child has an accident that may require hospital treatment but not an ambulance and you choose to transport children within staff vehicles Citation advise you consider the following in your policy:
Requesting permission from parents
Ratio requirements of the setting being maintained
The age and height of the child, in regards to will they need a car seat? Further guidance can be found at www.childcarseats.org.uk/types-of-seat/
There are some exceptions for needing a child seat depending again on their age. Further guidance can be found at www.childcarseats.org.uk/the-law/cars-taxis-private-hire-vehicles-vans-and-goods-vehicles/#under-three
With the fitting of the car seat, we also need to ask has the individual had training in carrying in carrying this out?
Is this transport covered under business insurance, so a call to your insurance company will be needed, or do they have business insurance on their vehicle?
Safeguarding of the child needs to be looked at. In certain situations e.g. A designated member of staff should be appointed to plan and provide oversight of all transporting arrangements and respond to any difficulties that may arise. Wherever possible and practicable it is advisable that transport is undertaken other than in private vehicles, with at least one adult additional to the driver acting as an escort. Staff should ensure that their behaviour is safe and that the transport arrangements and the vehicle meet all legal requirements. They should ensure that the vehicle is roadworthy and appropriately insured and that the maximum capacity is not exceeded
Emergency procedures, e.g. what happens if the child s health begins to deteriorate during the journey.
First aid
The first aid boxes are located in: main room (downstairs), Kitchen and in the creative room (upstairs)
These are accessible at all times with appropriate content for use with children.
The appointed person responsible for first aid checks the contents of the boxes regularly and replaces items that have been used or are out of date.
The staff first aid box is kept in the staff room. This is kept out of reach of the children.
First aid boxes should only contain items permitted by the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations Act 1981, such as sterile dressings, bandages and eye pads. No other medical items, such as paracetamol should be kept in them.
The appointed person(s) responsible for first aid is Carole Croft
The majority of the staff are trained in paediatric first aid and this training is updated every three years.
All first aid trained staff are listed in every room. When children are taken on an outing away from our nursery, we will always ensure they are accompanied by at least one member of staff who is trained in first aid. A first aid box is taken on all outings.
Food Safety and play
Children are supervised during meal times and food is adequately cut up to reduce choking. The use of food as a play material is discouraged. However, as we understand that learning experiences are provided through exploring different malleable materials the following may be used. These are risk assessed and presented differently to the way it would be presented for eating e.g. in trays,
Playdough
Cornflour
Dried pasta, rice and pulses.
Food items may also be incorporated into the role play area to enrich the learning experiences for children, e.g. fruits and vegetables. Children will be fully supervised during these activities.
Personal protective equipment (PPE)
The nursery provides staff with PPE according to the need of the task or activity. Staff must wear PPE to protect themselves and the children during tasks that involve contact with bodily fluids. PPE is also provided for domestic tasks. Staff are consulted when choosing PPE to ensure all allergies and individual needs are supported and this is evaluated on an ongoing basis.
Dealing with blood
We may not be aware that any child attending the nursery has a condition that may be transmitted via blood. Any staff member dealing with blood must:
Always take precautions when cleaning wounds as some conditions such as hepatitis or the HIV virus can be transmitted via blood. Wear disposable gloves and wipe up any blood spillage with disposable cloths, neat sterilising fluid or freshly diluted bleach (one part diluted with 10 parts water). Such solutions must be carefully disposed of immediately after use. Needle punctures and sharps injury
We recognise that injuries from needles, broken glass and so on may result in blood-borne infections and that staff must take great care in the collection and disposal of this type of material. For the safety and well-being of the employees, any staff member dealing with needles, broken glass etc. must treat them as contaminated waste. If a needle is found the local authority must be contacted to deal with its disposal.
At Brookdale Day Nursery Ltd we treat our responsibilities and obligations in respect of health and safety as a priority and we provide ongoing training to all members of staff which reflects best practice and is in line with current health and safety legislation.
This policy was adopted on
Signed on behalf of the nursery
Date for review
Jan 2020
Susan Walker
Jan 2021
