my safe and healthy home setting

My Healthy and Safe Home Setting

As a Registered Childminder, I have a responsibility to ensure the health and safety of all children placed in my care. There are many different factors to consider when maintaining a safe and healthy home, and I have identified the following as the key components:

Environment- Home and Garden
Equipment and Resources
Fire Safety
Storage and Handling of chemicals, medicines and first aid items COSHH
General Hygiene
Personal Hygiene
Animal Safety and Hygiene
Behaviour Management
Child Ratios
Data Protection
Suitability of staff and Training
Outings- including Road Safety
Food and Drink Provision
Food Safety
Teaching Children How to Stay Safe and Be Healthy

Environment
Indoors
The general environment of the home setting is clean, tidy, well organised and free of obstacles. Fire doors are kept clear, and stair gates used on the stairs, kitchen and my dog’s cubby hole. Normal room temperature is kept with adjustable radiators and radiator covers are used in play areas. Rooms are well ventilated and window locks used when airing the house. Air quality is pure as there is a no smoking policy in the house or garden. Pet odours are eliminated through an air purifier, oxygenating plants (out of reach of small children) daily thorough cleaning routines and natural air fresheners. Rugs are secure to the floor and intact. All glass is kite marked and sharp corner protectors are used. The fire is disabled but the surround is covered. Plug sockets are not overloaded and wires are kept tidy, clean and secured safely away from children. Empty sockets are covered. The floor is kept free from debris or sharp toys to step on. Spillages are cleaned and dried immediately and safety precautions taken at all times. The Boiler is off limits to children and annually serviced. Water temperature is kept low to prevent scalds and young children are supervised when in the bathroom. Toiletries and sharp items such as nail scissors and razors are stored away from children. Toilets are bleached and rinsed and a disposable cleaning brush is used. Bins are not used past capacity and regularly emptied. The kitchen is off limit to young children and older children are taught to be sensible in it and observe health and safety precautions.
Outdoors
The general outdoor environment is kept clean, tidy, free of obstacles and leaves, and well organised. Grass is kept clean, mowed and level, and mud and sand areas are regularly cleaned out and replaced. Fire exits are kept clear and 3 locks used on both gates. Children are taught not to eat or break plants and flowers and these are kept pruned and contained. Touching is allowed under supervision and followed by hand washing protocols. Fences are secure but children are taught not to touch to prevent splinters.

Equipment and Resources
All safety, play and learning equipment is purchased from a reputable source, safety tested, inspected for safety labels, checked for design and build quality and used for its intended purpose. Daily risk assessments and checks for damage are completed and it is suitability checked for each child’s age. Additional information can be found on the Safety Label Chart sheet.
Fire Safety
All legal requirements for Fire Safety are observed in my setting. Fire doors are fitted to my kitchen and living room and can be closed without removing the kitchen stair gate. Flammable substances are stored securely away from ignition sources and soft furnishings and toys are fire safety labelled. A fire blanket is kept in a secure but accessible place in the kitchen and smoke alarms and CO2 monitors are in working order and regularly tested. Fire exits are kept clear and fire drills practised. Children are taught fire safety awareness and advised of the meeting points. Cooking times are kept to a minimum and the oven is never left unattended. If supervision of children is required, it is switched off before leaving the room. Electrical and Gas safety is observed at all times with sockets turned off and unplugged prior to leaving the house.

Storage and Handling of chemicals, medicines and first aid items COSHH

All chemicals, medicines and first aid item are stored in secure, dry containers that are kept cool and away from ignition sources. Children are taught not to touch these containers. Childminders and other staff are trained in how to handle and administer these.

General Hygiene
A thorough and regular cleaning regime is used daily to ensure general hygiene. This includes:
Floors and stairs are hovered, mopped and dried
Soft furnishings and curtains are cleaned and dried
Ceilings, walls, doors, windows and equipment are dusted, cleaned and polished.
Dog area is cleaned and dried and all items inside such as food bowls are cleaned and dried.
Work surfaces are cleared, cleaned and dried.
Personal Hygiene

I maintain a good standard of personal hygiene among myself, my family and the children by
Wearing clean clothes and accessories
Having clean hair which is tied back
Wearing minimal jewellery
Clean skin and fingernails
Washing hands before eating or handling medicine or first aid equipment
Washing hands after cleaning, touching the dog, gardening, going to the toilet,
Keeping clean teeth and breath fresh
Teaching the children to do the same and the reasons why

Animal Safety and Hygiene

My gentle and loving dog, Fuzz is kept in his cubby hole under the stairs which is secured by a safety gate at times to ensure safe play for children, and hygiene whilst preparing and eating food. Children are taught to treat him with respect and kindness, and why they should do this whilst observing hygiene and safety precautions at all times. Children are always supervised when interacting with the dog. All animal items are kept away from children’s play areas and regularly cleaned.

Behaviour Management
To ensure the safety of children at all times, a clear and effective behaviour policy is used( please see Behaviour Management Policy for details) Effective supervision and intervention usually prevents unnecessary accidents or injuries.

Child Ratios
In order to maintain complete control and supervision of all children, I keep my child ratios low. The law allows every Registered Childminder (unless restrictions are imposed during or after Registration) to care for a total of 6 children(including the Childminder’s own children) over the age of 8 of which 3 may be under 5 and only 1 child under the age of 1 year old. I choose to care for only 2 under 5s at any one time and no more than 3 over 5s This also maximises quality of care and increased one to one learning opportunities.

Data Protection
In order to keep information secure and confidential, I comply with all legislation regarding this. Please see Data Protection Policy for details.

Suitability of staff and Training
All staff on the premises are DBS checked and trained in all aspects of Childminding in line with current legislation and guidelines. Training is updated and developed either yearly or every few years to stay relevant and effective. Paediatric First Aid certificates are valid for 3 years and then staff are retrained. DBS checks are regularly updated to ensure continuous suitability to work with children.