Suppost Children and Young Peoples Health and Safety
Task a
Childcare may be provided within a variety of settings, from a childminders home through to a purpose built building, making it difficult to be too prescriptive about how a safe environment can be achieved. The obvious starting point is to ensure that basic principles are being followed; for example, no matter how good the security of a building is, the doors must be closed properly in the first place, otherwise all other efforts are likely to be worthless. The message that safety begins with individuals taking responsibility for simple things cannot be overemphasised. Next, a safe environment meets its registration requirements; there are two registers, the Early Years Register (EYR) and the Ofsted Childcare Register (OCR). Settings which provide daycare for children under five have to be registered on the EYR. The OCR has a compulsory part, which applies to childminders and providers of childcare for children of formal school age up to eight years old, and a voluntary part for providers of services to children over the age of eight and also for younger children that are exempt from compulsory registration.
Meeting registration requirements means that a setting will be complying with the law and legislation, but providing and maintaining a safe environment requires a greater understanding from everybody involved and a shared belief in the philosophy of that setting as to exactly what it is they want to achieve.
The components of a safe environment start with the child and will include:
The physical environment - the actual building in which care is provided. Indoor and outdoor areas where children learn, play and develop must be accessible for users whilst maintaining levels of security that keep children safe and protected from harm.
The people - those providing care are suitable persons (as defined in the EYFS Welfare Requirements) and others who have contact with the children and premises are appropriate to do so.
Equipment - play equipment
Childcare may be provided within a variety of settings, from a childminders home through to a purpose built building, making it difficult to be too prescriptive about how a safe environment can be achieved. The obvious starting point is to ensure that basic principles are being followed; for example, no matter how good the security of a building is, the doors must be closed properly in the first place, otherwise all other efforts are likely to be worthless. The message that safety begins with individuals taking responsibility for simple things cannot be overemphasised. Next, a safe environment meets its registration requirements; there are two registers, the Early Years Register (EYR) and the Ofsted Childcare Register (OCR). Settings which provide daycare for children under five have to be registered on the EYR. The OCR has a compulsory part, which applies to childminders and providers of childcare for children of formal school age up to eight years old, and a voluntary part for providers of services to children over the age of eight and also for younger children that are exempt from compulsory registration.
Meeting registration requirements means that a setting will be complying with the law and legislation, but providing and maintaining a safe environment requires a greater understanding from everybody involved and a shared belief in the philosophy of that setting as to exactly what it is they want to achieve.
The components of a safe environment start with the child and will include:
The physical environment - the actual building in which care is provided. Indoor and outdoor areas where children learn, play and develop must be accessible for users whilst maintaining levels of security that keep children safe and protected from harm.
The people - those providing care are suitable persons (as defined in the EYFS Welfare Requirements) and others who have contact with the children and premises are appropriate to do so.
Equipment - play equipment