Accidents & First Aid

At BearNecessities Daycare 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: In all base rooms

• 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 Team leader. 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 as soon as they collect their child
• The nursery manager reviews the accident forms 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.

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.

First aid

The first aid boxes are located in: All rooms and the office

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 office. 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.

The appointed person(s) responsible for first aid is Lisa Carney/ Julie Foster

Most 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.

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 puncture 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 BearNecessities Daycare 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.