Key Components of a Safe and Healthy Home-Based Environment for Children

Carlene Nixon 20. 3. 2013 Unit 2Understand how to establish a safe and healthy home based environment for children Question 2. 1 Knowledge Explain the Key components of a healthy and safe home based environment. Answer 2. 1The Key components are as follows; * Hygiene and waste disposal – As a home based childcare provider I will be offering hot meals and snacks, it is therefore important that this is done in hygienic conditions.

Surfaces must be kept clean and sanitized before and after food is prepared. Toilet seats, taps and door handles should also be disinfected regularly to prevent the spread of germs. Waste disposal should also be done hygienically, by emptying them frequently and cleaning them thoroughly. Nappies should be wrapped and put in a separate bin outside to prevent any nasty odours in the house and when emptying potties this must be done down the toilet and NEVER down the wash basin. Storage and preparation of food – When preparing and cooking food it is important to store it correctly by cooling it correctly wrapping it and storing it in the fridge or freezer. Temperatures should be 5®C and the Freezer should be 20®C to prevent the multiplying of bacteria. Raw meat should be covered and stores on the bottom shelf of the fridge on a shelf. Food should not be used after the ‘use by date’. Frozen food should be thawed thoroughly before cooking and should never be re- frozen. Care of animals – If there were to be pets in the home, floors would need to be cleaned after they had been fed to prevent bacteria multiplying and to reduce the risk of attracting pests. Care needs to be taken to keep the feeding dishes out of reach of the children. The animals would also need to be regularly wormed, de-flead and inoculated to prevent the risk of diseases spreading to the children. The garden should be cleared of dog/ cat poop daily and the garden equipment such as sand pits should be covered to prevent the pets climbing into them.

A child, at no point would be left alone with an animal that could harm them. * Using equipment according to manufacturers guidance – There are many pieces of equipment that are used when caring for young children and babies, care should be taken to check the safety standard on each product such as the British Standards Institute or the CE mark or Lion mark on Toys. Care should be taken to read manufacturer’s Instructions when, for example, fitting a car seat, as if this is not installed correctly, in the event of an accident, could cause serious injury.

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Equip should also be age appropriate, using a car seat or pushchair which is too big or too small could be dangerous for the child. Likewise for toys, warnings should be indentified such as “not suitable for children under 36 months” as this could indicate a choking hazard. Equipment and toys should also be checked regularly to assess the condition i. e. any sharp edges of broken bits; they should be repaired or thrown away. Push chairs and bikes etc should have their brakes and tyres checked and garden swings should have the ropes checked for loosening or wear and tear. Appropriate responses to illness, allergies, incidents and accidents – With regards to illness parents would be informed immediately, if the child was already ill, the only medication that would be administered would be given by the parents with written instruction of how much and how often to give the medication. A record would be made each time the medication was administered and would be signed by the parent at the end of the day. Any allergies would be noted at the time of registration and incidents and accidents would be recorded in the accidents book and communicated to the parent at the end of the day.

Question 2. KnowledgeExplain the principles of safe supervision of children in the home based setting and off site. Answer 2. 2To ensure the safety of a child in the home and off site it is important to supervise them at all times. There are three types of supervision and when deciding which type is needed, various aspects should be considered such as; the age of the child and their developmental rate, growing independence and the need for privacy, the activity they are doing, where you are, and the surroundings.

They are;Constant – This is when you watch them all the time, this would be appropriate for very young children who are perhaps on a climbing frame in the park, of for a young school child that is chopping their own apple. This principle would also be used on the school run as we would be walking along busy roads and crossing them too. Close Supervision – always present and watching them most of the time, ready to step in if the child’s safety is at risk. This principle could be used when in a park where you and the child have not been before or the environment may be less safe than usual due to weather conditions.

It could also be used when toileting a child that perhaps wants to be more independent or has a need for some privacy. General Supervision - This is when you are watching them most of the time and you are ready to step in if they are at risk of hurting themselves, this principle might be used if you at home and in the garden where the children are familiar with their surroundings and equipment, or when the children are enjoying some free play at home and in a safe environment intervention may only be needed, if they start to squabble over toys etc.

Question 2. 3 KnowledgeIdentify ways of ensuring that equipment is suitable for children and meet safety requirementsAnswer 2. 3Ways in which you can ensure that equipment is suitable for children is by using equipment according to the manufacturer’s instructions, for example, when using a pram or push chair it is important that all the safety catches are used to prevent it collapsing once the child is placed in it which could cause injury.

When toys are selected for play, they should be age appropriate, the ages are normally on the boxes of new toys and this information should be retained for future reference, if however this information is not available then no child under three years old should play with toys with any loose parts, as they could potentially cause a choking hazard. Regular checks should be made of the toys to check for any sharp edges or any pieces that may work themselves loose. Ropes on swings should be checked for any deterioration and brakes should be checked regularly on any prams pushchairs or bikes.

When choosing toys they should bear CE mark or the Lion marks, if buying the toys second hand they might not choose these marks, but common sense should use to ensure that the toy is safe to play with. Question 2. 4 KnowledgeKnow where to obtain current guidance on health and safety risk assessment of the home based work setting. Answer 2. 4Ofsted offer an online risk assessments form that you can use when going around you home, its list things to consider in each room and in the garden.

They also provide a fact sheet for the requirements for the risk assessment. The Statutory Framework for the EYFS also provide information on the legal requirements of a risk assessment at home and when on outings too. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) also advises on risk assessment, they provide a “Five steps to Risk Assessment” booklet which includes template to assist with the assessment. ‘Prospects for Medway’ are also a service that provide information for childminders on any aspect including preparing for nspections and maintaining the requirements for health and safety. The local fire service will come to the home and offer advice and guidance with regards to fire safety in the home and Medway council offer Food Hygiene courses to educate on how to eliminate the risks of food poisoning within the home. Question 2. 5 KnowledgeExplain how to store and administer medicinesAnswer 2. 5All medication should be provided by the parents/carers with written instructions and written consent before it can be administered to the child.

The instructions should include the child’s name, dosage and how many times a day the medication should be administered. Parents will be asked to provide all medication needed by their child including inhalers, creams, etc. All medication should be kept in its original box with the manufacturer’s/pharmacist’s instructions along with the Child’s name, dosage and name of medication clearly stated on the box. All medication should be stored in a cupboard inaccessible to children; some medication could be stored on the top shelf of the fridge if necessary.

Once the medication has been administered this information should be recorded with the Child’s name, the date and time it was administered and the dosage that was given, this would then need to be signed by the parents and the childminder. This would be used, for example, in the event that the child responded badly to the medication, the records would show that all medication was administered correctly and the right dosage was given. | 2. 12. 22. 32. 42. 5|

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