ACCIDENT & EMERGENCY and FIRE SAFETY POLICY including evacuation plans
It is my policy to keep children safe when they are in my care.
My premises have been checked by Ofsted and they meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage
I also regularly review, update and practise fire evacuation procedures. I record dates and times of fire drills in my diary.
GENERAL EMERGENCY PLAN
In the case of an emergency I will contact all parents and carers as soon as possible.
If I am unable to care for your child due to an emergency situation (e.g. fire, flood at the premises, an injury to myself or a member of my family, an injury to another child) I will contact you immediately to collect your child.
As a registered childminder, I am legally required to have a valid pediatric first-aid certificate. We have up date this training every three years and have the certificates on display at all times for you to see.
We can administer basic first-aid treatment, and my first-aid box is clearly labelled and easily accessible. It is stored on the shelf in my kitchen. Parent contact numbers are kept securely in the daily register nearby.
I hold written permission from parents to seek emergency treatment for their child if it is needed.
In the case of an emergency I will contact all parents and carers as soon as possible.
I also have an arrangement for another registered childminder to provide emergency back-up cover if necessary.
If there is an accident to a minded child or our own children:
- First, we reassure the injured child while making sure that the other children in my care are safe. This may mean sitting children somewhere safe where we can see them.
- Then, if the accident is a minor one and requires only basic first aid, we deal with it ourselves. If I manage to deal with the accident myself, then I will tell the affected child’s parents immediately.
- If a child needs medical treatment parents will be advised immediately and asked to meet their child at hospital.
- If a child needs emergency treatment, I will ring 999 or 112 for help. I will call parents as soon as possible.
- We will endeavor to contact you before one of us leaves and arrange for you to meet us at the hospital. One of us will stay with the other children as appropriate.
- If Erika is childminding alone and a child needs to go to hospital and other children are present, and the parent cannot come straight away, I must hand the care of the sick or injured child over to the paramedic and inform the parents to meet their child at the hospital- the paramedic will be given all the child’s relevant details.
- Please note in a medical emergency Devon Air Ambulance Service operates in this area. The air ambulance can take no passengers other than the causality. It may be the case that I/we cannot travel with your child to hospital because of this or because I must care for the other children still with me. In such a case the responsibility for the child passes to the emergency services and you will be informed of where your child will be taken as soon as possible.
- I will call the parents of all the children in my care as soon as I can to advise them of the situation and to have all the children collected if necessary.
- If any of our own children needs to have emergency treatment, the same plan as above applies. We will call all the parents to ask them to collect their children as soon as possible. This also applies if the childminder is taken ill.
- There may be an occasion when the needs of the injured or ill child in my care will prevent me from contacting parents immediately. Should this be the case I will either contact you at the earliest possible opportunity during or after the event or someone else may contact you using the details on your child’s record form.
- I will do my best at all times to make sure the children in my care are safe, reassured and kept calm.
- In all cases I will keep a written account of the emergency as soon as I am able.
- Accidents, or sudden serious illness off site:
- I will carry parents’ contact details with me when I am away from my home, in order to follow procedures above should an accident occur off site. I also carry a mobile phone with emergency contact numbers when I am out with minded children.
To prevent fire and minimise risk we:
Practice and review annually or as required the Fire and emergency evacuation plan below, ensuring the participation of each child. This is carried out in a sensitive manner so as not to frighten or upset the child. This is then recorded in a fire drill record in my diary.
Have a separate fire risk assessment which is also carried out and reviewed regularly.
Have a general risk assessment of my home and keep children away from hazards. This is reviewed on a regular basis.
Make a safety check/daily risk assessment at the beginning of the day, recorded in the diary.
Identify unsafe areas.
Have regular fire drills, at least every term (with an additional surprise fire drill organised by my childminding network) to help children to recognise and respond to an alarm
Have installed smoke/heat detectors, which are tested on a regular basis (every week and during each fire drill). Two optical smoke detectors are wired to the mains with battery backups. We also use an ionisation smoke detector.
Have a fire blanket in the kitchen for a small fire or, if necessary, to wrap someone in. Checked annually and replaced as required.
We have dry powder extinguishers which are kept in the kitchen and on the upper floor landing. Checked annually, replaced as required.
Minimise risk. This is a no smoking zone (see no smoking policy). We do not have gas or naked flames. I seldom cook with the oven or stove when minded children are present. Our heating consists of night storage heaters that are not active during the day. These are never so hot that they might cause burns. The vents are not covered.
FIRE and EMERGENCY EVACUATION PLAN
In the case of a fire/emergency I/we will supervise the children and leave the premises by the safest, nearest exit calmly and as quickly as possible.
I/we will take my mobile phone/emergency contact list/register before I leave, as long as this does not compromise the safe evacuation of the premises.
ONCE OUT, STAY OUT
On arrival at the designated safe place I/we will contact the Emergency services and the parents. See other scenarios and assembly place below
Specific Situations
* If there are children upstairs.
If it is possible to get them safely and quickly, collect them. Raise the alarm. Call parents.
* If one cannot use the stairs.
Gather everyone to a room/place from which it is easiest to escape. Lower to the ground at arms length.
* If one needs to break a window. Aim for the bottom corner with a sharp object. Make glass safe by covering.
If one can’t escape from a window. Call the fire brigade if possible or call for help. Block up gaps around the door.
* If one has to pass through a smoke layer. Smoke layers start at the top of the room so go along the ground.
* If anyone catches fire. Put them on the floor and roll in natural fabric/fire blanket. Pat out fire, and then apply cold water or a wrapped ice bag from freezer. Do not remove clothing as this cause further injury.
* We will assemble in a safe part of the garden or gardens near the property in Yonder Mount where we will supervise the children until you can collect them. If the fire/emergency is serious and there is risk from exploding glass and/or emergency vehicles you can find us by the land next to the turning circle at the end of Yonder Mount.
Other emergencies:
Should any other emergency occur I will contact parents as soon as possible.
I expect that parents will also contact me in the event of any accident or emergency which may befall them. Should it not be possible for parents to contact me, then I will keep the children safe until such time as parents can make contact with me. I will call other contact numbers if necessary. See uncollected child policy.
Recording:
I will record all details in my accident/incident book, and make these available for parents to sign and provide a copy for parents.
If ANY incident is significant I will inform Ofsted, the local safeguarding children Board (LADO), the Health and Safety Executive and my insurance company as soon as possible.
In certain emergencies it may be necessary to call one of the emergency carers listed on the permission form to care for your child until you are able to collect them. It may also be one of these listed carers who may contact you in the event that I cannot.
I will carry emergency contact details and a first aid kit at all times while out.
I record any incidents or accidents, pre-existing injuries and details of any medication. As with all accidents and incidents, you will be required to sign a record on each occasion.
By providing a safe and well-equipped setting that is continually reviewed I will take every possible precaution to ensure children in my care are safe and secure. (See risk assessment) I will ensure that our first aid training is updated regularly as required by Ofsted. Parent/Carer signature and consent for child’s emergency contact details to be held in a sealed envelope by the emergency contacts named on permission form. If you have any concerns, I will be happy to meet and discuss them with you.
Contact
[email protected]
Tel. 01297 552011