Ensure the health and safety of children

This unit describes the skills and knowledge to ensure the health and safety of children. This unit applies to educators working in a variety of education and care services.

The student has consistently at least once supported the health needs of the children in the service, including the following activities:

• Contributing to the provision of a clean and safe environment
• Recognising and responding to signs of illness of children, including signs and symptoms of asthma and anaphylaxis
• Reading and interpreting authorisation forms, medication labels, medical management plans and other relevant medical information
• Developing children’s awareness of safety

The student support’s each child’s health needs by:

• Communicating with families about children’s health needs
• Maintaining confidentiality in relation to children’s individual health needs
• Assisting others to implement appropriate practices when administering medication
• Checking the written authorisation form to administer medication from the parent or guardian
• Checking the medication does not exceed the use-by date, is supplied in its original packaging and displays the child’s name
• Storing medication appropriately

The student has provided the opportunities to meet each child’s need for sleep, rest and relaxation by:

• Ensuring sleep and rest practices are consistent with approved standards and meet children’s individual needs
• Providing appropriate quiet play activities for children who do not sleep or rest
• Respecting children’s needs for privacy during any toileting and dressing and undressing times
• Ensuring children’s and families’ individual clothing needs and preferences are met, to promote children’s comfort, safety and protection within the scope of the service requirements for children’s health and safety
• Sharing information about individual children’s rest and sleep with families as appropriate

The student has implemented effective hygiene and health practices by:

• Consistently implementing hygiene practices that reflect advice from relevant health authorities
• Supporting children to learn personal hygiene practices
• Implementing the service health and hygiene policy and procedures consistently
• Ensuring that service cleanliness is consistently maintained
• Observing and responding to signs of illness and injury in children and systematically record and share this information with families
• Consistently implementing the service policies for the exclusion of ill children
• Discussing health and hygiene issues with children

The student supervises from the instructions of the supervisor/ employer children to ensure safety, that includes

• Supervising children by ensuring all are in sight or hearing distance at all times
• Adjusting levels of supervision depending upon the area of the service and the skill, age mix, dynamics and size of the group of children, and the level of risk involved in activities
• Exchanging information about supervision with colleagues to ensure adequate supervision at all times

The student is able to minimise risks by:

• Assisting in the implementation of safety checks and the monitoring of buildings, equipment and the general environment
• Consistently implement policy and procedures regarding the use and storage and labelling of dangerous products
• Following service procedures for the safe collection of each child, ensuring they are released to authorised people
• Assisting in the supervision of every person who enters the service premises where children are present
• Discussing sun safety with children and implement appropriate measures to protect children from over-exposure to ultraviolet radiation
• Checking toys and equipment are safe for children and safe to use in their proposed area
• Removing any hazards immediately or secure the area to prevent children accessing the hazard

The student contributes to the ongoing management of allergies by:

• Identifying and recognising signs, symptoms and key characteristics of allergies and anaphylaxis
• Applying organisational risk-management strategies for children with severe allergies
• Following organisational policies and legislative requirements in relation to medication for anaphylaxis

The student can identify signs, symptoms and triggers of asthma

• Identify children who have an asthma management plan and follow that plan
• Follow organisational policies and legislative requirements in relation to medication for asthma

Knowledge Evidence:

The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the work role.

These include knowledge of:

• how to access:

• the National Quality Framework

• the National Quality Standards

• the relevant approved learning framework

• how to navigate through framework and standards documents to find areas relevant to this unit of competency

• how to undertake a risk analysis of toys and equipment

• potential hazards to children, including medical conditions

• children’s requirements for sleep and rest

• environments that promote rest and sleep including light, noise, temperature and ventilation requirements

• signs, symptoms and key characteristics of allergy/anaphylaxis

• signs, symptoms and key characteristics of asthma

• how to use an adrenalin auto injector for anaphylaxis

• how children’s oral health impacts on their general health and well-being, including signs of tooth decay

• safety issues and risk management strategies for children’s health and safety in a variety of contexts

• basic home fire safety including high-risk groups, behaviour that contributes to fire injury and fatalities, and smoke alarm placement, installation and maintenance

• organisational standards, policies and procedures.