Accident, Incident and First Aid Policy

 

HSCS: 1.24, 3.14, 3.17, 3.19, 3.20,

UNCRC - Article 19 and Article 24

 

At Little Wonderland Nursery the safety of all children is paramount and we have measures in place to help to protect children and reduce the risk of accidents occurring. However sometimes accidents do unavoidably happen.

We follow this policy and procedure to ensure that 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 or incidents

When an accident or incident occurs, we ensure:

  • The child is comforted and reassured first
  • The extent of the injury is assessed and, if necessary, a call is made for medical support or an ambulance
  • First aid procedures are carried out, where necessary, by a trained paediatric first aider
  • 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.
  • The accident or incident is recorded on an accident/incident form using EYlog software and it is reported to the nursery manager. 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 are sent the accident/incident form and informed of any first aid treatment given. They are asked to sign it the same day, or as soon as reasonably practicable after. The EYlog app
  • The nursery manager reviews the accident/incident forms at least 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 are investigated by the nursery manager and all necessary steps to reduce risks are put in place
  • The nursery manager reports any serious accidents or incidents 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 is kept for at least 22 years.
  • 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 Care Inspectorate 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. Notification must be made as soon as is reasonably practical, but in any event within 14 days of the incident occurring.

Location of accident files: Secure EYLog APP.

Contact Details:

Organisation Contact number 07702046940

Care Inspectorate [insert number] 0345 600 9527

Local child protection team [insert number] 030 33 33 3001

RIDDOR report form www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/report.htm

 

Head injuries

If a child receives a head injury while in the setting then we will follow this procedure:

  • Comfort, calm and reassure the child
  • Assess the child’s condition to ascertain if a hospital or ambulance is required. We will follow our procedure for this if this is required (see below)
  • If the skin is not broken we will administer a cold compress for short periods of time, repeated until the parent arrives to collect their child
  • If the skin is broken then we will follow our first aid training and stem the bleeding
  • Call the parent and make them aware of the injury and if they need to collect their child
  • Complete the accident form
  • Keep the child in a calm and quiet area whilst awaiting collection, where applicable
  • We will continue to monitor the child and follow the advice on the NHS website as per all head injuries https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/minor-head-injury/
  • For major head injuries, we will follow our paediatric first aid training.

Transporting children to hospital procedure

The nursery manager/staff member must:

  • Call for an ambulance immediately if the injury is severe. We will not attempt to transport the injured child in our own vehicles
  • 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 need lots of cuddles and reassurance. Staff may also require additional support following the accident.

 

First aid

The first aid boxes are located in: both playrooms and one taken on all outings.

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 monthly and replaces items that have been used or are out of date.

The staff first aid box is kept in the nursery 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 first aid boxes.

The appointed person(s) responsible for first aid is Lauren Peat.

*All/*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, along with any medication that needs to be administered in an emergency, including inhalers etc.

Food safety and play

Children are supervised during meal times and food is adequately cut up to reduce choking. We understand that learning experiences are provided through exploring different malleable materials and the following may be used. These are risk assessed and presented differently to the way it would be presented for eating e.g. in tuff trays,

  • Playdough
  • Cornflour
  • Dried pasta, rice and pulses.

Food items may also be incorporated into the role play area to enrich the learning experiences for children, e.g. fruits and vegetables. Children will be supervised during these activities. Food that could cause a choking hazard, including raw jelly, is not used.

See the Food Play Policy for further details.

Good practice guidance: prevention and management

of choking episodes in babies and children https://hub.careinspectorate.com/media/5613/good-practice-guidance-prevention-and-management-of-choking-episodes-in-babies-and-children.pdf

 

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 procuring 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.

Parents of children requiring needles as part of managing a medical condition should supply the nursery with an approved sharps box for safe disposal. Full boxes will be returned to the parents.

If a needle is found e.g. in the nursery grounds, the local authority must be contacted to deal with its disposal.

 

  • Telephone: ☎️ 030 33 33 3000
    This is the council’s general contact number where you can report discarded needles or syringes on public land, give the location, and request safe removal.

  • Emergency services:
    – 999 — if there is an immediate danger or someone is injured.

 

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.

This policy is updated at least annually in consultation with staff and parents and/or after a serious accident or incident.

This policy Links to UNCRC Articles: 1, 2, 16, 18, 23, 24, 25

 

Date of Review 18.03.2025

Summary of Changes - no changes

Reviewed by Stacey Sneddon

 

Date of Review 26.2..26

Summary of Changes - Contact numbers for needle disposal added, Choking prevention best practice link added. 

Reviewed by Stacey Sneddon