Each year around 460 children in this country die as the result of an accident but, although this figure is still far too high, the good news is that child deaths from accidental injuries have begun to drop, due in part to new safety legislation and improved standards. However, around two million children a year still arrive at accident and emergency departments with accidental injuries of all kinds.
SAFETY
If you are currently setting up a new daycare facility or are planning to carry out a full hazard assessment you should find Safety in Day Care and Play Settings a very handy publication. This comprehensive guide from the Child Accident Prevention Trust (6) covers advice on drawing up a safety plan, guidance on how to conduct a risk assessment of your building (including getting down on your hands and knees so that you get a child's eye view) and information on safety equipment. Other topics include training and education for workers, teaching the children how to keep themselves safe and dealing with minor and more serious injuries. The CAPT publishes a wide range of leaflets covering all aspects of safety and aimed at both professional carers and parents (see box, opposite top right.) A full publications list is available.
* Telephone 020 7608 3828
You will now find basic safety items in some of the catalogues of the major educational suppliers. New to this year's Hope catalogue is a Giant Nursery Safety Pack. For 29.95 you will be supplied with 18 socket covers, eight corner cushions, 12 cupboard catches and four door jammers.
* Telephone 08451 20 20 55
From Step by Step you can buy separately a pack of six socket covers for Pounds 2.99 and a pack of six door stops for 3.99.
* Telephone 08451 25 25 50
You might also check out the Great Little Trading Company. Its multi-positional window locks (4.99) enable a window to be opened wide enough for ventilation but not for a child to fall through and there are packs of simple cabinet locks (2.99 for 2), a video guard for 2.99 and a television guard for 12.99.
* Telephone 08702 41 40 80
It's an unfortunate fact of life that any type of door can present a potential threat to little fingers. Fingersafe from Happy Landings is designed to prevent trapped fingers once and for all. It allows a door to open a full 180 degrees so there is no need for a door stop - and also gives added draught exclusion. There are two Fingersafe models. MK1A protects the opening hinge area for the full height of the door and costs 25 per unit. MK1B covers the hinge pin side and costs 15 per unit. Each strip is available in a variety of colours.
* Telephone 01280 822949
A similar product called Fingagard seals off the hinged edge of the door from top to bottom and should be easy to install yourself. A pack of two strips costs 19.95 from Step by Step.
* Telephone as before
A cheaper option is the Safety-Grip door stopper from Great Little Trading. This is a simple device made of high-impact foam which is placed on the top edge of the door or high on the side edge and does not require any screwing or gluing. A set of 2 costs 3.99.
* Telephone as before
Safety gates are, of course, essential in any daycare setting. At one time they often proved a hazard in themselves but are now much improved and there is a good range to choose from. Wesco has a new white metal gate with a brightly decorated centre panel so that it looks a little less utilitarian. This is 75cm high and will fit openings from 70 to 85cm wide, price 62. With the addition of extensions (11.60 for a set of two) you can extend the safety barrier for an opening up to 95cm wide. There is also a plainer gate which fits openings from 73 to 80cm wide, price 50.70
* Telephone 01376 503590
SECURITY
Making your workplace secure from unwelcome intruders is obviously high on the agenda of anyone working with young children. Should you invest in a CCTV system? Can any building be made totally secure when inevitably there are so many people coming and going? Of course, much will depend on the type of building and its location.
Can You See What They See? a free video from the DfES is worth getting hold of. This has been produced to help staff and governors look at their schools through fresh eyes to help improve the security of pupils and staff, and reduce the incidence of theft, vandalism and arson. It offers practical advice about looking at security in and around schools, involving both staff and children. Available from DfES Publications Centre.
* Telephone 0845 6022260; quote Reference Number 00452001
Think carefully before you spend money on high-tech systems, warns Rosemary Murphy, Chief Executive Officer of the National Day Nurseries Association. 'More and more security options are coming into the nursery market but our Association believes this is led by security companies seeing a marketing opportunity, rather than demand from the sector. Security is an important issue for day nurseries and NDNA advises all nursery managers to conduct risk assessments and ensure that they have appropriate procedures in place. Clearly, we would expect all nurseries to have a locked door policy, secure grounds and stringent policies for admittance and supervision of visitors. However, managers should think carefully about their nursery's needs before they commit to expensive investment; in most cases carefully thought-out policies and procedures and well-trained staff will provide the best solution.'
Sue Talkington, Director of Operations for Kids Unlimited, one of the biggest chains of nurseries in the country, agrees that vigilant staff are still the most important element in keeping children safe.
'There is no foolproof system as yet,' she says. 'For instance, all our nurseries have key-coded access and CCTV at the entrances but parents still tend to leave the door open, allowing someone to slip in behind them. This means that there always has to be someone actively watching the door.'
One sound way to help protect children, of course, is to make sure that you always employ honest, trustworthy staff. You will be familiar with the police checks system but this has now been replaced by a new service called Disclosure which promises to be quicker and more thorough. Through the Criminal Records Bureau, which will act as a 'one stop shop', information about prospective employees can be obtained from four sources: the Police National Computer; Local Police Force Records; the Department of Health; the Department for Education and Skills. Before using this service you must first register with the Criminal Records Bureau. It is technically possible for a nursery to register in its own right for a fee of 300 but nearly all will be using Ofsted as an umbrella organisation. Through Ofsted, you can ask applicants to apply for one of three types of Disclosure: Enhanced, Standard or Basic. An Enhanced Disclosure - the highest level of checking - is the most appropriate for people wishing to work with children. This shows current and spent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings and any relevant information from lists held by the DoH and DfES.
The CRB claims that 90 per cent of Enhanced Disclosures will be completed within three weeks. A 12 fee for each Disclosure is required of each applicant, but the DfES is paying for all childcarers for the first year.
* Telephone CRB Information Line 0870 90 90 811
CHILD SAFETY WEEK 17-23 JUNE
'Accidents don't have to happen. Prevention is better than cure' is the key campaign message for this important week and one which The Child Accident Prevention Trust is encouraging all those working with children to promote.
You can send for a free poster to display in your workplace plus a free Ideas and Resources Booklet to help you involve the children and parents in all sorts of safety awareness activities. CAPT also publishes a number of key accident prevention leaflets. The most recently updated are burns and scalds, household poisoning, toy safety, garden safety, in-car safety and safety tips for grandparents and other people looking after children on an occasional basis. To obtain the free poster and booklet send an A4 stamped addressed envelope (33p) to CSW Ideas Booklet, Child Accident Prevention Trust, 18-20 Farringdon Lane, London EC1R 3HA. If you would like to have sets of safety leaflets to distribute to parents call for more information on 020 7608 3828.
