Accident/Incident Procedure
At Chingford House Nursery (CHN) we endeavour to keep children safe through various policies and procedures as well as best practice; however, we recognise that some children will still have accidents.
First aid supplies are kept in each of the rooms and are replenished after each use; in conjunction with the Room Leaders, the Health & Safety Officer checks the contents of the supplies once a term, ensuring that there is the required amount and that the items are still in date. The first aid boxes do not contain any medication and are kept out of the children’s reach.
We always have first-aid qualified staff at the nursery; the Early Years Foundation Stage 2017 statutory framework states that there should be at least one first aider on the premises, however, at CHN we have at least 9 qualified first aiders (the list of qualified staff is displayed in the entrance hallway). First aid refresher courses are taken every 3 years.
In the event of an accident, information will be recorded, this includes the:
• date & time
• the full name of the child
• the accident itself, including location, injury and witnesses (where applicable). Non-visible injuries will also be recorded
• how the accident was dealt with
A member of the Senior Team will sign the book demonstrating that they have been informed of the accident.
Parents will then be asked to sign the book at the end of the day to attest that they have been notified of the accident. If someone other than the parents collects the child, the Key Person will inform them but will ask the parent to sign when they next come to the nursery (parents will be notified via call or text).
Where a member of staff may have forgotten to ask the parent to sign at the end of the day, they will call or text the parent that evening and ask them to sign the accident book the next day. Each room has their own accident book, entries are for each child, so that we comply with GDPR.
The Manager, in conjunction with the Health & Safety Officer, reviews the accident books each term to ascertain patterns of accidents. They also consider if risk assessments need to be revised to include a hazard or to put control measures in place to minimise accidents.
In line with the Early Years Foundation Stage, we are required to inform Ofsted and the Local Authority of any serious accidents, injuries, illnesses or deaths that occur on the premises as soon as possible or within 14 days of the accident occurring. There are other agencies which we are legally required to notify of a serious accident such as the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR)
Any child who suffers a head injury will be closely monitored for any signs of concussion; parents will be informed of the accident as soon as possible afterwards. Where applicable a photograph will be taken so the parents can see the injury for themselves. Parents will also be called if a child has a nosebleed, or a cut that has caused bleeding.
In instances where an accident is serious enough to require medical attention, parents will be notified to collect their child to take them to the doctor. In emergency situations an ambulance will be called and the parents will be notified, as staff will not take children to the hospital in their car. The Key Person or familiar adult will accompany the child to the hospital, taking the appropriate documentation and wait until the parents arrive.
Staff wear gloves when dealing with bodily fluids and will wear them when children (or staff) are bleeding. Any dressings, cloths and the gloves will be put into bags and disposed of (see Illness, Infection control and Exclusion policy for further information).
Serious accidents or injuries will result in an investigation taking place; this will include statements from staff especially those that witnessed the accident. Recommendations and actions will form part of the investigation so that lessons can be learned and to minimise the possibility of the accident happening again. Parents will be given a copy of the investigation report.
We acknowledge that children will have accidents at home or when they are away from the nursery; in these instances parents are required to inform their Key Person or familiar adult of the incident, this will then be recorded and parents will be asked to sign the home incident book. If staff have any concerns about the parents account of an injury they will inform the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) who will speak with the parents to get more information. If the DSL has concerns after speaking with the parent, they will be informed that they may need to get further advice from the local Multi-agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH).
The DSL will seek consent if a referral then needs to be made.
Incidents are also recorded especially if a child hurts another child; these tend to be recorded in the behaviour incident book. Both parents of the respective children will be informed of the incident. If the incident results in an injury such as a bite or bruising, this will go in the accident book and the parent of the injured child will be asked to sign the book to demonstrate that they have been informed.
If parents have any concerns regarding any accidents or incidents that take place at the nursery, they are encouraged to speak with their Key Person in the first instance and if they are still concerned, they can raise matters with a senior member of the team.
Policy created by: Yolande Farrell Manager
Signed off by: Zarkar Akhtar Owner
Date: May 2022