Reference no: EM132945289

Children's Health and Safety

Knowledge Assessment 1

Part 1

1. You are required to demonstrate how to access the following in relevance to ensuring the health and safety of children in the workplace:
• The National Quality Framework
• The National Quality Standards
• The relevant approved learning framework

2. In your role as an Early Childhood Education and Care worker, you will need to check toys and equipment for potential risk and hazards that may cause harm to children.
• Explain in detail the steps involved in coordinating a risk analysis on toys and what you would be checking for at each step.
• Explain what steps you would take if you identified a toy or piece of equipment that presented a WHS hazard with an extreme risk.
• Which policy, procedure would you refer to for advice on WHS issues?

3. In your role as an Early Childhood Education and Care worker, you will need to implement effective hygiene and health practices in many aspects of practice.
3.1 Fill out the table below and explain the importance of maintaining a clean and healthy environment and the risk associated with each of the following areas:
• The centre (overall)
• Kitchen
• Outdoor environment
• Indoor environment
• Toilets

Guidance: Make sure you discuss the risks associated with not maintaining these environments and associated risks.

3.2 Identify which sections in the following frameworks provide information and/or guidance on WHS and/or hazards and risks.
• Education and Care Services National Regulations
• National Quality Standards (NQS)
• Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF)
• Framework for School Aged Care in Australia (FSAC)

4. Complete the table below explaining the cleaning procedures for each, and provide one (1) reason for the importance of the cleaning procedure.

5. List two (2) personal hygiene policies or procedures that you must follow to limit cross-contamination when preparing food and explain why they are important in relation to Work Health and Safety.

6. As a child care worker, you will need to help provide suitable rest and sleep environments for children. For each of the following points, describe why these are important and what you would check to ensure the rest environment is set up appropriately:
• Ventilation
• Lighting
• Heating/cooling
• Hygiene
• Safety

7. As an Early Childhood Education and Care worker, you are required to ensure that sleep and rest opportunities are provided for, and that there are appropriate opportunities to meet each child's need for sleep, rest, and relaxation.
• Which standards in the NQS relate to sleep and rest?
• What section of the National Regulation covers sleep and rest?
• Outline the six (6) ways to promote safe sleep for babies and reduce the risk of Sudden Death Syndrome (SIDS).

8. Suppose you are an assistant educator at Sparkling Stars Childcare Centre:

George is a new student who has been attending the centre for two weeks. His mother would like a general update about your observations regarding her son's daily routines, including sleep and rest.

Write a short email below, sharing information about a child's rest and sleep. Address the email to Mrs. Anna Parkinson, the mother of George, a four-year-old student attending your class.

9. It is a requirement that centres must provide appropriate quiet play activities for children who do not want to sleep or rest. Describe five (5) alternative activities.

10. In an Early Childhood Education and Care setting, you must respect children's needs for privacy during any toileting and dressing and undressing times. Describe three (3) ways in which you would maintain this.

11. You are required to ensure 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 health and safety.
11.1 List three (3) examples of instances where you would inform parents of clothing that the centre considers to be inappropriate or unsuitable for children to wear while attending the centre?
11.2 List two (2) examples of ways in which staff can ensure that children are dressed appropriately for Indoor/Outdoor Environmental conditions and temperatures.

12. When children are playing or traveling outdoors, you must ensure they are safe at all times.

12.1 Describe the sun protection/safety procedures that are in place at your centre and explain what makes it safe for children.

12.2 How would you explain sun safety to children using the most recent sun safe promotional campaign resources?

13. As a child care worker, you will be required to set up a variety of play environments for children.
13.1 List five (5) checks you should perform when setting up a play environment.
13.2 Describe the considerations when choosing equipment that is suitable for the age group of children you're working with.

14. Children must be supervised by ensuring that they are in sight or hearing distance at all times.
What are the ratios for supervising children in an Early Education and Care setting across all age groups?
What process would you follow if you found that you have children with additional needs in your care (i.e., skills, age mix, dynamics, and size of the group of children), and as a result, the level of risk involved in activities was high)?
List four (4) ways that you can ensure there is adequate supervision at all times.

15. Describe how you can explain hazards in the environment to children.

16. As a childcare worker, it is important to ensure that play environments are clean and safe for children.
Briefly explain two (2) strategies you can use to communicate the rules for safe play to the children in the group.
Give an example of how you implement the rules for safe play.

17. As a childcare worker, you will sometimes have to deal with children who are unwell.
Who is the first person you should inform if you suspect a child is sick?
Identify the documentation that needs to be completed when a child in your care has been unwell.
What policies/procedures relate to who can see this documentation?
Does the parent need to sign the form?

18. You are required to consistently implement the service policies for the exclusion of ill children.
Name five (5) infectious diseases that would cause the centre to exclude an ill child.
List three (3) precautions you should take if you suspect the child is infectious.

19. As a child care worker, you will often have to deal with children who have allergies/anaphylaxis or asthma.
Write a brief description of what anaphylaxis is.
Write a brief description of what asthma is and describe the associated signs and symptoms.
Identify three (3) other common allergens that may affect children in a centre.
Describe what should happen when enrolling a child in a centre, who was anaphylaxis/asthma or other allergies.
List five (5) signs and symptoms that indicate a child is having an anaphylactic reaction.
Describe how you would use adrenalin auto injector for anaphylaxis.
What are triggers for asthma? Provide three (3).

20. You are required to consistently implement the service policies for the exclusion of ill children.
List six (6) things you will need to check before you administer medication to a child.
How is medication stored safely at the centre?
Describe which documentation must be completed when you administer medication.

21. Fill out the table below and explain what action you would take to reduce the risk associated with each of the hazards listed in the table below.

22. The National Quality Standard (NQS) Quality Area 2.2 states that "each child is protected" and Element 2.2.1 states that "At all times, reasonable precautions and adequate supervision ensure children are protected from harm and hazard." It is critical that staff ensure that all children are in sight of hearing distance at all times.

Explain how you would follow service procedures for the safe collection of each child, ensuring they are released to authorised people.
What must occur if a child is missing or cannot be accounted for?

23. List three (3) ways in which you can safely manage the use, storage and labelling of dangerous products.

24. Understanding your role in fire safety is an important factor in keeping children safe in Early Childhood Education and Care.
Using the table below, explain in your own words the following aspects of basic home fire safety:

Part 2

1. Research and access the following legislation, in relevance to promoting and providing healthy food and drinks:
• The National Quality Framework
• The National Quality Standards
• The relevant approved learning framework

Guidance: Once you have done the appropriate research, fill out the table below in the spaces provided.

2. Describe two (2) different activities you can do with children to help them learn about healthy eating.

3. Describe how you can ensure children are provided with sufficiently healthy food and water in the below situations:
• Meals are provided for the children by the centre
• Families provide food for the children

Guidance: In your answers, discuss how you will ensure individual children's dietary and calorie intake needs are met.

4. As a childcare worker, it is important to act as a role model in implementing healthy easting and nutrition practices during mealtimes.
Explain why it is important to interact with children during mealtimes.
Describe four (4) ways you can ensure that furniture and utensils are suitable to encourage children to be positively involved in, and enjoy mealtimes.

5. List three (3) strategies you could use to help educate families about healthy eating.
Guidance: Provide an example of one (1) of the strategies you suggested.

6. In a child care service, you will need to cater for children's individual dietary needs.
Explain how the centre obtains information regarding children's specific dietary needs, food allergies or intolerances and who the information comes from.
Once this information has been obtained, describe the process for identifying children who have specific dietary needs, food allergies or intolerances.
Explain why it is important that these children be identified.
Explain what you would do if there was no policy to identify, manage and monitor children who have special dietary needs.

 

7. Describe how children's oral health, including signs of tooth decay impacts on their general health and well-being.

8. Answer the following questions:
Describe the recommended steps in preparing formula.
What are the "Standards of Infant Formula" in Australia?
What is the WHO code and how does it affect staff in an Early Childhood Education Care service?
What are the recommended sterilisation methods for preparing infant feeding equipment? Describe the steps for each method.
What are the recommended formula requirements for feeding infants?
Allergies and food reactions in infants and children are common and may be associated with a variety of foods including adapted cow's milk formula. Parents often consider using special infant formulas for preventing or treating allergic disorders. What types of formula are available in these circumstances and are they effective in reducing allergic reactions?
What are the recommendations for minimising the risk of allergy in infants with a family history of allergies?

9. Consider a mother who wants to continue breastfeeding her baby whilst attending your child care service.
Suggest three (3) ways you can support the mother breastfeeding her baby at your child care service.
Explain the benefits of breastfeeding.
What are the recommended steps for storing breast milk under the Infant Feeding Guidelines?
Complete the table below.

10. List three (3) key points to consider when introducing solid foods to infants.

11. Describe two (2) ways you, as an assistant educator, can contribute to the healthy eating/nutrition policies and procedures at your child care service.

12.  Safe food handling is paramount in Early Childhood Education and Care services.
Describe the clothing/PPE that must be worn when preparing food.
Guidance: At least two (2) must be provided.
List three (3) personal health symptoms that would prevent you from preparing food at a centre.
Provide a list of eight (8) procedures you need to follow to ensure you prepare food safely.
Explain how you would respond if you saw a colleague not following safe food handling practices.

13. Below are dietary guides of two (2) foods.
Write a paragraph to explain which food is the healthier choice.

14 List four (4) procedures that should be in place to protect children from exposure to food allergens.

15. What are the "Five Guidelines" from the Australian Dietary Guidelines?

16. Label the different sections of the graph indicating the recommend portions of food groups we should eat each day.
Guidance: This graph was sourced from "The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating."

17. From the table below determine the minimum number of daily serves for each of the selected children.

• How many daily sample serves of Meat, Fish, and Poultry should be provided to a five year old child?
• How many daily sample serves of Bread should be provided to a ten year old child?
• How many daily sample serves of Fruit should a Breastfeeding Women have

18. The united Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the ECA Code of Ethics relate to codes of practice that should be followed when working with children.
Outline the section in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child that refers to ensuring children's health and safety, in relation to food and water.
Outline the section in the ECA Code of Ethics that relates to creating safe and healthy environments for children.

19. Give an example of each of the points below and describe in your own words why it is important to address the individual dietary needs and preferences of children in respect to:
• Specific cultural requirements
• Religious requirements
• Health requirements

Part 3

1. In the following table, name the relevant legislations, regulations, codes and standards and how they impact on WHS/OHS in the workplace:
• The act
• Workplace regulations
• Codes of practice
• Industry standards
• State/territory WHS authorities
• Rights and responsibilities of employers and workers
• Duty of care
• Hazardous manual tasks
• Infection control
• Policies and procedures in Early Childhood Education and Care

2. It is important that you can identify hazards in an Early Childhood Education and Care service.
What is the definition of a hazard?
What is hazard identification?
Name five (5) common workplace hazards relevant to Early Childhood Education and care.
Describe two (2) workplace procedures for hazard identification.
Give two (2) examples of hazardous manual handling tasks.

3. Answer the following questions about risk.
Provide the definition of a risk.
Describe the risk involved with one of the hazards examples you provided in the question 2.3 above and how you would manage that risk.

4. It is every educator's responsibility to help ensure the environment is safe for themselves, their colleagues and the children, and visitors attending the centre.
Give three (3) examples of how you can fulfil this responsibility.

5. Identify two (2) ways you can stay up-to-date with Workplace Health and Safety information.

6. Review the environment in this picture. Complete the following table to identify three (3) of the hazards present in this indoor environment:

7. Complete the following table in relation to three (3) of the hazards present in the outdoor environment pictured:

8. Complete the following table in relation to three (3) of the hazards present in the storage environment pictured:

9. Identify the following safety signage and their meanings:
Dangerous goods classifications
Common first aid and safety signage

10. As a child care worker, you will need to participate in regular emergency and evacuation drills.
List two (2) different types of emergencies that may occur at your centre and describe what would need to occur to keep the children safe and secure.

Describe an evacuation procedure at the centre.
Provide a brief description of how you could discuss fire evacuations with children.

11. There are a number of Workplace policies and procedures that will relate to WHS. Fill out the table below, identifying the main policy that would be observed in a centre and one (1) practice for each.

Case Studies

Part 1

Case Study 1

You are the assistant educator in the Kindy room at Sparkling Stars Childcare Centre. You can find more about Sparkling Stars at their website:

In the coming weeks, you will be busy taking the children on an excursion to see a play at a local theatre, requiring travel by bus to a local mountain resort where the theatre is located, along with some walking near busy roads at the entrance to the resort.

Your Group leader has asked you to suggest some ideas of ways you could help the children learn about travel and road safety before they go on the excursion.

Develop a plan relating to safe workplace policies and procedures relevant to the excursion.

Case Study 2

You have been assigned the task of devising a menu at Sparkling Stars Childcare Centre. You can find out more about Sparking Stars at their website:

Sparkling Stars Childcare Centre has a general menu designed for children over the age of five. However, it does not take into account younger children. You have been assigned the task of developing a menu suitable for younger children.

Devise a 2-week menu (Monday to Friday), suitable for children aged 3-5 years that caters for morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, late afternoon snack and drinks. Your menu needs to be suitable for use in a child care setting and include the following:
• 50-75% of the recommended number of serves for each food group each day
• A variety of ingredients and textures
• A range of foods from different cultures
• One (1) red meat-free day per week
• Vegetarian options for each meal period
• No repetition of menu items (excluding drinks)

You are required to:
• Present your menu in an attractive, easy-to-read format and submit it.
• Choose an item from your menu that contains an ingredient that may trigger a reaction from a child who has coeliac diseases. Submit the recipe for that menu item.
• Alter the recipe for the menu item so that it would be suitable for a child with coeliac disease.
• Pick one (1) lunch offering and explain how this meets the Australian Dietary Guidelines

Case Study 3

This scenario involves Sparkling Stars Childcare Centre. You can find more about Sparkling Stars at their website:

Trang is working as an assistant educator in the Sparkling Stars Early Childhood Education and Care Centre observing a group of children in the outdoor play area and notices that four of the boys are running around screaming. She monitors their behaviour for any unsafe activity but besides being very noisy their behaviour is safe.

After a few minutes of doing this the boys start pushing each other. Trang quickly tries to intervene but unfortunately Simon pushes Isaac too hard and he falls, tripping over the step rail surrounding the sand pit. You rush over and notice Isaac, holding his left arm and huffing and puffing strangely but appears to be unhurt, the next thing Trang hears is Isaac screaming as he realises there is blood on his fingers. Trang approaches Isaac to inspect his arm. She notices that he has an abrasion that is approximately 2 centimetres and a cut that is about half a centimetre.

You must answer the questions below explaining what actions Trang should take in dealing with this situation.

• What immediate action should Trang take?

• What is the secondary action Trang should take?

• Complete the Incident/Accident Report Form located on the Sparkling Stars website and submit it to your assessor.

• If Isaac's injury had been more severe such as a broken arm or a heavy laceration, what action should Trang take?

Part 2

Case Study 1 - Sleep and Rest

All children have individual sleep and rest requirements. Children need a comfortable relaxing environment to enable their bodies to rest. This environment must be safe and well supervised to ensure children are safe, healthy and secure in their environment.

Scenario 1:
You are working as an early childhood educator in Sparkling Stars Childcare Centre. You are in charge of taking care of the following two children:

Tim:
Tim is 3 years old. He likes to sleep with his favourite blanket that his mum packs for him when he goes to the centre. His mum has informed you that Tim gets very agitated throughout the day when he does not get his afternoon nap, and prefers that the centre ensures he gets his nap before she picks him up in the afternoon.

Your task: Ensure sleep and rest practices are consistent with approved standards and meet the children's individual needs by creating a checklist that you can use for the children described above. Use the safe sleep and rest time guidelines provided in the link below as your reference:

Scenario 1:
Tim would not go to sleep during nap time one afternoon and kept pestering the other children in the centre to play with him. You explained to Tim not to bother the other children because they are trying to take a nap. After talking to him and explaining how taking a nap would help him feel stronger and better after he wakes up, Tim still insists on not going to bed and playing instead.

Your task: Provide three (3) options for appropriate quiet play activities for Tim by creating a plan that outlines the steps you need to take as well as the resources you will require to implement the plan. Fill out the table below to create your plan:

Case Study 2 - Providing Children Supervision
Ensuring the children have adequate supervision at all times is one of your responsibilities as an early childhood educator in the centre.

The Scenario:
You have been taking the lead in providing care for Tim and Kevin since they started going to the centre. In two weeks you will be taking a 3-day vacation leave.
Your task: You are required to provide detailed instructions to Jenny, the educator who will be taking the lead while you are away. In your email, you must CC Michelle, the assistant educator you have been working with, so that she can be reminded of these instructions.

You have to make sure that your instructions contain all the essential information needed to ensure the children have adequate supervision at all times. Use the template provided below to document the instructions you provide to Jenny:

Case Study 3 - Organisational WHS

The Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Act, 1986, requires that anyone who can affect health and safety must protect the well-being of themselves and others.

As an early childhood educator in a childcare centre, you have an important role to play in this and should be aware that your actions at work directly influence the safety of you, your work mates, the children and their families.

Scenario 1:
You have been taking the lead in providing care for Tim and Kevin since they started going to the centre. In two weeks, you will be taking a 3-day vacation leave.

Your task: Using your own experience as an early childhood educator in your vocational workplace, answer the questionnaire below to reflect on your own levels of stress and fatigue at work:

Scenario 2:
Letting the designated person know your concerns relevant to work-related stress and fatigue is an essential step in resolving potential safe work issues in the future.

Your task: Review the relevant workplace procedures in the link provided below and follow the outlined reporting process. Use the template below to document your completion of this task:

Scenario 3:
Maintaining currency of relevant safe work practices in the workplace is another excellent way of ensuring your own safety. As such, Sparkling Stars makes sure that all employees maintain their currency by conducting an annual safe work practice currency check among all its employees.

Your task: Identify ways to maintain currency of safe work practices by listing your strategies according to the different categories and contexts outlined below: An example is provided for your reference

Scenario 4:
As an early childhood educator, it is also your responsibility to raise the children's awareness of safety. The centre ensures that there are enough programs and activities that promote safety awareness among the children in the centre.

Your task: Create a poster to help promote safety awareness among the children in the centre. You may choose any topic or theme relevant to child safety or promoting safety awareness among children. Below are some examples of topics or themes you may use for your poster:
• Stranger danger
• Safety in the kitchen
• Safety in the bathroom
• Safety in the park
• Safety in the beach
• Safety in crossing streets
• Handwashing

Case Study 4 - Ensure the health and safety of children

You are working as an early childhood educator in Sparkling Stars Childcare Centre. You are in charge of taking care of Sophie, a four and a half year old student with severe asthma. She also has severe allergies to dust and pollen which trigger her asthma attacks.

Review Sparkling Stars' Allergy and Asthma Awareness Handbook, found in the link provided below, and use it as your guide as you complete the tasks that follow.

Scenario 1: The children at the centre have had a morning play activity. It finishes close to 8:30AM, and as the children prepare for the next activity, you notice that Sophie is sneezing and coughing.

An assistant educator also sees this and separates her from the rest of the group. You join them and see that Sophie is holding a stuffed toy that is not from the centre. Upon closer inspection, you see that it is dusty, leading you to believe that this has triggered her allergies.

You check her records to review what kind of medication must be administered for this situation. Provided below is a link to Sophie's authorisation to administer medication form.

For this activity, assume that today's date is 06 August 2014.

You have also been provided with a sample packaging box of Sophie's medication and an original packaging sticker. A link to a printable document is found below. You must use these in completing the task.

Your task: Record yourself administering the right medication to Sophie. The demonstration must begin with you discussing Sophie's situation with your co-educator. Assume that you have already separated Sophie from the other children. She may be in the same room while the discussion takes place.

Case Study 5 - Anaphylaxis

You are working as an early childhood educator for Sparkling Stars Childcare Centre. One of the students under your care is Billy Johnson. He is four (4) years old and is severely allergic to nuts and dairy-based foods (i.e. milk products). Review the Anaphylaxis Handbook provided below and use it as reference to complete the following tasks.

Scenario 1: It is 2:00PM and the children at the centre are enjoying a break before their next session. Some kids are playing, while others are having snacks. Just as the break is about to end, you see that Billy has left his friends in the dining area and has gone to the play area. After a few steps, Billy begins to wheeze and gasp for air. You approach him immediately and see that he is pale and that his face is slightly swollen. You scan the area and see that he's dropped a granola bar on the floor. You check its label and find that it contains peanuts.

You administer the necessary medication at 2:05PM, ensuring that you follow applicable policies and procedures. Billy's condition improves, but he is still taken to the hospital as a precaution. He is accompanied by an assistant educator, who gives you the following details afterwards:
• Billy's emergency contact arrived at the hospital around five (5) minutes after they did.
• He was attended to by Dr. Margaret Thornton. He was placed under observation, then cleared for release within the same day.
• Billy said that he'd taken the granola bar from one of his friends' snack trays because it looked tasty. He hadn't realised that it had nuts in it.

You have been tasked with filling out documentation regarding this incident. Use the information found in the case scenario and in Billy's Action Plan for Anaphylaxis to complete this task. Assume that the date of the incident is 10 October 2014.

Task 1: Complete the relevant forms to document the incident. Use the information provided above to help you complete the required form. If certain information was not provided by the scenario, you have the liberty to create details regarding the case. However, ensure that they do not contradict provided information and are realistic to the situation.
Review the centre's Incident, Accident, and Trauma Policy to ensure you are compliant with the centre's relevant workplace policies and procedures:

Task 2: Apply the risk management plan for Billy by completing the checklist provided in the link below. Complete the column "Detail how this will be implemented and any additional strategies" by answering according to the organisational risk-management strategies from your relevant work experience in childcare centres/vocational work experience.

Case Study 6 - Meal Planning
Scenario 1: You are helping create a meal plan for two brothers who will start going to the centre in the next week, Johnny, 5 years old, and Lucas, 11 months old.

Johnny has no special dietary restrictions. While Lucas has just started eating solid foods. Lucas only drinks breast milk. Their mum, Kelly, expresses her breast milk in the morning and packs it for Lucas to drink in the centre.

Your Task: Create a meal plan for Johnny outlining a cycle of menus, detailing the food that will be provided to him for a week. The meal plan should include breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner for five days.

Your Task: Create a one-page guide for Lucas' mother to assist her with expressing breast milk by hand and it at home to ensure food safety procedures are followed according to the relevant prescribed guidelines.

PRACTICAL ASSESSMENT

Task 1

INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENT
If you have prior work experience in a childcare centre, you may complete this task reflecting on your experience. If you do not have prior experience working in a childcare centre, you may complete this task after you have been immersed in your vocational work placement.

You are required to review/reflect and evaluate both your performance and the service's implementation of policies and procedures related to the establishment and maintenance of a safe and healthy environment for children attending the centre.

Provide one (1) example of the information the centre has currently researched on current hygiene practice from the sources/resources that you have written in the previous question.

Find out how educators may avail of the basic training and testing on how to move and fit car seats, restraints and booster seats. Write down how and where they can avail of this training and testing in your vocational work placement.

Task 2

Following the centre's policies on conducting safety assessments, survey the children's learning and play environments including all toys and equipment for safe use, as well as the general environment in the centre as a safe workplace for you. Once completed, write the relevant safety assessment report.

To ensure successful completion of this step, your report must include the following information:
- Existing hazards identified
- Potential hazards identified

Task 3

Create an email reporting your safety assessment findings to the designated personnel indicated in the centre's WHS policies. If there are no provisions in the centre's WHS policies on who to report your safety assessment findings to, address the email to your vocational workplace supervisor.

To ensure successful completion of this step, your email must include
- A summary of your safety assessment findings including:
- Safety assessment findings on the children's learning and play areas
- Safety assessment findings on the centre as a safe workplace
- Recommendation to help improve safe workplace policies and procedures

Attachment:- Childrens Health and Safety.rar