Keeping children safe and well is one of the most important roles for an early years practitioner; so doing regular risk assessments are vital.

One of the things that I found most helpful when risk assessing my own home as a registered child minder was to get down on the floor to look at things as children would see them.

Every day before the first child arrived I would check that all of my electric sockets were plugged with safety covers ( as occasionally my husband or children would forget to put them back in after use).

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My children had hook and eye locks on the top of their bedroom doors to keep the little ones out ( not only because they didn’t want them venturing into their rooms, but also because they may have toiletries lying about or something else that could be harmful to a young child).

I also did a daily check that they had remembered to use the lock before going out.

I didn’t let the pre school age children go upstairs alone ( because of the risk of falling down stairs)’ but during the school holidays I looked after some older children.

When we first moved into our hose, my child minding network co-ordinator told me that the banisters on my landing were too far apart and she was concerned that a child could climb between them ( my Ofsted inspector had never mentioned this and as I have already said children didn’t go upstairs alone) but too keep her happy my husband filled in the gaps with some hardboard.

If the children in your care also use your garden- don’t forget to do a risk assessment on that too: Things like checking that the gate is locked. My postman knew that I was a child minder and as my child friendly garden was at the front of my house, he would pass any post over the gate to one of them.

Be aware that wet fallen leaves can be a hazard and if it’s been raining heavily water can collect in large puddles or on any plastic coverings that you may have on garden furniture or a B.B.Q. even a small amount of water can be deadly to children.

As well as working as a child minder I also worked as a support child minder for my local children’s centre. This sometimes involved running a creche for parents attending courses in the building; the risk assessment for this was quite a lengthy written tick list.

I was also asked by a child minder that I was supporting if I would help her with risk assessing her home.

I discovered that her washing line was dangerously low meaning a strangle threat to children so I suggested getting a rotary line instead. To keep the children safe.

She also had an electic lead across her kitchen floor stretching to the tumble dryer. As this was the only way that she could use this equipment I advised her not to use it when she had small child minded children in the house and she agreed to only use it in the evenings after she had finished work.

Risk assessments should also be considered when taking children out on trips more here

As always questions and comments are welcome.

Until next time.

Karen

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