First aid policy.

Introduction

First aid is the emergency aid or treatment given to persons suffering illness or injury following an accident and prior to obtaining professional medical services if required. It includes emergency treatment, maintenance of records, dressing of minor injuries, recognition and reporting of health hazards and participation in safety programs.

Our education and care service is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment. We recognise our responsibility to provide first aid facilities that are adequate for the immediate treatment of injuries and illnesses. The educators and staff of our service are aware of their duty of care to children, families, staff, and visitors in providing appropriate first aid treatment.

Goals

We will ensure

• At all times there is at least one educator who holds a first aid qualification on premises.

• All children, staff, families, and visitors who are involved in accidents and incidents whilst at the centre and require first aid to be administered will be done so according to guidelines and recommended practices of a first aid qualification.

• All incidents will be documented and stored according to regulatory requirements.

• A risk management approach to health and safety shall be adopted.

Strategies

Professional development of staff and educators

The Approved Provider/Nominated Supervisor will

• Ensure that all educators are supported and encouraged to hold current recognised first aid qualifications;

• Ensure there is at least one educator on the premises at all times that has undertaken current approved anaphylaxis management training and emergency asthma management training; and

• Ensure employee induction includes an induction to the First Aid Policy.

• Ensure the skills and competencies of training first aiders are maintained and skills are kept up to date, refresher First Aid and CPR training will be scheduled and maintained in a staff register;

• Collaborate and consult with staff and educators to develop and implement a risk assessment and management plan; and

• Ensure first aid guides and publications are accessible to staff at all times to assist them in their understanding and administration of first aid.

Hazard identification and risk assessment

The Approved Provider will

• provide a child-safe environment.

The Nominated Supervisor will

• guide staff in regularly conducting risk assessments of the environment to determine likely injuries and illnesses that might occur, and rectify their potential causes;

• introduce preventive measures to eliminate the risk, or control measures to minimise the risk;

• review and analyse accident, injury, incident and 'near miss' data; and

• collaborate with staff and educators to develop a first aid plan for the service (i.e., identification of first aid qualified staff, contact details of emergency services and other emergency contacts, details of the nearest hospital or medical centre, map identifying location of first aid kits at the service, first aid contents checklist, response procedure following an incidence of illness or injury.

Educators and Staff will

• regularly undertake risk assessments in the environment in order to plan safe experiences for children.

Administration of first aid to children, families, staff, and visitors to the centre

The Approved Provider/Nominated Supervisor will

• ensure that there is always at least one first aid qualified educator on the premises at all times;

• ensure that enrolment records for each child include a signed consent form for the administration of first aid and the approved products to be used;

• review and sign off on all documentation when first aid has been administered; and

• dial 000 and call for an ambulance when emergency medical treatment is required or delegate this responsibility.

In general:

• administration of first aid will be done in accordance with first aid training and undertaken by a qualified first aider;

• as per the first aid plan, and in the interests of avoiding delay of treatment, in the first instance, first aid will be administered by the person who has witnessed the incident/injury/illness;

• the nominated supervisor and families (where first aid is being administered to a child) will be notified of the nature of the incident/accident; and

• the person administering first aid will be the person who completes the incident/illness/injury/trauma record and passes to the responsible person for verification and signing by parent or guardian.

First Aid Supplies

The Approved Provider will ensure that

• the centre is supplied with an appropriate number of first aid kits for the number of children being educated and cared for by the service.

• the first aid kits are suitably equipped, easily accessible, and recognisable; and

• first aid kits are carried on field excursions.

Educators and Staff will

• ensure a first aid box checklist is kept in every first aid kit;

• staff will regularly monitor supplies and update stock as required; and

• discard and replace out of date stock.

Documentation and record keeping

Educators and Staff will

• complete an incident, injury, trauma, and illness record for all incidents/injuries/trauma/illnesses occurring at the centre; and

• ensure that a copy of the accident/incident report will be made available for parents/guardians on request.

The Approved Provider will

• ensure records are confidentially stored for the specified period of time as required by the Regulation.

Notification of serious incidents

The Approved Provider or Nominated Supervisor will notify the regulatory authority through the online NQA ITS within 24 hours of any serious incident at our service (s. 174). If our service only becomes aware that the incident was serious afterwards, we will notify the regulatory authority within 24 hours of becoming aware that the incident was serious.

Serious incidents include:

• the death of a child at the service or following an incident at the Service

• any incident involving a serious injury or trauma to a child at the service which a reasonable person would say required urgent attention from a medical practitioner, or the child attended or should have attended a hospital eg broken limb

• any incident involving serious illness of a child at the service where the child attended, or should have attended, a hospital eg severe asthma attack, seizure or anaphylaxis.

This does not include treatment at a hospital for non-serious injury, illness or trauma in cases where a General Practitioner consults from a hospital eg in rural and remote areas

• any emergency where emergency services attended ie there was an imminent or severe risk to the health, safety or wellbeing of a person at the service. It does not include incidents where emergency services attended as a precaution

• a child is missing or cannot be accounted for at the service

• a child has been taken from the service by someone not authorised to do this

• a child is mistakenly locked in or locked out of the service .

A serious injury, illness or trauma includes:

The Nominated Supervisor or responsible person will

• notify parents of any serious incident; and

• arrange for medical intervention if required.

Educators and Staff will

• manage serious incident as per this policy; and

• notify the Nominated Supervisor immediately after the serious incident has occurred.

Notification of serious complaints and circumstances

The Approved Provider or Nominated Supervisor will notify the regulatory authority through the online NQA ITS:

• within 24 hours of any complaints alleging that a serious incident has occurred or is occurring while a child was or is at the service

• within 24 hours of any complaints that the National Law or Regulations have been breached

• within 7 days of any circumstances arising at the Service that pose a risk to the health, safety and wellbeing of a child

• within 7 days of any incident, complaint or allegation that physical or sexual abuse of a child has occurred or is occurring while the child is at the service

• within 24 hours of any children being educated and care for in an emergency, including where there is a child protection order or the parent needs urgent health care. Emergency care can be no longer than two consecutive days of operation. The Approved Provider or Nominated Supervisor will consider the safety, health and wellbeing of all children at the service before accepting the additional child/children, and will advise the regulatory authority about the emergency

• within 24 hours of any incidents that require the Service to close or reduce attendance.

Children's safety will be the priority of all educators when

supervising children.

Sourced: Education and Care Services National Regulations

First aid kit checklist

Each centre maintains a stocked first aid kit. The contents below are checked monthly and after use, with expiry dates monitored and items replaced as needed.

This policy is the property of Eikoh Seminar Australia Pty Limited and must not be reproduced without the consent of management.