Incident, injury, trauma and illness

Purpose
To provide clear guidelines about the procedures and responsibilities to be followed if a child is ill, is involved in a medical emergency or an incident at the service that results in injury or trauma and the allocation of responsibilities for recording and notification of incidents, injuries and illnesses that occur at the family day care

Scope
These guidelines will apply to the Approved provider, nominated supervisor, supervisors, educators, staff, students on placement, volunteers, parents, children and others attending the service.

Objectives
To provide a safe and healthy environment for all children, educators, volunteers, students and any other persons participating in the family day care services, respond to the needs of an injured, ill or traumatized person at the service, preventing injuries and traumas, preventing the spread of illness, meeting legislative requirements for the notification of incidents injuries and illness

Policy
At, FIRST IDEA FAMILY DAY CARE SERVICES, we recognise the importance of keeping children safe and families informed. We undertake every reasonable precaution in accident and illness prevention through the implementation of risk assessments and risk management in accordance with Department of Education and Training (DET) we provide training and support to educators and educate stakeholders in safe behaviors and choices. We stringently promote our policies and procedures and take every precaution to ensure they are being implemented in each Educator’s home.
In the unlikely situation where an accident or injury occurs every precaution is taken to, attend to, protect, ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of the both the injured or ill individual and to care for the psychological wellbeing of children witnessing the incident.

Procedures
Approved Providers and delegates are responsible for:

• Being contactable whilst children are in attendance at the service
• Providing current telephone contact details of approved provider, educational leader/coordinators, and educator
• Providing an overview and sound induction of new educators and educator assistants of their responsibilities in the event of an incident or medical emergency.
• Ensuring that children’s immunisation status is documented on their enrolment form in accordance with the ‘Infectious disease policy and procedures’
• Requiring educators comply with the exclusion requirements in accordance with Department of Health exclusion table and ‘Infectious disease policy and procedures’
• Maintaining a database of expiry dates of certifications (First Aid, CPR, Anaphylaxis, Asthma)
• Ensuring that children’s enrolment forms provide authorisation for the service to seek emergency medical treatment by a medical practitioner, hospital or ambulance service
• Requiring the educator maintains children’s files in accordance with the Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011
• Ensuring that educators have a suitably equipped first aid kit that meets Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011 r.89
• Ensuring that educators have access to medication, incident, injury, trauma and illness forms
• Ensure that the parent/guardian of the child is notified as soon as is practicable, but not later than 24 hours after the occurrence, if the child is involved in any incident, injury, trauma or illness while at the service
• Notifying Department of Education and Training (DET) within 24 hours of a serious incident or a complaint alleging legislation was breached in accordance with Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011 r.176
• Monitoring, maintaining and storing all legislated and required records confidentiality including medication records, attendance records, Medical Management Plans
• Ensuring that incident, injury, trauma and illness records are kept and stored securely until the child is 25 years old

Educators and educator assistants are responsible for:

• Ensuring there is a suitably equipped and maintained first aid kit.
• Ensuring a resuscitation flow chart (CPR) is displayed in a prominent position in the indoor and outdoor environments of the family day care residence/venue.
• Implementing daily hygiene and infection control procedures.
• Conducting a risk assessment prior to any excursion or regular outing in accordance with ‘Excursion policy and procedures
• Maintaining a portable and suitably equipped first aid kit that can be taken offsite for excursions and regular outings
• Observing signs and symptoms of children who may appear unwell and responding to any illness in accordance with ‘Infectious disease policy and procedures.
• Supervise children at all times.
• Monitoring, maintaining and storing all legislated and required records including, incident, accident illness records, medication records, notifications of breakouts etc.
• Requesting the parents/guardians or authorised nominees make arrangements for the child or children involved in an incident or medical emergency to be collected from the service, or informing parents/guardians if an ambulance has been called.
• Ensuring that families are notified within 24 hours if their child is involved in an incident, injury, trauma or illness at service and record details (including the administration of first aid) on the Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness Record.
• Notify the approved provider/nominated supervisor within 24 hours of a serious incident.
• Reviewing the cause of any incident, injury or illness and taking appropriate action to remove the cause if required.
• Ensuring that incident, injury, trauma and illness records are kept and stored securely until the child is 25 years old

When there is a medical emergency, educators will:

• Call an ambulance, where necessary
• Administer first aid, and provide care and comfort to the child prior to the family or ambulance arriving
• Implement the child’s current medical management plan MMP, where appropriate
• Notify parents/guardians as soon as is practicable of any serious medical emergency, incident or
• Injury concerning the child, and request the parents/guardians make arrangements for the child to be collected from the service and/or inform the parents/guardians that an ambulance has been called
• Notify other person/s as authorised on the child’s enrolment form, if the parents/guardians are not contactable
• Contact the approved provider for support and assistance
• Ensure ongoing supervision and support of all children in attendance at the service
• Accompany the child in the ambulance when the parents/guardians are not present, provided that staff-to-child ratios can be maintained if not, the child will be signed into the care and emergency services representatives.
• Notify the Approved Provider and Department of Education and Training of the medical emergency, incident or injury as soon as is practicable with- in 24 hours
• Complete and submit an incident report to Department of Education and Training (DET) the Approved Provider and family (copy to remain on child and educator’s file)

When a child develops symptoms of illness while at the service, educators will:

• Contact the parents/guardians or authorised emergency contact for the child to outline the signs and symptoms observed
• Request that the child is collected from the service if the child is not well enough to participate in the program
• If contagion is suspected, separated from other children as far as practicable whist maintaining supervision of all children
• Contact the approved provider or delegate for additional supports in supervising children
• Call an ambulance if a child appears to be deteriorating rapidly or has an underlying medical condition
• Notify Department of Education and Training (DET) as soon as is practicable and within 24 hours, and are provided with details of the illness and subsequent treatment administered to the child
• Ensure that the Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness Record is completed as soon as is practicable and within 24 hours of the occurrence
• Notify Department of Education and Training within 24 hours if child received medical treatment

Families are required to:

• Ensuring documentation/authorisations are completed and signed.
• Ensuring all records are completed and signed, including attendance.
• Ensuring any changes to children’s information or status is communicated promptly to the educator.
• Informing the service of an infectious disease or illness that has been identified while the child has not attended the service, that may impact on the health and wellbeing of other children, educators and visitors attending the service.
• Notifying educator if there is a change in the condition of their child’s health, or if there have been any recent accidents or incidents that may impact on the child’s care e.g. any bruising or injuries.
• Providing written consent (via child’s enrolment form) for the educator to administer first aid and call an ambulance, if required
• Being contactable, either directly or through emergency contact details listed on child’s enrolment form, in the event of an incident that requires the administration of first aid.
• Funding all expenses payable for medical/dental treatment or ambulance trip incurred.
• Signing the Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness Record, when required acknowledging that they have been made aware of the incident.

NATIONAL QUALITY FRAMEWORK

Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010	Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011	National Quality Area	National Quality Standard
174,	85-87,168,177-178,183	2.1	2.1.1, 2.1.3, 2.1.4
		3.1	3.1.2
		7.3	7.3.1, 7.3.5

RELATED LEGISLATION

• Children’s Health and Wellbeing Act 2009
• Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005
• Health and Safety Act 2004
• Health Records Act 2001 (Vic)
• Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulations 2001
• Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986 (Cwlth)
• Information Privacy Act 2000
• Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004
• Privacy Act 2000 (Vic.)
• Working with Children Act 2000

RELATED POLICIES

• Administration of First Aid
• Approval, and Reassessment of Approved Family Day Care Venues
• Assessment of Educators, Assistants, and Persons Residing at the Family Day Care Residence
• Authorisations – Acceptance and Refusal
• Code of Conduct
• Complaints and Grievances
• Confidentiality
• Engagement or Registration of Family Day Care Educators and Assistants
• Enrolment and Orientation
• Excursions
• Infectious Diseases
• Medical Conditions

Related resources

• Department of Education and Training (DET)
• Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA)
• Guide for Family Day Care Educators
• DET Emergency Management Guidelines
• Protecting the Safety and Wellbeing of Children and Young People
• Children’s Wellbeing Act 2005
• Victorian Government of Human Services
• DHS Communicable Diseases Unit on 1300 651 160
• DHS Communicable Diseases Exclusion Table
• Work safe Victoria – First Aid Kit Requirements

Notification of a serious incident – information and requirements to report

REVIEW

POLICY REVIEWED	July 2018	NEXT REVIEW DATE	July 2019
MODIFICATIONS	Policy created for First Idea Family Day Care Services, inclusive of changes to the National Quality Standards and Education and Care National Regulations