FIRST AID POLICY First Aid can preserve life, prevent a condition worsening, and promote recovery. The capacity to provide prompt, basic first aid is particularly important in our centres where educators have a duty of care to take positive steps towards maintaining the health and safety of each child. At Guardian, we are committed to ensuring the First Aid policy, strategies and practices are designed to support educators to: Ensure that ill or injured persons are stabilised and comforted until medical help intervenes; Monitor ill or injured persons in the recovery stage; Apply further first aid strategies if the condition does not improve; Ensure that the environment is safe and that other persons are not in danger of becoming ill or injured. FIRST AID QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING At any time and place where children are present, the following person/s must be present and immediately available in the event of an emergency: a) at least one educator who holds a current approved first aid qualification (including CPR); b) at least one educator who has undertaken current approved anaphylaxis management training; c) at least one educator who has undertaken current approved emergency asthma management training. Guardian offers free First Aid, CPR, Asthma and Anaphylaxis management training in partnership with re:viva (an ACECQA approved provider) to all Guardian educators who are employed permanent full or part time (casual employees are not eligible). Educators who have a First Aid Qualification due to expire within 3 6 months should register on the Guardian Learning and Events page (www.guardian.edu.au/learning-and-events) to attend the next available course to ensure their qualification doesn t lapse. Copies of First Aid qualifications will be stored in staff record folders. The centre will inform children, families and educators of those persons who hold first aid qualifications by placing notifications in the staff room, office and front entrance/foyer. EMERGENCY FIRST AID In an emergency when the parent or emergency contact person is uncontactable, the child s temperature reaches 38.5 0 C or higher and after attempts to cool down the child fails. If the parent has signed the paracetamol permission in the Terms and Conditions of the child s enrolment form, the Nominated Supervisor can administer one dose of Paracetamol in the appropriate dose only. The Nominated Supervisor will check that permission has been signed in the terms and conditions prior to giving the one dose of Paracetamol. EXCURSIONS AND REGULAR OUTING Educators who attend excursions and regular outings must hold a current first aid qualification and carry an adequately supplied first aid kit (including individual children s medical actions plans and medication). FIRST AID COMMUNICATION Generally, first aid is provided in response to unpredictable illness or injury. Educators have an obligation to ensure parents/ guardian or authorised nominees are informed about any first aid provided to their children as soon as practical and within 24hours of an illness or injury. To ensure educators respond immediately and provide correct information to emergency services, a sign will be placed at all phones throughout the centre with correct details to provide to emergency services THE NEED FOR AN AMBULANCE An ambulance will be called when the following instances (but not limited to) occur to a person or child at the centre: unconsciousness or an altered conscious state experiencing difficulty breathing 1 P a g e
showing signs of shock Anaphylaxis reaction experiencing severe bleeding, or vomiting blood or passing blood slurred speech significant injuries to the head, neck or back febrile convulsion caused by a fever lasting longer than 5 minutes, or where a child looks very ill when a convulsion lasting less than 5 minutes has stopped possible broken bones. INFECTION AND PREVENTION CONTROL Adequate infection and prevention control must be practised at all times when administering first aid or cleaning up blood or body fluids. POISONS INFORMATION CENTRE The Poisons Information Centre telephone number 131 126 is displayed: Next to every telephone in the centre; Where dangerous products are stored. SAFETY DATA SHEETS (SDS) Updated and current SDS must be current and available for reference in an emergency. All educators must know the location of this document to ensure an immediate response LINKS TO THE NATIONAL LAW AND REGULATIONS Section 165 Offence to in adequately supervise children Section 167 Offence relating to protection children form harm and hazards Regulation 85 Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness policies and procedures Regulation 87 Notification to parents if incident, injury, trauma and illness Regulation 89 First Aid Kits Regulation 136 First Aid Qualification Regulation 137 Approval of qualifications Regulation 168 Education and care services must have policies and procedures LINKS TO THE NATIONAL QUALITY STANDARD Standard/ Elements Concept Descriptor 2.1 Health Each child s health and physical activity is supported and promoted 2.1.2 Health practices and procedures Effective illness and injury management and hygiene practices are promoted and implemented 2.2 Safety Each child is protected 2.2.1 Supervision At all times, reasonable precautions and adequate supervision ensure children are protected from harm and hazard 2.2.2 Incident and emergency Plans to effectively manage incidents and emergencies are developed in consultation with relevant authorities, practiced and implemented 7.1 Governance Governance supports the operation of a quality Guardian Centre 2 P a g e
7.1.2 Management Systems 7.1.3 Roles and Responsibilities Systems are in place to manage risk and enable the effective management and operation of a quality service Roles and responsibilities are clearly defined, and understood, and support effective decision-making and operation of the centre REFERENCES Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010 Education and Care Services National Regulations 2018 Guide to the National Quality Framework 2018 FIRST AID PROCEDURE Who? APPROVED PROVIDER (GUARDIAN EARLY LEARNING GROUP) NOMINATED SUPERVISORS In the absence of the NS, the person in day to day charge How? Ensure that every reasonable precaution is taken to protect children at the centre from harm and hazards that are likely to cause injury. Ensure these qualifications, meet the requirements of the National Law and National Regulations, and are approved by ACECQA Ensure that an appropriate number of first aid kits are kept, and that these are suitably equipped relative to the number of children in attendance and layout of centre. Provide fully-equipped first aid kits that must meet Australian Standards and be checked yearly by a recognised authority. Provide and maintain a portable first aid kit that can be taken off-site for excursions and other activities relative to the number of children Ensure that responsible persons in the centre are aware of the record keeping requirements for first aid information Ensure there is an induction process for all new educators and casual educators, that includes providing information on the location of first aid kits and specific first aid requirements. Keep up to date with any changes in procedures for administration of first aid and ensuring that all educators are informed of these changes. Notify the regulatory authority of any serious incident, meaning an incident or class of incidents prescribed by the National Regulations as a serious incident. This notice must be provided within 24 hours of the incident or the time that the person becomes aware of the incident Ensure that at least one educator with current, approved first aid qualifications is in attendance and immediately available at all times that children are being educated and cared for by the centre (Regulation 136(1)(a)). This can be the same person who has anaphylaxis management training and emergency asthma management training, also required under the Regulations. Plan and facilitate a meeting each year to ensure all educators review the first aid process and the administration of an auto-injection device. Ensure that all educators have an approved first aid qualification, including anaphylaxis and asthma management and CPR training Ensure these qualifications, meet the requirements of the National Law and Regulations, and are approved by ACECQA Ensure that current first aid training details are recorded on each educator s record and qualification are on file Ensure there is a systematic process in place to ensure all first aid qualifications remain current Have signs near each phone throughout the room and outdoors, stating important information that needs to be provided to any emergency personnel. This includes the following information: o Name of centre o Address o Nearest cross road o Phone numbers o Any important details explaining location (first floor, back of shopping complex etc) 3 P a g e
EDUCATORS AND STAFF o Number of children o Number of staff o Contact phone numbers: - Emergency 000 - Local police - Local fire brigade - Poison information centre - Security personnel - Operations Managers contact details - General Managers contact details Ensure that all educators and families know who the persons present with a current first aid in order are to respond to an emergency immediately Ensure safety signs showing the location of first aid kits are clearly displayed. Ensure that only educators who hold current first aid qualification attend excursions or regular outings Ensure a portable first aid kit is taken on all excursions and other off-site activities, (including individual children s medical management plans and medication) Complete the Whereabouts of medication form when all medications (including Centre s Epi pen, asthma reliever medication, individual children s medication etc) is taken from its storage location. in an emergency this form does not need to be completed when taking medication, only when returned. This is to ensure that medication is tracked, and medication is stored in correct location. Ensure that the details of any incident requiring the administration of first aid are recorded on the Non-Serious or Serious incident form. Notify families of all instances where first aid is applied once the injury or illness is determined as soon as practical but within 24hours. Call an ambulance where injury or illness requires immediate medical attention Notify the Operations Manager of all injuries and illnesses where medical attention is required Appoint an educator to be the nominated Work Health and Safety officer to ensure that content of all first aid kits are adequate and in date. Keep up to date with any changes in the procedures for the administration of first aid Notify the Nominated supervisor or person in day to day charge immediately of all instances where first aid is applied once the injury is determined. Implement appropriate first aid procedures when necessary. Maintain current approved first aid qualifications, anaphylaxis management and emergency asthma management qualifications, as required. Ensure these qualifications, meet the requirements of the National Law and Regulations, and are approved by ACECQA Review and understand the first aid process and administration of an auto-injection device yearly. Ensure that all children are adequately supervised while providing first aid and provide comfort for a child involved in an incident or suffering trauma. Ensure that the details of any incident requiring the administration of first aid are recorded on the Non-Serious or Serious Incident Form Notify the nominated supervisor three months prior to the expiration of their first aid, asthma, or anaphylaxis, or CPR accredited training and book into the next scheduled course before the expiry date (www.guardian.edu.au/learning-and-events) Infection and Prevention Control The following infection control procedures must always be adhered to: Cover cuts and abrasions with water proof dressing to avoid contamination of cuts/abrasions with another person s blood and/or body fluids; Wear protective gloves when in contact with body fluids, non-intact skin, and mucous membranes; Wash hands thoroughly after direct contact with injured person or blood/bodily fluids with warm soapy water, then rinse and dry. Work Health and Safety person will: 4 P a g e
FAMILY AND COMMUNITY Monitor the contents of all first aid kits and arranging with the Nominated Supervisor for replacement of stock, including when the use-by date has been reached. Safely dispose of out-of-date materials and medication immediately Ensure a portable first aid kit is taken on all excursions and other off-site activities. Keeping up to date with any changes in the procedures for the administration of first aid Provide the required information and medication for their child s medical management plan and when their child requires medication/first aid to be administered Provide written consent (via the enrolment record) for educators to administer first aid and call an ambulance, if required. Be contactable, either directly or through emergency contacts listed on the child s enrolment record, in the event of an incident requiring the administration of first aid. Pay for any costs associated with an ambulance call out 5 P a g e