About this unit

This unit focuses on the competencies you need to undertake work with children and young people on a formal basis. You are expected to do this with a high degree of personal autonomy. Not only are you expected to maintain the children’s welfare and safety but you will need to understand why this is necessary, and to recognise where more specialised help is required. You must carry out your work in line with relevant legislation such as the Children’s Act and guidelines – both statutory (such as the Safe from Harm Guidelines) and those produced by other relevant organisations (for example, if you are using mini-buses you may find it useful to refer to guidance produced by the Community Transport Association).

You must be able to plan activities that are appropriate for the children you are working with and maintain their safety throughout. You will assess the sites to be visited for any hazards, make sure that there are sufficient numbers of adult supervisors, and organise the necessary clothing, supplies and transport. You must also involve parents in the activities where possible, and keep them fully informed of your plans.

You must be able to organise and maintain appropriate levels of supervision. You will to select and brief all adult helpers and make sure that they understand their responsibilities for child welfare and safety. You need to protect children from dangerous situations or hazards - this will include explaining safety rules to them in a way that they can understand.

You must be able to plan what to do if these should happen. Your planning will include briefing people about the procedures for coping with such contingencies, rehearsing such procedures and checking on first aid provision. In the event of an accident or emergency, you will assess its severity and determine whether further assistance is required. You must be able to apply basic first aid and offer reassurance to the children throughout. You must also record details of the accident or emergency, and follow agreed plans to inform parents or guardians as soon as possible.

This unit is relevant to any worker who is involved in any type of formal activity with children and young people. It has been written in sufficiently broad terms to be relevant to workers who are carrying out such work within any context (e.g. educational visits, single or group workers, open days) or indeed any type of work within sites that are accessible to children and young people.

 » Element EC30.1 Create and maintain a safe environment for children

» Element EC30.2 Supervise children during activities and outings

» Element EC30.3 Deal with accidents and emergencies

Element EC30.1 Create and maintain a safe environment for children

What you must be able to do:

1. plan activities that are consistent with the children’s age, level of development and their safety
2. assess the site to be visited for potential hazards and adjust the planned activities appropriately
3. ensure that the ratio of adults to children in the group is suitable for the activity and complies with statutory and organisational procedures for maintaining safety
4. ensure that the necessary permission from parents is obtained in advance of the activity and maintain accurate information on how to contact parents
5. ensure that children’s clothing is appropriate for the activity and consistent with parental wishes
6. take the appropriate supplies and equipment according to the needs of the children and length of activity
7. ensure that suitable transport is arranged in accordance with parents wishes and organisational guidelines

This standard covers:

A. age ranges:

• 3 to 8 years
• 8 – 11 years
• 11 to 18 years

B. group sizes:

• individuals
• small groups (2-10 individuals)
• large groups (10+ individuals)

C. transport:

• walking in a group
• private cars or minibuses
• public or hired transport

What you must know and understand:

• relevant sector, organisational and statutory codes of practice
• the suitability of various activities for children of differing age ranges and needs
• principles of planning and preparing activities with regard to safety, welfare and contingencies
• how to identify potential hazards and minimise their possible effects
• the health and safety hazards posed by differing internal and external environments
• how to determine the appropriate adult: child ratios for various activities
• the contribution parents can make to activities and the importance of keeping them fully informed of plans
• the appropriate clothing for various activities
• how to determine the supplies and equipment required for different activities
• how to identify and arrange suitable and safe transport for children

Element EC30.2 Supervise children during activities and outings

What you must be able to do:

1. maintain agreed levels of supervision at all times appropriate for the activity or outing
2. ensure helpers are selected against agreed criteria and are given clear roles and responsibilities
3. ensure levels of supervision are sufficient to cope with any potentially dangerous situations or hazards
4. take the appropriate action to protect children where dangerous situations or hazards arise without undermining their confidence or control
5. supervise children in a calm and relaxed manner to promote their self-confidence
6. explain safety rules to children clearly and in a manner appropriate to their level of understanding
7. take the appropriate prompt action in cases where abuse is suspected or has been disclosed to you by a child in your care
8. agree procedures for collecting children and ensure that children are not handed over without authorisation

This standard covers:

A. activity:

• indoors
• outdoors

What you must know and understand:

• relevant sector, organisational and statutory codes of practice
• organisational requirements for selecting and briefing helpers (e.g. police checks, vetting procedures, acquiring references)
• principles for the recruitment and selection of helpers against agreed criteria; your responsibilities in ensuring that appropriate recruitment and selection procedures have been followed
• how to determine levels of supervision appropriate for the activity or outing
• how to identify potentially dangerous situations or hazards (e.g. where children are vulnerable to abuse or physical injury)
• action in cases where potentially dangerous situations or hazards have been identified
• how to promote self confidence and control in children through calm and relaxed supervision
• the necessary safety rules and procedures, and how to explain them to children in a manner appropriate to their level of understanding
• action in cases where abuse is suspected or has been disclosed by a child in your care
• the importance of procedures for the collection of children

Element EC30.3 Deal with accidents and emergencies

What you must be able to do:

1. communicate procedures for dealing with accidents and emergencies clearly to all those involved with working with children during activities
2. inform those working with children of the location of relevant information and equipment for dealing with accidents and emergencies
3. rehearse procedures, roles and responsibilities for dealing with accidents and emergencies regularly
4. check the contents of the first aid box regularly, replenish contents as necessary and keep it accessible at all times
5. promptly assess the severity of the accident or emergency to determine whether first aid or medical attention is required
6. carry out the appropriate procedures for dealing with accidents and emergencies promptly and calmly
7. maintain suitable standards of hygiene when dealing with accidents and emergencies and, where relevant, take action to prevent others from harm or infection
8. offer comfort and reassurance to the children and others throughout
9. write an accurate record of the accident or emergency as soon as possible
10. make sure that accurate information about any accident or emergency is communicated to the child’s parent or guardian as soon as possible

This standard covers:

A. accidents/emergencies:

• minor accidents or emergencies
• major accidents or emergencies

What you must know and understand:

• relevant sector, organisational and statutory codes of practice for dealing with accidents and emergencies
• organisational procedures for dealing with accidents and emergencies, and the importance of adhering to them
• how to communicate information on procedures, roles and responsibilities to those involved with the care of children
• suitable contents of first aid boxes for the activity concerned, and the importance of checking and replenishing regularly
• how to assess the severity of accidents and emergencies and determine the action required
• basic First Aid required and how it is applied
• the importance of maintaining suitable levels of hygiene, and ways of protecting people from infection and harm
• how to recognise and cope with emotional reactions to accidents or emergencies
• the importance of carrying out procedures in a calm and reassuring way
• the importance of maintaining and using accurate records
• the interpersonal skills required to convey information to parents or guardians without causing undue alarm

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