Insert Service Name

<Service name>

First Aid Policy

Services have a responsibility to protect the health and safety of each individual at all times. A service’s health and safety policies and practices affect an individual’s physical and psychological health and safety.

The First Aid Policy is important not only for children, families and educators, but relates to every person who enters the service’s premises or uses the service’s equipment.

Federal, state and territory governments have their own Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) legislation and regulations, which govern the standards of health and safety in the workplace. Therefore, services must comply with the relevant OHS legislation.

Services should regularly review policies in collaboration with educators, families, and if appropriate, children; and seek recommendations from recognised authorities. The date the policy is reviewed should be clearly documented on the policy.

Policy Number <number>

Link to CCQA Principles Family Day Care Quality Assurance (FDCQA)

Quality Practices Guide (2004) – Principle 4.3 /

Outside School Hours Care Quality Assurance (OSHCQA) Quality Practices Guide (2003) – Principle 7.3, 8.1 /

Quality Improvement and Accreditation System (QIAS) Quality Practices Guide (2005) – Principle 5.5

Policy statement

· <Service name> has a duty of care to provide all persons[1] with a safe and healthy environment.

· The service defines ‘first aid’ as <definition of first aid.

St John Ambulance defines first aid as,

‘the initial care of the ill or injured … where someone has had an accident or is suffering from a sudden illness and needs help until a qualified health care professional, such as a doctor, registered nurse or ambulance officer, arrives.’ (2003, p.2).

· The First Aid Policy, procedures and practices are designed to support educators to:

o Preserve life

o Ensure that ill or injured persons are stabilised and comforted until medical help[2] intervenes

o Monitor ill or injured persons in the recovery stage

o Apply further first aid strategies if the condition does not improve

o Ensure that the environment is safe and that other persons are not in danger of becoming ill or injured.

· The following incidents are examples of when first aid is required:

o Life threatening injury or illness, such as loss of consciousness leading to respiratory or cardiac arrest

o Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

o Choking and/or blocked airway

o Allergic reaction, such as anaphylactic reaction to nuts or seafood

o Injury to the head, back or eye

o Bleeding or bone fracture

o High temperatures and febrile convulsions

o Asthma attack

o Burns (including sunburn)

o Excessive vomiting leading to dehydration

o Poisoning from either hazardous chemicals, substances, plants or snake or spider bites.

· The service recognises that first aid responses to people suffering from an emotional or psychological condition are also important. The conditions can include:

o Severe stress resulting from a workplace or personal situation

o Anxiety attack

o Emotional breakdown and loss of reasoning.

· It is understood that there is a shared legal responsibility and accountability between, and a commitment by, all persons to implement the service’s First Aid Policy, procedures and practices.

· The service also complies with <OHS National Standards, codes of practice, Australian Standards> and best practice recommendations from recognised authorities.

· The procedures relating to the First Aid Policy are laminated, clearly labelled and displayed in the service for all stakeholders to read.

OHS procedures and practices should be easy to read and interpret. Services may need to consider obtaining information in community languages.

Rationale

The rationale represents a statement of reasons that detail why the policy and/or procedures have been developed and are important to the service.

Please refer to:

· <title of federal/state/territory legislation and regulations[3]

Please refer to the relevant federal, state or territory OHS legislation and worksafe management agency[4].

· The service also complies with the <title of state/territory children’s services licensing regulations or national standards> which reflect additional health and safety requirements.

· St. John Ambulance – www.stjohn.org.au

· The strategies, procedures and practices documented in the First Aid Policy reflect the service’s OHS Policy.

Responsibilities of different stakeholders

· In some states and territories, educators are required to submit first aid qualifications when applying for positions of employment.

· Once employed, it may be the service’s responsibility to finance first aid refresher courses for educators as part of their professional development opportunities.

· Services should contact their federal, state or territory worksafe management agency for further information and advice.

· Services can link this section by stating:

Please refer to the service’s OHS Policy.

Strategies and practices

These are examples. Services are encouraged to develop and adapt the following strategies and practices as required to meet their individual circumstances and daily best practices.

Risk management strategies

· Services can link this section by stating:

Please refer to the service’s OHS Policy.

First aid qualifications

· At all times, at least one educator with first aid qualifications supervises children.

· First aid qualifications are acquired through <title of the recognised authority and regularly updated (as determined by the authority).

· Copies of first aid qualifications are stored with first aid kits.

· The service informs children, families, and educators of those persons who hold first aid qualifications.

· At least one educator with first aid qualifications attends all excursions.

First aid action response

· Services should refer to the recommended authority for information regarding first aid responses and action plans.

The need for an ambulance

· Services can state the criteria that define when an ambulance is required. For example, when an individual has stopped breathing.

· The service can further document:

o how families are informed when their children require an ambulance

o the role of the educator who accompanies a child in an ambulance

o how the service maintains supervision ratios when an educator accompanies a child in an ambulance

o who finances the ambulance response.

Personal protection

· First aiders should understand the importance of minimising cross infection while providing a basic level of infection control.

· Services can link this section by stating:

Please refer to the service’s Diversity and Equity Policy.

Please refer to the service’s Hygiene and Infection Control Policy.

Poisons Information Centre

· The Poisons Information Centre telephone number 131126 is displayed:

o Next to every telephone in the service

o Where dangerous products are stored.

First aid kits

· Services should consider the following reflective questions:

o Where is the first aid kit located in the service? Is there more than one?

o How are educators informed of the location of the first aid kit? Is this included in the induction procedure for educators, students and volunteers?

o Does the service have a portable first aid kit for excursions?

o Is there a permanent first aid kit located in the service’s vehicle?

o What are the contents in each first aid kit?

o How often are first aid kits checked for content?

o What does the service do with out of date contents? What is the timeframe for contents being replaced?

o For children with long term medical conditions, such as asthma and diabetes, does the service store their medications in the first aid kit?

o Does the service store emergency medications with the first aid kit? If not, where are they stored? For example, Epi-pens.

o How does the service ensure that children and educators’ allergy records are accessible?

o How does the service ensure that there are Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) aids such as disposable gloves, with first aid kits?

o How does the service dispose of sharps, such as needles? For example, for a school age child who self-administers insulin for a diabetic condition.

· Services should consider the risks involved in administering over the counter medications as a first aid response without the signed consent from parents or guardians.

· Services can link this section by stating:

Please refer to the service’s Medication Policy.

Documenting OHS procedures and practices

· Services can link this section by stating:

Please refer to the service’s OHS Policy.

· Documentation specific to this policy include:

o First aid plans for hazardous chemicals and substances attached to Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

o Incident reports detailing first aid practices

o Register of first aid kit safety checks

o First aid certificates

o Authorisation by families for educators to administer first aid remedies, such as antiseptic creams, insect bite sprays and band aids/plasters.

Communication with different stakeholders

Children

· Services should consider the following reflective questions:

o How do educators communicate with children after a first aid response?

o What information is disclosed to children about a first aid response?

Families

· Services should consider the following reflective questions:

o How do educators communicate to families after a first aid response?

o What information is disclosed to families about a first aid response without breaching privacy and confidentiality guidelines?

Educators

· Services should consider the following reflective questions:

o How do services encourage educators to debrief after a first aid response?

o What support is available for educators?

o If there are legal ramifications from an emergency and a first aid response, how does the service support the individuals who performed first aid?

Experiences

Excursions

· Services should consider the following reflective questions:

o What type of portable first aid kit does the service use on an excursion?

o How do services ensure that first aid facilities are available on an excursion?

o If near water, how does the service ensure that persons with qualifications for water rescues are available? For example, does the beach or swimming pool have trained lifeguards?

Links to other policies

The following are a list of examples:

· Child protection

· Dangerous products

· Diversity and equity

· Emergency

· Employment of educators

· Food safety

· Healthy eating

· Hygiene and infection control

· Illness

· Immunisation and health related exclusion

· Maintenance of buildings and equipment

· Medication

· Privacy and confidentiality

· Rest and sleep

· Sun protection

· Supporting children’s individual needs

· The role of carers’ families in family day care

Sources

· Australian Resuscitation Council. (2005). The Australian resuscitation council online. Retrieved 24 June, 2010, from http://www.resus.org.au/

· Fire Protection Association Australia (FPAA). (n.d.). Retrieved 24 June, 2010, from http://www.fpaa.com.au

· St John Ambulance Australia. (2003). Australian first aid. Victoria: Author.