Childcare may be provided within a variety of settings from a childminder's home through to a purpose built building making it difficult to be too prescriptive about how a safe environment can be achieved. The obvious starting point is to ensure that basic principles are being followed; for example, no matter how good the security of a building is, the doors must be closed properly in the first place, otherwise all other efforts are likely to be worthless. The message that safety begins with individuals taking responsibility for simple things cannot be overemphasised. Next, a safe environment meets its registration requirements; from September 2008 there will be two registers, the early years register (EYR) and the Ofsted childcare register (OCR). Settings already registered to provide daycare for children under five will automatically be transferred to the EYR. The OCR has a compulsory part which applies to childminders and providers of childcare for children of formal school age up to eight years old, and a voluntary part for providers of services to children over the age of eight and also for younger children that are exempt from compulsory registration. The voluntary part of the register came online in April 2007.
Further information about existing registration regulations can be found at www.ofsted.gov.uk
Meeting registration requirements means that a setting will be complying with the law and legislation, but providing and maintaining a safe environment requires a greater understanding from everybody involved and a shared belief in the philosophy of that setting as to exactly what it is they want to achieve.
The components of a safe environment start with the child and will include:
- The physical environment — the actual building in which care is provided. Indoor and outdoor areas where children learn, play and develop must be accessible for users whilst maintaining levels of security that keep children safe within and protected from harm.
- The people — those giving care are "suitable" persons (as defined in the EYFS Welfare Requirements) and others who have contact with the children and premises are appropriate to do so.
- Equipment — play equipment and care equipment which is fit for purpose, appropriate for the needs of individual children and meets British and European standards. Further information about relevant safety marks such as the Kite Mark can be found at http://www.safekids.co.uk/ToySafetyMarks.html
- The emotional environment — which enables children to grow, develop and reach their full potential, with opportunities to explore and take appropriate risks, enabling children to try out new skills and increase their knowledge and understanding of the world around them, through experiences which are both planned and unplanned
- Documentation — policies and procedures and records that support all of the above and clearly set out duties, responsibilities and actions.
When working with young children who are vulnerable, the challenges for creating and managing a safe environment are different again. Practitioners must work closely with a child's parents to address aspects which may not be covered in a risk assessment, but still need to be considered for an individual child's well-being; for example, having constant access to an appropriate quiet corner can give a sense of security to a child who is feeling overwhelmed. Other aspects regarding the physical capability/vulnerability of a child impact on how practitioners meet specific needs. There should be a focus on an enabling environment with equipment and resources that are suitable with sufficient space for relevant activities.