EYMP3: Promote children's welfare and
well-being in the early years
Level 3 Children & Young People's Workforce
Early Years Foundation Stage framework is a legal requirement for all early years setting. Principally, it provides all
practitioners with guidelines on how to keep children safe and well.
The table below outlines the welfare requirements documented by EYFS
| EYFS welfare requirement | Actions |
|---|---|
| Safeguarding | All staff members must have understanding of the safeguarding policies and know how to follow the procedures to keep children safe and well. All staff must undergo safeguarding training. All staff need to know who the safeguarding officer is in the work setting. |
| Suitable premises & equipment | Work setting must provide safe and ample space for children to play and explore. Daily risk assessments must be carried out to reduce risk of accidents and incidents. Daily safety checks must be carried out to ensure gates and doors are secure. Staff must have knowledge of the procedures to follow in the event of an emergency. Equipment and toys should be age appropriate, clean and safe to use or play with. All toys should display the safety logos. |
| Suitable staff | CRB (Criminal Record Bureau) checks must be carried out before hiring people to work with children. Staff should be qualified and have knowledge of the responsibilities and comply with all legislations, guidelines and policies in the setting. Every setting must have a qualified first aider and a designated safeguard officer. |
| Organisation | Setting must be well organised: all staff must know their role in the setting and have awareness
of policies and procedures in the setting. Rotas and timetables should be in place. Daily risk assessment must be carried out. Key staff should have knowledge of their key children such as food allergies or special dietary needs. Regular observations carried out to monitor and promote children's development. |
| Documentation | Safe guarding policy, health and safety policy and equality and diversity policy must be in place and kept on sight. Knowledge of confidential policy and data protection. EYFS guidelines must be accessible and practised. Other relevant policies, procedures and guidelines should be easily accessible to all staff and complied with. |
Lines of responsibilities within the work setting
Practitioners are responsible for the welfare and well-being of all the children in their child care setting.
The following Legislations and policies must be implemented in the work setting to ensure the safety and well-being of all the
children in early years settings.
- Health and safety - All staff are responsible for the health and safety of themselves and others in the setting. Staff members should know who the first aider is and how to report and record illness,accidents and incidents.
- All staff must know the policies and procedure for reporting missing child incidents.
- Allocated staff must carry out daily risk assessments to minimise the risk of any accidents or injuries and to ensure safety of children in the setting. Staff are responsible for removing and reducing any dangers.
- Safeguarding – all staff need to know who and how to report concerns about child's safety and well being. All staff must have knowledge of recognising signs and symptoms of abuse.
- Equality and diversity – all staff should treat everyone fairly and not discriminate against race, gender, disability, ethnicity, age and sexual orientation. All staff should know how to promote equality and embrace diversity in the setting.
- Have knowledge of the legislations on welfare of children.
- Have knowledge of the EYFS framework and understand how to promote learning and development of children
Who is first aider in your work setting?
Who do you report the above to and what action do they take?
Who do you report any concerns to and what do they do?
Who do you report any concerns about child behaviour or development?
Who do you to report any concerns about child safeguarding?
Promoting children's health and well being
- Provide fruits and vegetable for snacks
- Provide suitable equipment to promote development of bones and muscles
- Provide ample space for children to play indoors and outdoors
- Organise activities that are fun and enjoyable as well as educational
- Provide stimulating toys and material for children to play with
- Ensure that toys are age appropriate and display the 'kite safety symbol'
- Provide emotional and practical support
- Carry out daily risk assessment in indoors and outdoors
- Ensure that the surrounds is clean
- Check that toys and equipment are clean and not broken
- Discard or replace broken toys and damaged equipment
- store away hazardous chemical in locked cupboard
- Store away medicines in locked cupboards
Health professionals and organisations
| Professionals & organisations | Role | Advice promoting health |
|---|---|---|
| Health visitor | Provides support to children and parents. Focus on prevention of illness and staying healthy. For new born: Checks weight and height of baby. |
Visit and gives advice on feeding, weaning on new births. Gives support to new parents. |
| Nutritionist | Provides healthy eating programs Promotes healthy eating. Supervise the preparation and serving of meals. |
Provide information and guidance of eating a balanced diet of protein, minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates, fats and fibre. Provide information of food allergies and recommendation for alternatives. Information on the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables. |
| Dental Hygienists | Gives advice on oral hygiene for babies and 1-5 year olds | Give advice on how to keep teeth healthy: brushing twice a day and avoiding sugary food and drinks.
Give advice on oral hygiene for babies. Advice on benefits of breast feeding and dumping the dummy. |
| Optometrist | Checks eyesight and prescribes glasses Detects any signs of diabetes or eye disorders |
Information on the types of glasses available. Give advice on how to look after the eyes. Give advice on how to wear contact lenses. Make referrals to specialist. |
| Audiologist | Checks hearing level. Identify and assess hearing and balance function and their associated disorders. |
Provides information on hearing aids and how to use them. |
| Speech and language therapist |
Diagnoses different speech, language and communication needs. Assess, plan and deliver support for children and young people with range of speech, language and communication needs. |
Gives advice on developing communication skills. Provides information to promote speech, language and communication. |
| Psychologist | Helps child with behavioural or learning difficulty | Discuss any issues and interventions with parents. Make referrals to educational psychologist. |
| Paediatrician | Help children with health problems. Has expertise knowledge and skills to support children with a range of issues. | Provides advice on treatment and therapy Presents alternative options for treatment |
| Doctors (GP) | Diagnose illness and prescribe treatment / medication or make referrals to specialist | Give instruction on how and when medication should be taken. Give advice on taking rest or exercise Give advice on seeing specialist |
| School nurse | Monitors children's health in school settings. | Provides advice on children's health requirement and provides support. |
Government's guidance on healthy eating
Eat a balanced diet consisting of:
- Plenty of fruit and vegetables( at least 5 portions of variety of fruits and vegetables)
- Starchy food such as rice, bread, past and potatoes
(choosing wholegrain varieties when possible)
- Moderate amounts of protein-rich foods such as meat, fish and eggs. Have alternatives such as nuts and pulses
- Moderate amounts of milk and dairy. Choose reduced fat versions or reduce the amount of full-fat milk and dairy.
- Less saturated fats and salt and sugar.
Awareness of Food allergies and intolerances in child care settings.
- During registration - Parents provide information of child's dietary needs.Complete a form to answer questions on child's health need
- Wall display - List of children's individual dietary needs and allergies/intolerances is posted on the wall in the kitchen, eating areas, office.
- Kitchen staff - Staff cooking and serving are aware of child's dietary needs before cooking and serving.
- Monitoring - Staff monitor children during meal times and snack times
Religious and cultural dietary requirements
| Religion / Culture | Dietary needs | Hinduism | Mostly vegetarian diet Some may eat poultry and fish Beef not eaten as the cow is a sacred animal Dairy food acceptable | Bhuddhism | Mostly vegetarians Some may eat fish Some are vegans | Judaism | Eat kosher beef, lamb, poultry. Eat fish (fins and scales). Shell fish and crab forbidden. Pork not permitted. Meat and dairy cannot be combined. Gelatine permitted is sourced from koshered animal. |
Sikhism | Mostly vegetarians Some may eat poultry and fish Beef not allowed to be eaten Some may not eat eggs | Islam | Eat halal meat and poultry Eat fish Pork is forbidden Dairy products that contain rennet are not permitted. Gelatine is allowed if sourced form halal animal | Christianity | Eat meat, poultry and fish, but food that use animal blood is not allowed Some maybe vegetarians or vegans. | Rastafarians | Mostly vegetarians Pork and shell fish is not permitted Some may not eat eggs some maybe vegans Do not drink milk or coffee. Food is prepared without salt. |
|---|
Education on food management
- Provide leaflets about healthy eating to parent and carers
- Displaying posters on the walls about benefits of healthy eating
- Hold workshop on food hygiene and heathy diets for parents and carers
- Set up activities for children about healthy eating
- Show films about the effect of eating unhealthy food
- Talk about the healthy eating during meal and snack time
REFERENCES
DFE (2014) Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
DFE (2014). Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage
DEF(2014). Early years (under 5s) foundation stage framework (EYFS)
DFE (2014) Keeping children safe in Out of hours provisions
DFE(2014) Early Years Outcomes
Parents - guide to EYFS (2014)
What to expect and when (2014)
The British Association for Early Childhood Education
(Supported by DFE)
Every Child Matters 2003)
Effective Pre-school and Primary Education 3-11 Project (2003-2008)
DFE (2008) Effective Pre-School and Primary Education 3-11 Project (EPPE 3-11)
Parliament (2003) Every Child Matters
Tassoni et al (2010) Level 3 Diploma Children and Young People's
Workforce (Early Learning and Childcare). Pearson: Harlow Essex
Caroline Meggit et al (2011) CACHE Level 3 Children and Young People's
Workforce Diploma: Early Learning and Child Care.
Hodder Education: London
www.gov.uk/government/
publications/
2010-to-2015-government-policy-childcare-and-early-education
www.education.gov.uk/publications
www.foundationyears.org.uk.
www.legislation.gov.uk/
www.4children.org.uk