Duty of Care

1. 1 What it means to have a duty of care in own work setting. Duty of care is the “fundamental obligation that anyone working in child care, whatever the type of service and whatever their role, is to keep children safe”. (Marilyn Hopkins LLB, Dip. Ed.. (March 2006). DUTY OF CARE. This will involve giving appropriate attention in particular tasks to ensure no one is harmed, watching out for potential hazards i. e. risk assessments preventing mistakes or accidents and making wise choices about steps undertaken in a role.

A duty of care should also extend to parents, as they expect practitioners to use their knowledge and expertise to care for children properly. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework provides assurance to parents and carers that early years providers will keep their children safe and help the children to thrive. The overall aim of the EYFS is to help the children achieve the five Every Child Matters outcomes, * Staying Safe. * Being healthy * Enjoying and Achieving * Making a positive contribution Achieving economic wellbeing By applying to all settings in the early years sector, improving quality and consistency through a universal set of standards. ` It is a legal responsibility from September 2008 that these providers ensure their provisions meet the learning and development requirements and complies with welfare regulations, as required by section 40 of the childcare Act 2006’ (Meggit. C (et al), 2011, pg. 41) 1. 2 Explain how duty of care contributes to the safeguarding or protection of Individuals

Duty of care contributes to the safeguarding or protection of the individual child by having a number of policies and procedures to follow ensuring that a child’s health and safety is paramount. This is done by daily checks, risk assessments, fire drills so children are aware of where to go and what do to. Promises are in place to ensure the child has boundaries of what is acceptable behaviour. Each child has a progress plan to make sure that all individual needs are met.

The guidance from the Every Child Matters Framework reminds us that: ‘as those who come into contact with children and families in their everyday work, including practitioners who do not have specific role in relation to safeguarding children, have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children’. (Meggit C. page 41) The general welfare requirements for safeguarding and promoting children’s welfare as set out by the EYFS are: * Providers must take necessary steps to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Providers must promote good health of the children, take necessary steps to prevent the spread of infection, and take appropriate action when they are ill. * Children’s behaviour must be managed effectively and in a manner appropriate for their stage of development and particular individual needs. * Ensure that adults looking after children, or having unsupervised access to them, are suitable to do so Bibliography : http://www. rch. org. au/emplibrary/ecconnections/CCH_Vol9_No1_March2006. pdf 19/11/2011 Meggitt. C, (et al), 2011, Children and Young People’s Workforce Hodder Education, London