Training materials: The NCMA Guide to Children’s Safety

THE NCMA GUIDE TO CHILDREN’S SAFETY

NCMA, £12.50 (£6.50 to NCMA members)
www.ncma.org.uk

STAR RATING 5/5

Registered childminders and other home-based carers have long
needed an authoritative guide that focuses on how to provide a safe
and healthy environment for children in their care. And this NCMA
publication is it, writes Wendi Turner.

Ofsted inspections require that registered childminders maintain
the highest safety standards and demonstrate sound working
practices. Concentrating on every aspect of child care safety, the
book is in five sections: knowing what’s safe; safety in the home
and
garden; toys and equipment; out and about; and talking with
children about safety.

Each chapter has safety footnotes highlighted to catch the eye
along with thought-provoking statistical quotes, all of which
emphasises the message that childhood accidents occur frequently
and all too easily.

The opening section provides welcome guidance on risk assessment,
fundamental to preventing accidents in the first place. Any
childminder worth their salt must be safety-conscious and
constantly on the lookout for risks and hazards for children.

With this in mind, the toys and equipment section provides a
detailed and comprehensive list of commonly used equipment, such as
cots and high chairs, outlining potential hazards and how to
minimise risk. Even dummies come under scrutiny – a serious choking
hazard if a worn one were to break up in a baby’s mouth.

I would highly recommend this book as an essential addition to the
bookshelf (alongside the first aid guide and NCMA national
standards) for all childminders – and even vigilant parents!

Wendi Turner is a registered childminder