Risk Assessing activities?

[mumofone]

So ive done risk assessments for my property (both inside and outside) and for the outings I plan on doing but do you also risk assess some of your activities? I think I saw a comment about risk assessing gloop so it got me thinking whether or not I need to rush assess activities (I hadn't considered this to be honest!) and if so, which ones?!

[mama2three]

We use to under the old eyfs , and yes of course you would still do a mental ra of whatever and wherever the children are doing , but I no longer feel the need to write everything down.

[natlou82]

It comes naturally to risk assess your activities tbh. But I also don't write this information down. It's part of being risk aware throughout the day. If you have a risk assessment policy you could put in there that you will carefully consider and risk assess the activities.

[FloraDora]

Like the others I do naturally RA but do not write it down.
If I am doing a new activity or something I have done before but now completing it with younger children say, I might purposefully go through risks in my head- but not wrie down.

[mumofone]

Thanks guys, this makes sense, I'll risk assess but not write it down, I was thinking it could become a bit silly writing down every risk assessment!

[natlou82]

Oh yes writing them all down would become ridiculous x

[bunyip]

Thanks guys, this makes sense, I'll risk assess but not write it down, I was thinking it could become a bit silly writing down every risk assessment!

That's what we used to have to do. I'm one of those CMs who still has written RAs cos I didn't see the point in shredding them once 'new improved' EYFS got rid of the requirement.

P'raps do a simple 'general principles' statement covering your understanding of risk and the need for safety.

You'll find the phrase "I constantly risk assess throughout an activity" is a useful one to keep in the locker.

[mama2three]

Like Bunyip I have a whole folder of activity RAs. Handy for when they change their minds once again and everything has to be written! Pauline ( I think ) even produced a great little form where the children risk assessed their own activities - and although I no longer fill these in I still do get the older children (3 plus) to think through the risks themselves!

[lollipop kid]

I've risk assessed the children eating, and have done a "snacks and mealtimes routine" (shared with parents) to show that children should always eat at the table, under supervision, and with no distractions from TV/radio (sorry to every other childminder/parent who has the radio/tv on!)

I've also risk assessed the children playing with certain resources e.g. throwing toys indoors (as part of a trajectory schema). In my RA, they can only throw 'soft' things, and only into something else, such as a big container.

Sounds OTT but I can assure you, these were actions in my last inspection. (She didn't like the children throwing MegaBloks into a big box - one was selecting only the single blocks and managed to count to 30. The other was mimicking the older one counting, and as he was just learning to stand up, was bending down to pick up a block (with me holding him around his waist), then holding onto the box to throw a block in. Both had Trajectory schema.

My report says that I was letting the children throw bricks indoors!

(I'd have done much better in Mrs O's eyes if I hadn't fed the kids or let them play - but hey ho!)

While I was amending my RA, I also put a bit in about hand-washing, so that in my RA, "There may be times when it is necessary to wash hands at the kitchen sink rather walk to the bathroom and leave the children in the presence of a stranger - even an Ofsted Inspector" (I had a good giggle sending that one through to them. )

Hope it helps,

L

[mumofone]

I've risk assessed the children eating, and have done a "snacks and mealtimes routine" (shared with parents) to show that children should always eat at the table, under supervision, and with no distractions from TV/radio (sorry to every other childminder/parent who has the radio/tv on!) I've also risk assessed the children playing with certain resources e.g. throwing toys indoors (as part of a trajectory schema). In my RA, they can only throw 'soft' things, and only into something else, such as a big container. Sounds OTT but I can assure you, these were actions in my last inspection. (She didn't like the children throwing MegaBloks into a big box - one was selecting only the single blocks and managed to count to 30. The other was mimicking the older one counting, and as he was just learning to stand up, was bending down to pick up a block (with me holding him around his waist), then holding onto the box to throw a block in. Both had Trajectory schema. My report says that I was letting the children throw bricks indoors! (I'd have done much better in Mrs O's eyes if I hadn't fed the kids or let them play - but hey ho!) Hope it helps, L

Lol oh jeez LK! You poor thing!
I'm so sorry to sound dumb but what's a trajectory schema??

[lollipop kid]

Lol oh jeez LK! You poor thing!
I'm so sorry to sound dumb but what's a trajectory schema??

It's when you get a child, and Mum says, "I have to warn you, he's a thrower!" (So a baby who lobs everything off the highchair, then continues lobbing things as he gets older. It's just how some children learn. I've mainly seen it develop into lining things up, being obsessed with things that move - e.g. wheels on toy cars etc. but you can do lots of things with it. My little one - the one learning to stand described above - has now moved onto lining up, so I've got him on a long 1-10 puzzle to help with his counting and capitalise on his schema. He loves it!)

L