Risk assessments

[lorraine04]

Hi.
This may seem a silly question but...

I am newly registered and at the moment only have 3 over 8's.

Do i still carry risk assessments like i would for younger children?
:blush:

[sarah707]

Without knowing what you do for little ones it's hard to say...

But the Childcare Register does say risk assessments must be in place so I wouldn't let them get far behind, you'll only have to catch up when you get some little ones.

Hth :D

[lorraine04]

Thanks Sarah, I have been doing them just incase :)

[miffy]

You still have a duty to safeguard all the children in your care and RA's are a part of that so yes, I would say you must still do them.

Miffy xx

[marleymoo]

yes but surely it's the risks for the children that you currently have? what might be a risk to a toddler would not be a risk to an 8 year old unless the 8 yr old has perhaps some kind of disability or impairment or just might be a particularly immature 8 yr old.

[lorraine04]

Risk assessments are still tripping me up, i surely must be analysing far too much.
Is it better to just have risk assessments for the places you frequent with the kids like the shops or the local park and then have general ones for outings that you can update as and when needed? Or...do i have to have a RA for everywhere and anything. I have been reading on here that a lot of us even risk assess the activities like play doh/painting??
I have not risk assessed any of my activities as such, just my outings.
Can any of you give me an idea as to what the majority of you please as i'm feeling a bit frazzled lol :blush:

[marleymoo]

RA your home and garden
RA each type of outing (whether you walk or drive)
you do not need to risk assess every toy or activity, you can just have a RA that says you will check toys, equip etc before and after use and what you will do if you find a potential risk of harm, you will provide age/stage app resources and suitable level of supervision depending on age/stage of dev of child and that you will look for kite mark etc when buying equip.
it's a slippery slope once you start to do RA for everything you have and do.

[Penny1959]

RA your home and garden
RA each type of outing (whether you walk or drive)
you do not need to risk assess every toy or activity, you can just have a RA that says you will check toys, equip etc before and after use and what you will do if you find a potential risk of harm, you will provide age/stage app resources and suitable level of supervision depending on age/stage of dev of child and that you will look for kite mark etc when buying equip.
it's a slippery slope once you start to do RA for everything you have and do.

Agree with Marleymoo - if you do RA's for lots of things - you can be pulled up for missing something - not because it is a requirement of EYFS to have RA's for everything but because you have choosen to do so and have not covered EVERYTHING - which is impossible.

Far better in my opinion to have 'common sense RA's that cover the basics as in the EYFS - but say things like ' check suitablity and risk for the children in my care on the day' It is not just the a stage of development thing - it is also the impact of particular children together, their mood and willingness to listen, the other starangers around in public places, the weather, if you are alone or with other adults that you might be chatting to with only one eye on the children - and so on and so on ....

As Marleymoo says a slippery slope once you start on it!

Penny :)

[lorraine04]

Thanks for that, it was becoming a bit of a mine field!! :)