Emergencies can and do happen. As a childminder, you should develop an emergency plan so that you know exactly what to do if an emergency arises.
Different incidents that you need to consider may require you to close for a while. You may need to have your emergency back-up person stand in for you for a short period. You may need to contact emergency services (112) in some cases.
Think about situations like these:
- A child being taken ill or being injured and needing to go to hospital
- A fire breaking out in your home
- Severe weather problems – snow, flooding etc.
- Failure of services – power, gas, water cut off or heating system break down
- Notifiable infectious outbreak
Making your emergency plan will help identify what is needed.
- Do you have a list of all the phone numbers you need in emergencies? Where?
- What is your evacuation plan in case of fire? Do you do fire drills?
- Where are the key utility points if you need to turn off the water at the mains or turn off the electricity?
- Do you have somewhere safe you could take the children until they are collected?
- Do parents have back-up if the service has to close?
It is important that your stand-ins are fully aware of the procedures detailed in the emergency plan.