Quality Area 2: Children’s health and safety

Overview

Quality Area 2 of the National Quality Standard reinforces children’s right to experience quality education and care in an environment that provides for their health and safety. Educators support this when they promote each child’s wellbeing and healthy lifestyle, and support each child’s growing competence, confidence and independence.

Learning about healthy lifestyles, including nutrition, personal hygiene (such as handwashing, dental hygiene and ear care), physical fitness, emotions and social relationships, is integral to children’s wellbeing and self-confidence. When children develop resilience, their ability to take increasing responsibility for their self-help and basic health routines promotes a sense of independence and confidence. As children become more independent, they can take greater responsibility for their own health, hygiene and personal care and they become aware of their own and others’ safety and wellbeing (Early Years Learning Framework, p. 30; Framework for School Age Care, p. 29). This is particularly relevant for school age children attending education and care services.

The approved provider, nominated supervisors, co-ordinators and educators have responsibility for supporting the health, protection, safety and wellbeing of all children. In exercising their responsibilities, they must take reasonable care to protect children from foreseeable risk of harm, injury and infection.

Standards, elements and concepts

Quality Area 2 has two Standards that focus on children’s health and safety. These Standards are crucial to delivering quality outcomes for children under the National Quality Framework because:

children’s health, comfort and wellbeing strongly impact on their learning, confidence and self-growth
all children have a right to safety and protection from harm
adequate supervision and effective management of incidents and emergencies are paramount at all times to support children’s safety and engagement in the educational program.

Standard/Elements	Concept	Descriptor
2.2.3	Child protection	Management, educators and staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities to identify and respond to every child at risk of abuse or neglect.
QA2		Children’s health and safety
2.1	Health	Each child’s health and physical activity is supported and promoted.
2.1.1	Wellbeing and comfort	Each child’s wellbeing and comfort is provided for, including appropriate opportunities to meet each child’s need for sleep, rest and relaxation.
2.1.2	Health practices and procedures	Effective illness and injury management and hygiene practices are promoted and implemented.
2.1.3	Healthy lifestyle	Healthy eating and physical activity are promoted and appropriate for each child.
2.2	Safety	Each child is protected.
2.2.1	Supervision	At all times, reasonable precautions and adequate supervision ensure children are protected from harm and hazard.
2.2.2	Incident and emergency management	Plans to effectively manage incidents and emergencies are developed in consultation with relevant authorities, practised and implemented.

See the ACECQA Educational Leader Resource for information for educational leaders.