Safe sleep and rest practices

Purpose
To have clear guideline to ensure the safety of the sleeping children reducing any associated risks

Scope
These guidelines will apply to the Approved provider, nominated supervisor, educational leader, supervisors, educators, staff, students on placement, volunteers, parents/guardian, children and others attending the service.

Policy
We at FIFDC committed to take responsible steps to ensure that children’s needs for sleep and rest are met, having regard to each child’s age, development and needs. And each child’s comfort is provided for and thee are appropriate opportunities to meet each child’s need for sleep, rest and relaxation.

Procedures
Approved provider is responsible for:

• Ensuring children are provided with a high level of safety when sleeping and resting and every reasonable precaution is taken to protect them from harm and hazard.
• Ensuring sleep and rest policies and procedures are strictly followed.
• Regularly review and update sleep and rest policies and procedures to ensure they are maintained in line with best practice principles and guidelines.
• Nominated supervisors and educators should receive information and training to fulfil their roles effectively, including being made aware of the sleep and rest policies, their responsibilities in implementing these, and any changes that are made over time.
• Ensure supervision planning and the placement of educators across a service should ensure educators are able to adequately supervise sleeping and resting children.

Educators are responsible for:

• Educators should ensure that the sleeping children within hearing range of the educator and regularly monitored.
• An area should be provided for children to play quietly who do not wish to sleep or rest during the day.
• When children are in care over night, they are provided with a separate comfortable bed and their need for privacy is respected.
• The educators will discuss the sleeping practices with the parents/guardians for the best interest of the children to be protected.
• Should consult with families about their child’s individual needs and be sensitive to different values and parenting beliefs, cultural or otherwise, associated with sleep and rest.
• If the educator is providing overnight care, the child must be provided a separate bed which is within the supervision.
• Ensure children sleep and rest with their face uncovered.
• Ensure children’s sleep and rest environments should be free from cigarette or tobacco smoke.
• Ensure sleep and rest environments and equipment should be safe and free from hazards.
• Ensure to closely monitor sleeping and resting children and the sleep and rest environments. This involves checking/inspecting sleeping children at regular intervals, and ensuring they are always within sight and hearing distance of sleeping and resting children so that they can assess a child’s breathing and the colour of their skin. Educators should consider the risk for each individual child, and tailor Sleep and Rest Policies and Procedures (including the frequency of checks/inspections of children) to reflect the levels of risk identified for children at the service. Factors to be considered include the age of the child, medical conditions, individual needs and history of health and/or sleep issues.

(For further advise on safe sleeping practices, contact SIDS and Kids at http://www.sidsandkids.org)

REVIEW