Chapter Contents
Childhood Accidents
Children and young people are particularly at risk of accidents for several reasons:
- They are often absorbed in activity and can be unaware of their surroundings.
- Young children are often not able to regulate strong emotions and might run blindly into danger when angry or scared.
- Young children often have a limited perception of risk because of their lack of experience or stage of development. They may also not be aware of the consequences of their actions.
- Some children enjoy physical play and this can result in pushing, shoving and wrestling with other children – which can result in accidents.
- Curiosity and a spirit of adventure may lead a child into danger, e.g.
- Young children might climb inside a chest freezer, washing machine or tumble dryer and be unable to get out again. Use the appliance child lock.
- Children might try to climb up or inside wardrobes, cupboards and shelving units. Always fix these securely to the wall.
Some children will need a higher level of supervision than the norm, and this will be reflected in the child’s individual risk assessment. The child’s risk assessment will consider their developmental needs, understanding of danger and how they express emotion – including aggression and self-harm.
Preventing Falls
Falls are the most common cause of accidental injury to people of all ages.
There are two basic types of fall:
- Elevated falls or falls from heights, such as falls from ladders or roofs, down stairs or from jumping to a lower level. These falls can result in serious injury and even death.
- Same level falls, generally caused by slips or trips:

Hazard awareness
Within our own homes we may become complacent about slip, trip or fall hazards. Because we are aware of that loose carpet or trailing cable, we automatically step over it or avoid it; however, when other people enter our home they will not be aware of it and therefore will not take appropriate precautions. Also, children will often forget safety advice, e.g. not to run through the kitchen.
The age of the child and their capabilities will influence the level of risk. You should bear this in mind when considering the risks of falls e.g. could a child…
- Fall out of bed or from a chair?
- Fall from a window or balcony?
- Be more at risk from obstructions?
Changes in floor level can sometimes cause problems and extra care should be taken where children are playing with ride-on toys such as tricycles or using wheelchairs.
You should also consider the risk of things falling onto the child or the child running into things, e.g:
- Obstructions at the child’s head-height such as shelves, coat hooks, tables and sharp corners on furniture.
- Large glazed areas the child could run into.
- Furniture such as tables.
- Items which can fall upon a child e.g.
- items placed near the edge of the table, which curious children could reach for and pull down.
- saucepans on the hob that could be pulled if the handles are within reach.
- Toy chest lids without anti-slam protection.
- Furniture which could fall onto the child if not fixed to the wall.
- Overloaded shelving/racking etc. Missing or loose fixings may cause items to collapse or fall.
- Glassware, china or heavy ornaments accessible to child.
Safety advice
- Fit stair gates to prevent young children falling downstairs, preferably the retractable style. Avoid gates which have a bottom bar over which someone could trip and fall downstairs.
- Use double-sided tape under rugs to prevent slipping.
- Use anti-slip mats in baths and showers. Also provide a mat for the bathroom floor if it is slippery when wet.
- Improve the lighting in the home, especially on areas such as stairs (use a 2-way switch so that the light can be operated at both the top and bottom of the stairs).
- Stairs and any ramps should not be too steep. They should have non-slip surfaces.
- Ensure handrails are available on all staircases. These should be secure and at a suitable height for the child.
- Balustrades must be of adequate strength and their heights sufficient to prevent a fall over them. Gaps in balustrades must be no wider than 10cms. There must be no horizontal bars or other parts which children could climb.
- Don’t place furniture, which children could climb on, near windows or balustrades on landings or balconies.
- In children’s bedrooms and communal areas where there is a risk of falls from windows, use limiters to restrict the window openings to 100mm or less.
- Clean up spills and debris straight away. Remove damp leaves and other vegetation from pathways.
- Never leave babies alone on any furniture – beds, tables, sofas, cots with sides down, or changing tables. Avoid bunk beds for children under the age of 6 or who are more at risk of falling.
- Don’t overload pushchairs with bags as this could cause them to tip or collapse.
- Don’t leave ladders/stepladders accessible to children.
- Avoid using baby walkers if there are changes in level and never use baby bouncers on raised surfaces.
First Aid Kit
Every fostering household should have a first aid kit for the treatment of minor injuries. An additional kit should be kept in each vehicle that is used to transport children.
The first aid kit should contain plasters and dressings to deal with minor injuries, for example:
- Alcohol-free cleansing wipes
- Plasters – a variety of sizes
- Micropore tape
- Crepe rolled bandages
- Burn dressings
- Gauze dressings (small, medium and large)
- Disposable gloves
- Safety pins
- Tweezers
The first aid kit should not contain any medication, and it does not need locking away.
Medication in the home must be stored securely, in accordance with the young people’s risk assessments. The usual requirement is a locked cupboard.
Complete the mandatory training course: First Aid and Medicines in the Foster Home – book on ‘Learnative’. Secondary foster parents are permitted to complete ‘Medication and Healthcare’ online course as an alternative to Medicines in the Foster Home.
Reporting Procedures
All accidents must be reported to ISP. Please see our Accidents and Incidents – Essential Information for Foster Parents, and our full policy.
If a child sustains a visible injury, e.g. bruising, we will ask you to complete an Accident Form that includes body maps and this will be shared with the child’s social worker.
Read our Accidents, Illnesses, Medication and First Aid policy: