Safety & Risk Education : Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Where can I get outside speakers for my school/youth club, etc. concerning safety?
Try the following:
Road Safety:
Road Safety Officers (local authority)
Police
Home Safety
Local Authority Environmental Health Department
School Nurses
Health Promotion Unit
Fire Service (for fire safety)
Electricity Company (for electrical safety)
Transco (for gas safety)
Water Safety
Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS)
British Waterways
HM Coastguards
Water Company
Local Authority watersports centre/swimming teachers
Environment Agency
Police
Fire Service
Building Site Safety
Local building company
Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
Local Authority
Rail Safety
British Transport Police
Local Rail Company
Railtrack
Farm Safety
Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
Local farmers
National Farmers Union
Q. Where can I find out about in car safety for children?
RoSPA has produced a child car seats website (www.childcarseats.org.uk) with the support of the DfT. This website gives information on:
- carrying children safely
- choosing and using child car seats
- types of car seats
- the law
- safety standards
- local help and advice
Q: At what age can a child be left home alone?
(Response from the NSPCC, www.nspcc.org.uk)
Most parents and carers find that they occasionally have to spend time away from their children. Often these times can be planned well in advance and suitable arrangements made to ensure that a child is well cared for. However, sometimes parents and carers may find that they are asked to do something which takes them away from their children at short notice. This can make preparation for care of their children in their absence difficult.
Children rely on adults to protect them. They rightly expect that protection from the adults responsible for their care is available at all times. Parents and carers have a responsibility to make sure that children are safe and content in their absence.
At some point in a child's life their parent or carer will decide that he or she can safely be left alone for a certain period of time. Most children are safely left alone by their parents or carers, because the adult responsible for their welfare has thought carefully about this decision and is well aware of the strengths and limitations of the child concerned.
However there are times when all parents considering leaving their children for a period of time are uncertain about their safety.
What the law says
There is no law that determines the minimum age that a child can be left alone. However it is an offence to leave a child alone when doing so places them at risk.
How do you decide if you can safely leave a child alone?
There are many factors that can influence the decision of a parent or carer to leave the children in their care at home alone. These include:
- the age of the child
- the child's level of maturity and understanding
- the location where the child will be left
- the time and frequency the child will be left alone
- whether or not there are any other children in the household.
For example, most parents would think it is OK to leave a sixteen year old alone for the evening but to leave them to their own devices for a week would be unacceptable. Many young children play out in the community with other children without a parental presence; as they are unsupervised, they are 'alone' but this is an important part of growing up.
You are the best judge of your child and the level of maturity and responsibility they have.
A few other points to guide you
- Never leave a baby or very young child alone at home, whether asleep or awake, even for a few minutes. It does not take long for unsupervised young children or babies to injure themselves.
- Most children under thirteen should not be left for more than a short period.
- No child under sixteen should be left overnight.
If you do leave a child alone, remember:
- If possible leave a telephone number where you can be contacted, and be available to answer it immediately.
- Talk to your child about keeping safe at home, not answering the door to strangers and highlighting the potential dangers in the home.
- Give clear instructions about what to do in case of an emergency. All children left alone should be able to summon the emergency services by telephone.
- Leave a list of trusted people they can contact.
- Put obvious dangers out of reach of children, e.g. medicines, chemicals, matches etc.
- Make sure that the child is happy about the arrangements and confident about being left.
- Inform the child when you are expected back, and arrive back on time.
Choosing a babysitter
You can always consider using a babysitter as an alternative to leaving a child alone. However, remember to:
- Follow your instincts - if in doubt don't use them.
- Ask for at least two references and contact the referees yourself.
- Choose a babysitter over sixteen years old.
- Listen to your child. Talk to your child about any issue of baby-sitting that they are unhappy about. If they remain unhappy about your use of a particular baby-sitter, find someone else.
- Only use registered childminders. A list of your local registered childminders can be found from your local authority social services department.
If you need any further advice or information about leaving children alone, then please do not hesitate to contact the NSPCC Child Protection Helpline on 0800 800 500 at anytime.
For further information on babysitting, go to RoSPA's babysitting guidance.
Q: How many adults are needed on a school trip?
(Response from the DfEE's 'Health and Safety of Pupils on Educational Visits', 1998)
It is important to have a high enough ratio of adult supervisors to pupils for any visit. The factors to take into consideration include:
- sex, age and ability of group;
- pupils with special educational or medical needs;
- nature of activities;
- experience of adults in off-site supervision;
- duration and nature of journey;
- type of any accommodation;
- competence of staff, both general and on specific activities;
- requirements of the organisation/location to be visited;
- competence and behaviour of pupils;
- first aid cover.
Some LEAs set their own levels of supervision for off-site visits, which county and controlled schools must adhere to. In other schools decisions must be made, taking the above factors into considerations as part of the risk assessment. Staffing ratios for visits are difficult to prescribe as they will vary according to the activity, age, group, location and the efficient use of resources. However, a general guide for visits to local historical sites and museums or for local walks, in normal circumstances, might be:
- 1 adult for every 6 pupils in school years 1 to 3 (under 5s reception classes should have a higher ratio);
- 1 adult for every 10-15 pupils in school years 4 to 6;
- 1 adult for every 15-20 pupils in school year 7 onwards.
[NB school year groupings apply to England and Wales]
The above are examples only. Group leaders should assess the risks and consider an appropriate safe supervision level for their particular group. There should be a minimum of one teacher in charge.
In addition to the teacher in charge there should be enough supervisors to cope effectively with an emergency. When visits are to remote areas or involve hazardous activities, the risks may be greater and supervision levels should be set accordingly. The same consideration should be given to visits abroad or residential visits. Some non-residential visits with mixed groups will need a teacher from each sex.
To obtain a free copy of the DfEE guidance 'Health and Safety of Pupils on Educational Visits' telephone 0808 100 50 60, quoting reference HSPV2. To view draft copies of additional guidance click on this link: www.teachernet.gov.uk
Q: Does RoSPA produce any 'Stranger Danger' resources?
No, we don't produce such resources as our focus is on a much greater child safety issue - preventing accidents. "Stranger danger" has been the subject of much media hype in recent years with isolated incidents receiving massive publicity. Many teachers and parents think it is a much greater risk to children than it actually is. Child murders and abuse are usually perpetrated by family members or other people already known to the child. The small number carried out by strangers receive vastly disproportionate publicity.
RoSPA would not advise that children are taught to be suspicious of all "strangers". There may be a time when a child needs to get help from an adult. Instead, children should discuss safety rules such as:
- Staying with the group of friends you go out with and not wandering off alone
- Agreeing with parents/carers where you are allowed/not allowed to go
- Sticking to agreed times to return home
- Sticking to agreed routes to and from home
- Knowing how to contact home in an emergency.
Personal safety advice and information is available from the NSPCC (www.nspcc.org.uk) or the Suzy Lamplugh Trust www.suzylamplugh.org
Accidents are a far greater risk to our children than strangers, although they receive much less media attention. Accidents head the league table of causes of death to children in the UK, Europe and North America. Accidents also put more children in hospital than any other cause, with as many as 10,000 children in Britain permanently disabled each year.
The major causes of accidents to children include road accidents, fires, scalds, drowning, suffocation and falls. Boys, in all age groups, are twice as likely to be injured as girls. Children from poorer families are five times more likely to die because of accidents when compared to those from wealthier backgrounds.
RoSPA would advise schools to review their programmes for safety education and check that accident prevention work receives as much attention as personal safety issues, so that the main risks to children's safety are addressed.
Q: Is Tufty still alive and well?
Yes, some Tufty resources are still available - our online catalogue. However, Tufty is just a character (albeit a very famous one!) and is just an aid to road safety education. It is important that children receive a well-planned programme of road safety education taking account of their age, stage of development, and the road risks to which they are exposed. Themes should include pedestrian skills, safe crossing places, planning safe routes, being seen by drivers, cyclist training, helmets, travelling in cars and buses and the Highway Code. No resource, however good, can replace the value of practical skills teaching at the roadside or on the road. Your local Road Safety Officer will help you plan such a programme and advise on the best resources.
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