Well done, you made the correct decision.
Here are some points that you need to consider. You should have included all of these in your reflective activity.
- You are doing the right thing. It is essential to tell your manager what has happened as soon as possible, so that Tommy can be assessed to see if he needs medical care. You should then follow your manager’s advice, monitor Tommy closely and tell his parents exactly what happened when they collect him.
- You made a mistake earlier when you took Tommy for a nap in the quiet area. You should have recognised he could be ill and spoken to your manager. You are expected to be able to recognise signs of illness in children and respond according to work setting requirements.
- You also made a mistake when at first you assumed Tommy had not drunk any milk and you did nothing. Even if you are not sure whether a child’s health has been put at risk, you must act quickly to protect him.
- You have not taken appropriate action to assess and manage a potential risk to Tommy’s health. Your actions could call into question your suitability to be a child care worker. An investigation by your employer could result in disciplinary action.
- You need to learn your employer’s policies and procedures for monitoring and maintaining health and safety. These are designed to keep children safe and to uphold their right to be protected from danger and harm.
- You must recognise the power that comes from your work with children and use this responsibly. You must not put children at unnecessary risk. Always seek additional support in relation to health and safety issues when necessary.
- You should improve your approach to promoting health and safety. You must understand the responsibility everyone has to raise concerns about any possible harm that may have come to a child.
- The effectiveness of a team is built on trust, respect and open communication. You need to learn when information needs to be urgently passed on.
- It is essential to show children, their families and your colleagues you are trustworthy and reliable. Your actions suggest parents and colleagues may find it difficult to trust you in future.
When you first realised it was possible Tommy had drunk some milk, the right thing to do would have been to immediately tell your manager and closely monitor Tommy. You can find out why this was the right thing to do here.
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