How to establish a safe and healthy home based environment for children.
The key components of a healthy and safe homed based environment are :
Hygiene and waste disposal
As a homed based child carer you must not only ensure you maintain high levels of personal hygiene but it is also vital that your setting is also safe and hygienic, Personal levels of hygiene must also be met so the children will copy and learn from you, this is to include the suggested method of hand washing after using the toilet, before preparing food and covering your mouth when you cough.
Maintaining levels of cleanliness in your home is vital to prevent the spread of infections, ways you can do this is by:
Dispose of unwanted food/food waste immediately into the bin – do not leave lying around
Empty bins regularly and clean them thoroughly
Wipe down all work surfaces with anti-bacterial spray and mop floors regularly with an anti-bacterial cleaner or disinfectant
Wash dirty cooking and eating equipment and utensils immediately after eating to prevent growth of bacteria
Wash up and store feeding bowls and utensils used for preparing pet food separately
Floors should be cleaned carefully after pets have eaten to remove bacteria
Storage and Preparation of food
The correct storage and preparation of food is essential in preventing the risk of bacteria growth which can cause serious illnesses in babies and small children, examples of the correct storage and preparation of food are:
Storage
Store raw foods at the bottom of the fridge and cooked at the top to ensure no raw food is Dripped onto the cooked food
Make sure all food is suitable covered
Keep raw fish and meat separate from each other
Check the use by and best before dates before using and throw away any out of date foods, if in doubt, throw it out.
Keep any pet food in the fridge well covered.
Preparation/Cooking of food
Tie hair back, wear an apron, cover any scratches or...