| Effective Term: | 2025/04 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Education, Arts & Community |
| Unit Title: | Health and Safety in Early Childhood |
| Unit ID: | EDECE2019 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | Nil |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | (EDECE1008) |
| ASCED: | 070101 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
This unit is designed to enable Pre-Service Teachers (PSTs) to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all young children and staff and will introduce PSTs to the importance of providing responsive and sensitive care in the development and learning of young children. The course will focus on physical care routines as well as the provision of physically, socioemotionally and culturally safe environments including the mental health of young children. Multicultural and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives will be explored, particularly in relation to developing family and community partnerships that enhance children's wellbeing. PSTs will be prepared to identify and respond to common children's allergies, illnesses and emergencies and how to administer and store medications according to regulatory frameworks. Nutrition, as an important factor in overall health and wellbeing will be explored to enable PSTs to understand the importance of a nutritionally balanced diet, principles of hygiene in the preparation and handling of meals and snacks and menu planning that meets dietary requirements and the needs of children from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds. PSTs will examine appropriate regulatory documents and reflect on the role of the teacher in ensuring compliance including mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect. |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: | |
| Supplementary Assessment:Yes |
| Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | | | | | | | Intermediate | | |  | | | | | Advanced | | | | | | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Explore the research on the impact of health and safety on the development of children. |
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| K2. | Examine the multifaceted nature of health, safety and wellbeing. |
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| K3. | Identify regulatory frameworks and the impact of such on teaching practice, including mandatory reporting responsibilities. |
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| K4. | Appraise the role of external organisations in the health, safety and wellbeing of children and articulate strategies for incorporating such knowledge into teaching practice. |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Research children's health and wellbeing. |
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| S2. | Develop strategies for communicating with parents/carers. |
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| S3. | Conduct safety audits and develop action plans for addressing safety issues. |
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| S4. | Critique health, safety and wellbeing from various cultural perspectives. |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Demonstrate an ability to incorporate research on health and safety into strategies to support parent/carers and or peers/colleagues. |
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| A2. | Use research and knowledge of regulatory frameworks to develop strategies for improving health, safety and wellbeing for children. |
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| A3. | Present research to peers and/or colleagues. |
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| Unit Content: |
Topics to include
• Work, Health and safety
• Current curricula, regulatory frameworks and codes of conduct that support safety and wellbeing of young children including the transition to school
• Emergencies
• Common illnesses in infancy and childhood
• Immunisation and infection control
• The sick baby and child / common illnesses
• Infection and early childhood educators
• Mental health and children's resilience
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives on health and caregiving
• Multicultural perspectives on health and caregiving
• Parent/carer and community partnerships
• Nutrition. |
| Graduate Attributes: |
| Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FEDTASKS (Transferable Attributes Skills and Knowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are be embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and Co-operative Learning opportunities. One or more FEDTASK, transferable Attributes, Skills or Knowledge must be evident in the specified learning outcomes and assessment for each FedUni Unit, and all must be directly assessed in each Course.
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| FED TASK and descriptor | Development and acquisition of FEDTASKS in the Unit | | Level | FEDTASK 1
Interpersonal | Students will demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate, inter-act and work with others both individually and in groups. Students will be required to display skills in-person and/or online in: • Using effective verbal and non-verbal communication • Listening for meaning and influencing via active listening • Showing empathy for others • Negotiating and demonstrating conflict resolution skills • Working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams. | Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines | FEDTASK 2
Leadership | Students will demonstrate the ability to apply professional skills and behaviours in leading others. Students will be required to display skills in: • Creating a collegial environment • Showing self -awareness and the ability to self-reflect • Inspiring and convincing others • Making informed decisions • Displaying initiative | Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines | FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity | Students will demonstrate an ability to work in complexity and ambiguity using the imagination to create new ideas. Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically • Evaluating ideas, concepts and information • Considering alternative perspectives to refine ideas • Challenging conventional thinking to clarify concepts • Forming creative solutions in problem solving. | Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines | FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy | Students will demonstrate the ability to work fluently across a range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks. Students will be required to display skills in: • Finding, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and sharing digital information • Collating, managing, accessing and using digital data securely • Receiving and responding to messages in a range of digital media • Contributing actively to digital teams and working groups • Participating in and benefiting from digital learning opportunities. | Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines | FEDTASK 5
Sustainable and Ethical Mindset | Students will demonstrate the ability to consider and assess the consequences and impact of ideas and actions in enacting ethical and sustainable decisions. Students will be required to display skills in: • Making informed judgments that consider the impact of devising solutions in global economic environmental and societal contexts • Committing to social responsibility as a professional and a citizen • Evaluating ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable challenges and generating and articulating responses • Embracing lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to diverse others • Implementing required actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life. | Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines |
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| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K1, K3, S1, S2, A1 | Information sheet : PSTs are to create an information sheet for parents/carers on an illness or health condition that may affect a children’s health and safety in an Early Childhood setting. The info sheet will include information such as symptoms, treatment or prevention strategies. It should also outline ways it may impact the child, their family, and the early childhood service. The info sheet should include links to services and academic literature. | Information sheet | 10% | | 2. | K1, K3, K4, S2, S3, S4, A2 | Work, Health Safety Audit & Action Plan: From the perspective of an EC Centre Manager, describe the centre's action plan in preparation for a safety audit, to meet the children's health and safety and physical environment standards. | Safety Audit and Action Plan | 40-60% | | 3. | K1, K2, K4, S1, S2, S4, A1, A3 | Research Report: Research an organisation that relates to children's health and safety. PSTs are to provide a comprehensive report on the organisation and ways that teachers, parents/carers, community might access or use the services or products. | Research Report | 40-60% |
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