CHILD PHYSICAL ABUSE
- Seperate page / book for each child or family
- Filled out by parent / guardian at drop off where possible, or signed and acknowledged at pick up
- All children, all injuries
- Records date, description of injury, description of how and when injury occurred, and signatures of parent and person making entry if not the parent
- Protects everyone
- Reassures parents
- Photograph but ensure privacy and use only for purpose of Child Protection or corroboration when necessary.
A simple way of documenting injury that has occurred outside of daycare is to have an Injury on Intake Record. It is a register – with a separate page for each child or family for privacy reasons – where you record injuries present on intake. It’s preferable that parents fill this register out when dropping children off, but otherwise, if you notice the injury after they’ve left, it’s still important that you fill out the register and have the parent acknowledge the entry when they return for pick up.
Entries in the register need only be simple – recording date, description of injury, description of how and when it happened, and parent’s signature.
This procedure protects you and other staff at the service, and puts parents on notice that you take Child Protection seriously. If it’s a routine procedure and if your parents are aware that it’s in place for all parents, all children, and all injuries - then parents won’t take offence. It is much more uncomfortable for staff and parents if questions are asked irregularly.
In cases of physical injury, we also recommend you make a habit of photographing injuries – particularly if they are suspicious, or if they have occurred in your care.
Be particularly careful to ensure privacy and compliance with privacy policies. Obtain permission when practicable - for example your Incident Policy distributed to parents might include general permission to take photos of injuries - and use photos only for Child Protection purposes, or to corroborate or provide accurate evidence of any injury that has occurred in your care.
Remember that any misuse of photographs could have serious legal implications.
Your service may already have an Injury on Intake form so please check with your Senior Supervisor/Team Leader/Coordinator. In the absence of such forms you may wish to utilise this simple Injury on Intake Record.