Safety checks and audits

KinderStart keeps two kinds of safety record: quick daily checks for things that change every day, and a room-by-room audit for things that don't, like stair gates and window locks.

1. Review your daily checks

Open the Tools tab, choose Compliance Logs, then Safety Checks. Each morning and evening check is listed with a SAFE or ISSUE badge.

2. Start an audit

Go back to Compliance Logs and choose Health & Safety Audit. Each item starts as Pass.

3. Flag anything that needs fixing

Tap Action Needed on an item and write what needs doing, like "Refit the hallway bookcase bracket this week".

4. Work through each room

Move through the six rooms, then tap Complete Audit.

5. Check the report

The audit report is dated, and lists everything marked ACTION REQUIRED with your notes.

Reference: your compliance logs

Daily hazard checks

Daily checks are for dynamic hazards that change every day:

• Trip hazards: Toys, parent bags, or trailing wires.
• Bathroom hygiene: Toothpaste on floors, access to razors or cleaning chemicals.
• Outdoor scan: Fallen branches, animal mess, or loose gate bolts.

These are completed via the Daily Safety Check, which appears at the top of your Home dashboard. A "Morning safety check: Not done yet" bar greets you first thing, and a "Close down check: Not done yet" bar appears later in the day — tap either to open the checklist. Walk round and check each item, then tap All clear if everything is safe. If something needs attention, tick what you checked, add a note and tap Report Issue.

Your completed safety check history is saved and can be reviewed any time via Tools → Compliance Logs → Safety Checks. Once you've completed today's check, tapping the summary card on the Daily Diary takes you straight to the same Safety Check History screen. Open any check and tap Delete check to remove one logged in error — you'll see the retention warning first, and it can be restored from Business Settings → Recently Deleted.

Reviewing Your Safety Check History

The Safety Check History screen defaults to the last 30 days, with a From Date / To Date picker at the top so you can widen or narrow the range. Two totals sit alongside it — how many checks in that range came back Safe and how many needed Issues flagged — so you can spot a pattern (a run of "action required" mornings, for instance) at a glance.

Below that, every check in the range is listed with its date, time, whether it was a Morning or Evening check, and a SAFE / ISSUE badge. Tap any entry to see the full detail: who logged it (you or an assistant), the notes recorded at the time, and an item-by-item breakdown of the checklist showing exactly which items passed and which were flagged. If that check is linked to a Risk Assessment — for example, a flagged item that led you to write one up — it's listed there too, and tapping it takes you straight to that assessment.

Room-by-Room Health & Safety Audit

For deeper, periodic checks of your whole setting, KinderStart includes a full Health & Safety Audit tool. This walks you through each room in turn, so nothing gets overlooked.

How to access: Go to Tools → Compliance Logs → Health & Safety Audit

The audit covers every area of your setting room by room, including:

• Hallway — entry hazards, floor surfaces, fire escape routes
• Lounge / Play area — furniture safety, toy condition, socket covers
• Kitchen — appliance safety, hygiene, chemical storage
• Bathroom — water temperature, slip hazards, chemical access
• Garden — perimeter fencing, outdoor equipment, surface safety
• Admin — record security, data storage, safeguarding notices

For each room you work through a checklist of safety items and mark each as Pass, Action Needed or N/A. If something needs action, add a note and upload a photo (Solo or Team plan) as evidence. Once you've resolved the issue, open the audit and tap Mark as Resolved — the audit then shows a complete, timestamped record of the problem and how you dealt with it.

Why it matters: Ofsted inspectors want to see that your setting is systematically reviewed, not just tidied up before they arrive. A completed audit with resolved action items is powerful evidence of ongoing, professional safety management.

Accident Reports: Complete Field Guide

Accidents happen, but how you record them is critical for safeguarding, Ofsted compliance, and your 21-year retention requirement. Every field serves a specific legal or regulatory purpose.

How to Create an Accident Report

1. Navigate to Health & Safety Logs from the Tools menu
2. Select Accident Reports
3. Tap the + button to open a New Accident Form

Required Fields Explained

Child Selection (Required)

Select which child was involved in the accident. This links the report to the child's profile for pattern analysis and long-term record keeping.

Date & Time (Required)

Exact timestamp of when the accident occurred—not when you're recording it. This is legally critical for:

• Establishing custody and liability (who was responsible when it happened)
• Notification deadlines (Ofsted within 14 days for serious injuries; HSE without delay where RIDDOR applies)
• Insurance claims and potential legal proceedings

Tip: If you're recording retrospectively (e.g., after lunch), adjust the time to match when it happened.

Severity Level (Required)

Choose between MINOR or SERIOUS:

• MINOR: Small grazes, minor bumps, superficial cuts
• SERIOUS: Head injuries, broken bones, burns, loss of consciousness, hospitalisation

⚠️ Important: Selecting SERIOUS triggers an alert reminding you to notify Ofsted within 14 days and inform parents immediately (EYFS requirement).

Location (Required)

Where the accident happened (e.g., "Garden - Slide", "Kitchen", "Bathroom"). Be specific—this data enables risk assessment and pattern analysis:

• Multiple accidents at the slide? Consider safety surfacing or supervision changes
• Kitchen injuries? Review risk assessment for that area

Description of Accident (Required)

Full narrative of what happened. Include:

• What the child was doing immediately before
• Exactly how the accident occurred
• Who witnessed it
• Any contributing factors (wet floor, loose toy, etc.)

Example: "Emily was running across the garden during free play. She tripped over a toy truck left on the path and fell forward, landing on her left knee on the grass."

Mechanism of Injury

The "how" of the accident—essential for consistency checking between your description and the injury observed. This helps identify when explanations don't match injuries (potential safeguarding concern).

Examples:

• "Fell from standing height onto grass"
• "Collided with another child during running game"
• "Trapped finger in gate latch"

Nature of Injury (Multi-Select)

Categories of injury sustained:

• Abrasion
• Contusion
• Cut
• Fracture
• Burn
• Bite
• Head Injury (triggers additional guidance)
• Other

Head Injury Guidance: If selected, the app reminds you that statutory guidance recommends calling the parent immediately for all head injuries, regardless of severity.

Injury Details (Optional)

Detailed description of the injury itself:

• Size (e.g., "2cm graze")
• Appearance (e.g., "red with minor bleeding", "purple bruise")
• Location on body (supplemented by Body Map)

Example: "2cm linear graze on left knee, approximately 1cm wide. Light bleeding present, skin surface broken. No swelling or deformity observed."

Digital Body Map

Interactive visual diagram of a child's body (front and back views). Tap to mark exact injury locations with:

• Injury Type: Bruise, cut, burn, swelling, bite mark, etc.
• Injury Colour: Records the colour you see. Don't use it to judge how old a bruise is: bruise age can't be reliably told from colour.

Why it matters: Body maps are forensic-level evidence. They distinguish accidental injuries from abuse patterns (e.g., multiple bruises of different ages, injuries in protected areas like inner thighs or torso).

Ofsted perspective: Inspectors look for body map usage as evidence of safeguarding awareness. Saying "bruise on arm" isn't enough—show exactly where.

First Aider Name (Required)

Name of the person who administered first aid.

Legal Note: In England, the EYFS requires childminders to hold a Paediatric First Aid (PFA) certificate, and at least one person with a current PFA certificate must be on the premises and available whenever children are present. If you're the only qualified person, you must always be present during operating hours.

Action Taken (Required)

Specific first aid administered:

• "Applied cold compress for 5 minutes"
• "Cleaned wound with sterile water, applied plaster"
• "Monitored child for 30 minutes, no symptoms observed"
• "Called 999 at 14:32, ambulance arrived 14:45"

This proves your duty of care was met. Vague entries like "First aid given" are insufficient.

Witnesses

Names of adults who saw the accident occur. This corroborates your account if questions arise later. Can be staff, volunteers, students, or parents present at the time.

Medical Advice Sought

Toggle ON if you:

• Called NHS 111 for guidance
• Took child to GP/walk-in centre
• Called 999 or attended A&E

⚠️ RIDDOR Alert: If a child is injured in an accident connected with your childminding and is taken directly from the scene to hospital for treatment, you must report it to HSE (Health & Safety Executive) under RIDDOR. A check-up or tests alone don't count as treatment. Tick RIDDOR/Ofsted under Referrals to record it on the form.

Share with Parent? (Toggle)

Makes the report visible in the Parent Portal. You must still inform the parent on the same day (EYFS requirement). Best practice:

• Call immediately for serious injuries
• Tell parent at collection for minor injuries
• Never rely solely on written notification

Parent Signature

Digital signature captured via the Parent Portal or in-person using device signature pad. This:

• Acknowledges parent was informed
• Confirms parent viewed the injury
• Provides legal protection for your setting

Tap Save Accident Form to save.

Retention: Accident reports must normally be kept until the child is 21 years and 3 months old (Limitation Act 1980 requirement for personal injury claims). If you delete one, KinderStart shows this warning first and hides the record rather than destroying it — restore it from Business Settings → Recently Deleted.

Existing Injury Forms

When a child arrives at your setting with an existing injury (e.g., bruise from home, playground injury from weekend), document it immediately before the child begins their session.

Why This Matters

If a safeguarding concern arises, existing injury records prove the injury occurred before the child entered your care. This protects you from false allegations and demonstrates professional practice.

Ofsted tip: During inspections, they may ask about recent injuries. Having timestamped existing injury forms shows you're proactive about safeguarding.

How to Record

1. Navigate to Tools → Health & Safety Logs
2. Select Existing Injuries
3. Tap the + button, and Save Injury Report when you're done

Required Fields Explained

Child (Required)

Select the child who arrived with the injury.

Date & Time

When you first observed the injury (typically arrival time). This timestamp proves the injury existed before the child was in your care.

Parent's Explanation (Required)

Critical field: This is where the parent explains how the injury occurred. Document their exact words where possible:

Examples:

• "Fell off bike in garden yesterday afternoon"
• "Bumped head on coffee table last night before bed"
• "Scraped knee at playground on Saturday"

⚠️ Safeguarding Alert: If the explanation seems inconsistent with the injury (e.g., "Bumped into door" but injury is a large, dark bruise on inner thigh), log it as a "Cause for Concern" and consider whether a safeguarding referral is needed.

Explanation Consistent with Injury? (Toggle)

Professional judgment: Does the parent's explanation match the injury you're observing?

• ✅ Consistent: Explanation makes sense (e.g., graze on knee from falling while running)
• ❌ Not Consistent: Explanation doesn't match injury type, location, or severity

If you switch it off, the app warns you that an inconsistent explanation must be logged as a Cause for Concern. You should also:

• Document your concerns in detail
• Consult your Safeguarding Policy
• Consider contacting local authority if concern escalates

Voice of the Child

What did the child say about the injury? This is a safeguarding best practice emphasised in Serious Case Reviews:

• Children often attempt to disclose abuse through statements like "Daddy hurt me" or "Mummy pushed me"
• These disclosures are frequently dismissed when adult explanation is accepted at face value
• Always document what the child says, even if it matches the parent's story

Examples:

• "I falled over at the park" (matches parent's explanation)
• "Daddy was angry" (does NOT match parent's "fell off bed" explanation → safeguarding concern)

Body Map

Mark the exact injury location using the digital body map. Photograph the injury if consent permits.

Pattern Analysis: Multiple existing injuries over time, or injuries in unusual locations (inner arms, inner thighs, torso) may indicate abuse.

Who reported this? (Required)

Who told you about the injury, e.g. Mum, Dad or a grandparent. This establishes where the explanation came from.

Physical Intervention Logs

UK childcare regulations require documentation of any physical restraint used to prevent harm to the child or others. This is distinct from gentle guiding (e.g., holding a toddler's hand to cross the road).

When to Use

• Restraining a child from running into traffic
• Holding a child to prevent harm to themselves (e.g., head-banging, climbing dangerous heights)
• Restraining to prevent harm to others (e.g., stopping a child mid-punch)
• Any use of physical force beyond gentle guiding or comforting holds

Not physical intervention: Picking up a crying child for comfort, holding hands during walks, helping with personal care.

How to Record

1. Navigate to Tools → Health & Safety Logs
2. Select Physical Interventions
3. Tap the + button, and Save Physical Intervention when you're done

Required Fields Explained

Child (Required)

The child who was physically restrained.

Date & Time (Required)

When the intervention occurred.

Location (Required)

Where it happened (on-site or off-site location like "Community Park").

Intervention Type (Required)

Level of physical contact used:

• Guide: Gently redirecting movement (e.g., steering away from danger)
• Hold: Holding child still (e.g., bear hug to prevent hitting)
• Restraint: Full immobilisation (e.g., holding arms and legs to prevent harm)

Legal Note: Restraint should be an absolute last resort and only when immediate danger exists. Excessive force can result in safeguarding allegations against you.

Reason for Intervention (Required)

What was happening that made physical intervention necessary?

Example: "Charlie was attempting to climb onto the kitchen worktop to reach scissors left on the side. I had verbally asked him to stop three times. He ignored and continued climbing. I used a gentle hold to lift him down and move him away from the kitchen."

De-escalation Steps Taken

What did you try before using physical intervention?

• Verbal instructions
• Distraction techniques
• Removing other children from area
• Offering alternative activities

Ofsted expectation: Physical intervention should never be your first response. Document the steps you took to avoid it.

Duration of Intervention

How long you physically held/restrained the child (e.g., "15 seconds", "2 minutes").

Best practice: Keep interventions as brief as possible. Prolonged restraint (5+ minutes) requires additional justification and may need senior review.

Child's Response

How did the child react during and after the intervention?

• Calmed quickly and returned to play
• Continued distress, required comforting
• Became more agitated
• Self-harmed during intervention

This helps identify if your intervention strategy was appropriate or needs revision.

Injuries (Description)

Did the intervention cause any marks or injuries to the child (or to you)?

• Red marks from holding
• Scratches (from child's nails)
• Bruises

⚠️ Document everything: Even minor red marks must be recorded. Transparency protects you from allegations.

Post-Incident Debrief

There's no separate field for this, so record it under Action Taken. Did you talk to the child afterwards about what happened and why? This is professional practice and helps the child understand boundaries.

Example: "Once Charlie had calmed, I explained that climbing on worktops is dangerous and that I would always keep him safe. He apologised and asked if he could help me make playdough instead."

Parent Notification

Critical: Inform parents the same day—preferably before collection. Physical intervention is a sensitive topic requiring immediate, transparent communication.

Parent Portal Notification: Parents receive a detailed report via their portal. You should also discuss it verbally at pickup.

Medication Logs

Administering medication is a serious responsibility requiring precise documentation. Under EYFS regulations, you must have written parental consent and keep accurate records of all medication given.

When to Use

• Prescription medications (antibiotics, asthma inhalers, EpiPens)
• Over-the-counter medications (Calpol, antihistamines, teething gel)
• Emergency medications (EpiPen for allergic reactions)
• Ongoing medication (ADHD medication, daily vitamins if medically prescribed)

⚠️ Legal Requirement: Administer medication only with prior written parental consent and clear instructions. Never give medication without documented consent.

How to Record

1. Navigate to Tools → Health & Safety Logs
2. Select Medication Logs, then switch to the MAR tab to see administration records
3. Tap the + button, then use the toggle at the top of the form to switch between New Consent and Log MAR — these are two different forms sharing the same screen, not one combined entry.

New Consent — recording what a parent has authorised

Fill this in once, before you ever give the medication, to record the parent's written permission:

• Child (Required) and Date & Time
• Medication Name (Required) — brand or generic name, e.g. "Calpol (Paracetamol)"
• Dosage (Required) — e.g. "5ml", "2 puffs"
• Reason for Medication (Required) — why it's needed, e.g. "Chronic asthma", "High temperature"
• Storage Requirements — e.g. "In fridge", "In locked cupboard"
• Last Dose Given by Parent (Time) — so you know when the next dose is safely due
• Expiration Date of the medication

Log MAR — recording that you actually gave it

Every time you administer a dose, switch to Log MAR and fill in a fresh entry:

• Child (Required) and Date & Time of this specific dose
• Medication Name (Required) and Dosage (Required) — matching the consent on file
• Administered By — your name or the staff member who gave it (only Paediatric First Aid qualified staff should administer medication, as best practice)
• Witness Name — a second adult who saw the medication given, where possible
• Parent Signature — captured at handover to confirm the parent has seen this dose was given

Tap Save Medication Form to save.

Retention: Medication records must normally be kept until the child is 21 years and 3 months old, as part of the child's safeguarding and health history. KinderStart reminds you of this if you delete one, and the record can be restored from Business Settings → Recently Deleted.

Behavioural Incident Log (Multi-Child GDPR-Compliant)

When behavioural incidents occur—especially those involving multiple children—you need to document them professionally while protecting every child's privacy under GDPR. Our Behavioural Incident Log automatically redacts the names in the list of involved children for parent-facing views.

When to Use

• Peer conflicts: Physical altercations between children (hitting, pushing, biting)
• Property damage: Deliberate destruction of toys, equipment, or setting materials
• Defiance or aggression: Refusal to follow instructions, swearing, threatening behaviour
• Safeguarding concerns: Any behaviour that raises welfare concerns requiring documentation

Key Features

Multi-Child Selection

Select all children involved in the incident—not only the "aggressor." This creates a complete picture for your records and enables proper GDPR redaction for parent notifications.

GDPR Auto-Redaction

When a parent views the incident report via their portal, the other children's names are taken out of the list of children involved (the PDF shows them as "Another child").

The text you write is not rewritten, so don't name other children in the trigger, description or action taken. Write "another child" instead:

• Instead of: "Oliver pushed Emily during outdoor play."
• Write: "Oliver pushed another child during outdoor play."

Comprehensive Data Capture

Each behavioural incident report includes:

1. Date & Time: When the incident occurred
2. Location: On-premises (e.g., "Garden") or off-site (e.g., "Community Park")
3. Involved Children (GDPR Anonymised): Multi-select with roles (primary child, peers involved)
4. Antecedent / Trigger: What happened immediately before the incident
   • Example: "Another child took Oliver's toy without asking."
5. Incident Description *: Detailed description of what occurred
   • Example: "Oliver responded by pushing the other child backward. They fell onto the soft play mat and began crying. No visible injuries."
6. Action Taken: Immediate response and resolution
   • Example: "Separated children, comforted the other child. Spoke to Oliver about using words instead of hands. Both children apologised and played separately for remainder of session."

Time-Stamped Addendums

After creating the initial report, add Addendums with timestamps—perfect for recording:

• Updates on child's behaviour later that day
• Parent conversations and their responses
• Follow-up actions taken (e.g., "Met with parents on [date]. Agreed on consistent language strategies at home and setting.")
• Behavioural patterns observed over subsequent days

Every addendum is permanently timestamped, creating an immutable audit trail that Ofsted values during inspections.

Parent Visibility Toggle

Use the "Share with Parent?" toggle to control whether parents see the incident in their portal:

• ON: Parents receive notification and can view (with GDPR redaction)
• OFF: Internal record only—useful for preliminary notes you'll discuss in person

Best practice: Turn it ON after speaking to parents directly, so they have written documentation to refer to.

How to Create a Behavioural Incident Report

1. Navigate to Tools → Health & Safety Logs
2. Select Behavioural Incidents
3. Tap the + button
4. Select Children Involved:
   • Tap each child who was part of the incident
   • Select 2+ children for multi-child incidents
5. Set Date & Time: Defaults to now, adjust if recording retrospectively
6. Choose Location: On-premises dropdown or type custom off-site location
7. Antecedent / Trigger: Describe what triggered the incident
8. Incident Description *: Full narrative of what occurred
9. Action Taken: Your immediate response and resolution
10. Share with Parent?: Toggle ON if parents should be notified
11. Save Incident Report

Parents receive a notification if "Share with Parent?" is enabled.

21-Year Retention

Behavioural incident reports are subject to 21-year retention under the Limitation Act 1980 (personal injury claims). KinderStart:

• Shows the retention warning if you delete one, and hides the record rather than destroying it — restore it from Business Settings → Recently Deleted
• Includes these records in child data exports for archival
• Timestamps every report and addendum

Real-World Example

Scenario: Biting incident during lunch involving two children.

Your documentation:

• Involved Children (GDPR Anonymised): Select both Oliver (biter) and Emily (bitten)
• Antecedent / Trigger: "Another child reached across Oliver to grab the fruit bowl during lunch."
• Incident Description *: "Oliver bit the other child on the right forearm, leaving visible teeth marks. The other child cried immediately. I separated them and applied a cold compress."
• Action Taken: "Examined the bitten child's arm—skin unbroken, slight redness, recorded on a separate accident form with a body map. Spoke to Oliver about using words: 'I wasn't finished.' Called both parents to report the incident."
• Share with Parent?: ✅ ON

Addendum (3 hours later):
"Oliver's parent arrived at collection and was briefed. Parent expressed surprise as this is first biting incident. Agreed to reinforce 'use words, not teeth' at home. Will monitor Oliver's lunchtime behaviour over next week."

Result:

• The parent doesn't see the other child's name in the list of children involved
• Your written narrative is shown as you wrote it, so keep other children's names out of it if you share it
• Ofsted can review the complete unredacted report showing both children's names

Action Plans: Turning Problems into Evidence

If you find a problem during an audit (e.g. "Kitchen cupboard lock is broken"), mark it as "Action Needed". This creates a timestamped evidence trail of your proactive maintenance:

1. Add Action Notes: Describe exactly what needs fixing.
2. Upload Photo Evidence: (Solo or Team plan) Take a photo of the hazard in situ.
3. Confirm the Fix: Once resolved, the audit reflects the completed action, proving your proactive approach to setting maintenance.

Visitor Log

Anyone who isn't a parent, child, or regular staff member — a meter reader, an Ofsted inspector, a maintenance contractor — gets logged here, same Compliance Logs area as everything else in this guide.

• Visitor Name (Required), Company, and Purpose of Visit — e.g. "Ofsted" or "Maintenance"
• ID Checked? — a toggle confirming you verified who they actually are
• Entry Time and Exit Time
• Include Signature? — an optional toggle that, when on, captures the visitor's signature confirming their presence and that their ID was checked

Complaints Log

A record of any complaint raised by a parent, separate from your day-to-day incident and accident logs:

• Complainant (Required) — pick from your existing parents, or enter a name manually
• Subject (Required) — a short summary of what the complaint is about
• Description — the full detail of what was raised
• Action Taken and Outcome / Resolution — how you responded and how it was resolved

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