Want to watch this video? Sign up for the course here. Or enter your email below to watch one free video.

Unlock This Video Now for FREE

This video is normally available to paying customers.
You may unlock this video for FREE. Enter your email address for instant access AND to receive ongoing updates and special discounts related to this topic.



Download and study the example accident report form from your student resources section.

Childcare providers who are on the Early Years and Childcare Register are required to notify Ofsted and in some instances, the local child protection agencies of serious accidents and injuries in their care. Obviously was a death to occur, this would also have to be reported.  The law sets out these requirements in The Childcare (General Childcare Register) Regulations 2008, the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and the Early Years Foundation Stage (Welfare Requirements) Regulations 2007.

You must report if a serious accident, injury or death occurs in your childcare provision as soon as you reasonably can. In other cases, within 14 days of the incident, you also may need to notify your local child protection agency at the same time. The quickest and easiest way to notify Ofsted is to phone them. They will ask you some questions about the incident. These will include when and where the incident occurred and full details of what happened. You will also be asked for personal details, for example, the name and age of the child or children involved and details of any other people involved.   They may ask you to put the information in writing.

A record of all information provided to them, whether this is given by telephone or in writing is kept and they may need to share this information with other agencies such as local authority or environmental health departments.   If you are on the Early Years Register you are required to notify Ofsted within 14 days, unless you have a reasonable excuse.

You must notify Ofsted about:

  • The death of a child while on the premises or after they leave the premises as the result of something that happened while the child was in your care;
  • Serious injuries where a child in your care is taken to hospital or Accident and Emergency Department for more than 24 hours, either directly from your provision, or later, as the result of something that happened while the child was in your care
  • Any significant event which is likely to affect the suitability to care for children.

You are not required to inform of minor injuries, but you must keep a record of these incidents. You are also not required to inform Ofsted of general appointments to hospital or routine treatment by a doctor, such as a child’s general practitioner, that is not linked to or is a consequence of a serious accident or injury.

Both registers require you to keep records of accidents. The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage states ‘Providers must keep a record of accidents and first aid treatment’. The Childcare (General Childcare Register) Regulations 2008 state ‘in the case of a registered person who is not a home child-carer, a record is maintained of accidents occurring on the relevant premises’.  The requirements do not specify the details of what to include in such a record.

It is good practice to include details such as the date, time and place of the event; personal details of those involved (name, age); a brief description of the nature of the accident and/or injury; and the type of treatment given.  You can keep the record in any form you wish. You could, for example, choose to keep your records digitally or hold paper records.

We have put some forms you can use in your ProTrainings login area.   Finally, you must keep up to date and also look at the HSE requirements under the first aid at work regulations as these may also apply at your workplace. Also, keep up to date with Ofsted requirements as these change.