and young children
Information & Education Sessions
In today's busy world, the childcare sector is growing quickly. It is imperative that those who care for children have the necessary knowledge and skills in providing a Safe Sleeping environment, no matter whether you are a parent or childcare educator.
Knowing the centre has a well-established Safe Sleeping framework offers a level of security and confidence to both parents and your staff.
Childcare educators are in a unique position to educate parents and other carers of infants and can be powerful role models, providing parents with verbal information and printed resources. Being supported by scientific, evidence-based guidelines underpinning the attitudes and behaviours of child care educators, you can contribute persuasively to the decisions made by parents and other carers of infants, including grandparents.
Further to this, to support a consistent and national approach across Australia, policies and procedures about children's sleep and rest(1) must now be in place at each Early Childhood Education and Care Service from October 2017. Educators have a duty of care to ensure all infants and young children in their care are provided with "a high level of safety when sleeping and resting and every reasonable precaution is taken to protect them from harm and hazard".
Our workshops and professional development provide early childhood education and care services with clear evidence-based information and guidelines, on how to create a Safe Sleeping environment and deliver Safe Sleeping practices for all infants and young children. We also provide clear direction to support the development and implementation of Safe Sleeping policies and procedures to guide educators in their practice.
(1) https://www.acecqa.gov.au/resources/information-sheets/safe-sleep-and-rest-practices
Workshops
Soteria Safe Sleeping Advice offers a number of workshops aimed at educators in the childcare sector based on evidence-based, scientific recommendations. These courses can be attended as half day or full day sessions.
Workshop 1
Safe Sleeping for Infants and Young Children - This workshop has been designed specifically to:
* increase knowledge and understanding of the importance of employing the Safe Sleeping principles in their own practice
* ensure all those who care for infants and young children are aware of the best practice guidelines to
reduce the risk of Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI) including SIDS and sleeping accidents; and
* to support a consistent and national approach and to create a Safe Sleeping environment for all infants and young children
Workshop 2*
From Regulation to Our Practice - developing a healthy Safe Sleeping policy and implementing best practice has been designed specifically to:
* develop confidence in planning and developing a Safe Sleeping policy document and tools for practice
* build your capacity to implement and deliver effective Safe Sleeping policy and tools into your practice
* explore challenges and opportunities and the ways in which these influence legal and ethical responsibilities, including reporting and documentation requirements
Note: Workshop 1 is prerequisite for Workshop 2
Staff Development In-Service Sessions
Safe Sleeping for Infants and Young Children has been designed specifically to:
* increase knowledge and understanding of the importance of employing the Safe Sleeping principles in their own practice
* ensure all those who care for infants and young children are aware of the best practice guidelines to reduce the risk of Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI) including SIDS and sleeping accidents; and
* to support a consistent and national approach and to create a safe sleeping environment for all infants and young children
Topics include:
* the Triple Risk Theory;
* care of a sick or unsettled infant;
* why the back position is the safest position;
* what to do when an infant starts to roll;
* swaddling/wrapping;
* prevention of plagiocephaly (flat head);
* effective supervision;
* when to move a young child from a cot to a bed or mattress; and
* dealing with conflict/handling parents' concerns
Soteria Safe Sleeping Advice presents webinars at regular intervals focussing on Safe Sleeping recommendations that cover specific topics such as why the back position is the safest position; what to do when an infant starts to roll; prevention of plagiocephaly (flat head) and when to move a young child from a cot to a bed or mattress.
Products, their risks and benefits, and how to tell the difference; how safe sleeping practices have developed and changed through evidence-based research over time; understanding room temperature and a safe environment to sleep your baby are now available.
For more information, click here
eLearning
Soteria Safe Sleeping Advice believes in the importance of providing equity in education, no matter where a child care educator may work. eLearning offers the opportunity to enhance Safe Sleeping knowledge at your own pace. These are particularly aimed at childcare educators who, through lack of time or the tyranny of distance, are unable to attend workshops or have in-service sessions provided by their centres.
Accessing evidence-based Safe Sleeping education will be simple via Soteria Safe Sleeping Advice's eLearning modules now under development.