Guidance

Childcare: reporting children’s accidents and injuries

Find out whether you need to tell Ofsted about an accident, injury or illness a child suffers while in your care.

• From: Ofsted
• Published: 19 February 2020
• Last updated: 21 February 2022 — See all updates

As an Ofsted-registered childminder, nanny or daycare, you must report all serious childcare incidents that occur to children while they are in your care. This includes all serious accidents, injuries and illnesses.

You don’t need to report a minor accident, injury or illness suffered by a child in your care.

Serious injuries, accidents and illnesses

You must tell Ofsted about any of the following:

• anything that requires resuscitation
• admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours
• a broken bone or fracture
• dislocation of any major joint, such as the shoulder, knee, hip or elbow
• any loss of consciousness
• severe breathing difficulties, including asphyxia
• anything leading to hypothermia or heat-induced illness

Minor injuries

You do not need to tell Ofsted about minor injuries, even if treated at a hospital (for less than 24 hours). These include:

• animal and insect bites, such as a bee sting that doesn’t cause an allergic reaction
• sprains, strains and bruising, for example if a child sprains their wrist tripping over their shoelaces
• cuts and grazes
• minor burns and scalds
• dislocation of minor joints, such as a finger or toe
• wound infections

Eyes

You must report to Ofsted if a child suffers any loss of sight, whether it is temporary or permanent. You must also tell us about any:

• penetrating injury to the child’s eye
• chemical or hot metal burn to the child’s eye

Substances and electricity

If a child in your care suffers any injury from, or requires medical treatment for, any of the following situations you must tell Ofsted:

• from absorption of any substance:
  • by inhalation
  • by ingestion
  • through the skin
• from an electric shock or electrical burn
• where there is reason to believe it resulted from exposure to:
  • a harmful substance
  • a biological agent
  • a toxin
  • an infected material

Published 19 February 2020
Last updated 21 February 2022 + show all updates

1. 21 February 2022

   Removed 'any confirmed cases of COVID-19' from list. As of 21 February childcare providers do not have to report any COVID-19 cases at their setting.

2. 25 September 2020

   Added the requirement to notify Ofsted of any confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in staff or children.

3. 19 February 2020

   First published.