In Safe Hands - 2024 Safe Sleep Practices for Babies and Toddlers (National)

This short course has been developed for professionals working in the Early Years Education and Care Sector.  It will provide a holistic response not only to safe sleep practices for young children but also healthy sleep practices. 

This course includes New legislative requirements from 1 October 2023.

Course duration: 0.5 Hrs

Pre-Requisites: Nil

Meets following NQF requirements:

National Law & Regulations - Sections 167 (National Law) & Regulations 81, 168

• Section 167 in the Education and Care Services National Law Act requiring every reasonable precaution is taken to protect children from harm;
• Regulation 81 (Sleep and rest) of the Education and Care Services National Regulations prescribes that services must take reasonable steps to ensure that children’s needs for sleep and rest are met, having regard to each child’s age, development and needs.
• Regulation 168 of the Education and Care Services National Regulations stating that all services must have written policies and procedures – which includes Safe sleep policies and procedures.

Meets following National Quality Standards: Quality Area 2 - Standard 2.1

Learning Assessment: Multiple choice questions through the course.  No further study or assessment.

Certificate: Available for download at the time of successful completion of the online learning

Learning Outcomes of this course include:

• Understanding safe sleep and rest practices
• Understanding of ‘a safe environment’ and approved equipment
• Legislative requirements surrounding safe sleep and rest practices
• Strategies designed to meet children’s sleep, rest and relaxation needs
• Communication strategies with parents surrounding safe sleep practices
• Identifying potential hazards
• Provide tools to undertake a risk assessment regarding safe sleep practices

Course Description:  Young children and babies rely on adults in their world to provide safe sleeping environments.  In this course we will pay specific attention to children from birth to two years of age. Unsafe sleep environments for infants in the Early Education and Care sector can lead to suffocation, strangulation, entrapment or injury.  All of these can be deadly to infants. In Australia the main category of unexpected deaths of babies aged between 4 weeks and 12 months of age is sudden unexplained death in infancy (SUDI). 

This course will teach practical processes which should be implemented to create consistent application of approved safe sleep and practices.  This includes information on approved equipment available to maintain a safe environment. It will also cover legal requirements and best practices in meeting with those requirements by establishing protocols, procedures and policies surrounding safe sleep and rest practices - Including Regulation 81 (Sleep and rest) of the Education and Care Services National Regulations.  The course assists Educators in developing inclusive practices with families which will in turn enhance sleep, rest and relaxation needs of children.  You will learn simply strategies to support you in these endeavors in your service community.  

The information in this course has been provided to you in partnership with Australian Childcare Alliance Queensland and the College for Australian Early Childhood Educators.

Further Training:  Nil