Accreditations

Red Cross Babysitting Award (looking after other people's children)

See the Red Cross Website for more information.

The British Red Cross babysitters' course has been in existence for more than ten years and during that time has been adapted to include many valuable activities and exercises. Latest additions include an increased emphasis on social skills and how to use babysitting skills in Red Cross emergency response situations.

In order for students to receive a Certificate of Accreditation, the programme must be delivered over a period of at least 15 hours, with at least six of these being first aid. Students must show competence in skills and knowledge against the outcomes in order to be awarded a certificate. A Certificate of Attendance is also available.

Overall course outcomes

This course enables students to:

  • Understand and maintain the safety and wellbeing of children in their care and appreciate that being a babysitter is a responsible and trusted position to hold.
  • Understand that babysitting requires thought and preparation by both the babysitter and the parents.
  • Practise their responses to potentially difficult situations in a safe environment.
  • Ask questions, share their views and discuss their own experiences of caring for children.
  • Develop the knowledge to enable them to recognise good and bad practices in babysitting.
  • Learn how to create a safer environment and so reduce the likelihood of accidents or emergencies happening.
  • Develop the skills to cope with the effects of injury and illness on a child, including lifesaving first aid techniques.
  • Develop the confidence, self-esteem and social skills required to perform as a babysitter.

Detailed outcomes of the course

The course manual contains five sections. The learning outcomes of each section are given below:

Section 1: Introduction, expectations, rights and the law

Students will:

  • Understand this course and what they are undertaking as a babysitter
  • Consider and share their previous experiences of looking after children and identify areas for development
  • Understand what makes a good babysitter, including the parent’s and child’s perspective
  • Understand the skills and qualities that babysitters need
  • Understand the roles and responsibilities of babysitters and parents
  • Appreciate the law surrounding babysitting
  • Understand the importance of good preparation and information gathering before babysitting.

Section 2: Accident prevention and fire safety

Students will:

  • Recognise that accidents are the biggest cause of death among children
  • Learn to look at a room and, based on the age of a child, identify and eliminate hazards
  • Solve safety problems
  • Understand and be committed to accident prevention wherever possible
  • Feel confident that they can recognise hazards and deal with them in an appropriate way

Section 3: Looking after babies and children

Students will:

  • Gain skills in holding, bathing, feeding and changing the nappies of babies and children safely and skilfully.
  • Know how to put a child to bed in a calm and reassuring manner .
  • Understand why a child might cry and respond accordingly.
  • Understand the toys and activities appropriate to different age groups, including toy safety.
  • Understand the importance of handling infants and children gently and with understanding.
  • Consider the implications of looking after groups of children.


Section 4: First aid

Students will:

  • Develop first aid skills for both life threatening and minor injuries
  • Develop the knowledge to decide whether an illness is serious and what appropriate action to take
  • Be able to make an emergency call giving appropriate information
  • Feel confident in the theory and practice of emergency first aid procedures
  • Be more aware of the need to prevent first aid action by reducing the risk of accidents
  • Demonstrate caring and reassuring qualities.


Section 5: Dealing with challenging babysitting situations

Students will:

  • Understand the implications and issues that may arise when:
    • - dealing with sensitive family issues
    - responding to a concern or a disclosure of child abuse
    - dealing with intruders or strangers
    - babysitting for children with disabilities
  • Have an opportunity to practise their responses to sensitive situations
  • Be encouraged to develop social skills, assertiveness and confidence to help them deal with sensitive situations
  • Review the course using scenario and role play activities.


Further information is available from Bruce Freeman (01271 388176) or your Development Worker.