How to Record an Accident at Your Kids Club and Tell Parents

A child trips in the playground or gets hit by a ball mid-session. Once you know they're okay, you need to write down what happened and explain it to their parent or carer. Here's how to record an accident at your kids club and how to have a calm, honest conversation with a worried parent.

Do I need to record accidents at my club?

Yes. Keep a written record of every accident, injury and any first aid given. The exact legal rules depend on how your club is registered with Ofsted, but clear records are good practice for every club.

Early Years Register (children up to the end of Reception): the Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework says you must keep a written record of accidents, injuries and first aid, and tell parents on the same day or as soon as reasonably practicable.
Childcare Register (clubs registered to care for children aged 5 and over): you must keep a record of accidents that happen on your premises. See Ofsted's requirements for the compulsory Childcare Register.
Not registered with Ofsted: there's no specific legal duty, but the Department for Education's guidance for out-of-school settings recommends clear safety procedures. Keep the same records and tell parents, just as a registered club would.

What's the difference between an accident, an incident and a near miss?

An accident causes harm, an incident can include behaviour, and a near miss could have caused harm but didn't. Record all three.

Accident: a child falls and grazes their knee.
Incident: a behaviour-related event, such as one child pushing another.
Near miss: something that could have hurt someone, such as a loose goalpost during football practice.

Recording near misses helps you spot hazards and fix them before the next accident.

Who should complete the accident record?

Ideally, the adult who saw what happened, as soon as reasonably possible while the details are fresh.

If you didn't see the accident yourself, make that clear and record what you were told and who told you. Don't fill gaps with guesses. Keep records secure and share them only with people who need to see them, following your club's record-keeping and data protection procedures.

What should an accident record include?

A good accident record sticks to the facts and shows what you did next. Include:

Who is reporting: your name and role.
When and where: the date, time, place and the activity that was running.
Who was involved: the child, and any staff or children who saw it.
What happened: a short, factual account.
Injury and first aid: what you saw, what treatment was given and by whom.
Who was told: which parent or carer, when and how.
Follow-up: anything you need to do next, and when the record was closed.

⭐ Eequ Pro Tip: Paper accident books get lost or end up in a drawer at another venue. With Eequ's incident reports, you can log an accident, near miss, illness or behaviour incident from the register on your phone, linked to the child and the session. Email a copy to the parent and your manager, add follow-up notes, and see who has read it, so you have a record that the parent was told.

How do you tell a parent their child has been hurt?

Tell them promptly and start with the facts. Then follow up in writing.

Step 1: Decide when to contact them

If an injury is serious or you're worried about the child, don't wait until collection time. Follow your emergency procedures, get medical help if needed, and contact the parent as soon as reasonably practicable without delaying urgent care.

For a minor bump or graze, it may be appropriate to explain what happened at collection time, if this fits your club's procedures. Early Years Foundation Stage providers must tell parents on the same day or as soon as reasonably practicable.

Step 2: Explain what happened in a clear order

Start with the essential facts: the time and place, what you saw, the injury, the first aid given and how the child has been since. For example:

"Tom tripped on the grass at 2.15pm and grazed his knee. We cleaned it and put on a plaster. He cried for a couple of minutes, then sat with a glass of water and said he felt fine. He's been comfortable since, and we've recorded what happened. Is there anything you'd like to ask me?"

⭐ Insider Tip: Working as a journalist taught me how much vague words can alarm people. "Tom had a nasty fall" makes a parent imagine the worst. Stick to what you saw and what you did, and leave out dramatic language.

Step 3: Give the parent room to respond

A parent may feel worried or upset, especially if they weren't expecting the news. Let them speak without interrupting, acknowledge their concern and answer with the facts you know.

If you don't know the answer, say so and explain how you'll find out. Don't guess at what happened or blame another child.

⭐ Insider Tip: Working with vulnerable people taught me to give people time to take in difficult news. Once, I had to explain to a client that their application was unlikely to succeed. I stated the facts clearly and slowly, then paused before moving on to practical next steps. That pause gave them space to take it in and ask questions. Patience and a gentle tone make a hard conversation feel more human.

Step 4: Follow up in writing

A short message or a copy of the accident record gives the parent something to refer back to. Confirm the key facts, the first aid given and any next steps you agreed, and send it in a secure way.

When do you need to tell Ofsted?

If you're registered with Ofsted, you must report a child's death or a serious accident, injury or illness in your care as soon as possible, and within 14 days.

Ofsted's guidance on reporting a serious childcare incident lists minor injuries you don't need to report, such as cuts, grazes, bruising, sprains and insect bites. You may have other duties too, depending on what happened.

Recording an accident and telling Ofsted are separate jobs. A minor injury still goes in your accident record, even when you don't need to report it.

What should you do after an incident?

Review what happened with your team and fix anything that could cause it again.

Was the equipment safe? Do you need to change an activity or a procedure? Fix any hazards and record what you did. If another child was involved, follow your behaviour and safeguarding procedures and protect both children's privacy.

Parents who speak little English may need a little extra help to understand what happened. Our guide on helping a child who speaks little English settle in has ideas that work for families too, and our article on managing drop-off and collection covers handover conversations.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to tell parents about a minor bump or graze?

Yes. Have a clear process for telling parents about every injury, even minor ones, on the same day or as soon as reasonably practicable. For Early Years Foundation Stage providers, this is a legal requirement.

Should parents sign the accident record?

Not necessarily. What matters is a record showing that the parent was told. A signature is one way to show this, and a read receipt on a digital report is another. This can be important if the injury is questioned later.

What if a child is hurt by another child?

Care for the injured child first and record what happened factually. Tell both sets of parents what they need to know, without sharing the other child's details. Follow your club's behaviour and safeguarding procedures.

Make accident reporting part of your routine

Clear records and honest conversations help parents trust you, even when things go wrong. Eequ, the booking system for children's activity providers, holiday clubs, wraparound care and sports clubs, keeps your incident reports in one place, linked to the register, so you can keep parents informed without extra paperwork. See how Eequ works for your club.

Accurate as of October 2026. Always check GOV.UK for the latest guidance.