In Quality Area 2, early learning services ensure that children’s health, safety, and well-being are prioritized. Services that exceed in this area not only meet the minimum requirements for health and safety but also work with families and communities to create a safe, supportive environment for children.
What are we trying to achieve?
Our goal is to ensure that all children in our care are properly supervised in order to ensure child safety.
What are we doing?
Adapting and changing programming methods to explore programming options that allow the facilitation of child input.
Using the environment as the third educator to promote the creation of stimulating and engaging room environments.
What are we trying to achieve?
We want to ensure that we protect all children from harm. Educators understand their responsibilities in regards to child protection and take clear and evident actions to ensure that children are protected from harm.
What are we doing?
Identifying barriers in Critical Reflection method.
Staff Meeting to educate on Critical Reflection
Create a culture of reflection beginning with the leadership team.
ALL staff are required to attend annual child protection training
Create a child safety wall that displays the ways we embed the Child Safety Principles
2.1.1 Wellbeing and Comfort - Each child's wellbeing and comfort is provided for, including appropriate opportunities to meet each child's need for sleep, rest and relaxation
The Koalas room caters for individual needs, they have a designated sleep room, which allows for children to rest any time specific to their routine or needs. Educators are trained and aware of how to ensure safe sleep practices are followed as per SIDS guidelines.
Routines are flexible throughout the day allowing for individual rest needs to be met for sleep, rest or relaxation.
Information about children’s individual needs are gathered upon enrolment and ongoing via conversations with families, goal sheets an following the cues of children.
2.1.2 Health Practices and Procedures - Effective illness and injury management and hygiene practices are promoted and implemented.
Our educators model and reinforce effective hygiene practices across the entire centre.
Yearly training is given to all educators to ensure that areas of health and safety relating to our service are kept to a high standard. This is managed by the Centre Manager. We also have monthly team meeting where health and safety items can be discussed.
Sunscreen stations are available at the entry of both buildings for families. Throughout the day sunscreen is applied before children and educators go outside. Educators model sunscreen application and encourage children to apply their own sunscreen and only assisting where needed.
Hats are provided to all children and educator role model keeping out hats on.
Educators’ complete safety and cleaning checks on a daily basis. The service employs afterhours cleaners to complete a deeper clean of the centre twice a week.
Educators complete Incident, Injury trauma and Illness record. Centre Manager reports accordingly
2.1.3 Healthy Lifestyle - Healthy eating and physical activity are promoted and appropriate for each child.
The centre provides healthy nutritious meals. The Centre has an onsite chef who provides nutritionally balanced menus in collaboration with the food and safety recommendations for each age group. Our menus are designed based on 4 seasons and run on a 4-week rotation. The menu's are changed and reviewed by the chef and the centre manager to ensure that it is regualry updated and meets the nutritional guidelines.
Families are kept up to date with their child’s dietary information and have access to our menus to provide ongoing input and feedback. As part of our inclusive practices our kitchen also caters for all allergies, intolerance, and cultural preferences. To ensure these are appropriately managed across the centre, each prep room area, staffrooms and office has a dietary requirement spreadsheet. Our chef uses colour coded system e.g. Allergies/Anaphylaxis/preference is grey plates/bowls etc and everyone is is a colour.
Educators monitor and check food entering their rooms before serving. Encouraging healthy eating and lifestyle is part of our program
Allergies are monitored firstly via enrolment form. Any allergies go to our alerts which can be found in each prep area, outdoor environments and kitchen. Anaphylaxis allerts can also be found in staffroom. Educators will monitor children’s eating, making sure children are not sharing food.
We have identified through the AEDC (Australian Early Development Census) that in our local community (Mudgeeraba) 6.7% of children are developmentally vulnerable in physical development, therefore we have a big focus on outdoor play. We have large outdoor areas that promotes climbing, running, bike riding and various sports e.g. soccer.
2.2.1 Supervision - At all times, reasonable precautions and adequate supervision ensure children are protected from harm and hazard
The centre has supervision posters in both the indoor & outdoor environments. This is to ensure that our educators are in a position where all children are visible. Points of Supervision are discussed through team meetings.
Parents are required to sign children in and out using our Kidsoft app.
Management through rostering and walk throughs ensure that ratios are always maintained and educators actively communicate to ensure ratios are maintained. Educators also complete daily ratio sheets.
Supervision Training and discussions are completed at Staff Meetings, which all educators are required to attend. This training supports the understanding of personal responsibility when it comes to active supervision for children in care.
2.2.2 Incident and Emergency Management - Plans to effectively manage incidents and emergencies are developed in consultation with relevant authorities, practices and implemented.
The centre WHS Officer is Miss Karen along with the Assistant Centre Manager their role is to promote and maintain a safe and healthy work environment. This is done through regular drills, regular audit & compliance checklists and training.
Monthly emergency drills are conducted, including fire & lockdown and yearly off site drills in consultation with families and team to ensure effective procedures are in place and the centre is well prepared in the case of an emergency. Following each drill team reflects on what occurred and how we can improve.
2.2.3 Child Protection - Management, educators and staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities to identify and respond to every child at risk of abuse or neglect.
We are proud to be a Child Safe Organisation. Educators engage in yearly mandatory Child Protection training via ‘In Safe Hands’. This course provides educators with an understanding of their legal requirements in mandatory reporting and how to recognise and respond to different types of abuse.
We have created a display in our service for parents that highlights the ways in which our service is child safe in alignment with the Child Safety Standards.
Every year our Kangaroos and Emus children engage in an incursion by Bravehearts. This is a great age appropriate learning experience that supports and empowers children to watch out for the own safety. Learning includes; how to recognise your own bodies reactions to unsafe situations, supporting children to build their own safety team who they can turn to for help and the private parts of their body. Educators also access resources from Bravehearts to inform how to educate children on this matter
Practice is embedded in service operations
Practice is informed by critical reflection
Practice is shaped by meaningful engagement with families and/or community
2.1.3 Healthy lifestyles