“It’s our polite nudge in the ribs to help you and your team stay organised and on task.”
This week’s subject is Supervision
Element 2.2.1: At all times, reasonable precautions and adequate supervision ensure children are protected from harm and hazard.
The Education and Care Services National Law and National Regulations require approved providers to ensure that all children being educated and cared for at an approved service are adequately supervised at all times and are protected from harm and hazards.
Active and effective supervision across the service environment is crucial in ensuring children’s wellbeing and safety. Educators must make professional judgements, taking into consideration the environment, the children, routines and the context of the experiences children are engaging in. Educators should balance supervision and engagement by drawing on a range of skills such as positioning, using peripheral vision and monitoring changes in noise and stress levels.
The Guide to the NQF defines adequate supervision as:
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- when an educator can respond immediately, particularly when a child is distressed or in a hazardous situation.
- knowing where children are at all times and monitoring their activities actively and diligently.
Have you reviewed your policies, procedures, and practices to ensure adequate and effective supervision is maintained across all aspects of service delivery in line with all 2023 legislative updates and changes?
Sleep and rest:
Approved providers must ensure that active and effective supervision is maintained during sleep and rest routines. Services are currently required to have policies and procedures in place regarding sleep and rest (r168 (2) (v) ). From 1 October 2023 new requirements will come into effect that require sleep and rest policies and procedures to address the matters set out in regulation 84B. Approved providers will need to ensure a risk assessment is conducted in relation to sleep and rest for the purpose of preparing sleep and rest policies and procedures (regulation 84C). The risk assessment will need to be conducted every 12 months, and as soon as practicable after becoming aware of a circumstance that may affect the safety, health or wellbeing of children during sleep and rest. For services where overnight care is provided (such as services in hospitals, where shift workers’ children attend overnight), the risk assessment must address management of risks relating to overnight care, to inform policies and procedures. New sleep and rest requirements, further information.
Safe arrival of children:
Services are already required to have policies and procedures in place for the delivery of children to, and collection from, the service premises and take reasonable steps to ensure these policies are followed.
From 1 October 2023, to minimise the risk to children who travel between an education and care service and any other education or early childhood service, services must ensure that they complete a risk assessment for the purpose of preparing their policies and procedures (regulation 102AAB). This means that the service’s policy and procedures for delivery to, and collection from the Service are informed by the risk assessment. The risk assessment will need to be conducted every 12 months, and as soon as practicable after becoming aware of a circumstance that may affect the safe arrival of children travelling between an education and care service and any other education or early childhood service. Safe arrival of children, new requirements- further information.
Supervision during transportation:
Changes were implemented in March for Centre-based services that offer or arrange transportation of children. These changes mean that the approved provider must ensure that:
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- a staff member or nominated supervisor (other than the driver) is present at the service to account for children as they embark and disembark the vehicle at the service’s premises (Regulations 102E and 102F)
- a staff member or nominated supervisor (other than the driver) must complete a check of the interior of the vehicle at the service premises to ensure no children are left behind (r102F).
Resources:
Active supervision: Ensuring safety and promoting learning
Minimising the risk of children being mistakenly locked in or out of Service premises
Minimising the risk of children being left behind in vehicles
Education and Care Services National Further Amendment Regulations 2023
Sleep and rest legislative requirements
Key NQF Changes for centre-based Services from 2023
Active supervision strategies poster
Reflecting on common OSHC supervision areas
Within System7 go to Quality Area 2/Modules 16-23 to submit self-assessment notes and if required, open a QIP issue if you identify any areas of improvement.
The Childcare Centre Desktop has a range of resources to assist services with supervision. These includeDelivery of Children to and Collection from Education and Care Service Premises Policy, Excursion Risk Assessment and Management Plan, Transporting Children- Risk Assessment and Management Plan, Supervision Guidelines and Procedure, Supervision Policy, Supervision Audit, Supervision Plan Template, Working Directly with Children Guide, Direct Supervision Sign In/Out Sheet and much more.
Resources, NQS Element, Regulation and System7 links:
Childcare Centre Desktop – Childcare Centre Desktop
National Quality Standard – QA 2/ 2.2.1- Supervision
National Regulations – 101(2)(f) , 102C(2)(g), 102E, 102F, 115, 168,
System7 Module – QA 2/Modules 16-23
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