Middlemore Hospital Hospital Road, Otahuhu, Auckland
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Kidz First Surgicalcare is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Kidz First Surgicalcare is part of the children's surgical ward of Middlemore Hospital and is governed by the Counties Manukau Hospital Board. It provides for children admitted to the ward, and their whānau and siblings. The general manager of Kidz First supports the Hospital Play Specialist (HPS) team leader and the practice supervisor who have responsibility for the HPS team.
The HPS team works collaboratively with interdisciplinary teams within the hospital. Most HPS are registered early childhood teachers and have additional HPS qualifications. They work with children at their bedsides, in treatment rooms and in the playroom.
The service philosophy emphasises the importance of partnerships with children, whānau, young people and health professionals. Positive aspects identified in ERO's 2016 report have been maintained, including effective professional practice and leadership. Good progress has been made to improve bicultural practice and long-term planning.
This ERO review was one of two hospital-based services at Middlemore Hospital.
HPS have a clear focus on high quality care and education through play, including play associated with the medical procedures children are likely to experience. This continues to be a strength of the service. Early contact with whānau and children from their first admission to the hospital fosters calm and trusting relationships. As a result, children and whānau grow their knowledge about, and resilience to manage, surgical procedures.
Using information shared at the daily handover meetings with the surgical team, HPS develop relevant themes and ideas for curriculum planning. HPS document detailed information about what they notice and recognise, daily, regarding children's dispositions, interests and progress. Their records, including in clinical notes, provide useful information for both HPS and healthcare professionals about children's development and wellbeing within their family context. Health colleagues acknowledge and validate the skilled work of HPS.
Children, siblings and whānau are encouraged to make choices about where they play and HPS provide support, conversation and individual attention. Some children are brought to the playroom on their beds or in wheelchairs to play. The playroom is valued as a space where no medical procedures take place.
There is a strong focus on bicultural understanding and learning and this is evident in playroom displays and resources. Children’s diverse heritages are celebrated, and important festivals and cultural events are prominent in displays of children's artwork and decorations. HPS share knowledge of their own cultures and languages. They welcome and value all cultures.
The team leader and practice supervisor contribute to improved professional practice very well and focus on staff wellbeing. Their regular team and individual meetings with HPS provide opportunities for discussion and reflection. There is a clear process for HPS to progress professionally and to improve their practice. The HPS team receives strong, ongoing support and encouragement from the General Manager of Kidz First.
The service's long-term plan is a shared, working document. It is used to record change and improvement over time and links well with the service's annual goals, staff appraisal and professional development priorities.
The Hospital Play Specialist team have identified their focus is to continue to:
In order to improve practice, HPS should document processes for children's visits to other spaces on hospital grounds which should include provision for getting signed permission from whānau.
Before the review, the staff and management of Kidz First Surgicalcare completed an ERO Hospital-based Education and Care Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they have taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal obligations related to:
curriculum
premises and facilities
health and safety practices
governance, management and administration.
During the review, ERO looked at the service’s systems for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children's wellbeing:
emotional safety (including positive guidance and child protection)
physical safety (including supervision; sleep procedures; accidents; medication; hygiene; excursion policies and procedures)
suitable staffing (including qualification levels; police vetting; teacher registration; ratios)
evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region - Te Tai Raki
28 January 2021
The Education Review Office (ERO) is the government department that, as part of its work, reviews early childhood services throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. ERO’s reports provide information for parents and communities about each service’s strengths and next steps for development. ERO’s bicultural evaluation framework Ngā Pou Here is described in SECTION 3 of this report. Early childhood services are partners in the review process and are expected to make use of the review findings to enhance children's wellbeing and learning.
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Location |
Otahuhu, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
10229 |
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Licence type |
Hospital Based Service |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for / notional roll |
20 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 |
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Number of hospital play specialists in the service |
4 |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:2 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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|
Review team on site |
November 2020 |
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Date of this report |
28 January 2021 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
May 2016 |
|
|
Education Review |
March 2012 |
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|
Education Review |
April 2009 |
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ERO’s overarching question for a hospital-based service education review is ‘How well placed is this service to contribute to children’s learning and promote their wellbeing?’
ERO focuses on the following factors as described in the bicultural framework Ngā Pou Here:
Pou Whakahaere– how the service determines its vision, philosophy and direction to contribute to children’s learning and promote their wellbeing
Pou Ārahi– how leadership is enacted to contribute to children’s learning and promote their wellbeing
Mātauranga– whose knowledge is valued and how the curriculum is designed to contribute to children’s learning and promote their wellbeing
Tikanga whakaako– how approaches to teaching and learning respond to diversity, contribute to children’s learning and promote their wellbeing
Within these areas ERO considers the effectiveness ofarotake– self review and ofwhanaungatanga– partnerships with parents and whānau.
ERO evaluates how well placed a service is to sustain good practice and make ongoing improvements for the benefit of all children at the service.
A focus for the government is that all children have an opportunity to benefit from quality early childhood education. ERO will report on how well each service responds to children who are Māori, Pacific, have diverse needs, and are up to two years of age.
For more information about the framework and Ngā Pou Here refer to the methodology for ERO reviews in Hospital-based Education and Care Services.
The overall judgement that ERO makes will depend on how well the service promotes positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:
Very well placed
Well placed
Requires further development
Not well placed
ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.
ERO reviews are tailored to each service’s context and performance, within the overarching review framework. The aim is to provide information on aspects that contribute to children’s learning and wellbeing and are useful to the service.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
Kidz First Surgicalcare provides high quality early childhood education and care that promotes the wellbeing and learning of all children covered by the service.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Kidz First Surgicalcare is situated in the children's surgical ward of Middlemore Hospital. It caters for children admitted to the ward, and their siblings and whānau. The service is governed by the Counties Manukau Hospital Board. Daily management of the service is undertaken by the Hospital Play Specialist (HPS) team leader. Staff are qualified and registered early childhood teachers and hold additional qualifications as Hospital Play Specialists (HPS).
Counties Manukau Hospital (CMH) has recently undertaken a restructure of roles and responsibilities within the hospital. An operations manager has recently been appointed to take responsibility for the HPS team. The team leader and the operations manager work collaboratively to help ensure children are provided with a high quality service.
The service's philosophy emphasises the importance placed on developing partnership with whānau at every stage of HPS's work with children. Children's sense of wellbeing and opportunities for them to continue learning are the primary objectives of Hospital Play Specialists. They aim to promote and support children's social and emotional wellbeing at their bedsides, in treatment rooms and in the recreation room. Positive aspects from the 2012 ERO report have been sustained and recommendations acted upon. Self-review processes inform management about the effectiveness of the service.
Strategic planning for the service is in a phase of rethinking and reworking to reflect the recent changes in the service. The strategic plan will be linked to annual planning and staff performance appraisal processes on completion.
Children and their whānau demonstrate high levels of trust and wellbeing in the care of the HPS. Children confidently use the high quality resources and enjoy experiences provided in the recreation room and at their bedsides. They lead their own learning by making choices. The environment is attractive and plentifully resourced. The very large space for play, and infant corner provide opportunities for exploration and activities. A sliding divider between two parts of the room allow space for adolescents. Siblings and whānau are also welcome to use the recreation room.
HPS work consistently with children observing their reactions and supporting children's urgent needs and their strengths. Conversations with children seek to encourage their participation, and to discover their interests. The short stay of most children in hospital adds a complexity to the HPS role that they manage effectively. Transitions into and out of the hospital are sensitively managed by HPS in collaboration with nursing staff.
HPS bring high levels of knowledge and expertise to their work. Part of their aim is to increase children's ability to cope with separation from home, and with difficult medical procedures. They work effectively to help children and their whānau manage the unfamiliar hospital environment, and to develop a sense of belonging. Relationships are a strength of the service. HPS are respectful and inclusive at all levels.
HPS provide a curriculum underpinned by Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. Assessment and planning are contextually relevant, useful and recorded daily in a variety of ways. Purposeful evaluation is completed for long-stay patients and for those with special needs. Whānau are strongly influential in the programme. HPS talk with them, seeking information about children's learning experiences, personal dispositions and strategies for dealing with their medical issues.
Kidz First Surgicalcare is managed by a team of highly committed HPS. Experienced and effective leadership for the team contributes to the smooth operation of the service. A newly appointed practice supervisor leads the ongoing good practice that characterises the service. The work of the operations manager is making a significant and positive difference to the profile of the service within the hospital and to the efficiency of management documentation and thinking.
The recreation room decor, resources and notices reflect the intention of the HPS team to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and to increase children's awareness of the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa/New Zealand. All members of the team have attended PLD to strengthen their knowledge and familiarity with te reo Māori. The team leader has identified the need for the team to increase the use of te reo Māori with children and their whānau.
CMHB recognises the value HPS in helping children and whānau to respond positively to hospital environments and treatments. It ensures that the Kidz First Surgicalcare service receives the financial support needed to undertake its extensive work with children and their whānau. Part of this support is funding for the professional learning and development of staff to help sustain and further improve the high quality work of the HPS. Many of the policies for the service are generic to the hospital, but also include those specific to the education focus expected of HPS.
ERO and service managers agree that next steps for the service are to:
complete work on the strategic plan and associated links to annual planning and staff performance appraisal processes
continue to progress the use of te reo me ngā tikanga Māori with children and whānau
explore options for making the service's planning cycle more manageable for HPS.
Before the review, the staff and management of Kidz First Surgicalcare completed an ERO Centre Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they have taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal obligations related to:
curriculum
premises and facilities
health and safety practices
governance, management and administration.
During the review, ERO looked at the service’s systems for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children's wellbeing:
emotional safety (including positive guidance and child protection)
physical safety (including supervision; sleep procedures; accidents; medication; hygiene; excursion policies and procedures)
suitable staffing (including qualification levels; police vetting; teacher registration; ratios)
evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
The next ERO review of Kidz First Surgicalcare will be in four years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
5 May 2016
The Education Review Office (ERO) is the government department that, as part of its work, reviews early childhood services throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. ERO’s reports provide information for parents and communities about each service’s strengths and next steps for development. ERO’s bicultural evaluation framework Ngā Pou Here is described in SECTION 3 of this report. Early childhood services are partners in the review process and are expected to make use of the review findings to enhance children's wellbeing and learning.
|
Location |
Otahuhu, Auckland |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
10229 |
||
|
Licence type |
Hospital Based Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
20 children, including up to 8 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
Variable |
||
|
Gender composition |
Variable |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Variable |
||
|
Number of hospital play specialists in the service |
3 |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:1 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:1 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
February 2016 |
||
|
Date of this report |
5 May 2016 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
April 2009 |
||
|
Education Review |
March 2002 |
||
ERO’s overarching question for a hospital-based service education review is ‘How well placed is this service to contribute to children’s learning and promote their wellbeing?’ ERO focuses on the following factors as described in the bicultural framework Ngā Pou Here:
Pou Whakahaere– how the service determines its vision, philosophy and direction to contribute to children’s learning and promote their wellbeing
Pou Ārahi– how leadership is enacted to contribute to children’s learning and promote their wellbeing
Mātauranga– whose knowledge is valued and how the curriculum is designed to contribute to children’s learning and promote their wellbeing
Tikanga whakaako– how approaches to teaching and learning respond to diversity, contribute to children’s learning and promote their wellbeing
Within these areas ERO considers the effectiveness ofarotake– self review and ofwhanaungatanga– partnerships with parents and whānau.
ERO evaluates how well placed a service is to sustain good practice and make ongoing improvements for the benefit of all children at the service.
A focus for the government is that all children have an opportunity to benefit from quality early childhood education. ERO will report on how well each service responds to children who are Māori, Pacific, have diverse needs, and are up to the age of two.
For more information about the framework and Ngā Pou Here refer to the methodology for ERO reviews in Hospital-based Education and Care Services.
The overall judgement that ERO makes and the timing of the next review will depend on how well placed a service is to contribute to children’s learning and promote their wellbeing. The categories are:
ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.
ERO reviews are tailored to each service’s context and performance, within the overarching review framework. The aim is to provide information on aspects that contribute to children’s learning and wellbeing and are useful to the service.