Devonport Community Creche

Devonport Community Creche - 15 Sep 2023

ERO’s Akanuku | Assurance Review reports provide information about whether a service meets and maintains regulatory standards. Further information about Akanuku | Assurance Reviews is included at the end of this report.

ERO’s Judgement

Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed non-compliances and is now taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

Background

Devonport Community Creche is well established and known in the local community. It operates as a not-for-profit community-based service. A board of trustees provides governance, and delegates management of the service to an onsite manager who is a qualified teacher. She leads a team of six qualified teachers.

Summary of Review Findings

Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. The service curriculum is inclusive, and responsive to children as confident and competent learners. Children’s preferences are respected, and they are involved in decisions about their learning experiences.

The curriculum is informed by assessment, planning, and evaluation (documented and undocumented) that demonstrate an understanding of children’s learning, their interests, whānau, and life contexts.

Children are given the opportunity to develop knowledge and an understanding of the cultural heritages of both parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The curriculum acknowledges and reflects the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua.

Key Next Step

A next step is to strengthen the extent to which information documented in children’s assessment records reflects their languages and cultures.

Actions for Compliance

The service has provided ERO with evidence to show the following non compliances have been addressed:

• Having a procedure that ensures that children do not have access to food or liquids in bed and are checked for warmth, breathing and general wellbeing at least every 5 to 10 minutes, or more frequently according to individual needs (HS9).

• Having a record of illnesses that occur at the service that includes the name of the child, the date, time, and description of the illness, actions taken and by whom and evidence that the parents have been notified/informed (HS27).

• Having a record of the written authority from parents for the administration of medication in accordance with the requirements for category (i) and (ii) outlined in appendix 3 of the licensing criteria for centre-based education and care services (HS28).

• Having a written child protection policy that meets the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014. The policy is to contain provisions for the identification and reporting of child abuse and neglect, and how it will respond to suspected child abuse and neglect. The policy must be reviewed every three years (HS31).

• Having a record of all safety checks and the results for all workers who have access to children (GMA7A).

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

15 September 2023

Information About the Service

General Information about Assurance Reviews

All services are licensed under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The legal requirements for early childhood services also include the Licensing Criteria for Education and Care Services 2008.

Services must meet the standards in the regulations and the requirements of the licensing criteria to gain and maintain a licence to operate.

ERO undertakes an Akanuku | Assurance Review process in any centre-based service:

• having its first ERO review – including if it is part of a governing organisation

• previously identified as ‘not well placed’ or ‘requiring further development’

• that has moved from a provisional to a full licence

• that have been re-licenced due to a change of ownership

• where an Akanuku | Assurance Review process is determined to be appropriate.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

All early childhood services are required to promote children’s health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. Before the review, the staff and management of a service 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.

As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulatory standards are being met. In particular, ERO looks at a 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; safety checking; teacher certification; ratios)

• relevant evacuation procedures and practices.

As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:

• discussions with those involved in the service

• consideration of relevant documentation, including the implementation of health and safety systems

• observations of the environment/premises, curriculum implementation and teaching practice.