Devonport Methodist Childcare Centre

Devonport Methodist Childcare Centre - 23 Feb 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

At the time of the review, ERO identified non-compliance with regulatory standards that must be addressed.

Background

Devonport Methodist Childcare Centre is owned by the Devonport Methodist Centre Trust. It is governed by a board comprised of the church, parents, and community representatives. Separate programmes are provided for three groups of children based on their ages. The service roll includes a small number of Māori and Pacific children.

Summary of Review Findings

Children are provided with a range of experiences and opportunities to enhance and extend their learning and development – both indoors and outdoors, individually and in groups. Teachers engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. The curriculum provides a language-rich environment that supports children’s learning.

The curriculum is consistent with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. It acknowledges and reflects the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua. Children have opportunities to develop knowledge and an understanding of the cultural heritages of both parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Consistent implementation and monitoring of health and safety and governance, management and administration practices is required to maintain regulatory standards.

Actions for Compliance

ERO found areas of non-compliance in the service relating to:

• having an ongoing process of self-review and internal evaluation that helps the service maintain and improve the quality of its education and care

• implementing human resource management practices that include documented staff induction procedures and a system of regular appraisal of staff.

[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, GMA6, GMA7].

Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:

• Analysing accident/incident records and daily hazard checks to identify hazards and take appropriate action (HS12).

• Ensuring documentation required for excursions includes the signature of the person responsible for giving approval (HS17).

• Ensuring that records of all medicine given to children attending the service include evidence of parental acknowledgement that medicine was administered to their child (HS28).

• Having a written child protection policy that includes provisions for the service’s identification and reporting of child abuse and neglect (HS31).

• Having an annual plan that guides the services’ operation (GMA8).

Recommendation to Ministry of Education

ERO recommends the Ministry follows up with the service provider to ensure that non-compliances identified in this report are addressed promptly.

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review will be in consultation with the Ministry of Education.

Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki

23 February 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 license 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.