Country Kidz

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 found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

Background

Country Kidz is a not-for-profit, rural service located in a farming community. Since the previous ERO report, the centre has undergone significant leadership change.  Non-compliances identified during the previous ERO review have been addressed.

Summary of Review Findings

The service curriculum is inclusive and responsive to children as confident and competent learners. Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. Positive steps are taken to respect and acknowledge the aspirations held by parents and whānau for their children.

The service takes all reasonable steps to promote the health and safety of children. The premises and facilities are suitably resourced to provide for the learning and abilities of the children attending. An ongoing process of self-review and internal evaluation helps the service improve the quality of its education and care.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include:

• continue to develop the local curriculum to reflect the things that are important to children, their families, and the wider community
• improve the extent to which assessment information shows children’s progress and learning overtime
• increase the opportunities parents and whānau have to actively contribute to their child’s learning goals, drawing on the outcomes in Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum.

Next ERO Review

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

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

29 July 2022 

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 regulated 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; police vetting; teacher certification; ratios)
• evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

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.

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 areas of non-compliance with regulatory standards that are an unacceptable risk to children.

Background

Country Kidz is a standalone early childhood service located in a rural setting. The centre manager is responsible for day-to-day operations. The centre is governed by a parent committee. The August 2017 ERO report identified areas where the service was not compliant with regulatory standards. Not all of these have been addressed and further non-compliances were identified during this review.

Summary of Review Findings

The service is not meeting regulatory standards in a significant number of areas. Increased monitoring of health and safety practices is required. The service’s premises do not meet regulatory requirements. Effective governance and management systems that support staff to grow their knowledge and understanding of the licensing criteria have not been established.

Children engage in positive relationships with adults. Teachers support them to be confident and competent in the environment.

Actions for Compliance

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

• the service curriculum is consistent with any prescribed curriculum framework that applies to the service
• the service document is informed by assessment, planning, and evaluation (documented and undocumented) that demonstrates an understanding of children’s learning, their interests, whānau, and life contexts
• the service curriculum provides children with a range of experiences and opportunities to enhance and extend their learning and development – both indoors and outdoors, individually and in groups
• regular opportunities (formal and informal) are provided for parents to:
  • communicate with adults providing education and care about their child, and share specific   evidence of the child’s learning; and
  • be involved in decision-making concerning their child’s learning;
• the premises are located in a building that has a current Fire Evacuation Scheme approved by the New Zealand Fire Service
• there are a written emergency plan and supplies to ensure the care and safety of children and adults at the service. The plan must include evacuation procedures for the service’s premises, which apply in a variety of emergency situations and which are consistent with the Fire Evacuation Scheme for the building
• adults providing education and care are familiar with relevant emergency drills and carry these out with children on an at least three-monthly basis
• equipment, premises and facilities are checked on every day of operation for hazards to children. Accident/incident records are analysed to identify hazards and appropriate action is taken. Hazards to the safety of children are eliminated, isolated or minimised
• when children leave the premises on an excursion:
  • assessment and management of risk is undertaken, and adult: child ratios are determined   accordingly. Ratios are not less that the required adult: child ratio;
  • the first aid requirements in criterion HS25 are met in relation to those children and any children remaining at the premises;
• when children leave the premises on a regular or special excursion, the excursion must be approved by the Person Responsible
• a record of all food served during the service’s hours of operation (other than that provided by parent for their own children). Records show the type of food provided, and are available for inspection for 3 months after the food is served
• medicine (prescription and non-prescription is not given to a child unless it is given by a doctor or ambulance personnel in an emergency; or the parent of the child; or with the written authority (appropriate to the category of medicine) of a parent. Medicines are stored safely and appropriately, and are disposed of or sent home with a parent (if supplied in relation to a specific child) after the specified time. A record of all medicine (prescription and non-prescription) given to children attending the service must include evidence of parental acknowledgment
• a sufficient quantity and variety of (indoor and outdoor) furniture, equipment, and materials is provided that is appropriate for the learning and abilities of the children attending
• all indoor and outdoor items and surface, furniture, equipment and materials are safe and suitable for their intended use
• any windows or other areas of glass accessible to children are either made of safety glass; or covered by adhesive film designed to hold the glass in place in the event of it being broken; or effectively guarded by barriers which prevent a child striking or falling against the glass
• there are sufficient spaces for equipment and materials to be stored safely. Stored equipment and materials can be easily and safely accessed by adults, and where practicable, by children
• there is a first aid kit that complies with the requirements of Appendix 1; and is easily recognisable and readily accessible to adults; and is accessible to children
• parents of children attending the service and adults providing education and care are provided with opportunities to contribute to the development and review of the service’s operational documents (such as philosophy, policies, and procedures and any other documents that set out how day to day operations will be conducted)
• an ongoing process of self-review helps the service maintain and improve the quality of its education and care
• suitable human resource management practices are implemented
• an annual plan guides the service’s operation.

 [Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, C1, C2, C9, C12, HS4, HS7, HS8, HS12, HS17, HS19, HS28, PF4, PF5, PF7, PF8, PF28, GMA4, GMA6, GMA7, GMA9]

 [Regulation 43 Curriculum standard: general (1)(a)]

 [Regulation 46 Health and safety practices standard: general (1)(a); (1)(b); (1)(c); (1)(d); (1)(d);            (2)]

[Regulation 45 Premises and facilities standard: general (1)(a)(i)(ii), (b); (2)]

[Regulation 47 Governance, management, and administration standard: general (1)(a); (1)(b); (1)(c)(i)]

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

• premises, furniture, furnishings, fittings, equipment, and materials are kept safe, hygienic and maintained in good condition. (HS1)
• heavy furniture, fixtures, and equipment that could fall or topple and cause serious injury or damage are secured. (HS6)
• There is a written child protection policy that meets the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014. (HS31).

Recommendation to Ministry of Education

ERO recommends that the Ministry reassess the licence issued to this service provider. ERO will not undertake a further review of this service until the Ministry of Education is satisfied that the service meets regulatory standards.

Next ERO Review

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

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

1 April 2021 

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 regulated 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; police vetting; teacher certification; ratios)
• evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

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.