19 Morningside Road, Morningside, Whangarei
View on mapKind Hands Ltd
Kind Hands Ltd
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
Regulatory standards |
ERO’s judgement |
Curriculum |
Meeting |
Premises and facilities |
Meeting |
Health and safety |
Meeting |
Governance, management and administration |
Meeting |
At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.
Background
Kind Hands Ltd is a privately owned centre that provides education and respite care for medically fragile children. The registered centre owner/manager is supported by a team of three registered teachers, a nurse and support staff. Half of the children attending are of Māori heritage.
Summary of Review Findings
Children’s preferences are respected, and they are involved in decisions about their learning experiences. The curriculum is inclusive, and responsive to children as confident and competent learners. It 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.
Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. A philosophy statement guides operations expressing the service’s beliefs, values, and attitudes.
Key Next Step
Next steps include improving the extent to which assessment information shows children’s progress and learning over time.
Next ERO Review
The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.
Filivaifale Jason Swann
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
1 September 2022
Information About the Service
Early Childhood Service Name |
Kind Hands Ltd |
Profile Number |
47574 |
Location |
Morningside, Whangarei |
Service type |
Education and care service |
Number licensed for |
10 children, including up to 5 aged under 2 |
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80-99% |
Service roll |
27 |
Review team on site |
July 2022 |
Date of this report |
1 September 2022 |
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Akanuku | Assurance Review, February 2021 |
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 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.
Kind Hands Ltd - 04/02/2021
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
Regulatory standards |
ERO’s judgement |
Curriculum |
Meeting |
Premises and facilities |
Meeting |
Health and safety |
Not meeting |
Governance, management and administration |
Meeting |
At the time of the review, ERO identified non-compliance with regulatory standards that must be addressed.
Background
Kind Hands opened in October 2018, and this is the first ERO review for the service. The centre provides early childhood education and healthcare for children who need additional medical support beyond the resources of other centres. The centre is staffed by both teachers and nurses and is licensed for a maximum of 10 children.
Summary of Review Findings
Adults providing education and care, engage in meaningful positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. Assessment, planning and evaluation demonstrates an in-depth understanding of children’s learning, their interests, whānau, and life contexts. 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.
Consistent implementation of health and safety practices is required to meet all aspects of regulatory compliance.
Actions for Compliance
ERO found areas of non-compliance in the service relating to:
- a procedure for monitoring children’s sleep is documented and implemented
- accident and incident records are analysed to identify hazards and appropriate action is taken
- regular or special excursion approval by the person responsible.
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS9, HS12, HS17.
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.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
4 February 2021
Information About the Service
Early Childhood Service Name |
Kind Hands Ltd |
Profile Number |
47574 |
Location |
Morningside, Whangarei |
Service type |
Education and care service |
Number licensed for |
10 children, including up to 5 aged under 2. |
Percentage of qualified teachers |
50-79% |
Service roll |
18 |
Ethnic composition |
Māori 7 |
Review team on site |
October 2020 |
Date of this report |
4 February 2021 |
Most recent ERO report(s) |
First ERO review of 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.