Liahona - Learning For Life 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

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

Background

Liahona – Learning for Life Ltd is a home-based early learning service situated in Palmerston North. Children and kaiako are supported by an early childhood qualified, visiting coordinator. The service aspires to provide home based education and wider support particularly for Pacific families. Nearly all children attending are from Pacific nations.

Summary of Review Findings

The service’s philosophy guides leaders and kaiako practices. Children are supported to be confident in their culture and to use their first languages. They have opportunities to engage with their peers and develop social competencies.

The visiting coordinator regularly visits kaiako and children in homes. Advice and support are provided to promote the delivery of a programme consistent with Te Whāriki (The New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum).

Governance and management systems provide guidance for service operation. Human resource management practices need to be implemented for visiting coordinators.

Processes for initial checking and ongoing monitoring of premises and facilities and health and safety requirements require strengthening.

Actions for Compliance

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

• premises that promote different types of experiences and spaces for a range of activities
• a variety of equipment and materials appropriate for the learning and abilities of children attending
• ensuring that furniture for sleeping, that is used by more than one child is protected from becoming soiled and allows for easy cleaning
• ensuring that premises, furniture, equipment and materials for the use of children attending are kept safe, hygienic, and maintained in good condition
• written emergency and evacuation plans relevant to each home
• designated assembly areas for each home
• documentation that demonstrates that sleeping children are checked for warmth, breathing and general well-being at least every 10-15 minutes
• ensuring that all criteria requirements are met when equipment, premises and facilities are checked daily for hazards to children
• ensuring that all criteria requirements are met whenever children leave the premises on regular and special excursions
• a procedure outlining the service’s response to injury, illness and incidents that includes the review and implementation of practices as required
• suitable human resource management practices are implemented for staff including processes for selection and appointment, induction and appraisal
• records of safety checks for staff.

[Licensing Criteria for Home-based Education and Care Services 2008, PF1, PF4, PF21, HS1, HS4, HS5, HS8, HS11, HS14, HS24, GMA6, GMA6A]

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.

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

7 May 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 home-based 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 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 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 a Home Based Education and Care Assurance Statement and Self-Audit.

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 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 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 
• visits to educator homes, selected by ERO.