HARBORD PUBLIC SCHOOL OUT OF SCHOOL HOURS CENTRE POLICY DOCUMENT

Transcription

1 HARBORD PUBLIC SCHOOL OUT OF SCHOOL HOURS CENTRE POLICY DOCUMENT Harbord Public School Out Of School Hours Centre Oliver Street Harbord NSW 2096 Phone: Fax: Mobile: Website: Endorsed By 2014 Parent Committee Name Position Signature Date Hard Copy Signed Hard Copy Signed Hard Copy Signed Hard Copy Signed Hard Copy Signed Page 1 Endorsed By Parent committee Signature- Position- Date-

2 Subsection CONTENTS SECTION ONE - ADMINISTRATION Policy Page Regulation Standard 1.1 Governance and Management , Philosophy Hours of Operation Enrolment and Orientation 10 73, 75, 76, 80, 86, 99, 102, 111, 157, Bookings/Cancellations 12 73, 75, 76, 80, 86, 99, 102, 111, 157, Fees and Accounts 15 73, 75, 76, 80, 86, 99, 102, 111, 157, , Maintenance of Records/Insurances 18 29, 30, 102, 158, , , Arriving and Leaving Harbord OOSH Emergency Care Parenting Orders Policy Development and Review Participation and Access 29 73, 75-76, 80, 84, 97, , 111, , , 166, 168, 171, 173, , 101, , 166, , , 75, 76, 80, 84, 86, 99, 102, 111, , , 168, 171, 173, 176, , 75, 76, 80, 86, 99, 102, 111, 157, , 80, 86, 99, , , , 171, , 4.1, , 4.1, , 6.1, 7.1, , , 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, , 6.2, 7.2, Complaints 31 73, 75, 76, 80, 86, 99, 102, 111, Roles of Management Financial Management Cash Handling 39 73, 75-76, 80, 86, 99, 102, 111, 157, 168, 171, , Confidentiality , , 158, , 4.2, 7.1, , 173, Acceptance and refusal of 35, 118, , 146, 148, , 41 Authorisations 161, , 175, Page 2 Endorsed By Parent committee Signature- Position- Date-

3 SECTION TWO - FACILITIES Subsection Policy Page Regulation Standard 2.1 Personal Possessions Building Access and Security 44 84, 97, 167, Indoor Environment 45 77, 82, 83, 103, 105, 107, , 3.1, 110, 111, 115, , , 4.1, 6.1, Outdoor Environment 46 77, 82-84, 89, 101, , , 3.1, , , 166, 168, 3.2, 4.1, Building Equipment Repairs and Maintenance , Storage 49 77, 103, 105, , Heating, Ventilation and Lighting Page 3 Endorsed By Parent committee Signature- Position- Date-

4 SECTION THREE HEALTH AND SAFETY Subsection Policy Page Regulation Standard 3.1 Child Protection 51 73, 75, 76, 80, 84, 86, 97, 2.3, 4.2, 6.2, 99, 102, 111, 157, , , 2.3, 3.2, 3.2 Behaviour Guidance , 120, 155, 156, , 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, Hygiene , 89, 106, , Pest Control 58 77, , 3.1, 3.3, Animals , Food and Nutrition , Hazardous Materials 62 82, 83, Emergency and Evacuation 63 97, Sun Protection 65 77, 114, , 3.1, Transporting Children , , 166, 168, , Children with Medical Conditions 69 77, 90-96, 168, 178, , 2.3, Medication , 178, HIV/AIDS/HEP B and C 73 4, 77, 88, , First Aid 75 89, 136, , 2.3, Accidents, Illness & Trauma , 168, 177, 178, , Death of a Child/Parent/Visitor/Staff 78 12, , Illness and Infectious Diseases 80 4, 88, , 175, , Immunisation 82 4, 73, 75, 77, 80, 86, 88, 99, 102, 111, 157, 161, 168, 2.1, , Manual Handling , , 4.2 Page 4 Endorsed By Parent committee Signature- Position- Date-

5 SECTION FOUR STAFF Subsection Policy Page Regulation Standard , 118, , 146, 148, Staff Selection , 7.1, , 118, , , 4.1, 4.2, Conditions of Employment , 148, Staff Orientation , 73, 75, 76, 80, 86, 99, 102, 4.1, 5.1, Staff Professionalism and Code Of 111, 118, 121, 123, 136, , Conduct 152, 157, 158, , In-service Training and Development 96 84, Staff Review and Appraisal Grievance , Disciplinary Action Relief/Casual Staff , 166, Volunteers/Students/Visitors , 166, , , , 168- Staff: Child Ratios , , Interactions Responsible Person, Certified Supervisor And Educational leader 73, 75, 76, 80, 86, 99, 102, 111, 156, , 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, , 118, 146, 148, , 4.2 Page 5 Endorsed By Parent committee Signature- Position- Date-

6 SECTION FIVE PROGRAM Subsection Policy Page Regulation Standard 5.1 Daily Routines , , 2.1, Written Programs , 1.2, Gender Equity , Cultural Relevance/Anti-bias , Excursions , Supervision , , 156, 166, 168, , 4.1, TV,DVD, Games and Films , 76, 84, 103, 105, , 1.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, Caring for the Environment , , 1.2, Water Activities , 166, 168, Education And Care Services Mandatory Policies (Regulation 168) Section Policy Page 3.6 Food and Nutrition Sun Protection Water Activities First Aid Accidents, Illness & Trauma Illness and Infectious Diseases Children with Medical Conditions Emergency And Evacuation Staff Professionalism and Code Of Conduct Responsible Person, Certified Supervisor And Educational leader Volunteers/Students/Visitors Enrolment and Orientation Roles of Management Governance and Management Confidentiality Building Access and Security Storage Acceptance and refusal of Authorisations Fees and Accounts Complaints Grievance 101 Page 6 Endorsed By Parent committee Signature- Position- Date-

7 SECTION ONE ADMINISTRATION 1.1 Governance and Management POLICY A Management Sub Committee of the Harbord Public School Parents & Citizens Association operates Harbord Out of School Hours (Harbord OOSH). It is run as a service for families in the local community as a non-profit, non-loss operation. Harbord OOSH adheres to the Harbord Public School License Agreement and relevant legislation. PROCEDURE Harbord OOSH adheres to the following legislation; Education and Care Services National Law and Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011 (ECSNL and ECSNR). United Nations Convention on the rights of the Child Working With Children Check and Child Protection (Prohibited Employment) ACT 1998 Association Incorporation Act 2009 Children Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 Food Act 2003 NSW Work Health and Safety Act 2011 Privacy and Personal Information Act (NSW) 1998 Family Law Act 1975 Fair Work Cover Act National Employment Standards Children s Services Award A parent Management Committee is selected every November at the AGM. The OOSH Management Committee is a subcommittee of Harbord Public school P&C Association. The Co-ordinator reports to the Management Committee. The Management Committee reports to the P&C. The centres legal entity is Harbord Public P&C Association trading as Harbord OOSH. Harbord Public School P&C Association is an incorporated body. Harbord OOSH banks with Bendigo Bank and is registered as a not for profit organisation. A Management Committee must consist of a Chair Person, Secretary and Treasurer to operate. All other chair holder roles are preferred (policy 1.14) Page 7 Endorsed By Parent committee Signature- Position- Date-

8 1.2 PHILOSOPHY Harbord OOSH is a place to play and learn in an eco-sustainable environment where kids can be kids. We provide time for kids to; have fun, get messy, take risks, make noise, connect with nature, be creative and physically active. Families and children are free to communicate their choices and suggestions to our caring and professional staff. We are a service that strives for continual improvement and values a healthy lifestyle, community involvement and diversity. Where everyone has a sense of belonging and feels safe and is respected as individuals. By embracing our core values we would love our great kids to become great adults. Revised by staff, parents and children- September 2014 Page 8 Endorsed By Parent committee Signature- Position- Date-

9 1.3 HOURS OF OPERATION Harbord OOSH is open Monday to Friday all year with the exception of Public Holidays, a three week close down period over Christmas and an OOSH clean-up day the last Friday of each vacation care period. Before School Care operates from am. After School Care operates from pm. Vacation Care and Pupil Free Days operate from 7.30am pm. Harbord OOSH is closed during public holidays. All opening hours are posted at Harbord OOSH, on the website and placed in our Parent Handbook. No children are to be left unattended at Harbord OOSH outside these hours. These operating hours are reviewed annually to ensure Harbord OOSH meets current family needs. We do not provide additional child care hours for teacher strikes or stop work meetings. Harbord OOSH is also open 9.00am-3.00pm for Kindy children only on the Best Start days in term 1. On school days, at 8.40am, OOSH children are able to play in the school playground under the supervision of school teaching staff along with non OOSH children. Page 9 Endorsed By Parent committee Signature- Position- Date-

10 1.4 ENROLMENT AND ORIENTATION POLICY We aim to provide an efficient enrolment and orientation procedure that is clear and easily comprehended. We will ensure confidentiality and offer a flexible and fair access system. PROCEDURE REGISTRATION Registration must be completed before the child attends Harbord OOSH. The registration steps are as follows: Log on to Select Register and mark all boxes BSC, ASC & Vac Complete all personal details before pressing submit. Registration is restricted to Harbord Public School children from Kindergarten to Year six classes for Before and After School Care. For Vacation care, registrations/bookings are open five weeks before the end of the term for Harbord OOSH children, four weeks before the end of term for Harbord Public School children and three weeks before the end of term for all other children (subject to availability). Harbord OOSH users must update their registration form online when applicable and upon request by the Centre Co-ordinator/Assistant Co-ordinators. Your child s registration must contain information regarding: Child s emergency contacts Personal, medical and custodial details Immunisation status and self-administering of asthma medication authorisations Media release authorisations. Registrations are only accepted online unless arrangements made with Centre Co-ordinator/Assistant Coordinator. Upon accepting registrations an automated is sent from Hubworks containing login and password details. Harbord OOSH will confirmation of registrations. Special arrangements are made for families without internet access. PLACEMENT Priority is based on the 'Priority of Access Guidelines set by the The Department of Education Employment and workplace Relations (DEEWR). A copy of these guidelines is available from Harbord OOSH Administration. Combined with the DEEWR priority of access, placement then allocated on a first in, first served basis. Placement is given as follows: Current users and siblings of Harbord OOSH Harbord Public School Students Page 10 Endorsed By Parent committee Signature- Position- Date-

11 Children of staff teaching at Harbord Public School Children not attending Harbord Public School (Vacation care only) Permanent & Casual bookings Short notice booking. ORIENTATION Before the start of a new year all families are invited to an information evening at the Harbord OOSH Centre where they have the opportunity to hear about the Harbord OOSH program and meet permanent staff. Parents that enquire at the Centre are given registration details and any questions answered personally by staff. Parents that register on line are directed to the Centre s website to view the parent handbook and invited to arrange a time for a personal orientation at the Centre to answer any questions. The Centre has provided a parent lounge area. The Centre Co-ordinator conducts a presentation at the Kindy orientation days for all the new families enrolled at Harbord Public school. Page 11 Endorsed By Parent committee Signature- Position- Date-

12 POLICY 1.5 BOOKINGS/CANCELLATIONS Subject to available places, we aim to offer a booking system that meets the varying needs of the families in our community. We respect the changing circumstances of families and provide opportunity for cancellation and change. PROCEDURE BOOKING TYPES & FORMS Permanent Booking - is a booking that is made for a regular session all year Casual Booking - is a booking made for one or a few occasional sessions for that term only Short Notice Casual Booking - is a casual booking made during the week care is required. Booking forms should be lodged at minimum the week prior to starting care. It is advised to place bookings as early as possible to avoid disappointment and late booking fees. Permanent bookings for each New Year will continue as per current booking unless you have informed the Centre you will be cancelling or changing days. The Centre will automatically cancel all bookings held by year six children at the end of the year. New Kindy families are allocated places from November 1 st for the next year. Next year s waiting list forms can be found on our website. Booking forms are available on our website or from the Harbord OOSH administration area. For a permanent booking, complete the permanent booking form by filling in the parent s and child s name and answer the questions on the front and circle the sessions required. For casual bookings (including short notice), complete the casual booking form with the parent s and child/ren name and answer the questions on the front or the Centre with your booking request. All ed casual bookings must be sent in a separate with the subject content casual booking. The fee will appear on the next invoice and billed on the next OOSH direct debit day. When adding a casual day to your yearly booking please complete the casual booking form or the Centre and the additional fees will appear on your next invoice. Casual/short notice bookings must be made before close of service the previous day for Before School Care and After School Care, to allow sufficient time for Harbord OOSH staff to advise of availability. Bookings after this time are at the discretion of the Co-ordinator. It is recommended to contact the Centre to confirm availability. Information regarding new booking dates are in our Centre newsletter and on the Harbord OOSH website. Completed booking forms must be placed in the Harbord OOSH office locked box, ed or handed to OOSH administration staff. Page 12 Endorsed By Parent committee Signature- Position- Date-

13 Vacation Care and Pupil free day bookings are made on the Vacation Care Booking form which can be returned by , fax or in person and must be accompanied with excursion permission notes if applicable. Vacation Care programs and bookings open 5 weeks prior to the end of term for current HOOSH families, 4 weeks prior for all Harbord School families and three weeks prior for non-harbord school children.. Bookings can be made via , fax or in person at the OOSH Centre on specified booking forms only. Confirmed sessions can be checked by logging on to your Hubworks account. It is the responsibility of the parent to ensure your booking has been processed by logging on to your hub works account. Parents will be notified of any wait listed days. PLACEMENT Permanent bookings for each New Year will continue as per current booking unless you have informed the Centre in writing you will be cancelling or changing days. The Centre will automatically cancel all bookings held by year six children at the end of the year. New Kindy families are allocated places from November 1 st for the up and coming year. Next year s waiting list forms can be found on our website. Whilst following the 'Priority of Access Guidelines set by the DEEWR placement at Harbord OOSH is allocated on a first in, first served basis at the start of each year and Vacation Care program. Placement is given as follows: Current users and siblings of Harbord OOSH Harbord Public School Students Children of staff teaching at Harbord Public School Non-Harbord School children (vacation acre only) Permanent & Casual bookings Short notice booking GROUPS The Centre is divided into Juniors (Kindy & Year one), Seniors (year two & three) and Club 4Up (years four, five and six). For before and after school care your child is placed in the OOSH group that matches their year group at school. For Vacation Care and Pupil Free days your child is placed in the OOSH group that matches their year group at school for the current year. For example; a child heading into year two in 2015 will move up to the OOSH senior group for the January 2015 Vacation Care and Pupil Free Day. A child that has not yet started school but will be starting in Kindergarten that year can enrol in the Junior group and attend vacation care during the January holidays on specified days only (please refer to the program). A previous year 6 child enrolled in high school for the current year cannot attend vacation care during the January holidays. CANCELLING AND CHANGING BOOKED SESSIONS Page 13 Endorsed By Parent committee Signature- Position- Date-

14 Booked sessions can be changed or cancelled without charge, providing the correct procedure is followed. Verbally informing staff of cancellations is not accepted. Failing to put your request in writing will result in the unused session being charged to your account. BASC Casual bookings- request is to be made in an or written in the parent message book by 6.00pm Friday the week prior to care. BASC Yearly bookings- Periodic cancellations and changes can be made in an or in the parent message book before the start of each new term. For example: If you are having a two week holiday in term two, as long as you notify the Centre in writing during term one you will not be charged for the two weeks If you only require every second Monday then as long as you place all the Monday dates you want to cancel in writing the term prior you will not be charged If you don t need Tuesday afternoons for term three due to Sports training, you just need to or write it in the message book in term two. Pupil Free Days and Vacation Care- Cancellations must be made in writing seven days before the end of the previous term. All cancellations for Pupil Free Days and Vacation Care incur a $20.00 cancellation fee per day. Attempted cancellations for Pupil Free Days/Vacation care days made during the last week of term or during Vacation Care are classified as an absent day and billed at the full rate. WAITING LIST If you do not get a requested session you will be placed on the Centres waiting list. Priority of access guidelines apply to our waiting list. The waiting list and Centre numbers are checked weekly and parents contacted via or phone to offer placement. Offered places remain open for 24 hours then the next eligible family will be contacted. Adding days to the waitlist will be in order of receiving the booking request. Declining an offered day will place you at the bottom of the waiting list if requested or removed. It is the parents responsibility to regularly check s. Page 14 Endorsed By Parent committee Signature- Position- Date-

15 POLICY 1.6 FEES AND ACCOUNTS We aim to provide a quality and affordable service. Fee levels are set by the Harbord OOSH Committee each year based on budget requirements. We require accounts to be kept up to date and communicate penalties for overdue accounts clearly. Account holders are to use Harbord OOSH s preferred method of payment. PROCEDURE Harbord OOSH fees are paid using a direct debit system, idebit. This is an automated payment system. Upon enrolment account holders are required to complete an idebit authorisation form. This form authorises OOSH to automatically deduct fees owing from the parents nominated bank account. INVOICING Harbord OOSH will fortnightly invoices, one week in arrears and one week in advance. The invoice will show what has been billed to the account for the past and the current week. A dishonoured payment fee of $20.00 is charged to all declined transactions that are processed fortnightly and a cancellation fee for Pupil Free Days and Vacation care of $20.00 per day. Absent sessions are charged at the regular rate. Absences that exceed the 42 allowable days set by DEEWR are charged at the full Harbord OOSH rate and CCB will not apply. Subsidies for absent days over 42 days will only apply according to DEEWR stipulations. For example- a doctor s certificate or an employer letter regarding roster changes etc. Harbord OOSH fees are: Before School Care- $10.50 for Permanent Bookings, $11.00 for Casual After School Care- $15.50 for Permanent Bookings, $16.00 for Casual Vacation Care & Pupil Free Days- $65.00 Kindy Care days- $ Short notice bookings or sessions booked via phone will incur an additional $5.00 booking fee per child per session. A short notice booking is classified as a booking made in the week of care or on the day of care. An administration fee of $10.00 is charged to all parents upon enrolment. The administration fee is then charged annually for permanent bookings and per term for casual bookings. Extra charges for special activities are communicated to parents via the Centre weekly newsletter and included on invoices. Disputing extra charges must be made by contacting the Centre in person, by phone or by . PAYMENTS The amount showing on the invoice will be deducted from the parent s nominated bank account 48 hours after invoicing. This amount may vary slightly due to CCB/CCR estimates. Page 15 Endorsed By Parent committee Signature- Position- Date-

16 If you don t want any variances between invoices and billing then please notify the Family Assistance Office to receive all subsidies directly and not through OOSH. If there are any discrepancies regarding the invoice this must be made known to the Centre prior to debiting payments. All payments are allocated directly to Hubworks accounts. Request by a parent for additional or suspended payments are considered and authorised by the Centre Coordinator. Consultation with the Management Committee may be sought. An alternative method of payment for special circumstances may be considered by the Management Committee after notification in writing by the account holder. OVERDUE ACCOUNTS A $20.00 dishonoured payment fee will apply fortnightly to accounts where insufficient funds prevented an automated direct debit payment. Where an account has had insufficient funds the Centre will re attempt to process the payment four days after the initial payment. Upon another failed attempt the payment will combine with the next fortnight fees. Overdue account holders will receive phone or reminders. Account holders four weeks in arrears (two failed billing cycles) will be contacted to inform them of the Centre s overdue accounts policy as follows: Accounts more than four weeks overdue will be brought to the attention of the Harbord OOSH Committee. This may result in written notification from the Management Committee where 48hrs notice is given to pay outstanding fees before bookings are cancelled. No further bookings will be accepted until payment is made. Families may apply to the Management Committee (in writing) for special consideration when experiencing financial hardship. If outstanding debts are still not settled, the OOSH Committee will liaise with the P&C President to decide if circumstances require the use of an outside debt collection agency to recover outstanding fees. To respect client confidentiality, liaisons of this nature with the P&C President will be kept private and will not be discussed at P&C meetings. ACCOUNT CREDIT Credits will be refunded upon request or when cancelling enrolment. RECEIPTING Receipts for fees are issued via upon request. All successful payment transactions will appear on the next invoice. CHILD CARE BENEFIT (CCB) AND THE CHILD CARE REBATE (CCR) Your child s date of birth and Customer Reference Number (CRN) and your date of birth and CRN should be entered in the appropriate field in your online enrolment. Your fees are charged based on your actual reduced rate and at your estimated reduced rate. Page 16 Endorsed By Parent committee Signature- Position- Date-

17 CCB is a means-tested financial support for childcare. Not all families are eligible. All families must apply at DEEWR for assessment and a CRN. Fee reductions may be obtained directly through Harbord OOSH or claimed from Centrelink as a lump sum payment. To apply for CCB, contact Community Services (CS) on To receive CCR directly through the Centre, CS needs to be notified. If needed, please inform CS of the reference number for Harbord S. All families receiving CCB/CCR through the Centre or claiming as a direct lump sum payment must have child and family CRN s. It is the parent s responsibility to provide correct information to Harbord OOSH viahubworks to ensure CCB /CCR payments can be made. It is the parent s responsibility to check invoices to ensure CCB/CCR payments are being received. Page 17 Endorsed By Parent committee Signature- Position- Date-

18 POLICY 1.7 MAINTENANCE OF RECORDS/INSURANCES We aim to ensure all appropriate records are kept for the specified time periods. We will protect the privacy and confidentiality of all clients, staff and management by securing information and only providing access to people who have a legal right. Harbord OOSH will hold all relevant policies to ensure the financial viability of the Centre and protect all stakeholders. PROCEDURE Staff are to ensure all records containing current client personal information are kept in the locked filing cabinet at Harbord OOSH. The Co-ordinator/Assistant Co-ordinator must ensure all documentation relating to staff and children be kept in a secure place in the Harbord OOSH office and only made available to the individual staff member, Co-ordinator/Assistant Co-ordinator and current chair holders of the Management Committee. No member of staff is to give information obtained during the course of employment regarding a child, staff, Management Committee member to anyone other than the enrolling parent/guardian. With exception to general exchange amongst staff and the Management Committee for the wellbeing of staff and children or for use in a court of law when subpoenaed as per the current mandatory reporter s guidelines, information may be shared between interagency organisations for the welfare of a child at risk. Documentation relating to bookings and fee payments are stored in the Harbord OOSH locked filing cabinet and accessed by individual families on their Hubworks account. s and messages from parents are placed in individual locked files for parental access if requested. Records archived each term are: Attendance rolls Booking cards Accounts reports CCMS reports Records archived annually or upon termination are: Harbord OOSH programs Daily diaries Staff records Medication authorisations Taxation Superannuation Working With Children Checks. All archives are kept securely on the School premises and access is restricted. When adequate archiving time is complete all records are destroyed. Page 18 Endorsed By Parent committee Signature- Position- Date-

19 INSURANCES Below is a list of insurance policies that Harbord OOSH holds: Workers Compensation (GIO). The Harbord OOSH Bookkeeper ensures this policy is renewed and does this in collaboration with the Centre Co-ordinator. The Harbord OOSH Treasurer approves the renewal. Harbord OOSH pays for the premium Vacation Care (Harbord Public School P&C). Harbord OOSH reimburses the P&C for any costs associated with Before and After School care and Vacation Care. The Harbord OOSH Bookkeeper ensures this policy is renewed and does so in collaboration with the Centre Co-ordinator. The Coordinator reports how many children attend Vacation Care. The Harbord OOSH Treasurer approves the renewal. Harbord OOSH pays for the premium Business Combined (Brookvale Insurance Brokers Building and Contents). The Harbord OOSH Bookkeeper ensures this policy is renewed and does so in collaboration with the Centre Coordinator. The Harbord OOSH Treasurer approves the renewal. Harbord OOSH pays for the premium Personal Indemnity (Harbord Public School P&C). The P&C Treasurer ensures this policy is renewed and does so in collaboration with the Centre Co-ordinator. Page 19 Endorsed By Parent committee Signature- Position- Date-

20 POLICY 1.8 ARRIVING AT AND LEAVING HARBORD OOSH We aim to ensure the safety and well-being of children through effective communication and cooperation between Harbord OOSH, parent/guardian and the school. We provide a dropping off and collection procedure that ensures the safety of each child and meets the needs of the families. Parents are required to follow specific communication procedures to ensure the appropriate care of their child. PROCEDURE BEFORE SCHOOL CARE, VACATION CARE, PUPIL FREE DAY & KINDY BEST START DROPPING OFF Upon arrival at Harbord OOSH in the morning the parent/adult must sign the child/ren in. Before the child is left at Harbord OOSH a staff member must be made aware of the child s presence and any special instructions communicated in the communication book. Should any medication be required the parent must inform the staff and then complete the appropriate medication authorisation. (See medication policy). A child in Club 4 Up can sign themselves in to Before School Care. A child in K-year three can be signed in by an older sibling in year four or over with written permission by the parent/guardian. This arrangement should not be utilised for every session. Parents should make an effort to walk children into OOSH at least once per week to have personal contact with the staff and read any Centre notices etc. If a parent/adult cannot sign in their child an arrangement must be made with the Co-ordinator or the Assistant Co-ordinator and placed in writing prior to the session. These exemptions are only made in emergency situations. For Vacation Care and Pupil free days a parent/adult must sign in all children regardless of their age. Any information regarding the child is to be recorded in the parent communication book and kept in the child s file. Children are not to be left at Harbord OOSH prior to opening hours, 6:30am School days, and 7.30am Vacation care and 7:30am Pupil Free days. BEFORE SCHOOL CARE DEPARTURE Before School Care children will be called in a roll call setting individually and released at 8.40am. Page 20 Endorsed By Parent committee Signature- Position- Date-

21 During the first term Kindergarten children will be taken to their classrooms at 9.00am until the child/ren show levels of independence indicating they are capable of taking themselves to their classrooms (usually week five). This decision is made by the OOSH staff and the parent is notified in week five. Staff will sign out children on the bottom of the roll at the end of each Before School Care Session. AFTER SCHOOL CARE - ARRIVAL Children will make their own way to Harbord OOSH from their classrooms. Kindergarten children will be collected from the classroom/meeting point during the first term or until the child/ren show levels of independence indicating they are capable of taking themselves to the Harbord OOSH Centre (usually week five). This decision is made by the OOSH staff and the parent is notified. Children are signed in by a staff member. Year four to six children sign themselves in under the supervision of a staff member. AFTER SCHOOL CARE, VACATION CARE & PUPIL FREE DAY - DEPARTURE Children must be collected by the closing time of Harbord OOSH (6.00pm pupil free days and vacation care, 6.30pm from after school care). It is the responsibility of parents/guardian to see that their child/ren are signed out each afternoon. Where a child has permission to leave Harbord OOSH by themselves these arrangements must be communicated by the parent in writing to the Co-ordinator or the Assistant Co-ordinator. A staff member will sign the child out. If the child is Year four or over they may sign themselves out after notifying a staff member. A child in K-year three can be signed out by an older sibling in Year four or over with written permission by the parent/guardian. This arrangement should not be utilised for every session. Parents should make an effort to collect children from OOSH at least once per week to have personal contact with the staff and read any Centre notices etc. If a child is to be signed out and collected by another child these arrangements must be communicated to the Co-ordinator or Assistant Co-ordinator in writing. Harbord OOSH will not allow a child to leave without an adult after dark or if weather conditions are deemed unsafe. If a child is to leave and then return to Harbord OOSH (for sports training or band practice) these arrangements must be communicated to the Co-ordinator or the Assistant Co-ordinator in writing and the child must inform staff upon returning. The staff will sign out and sign in the child. A child can sign themselves in or out if they are in Year four or over and must notify a staff member. Harbord OOSH staff do not collect children from extra-curricular activities. Authorised people are only to collect the child and the authorised person collecting the child must make staff aware they are taking the child from Harbord OOSH. Page 21 Endorsed By Parent committee Signature- Position- Date-

22 If a child is to be picked up by someone other than the people authorised on the Registration Form, Harbord OOSH should be informed in writing prior to collection. If verbal permission is being given by the parent then written permission must still be obtained. Children must not leave Harbord OOSH except in the manner indicated by parents on the online Registration Form. Names and numbers of authorised collection people must be clearly stated and updated upon change. Staff reserve the right to ask any person for identification when collecting a child. Harbord OOSH will not release the child to any unauthorised person. If an emergency pick up is arranged by the parent for an unauthorised person to collect their child the parent must call Harbord OOSH with the name of the person collecting the child and inform the person collecting their child to show Harbord OOSH staff identification. Written permission must still be obtained. If an unauthorised person claims they have permission to collect a child, the child will not be released until the parent has been called and verbal permission given to Harbord OOSH staff. Written permission must still be obtained. Staff will confirm that all children have been collected, calling parents when needed if the child is not signed out. Staff will sign off at the bottom of each attendance roll as the children all leave and once collection has been confirmed. NON ATTENDANCE Harbord OOSH staff are responsible for ensuring that the children have their name marked in upon arrival at Harbord OOSH each session. If parents are aware their child/ren will be absent from Before School Care, After School Care, Vacation Care or Pupil Free Day Care before the actual session, notification must be placed in the parent message book or by phone, answering machine, or facsimile. Children not present at a Before School Care, Vacation Care or a pupil free day session are presumed absent for that session and no attempt to locate the child is made. During After School Care the staff refer to the schools absentee list, communicate with each other and the children during the afternoon to locate child/ren that have not signed in. If the child/ren cannot be located, the Harbord OOSH Co-ordinator/Assistant Co-ordinator is notified immediately of all absent children. If a child is not present by 3.20pm in an After School Care session and they are on the schools absent list for that day then an is sent to the parents confirming their absence and reminding them to notify the Centre when their child is not attending After School Care. If the child is not on the schools absent list for that day then the following steps will be taken immediately: All OOSH staff are notified to search for the child The playground will be searched The school office will be contacted An attempt to contact the parents and/or emergency contacts will be made Page 22 Endorsed By Parent committee Signature- Position- Date-

23 If no contact has been made, staff will then decide on action to locate missing child An attempt will be made to contact child s teacher Note: Where a parent or emergency contact cannot be reached by 4.30pm, police may be contacted. The decision to contact the police will be documented and is at the discretion of the Centre Coordinator or Assistant Co-ordinator Where the missing child is in Year 4 or over the Centre will leave messages at the contact numbers provided and no further steps are taken After 24hrs unexplained absent children are considered to be at risk and the relevant authorities will be notified. LATE COLLECTION OF CHILDREN Parents are reminded of the late collection fee in newsletters and notices. Harbord OOSH closes promptly at 6.30pm for After School Care, 6.00pm for Vacation Care and Pupil Free Days. Parents are charged a 'late collection fee' of $20 for every 10 minutes or part thereof e.g. if picked up or still on the premises at After School Care at 6.43pm, $40.00 will be charged. This fee is not discussed when collecting your child, it is placed on the parent account and added to the next billing period. When collecting your child please allow enough time to locate any missing belongings, art work or discussions with staff if needed. Telephone calls to nominated contacts will be made at 6.25 pm for After School Care, 5.55pm at Vacation Care and Pupil Free Day Care. If no contact is made with the child's parents/guardians or emergency contacts by 1hr after closing the responsible person will notify the Nominated supervisor, Coordinator/Assistant Co-ordinator before initiating one of the following: Notify local police station to collect child Notify Community Services (132111) and organise a foster parent for the remainder of the evening Staff will post a notice on the Harbord OOSH door with details including contact phone numbers of where the child has been taken Notification will be sent to ACECQA. INTOXICATED PARENT/GUARDIAN/VISITOR In the instance of an intoxicated parent/guardian collecting a child staff will advise the person of the Centres duty of care to not let the child leave the premises with an intoxicated person. All efforts to contact another family member or friend will be made to collect and go home with the child. If the parent/guardian insists on removing the child from the premises emergency contacts will be notified to collect the child from their home. If no contact can be made to the emergency contacts the local Police will be called and a report made to Community Services. A letter will be sent to the parents/guardian regarding the incident and informing them of the Centre s policy. Page 23 Endorsed By Parent committee Signature- Position- Date-

24 Staff will ask any visitor to leave the premises if they appear intoxicated. If the person refuses to leave, Police will be called. Page 24 Endorsed By Parent committee Signature- Position- Date-

25 1.9 EMERGENCY CARE POLICY Harbord OOSH will assist Harbord Public School by providing emergency short notice care (subject to availability) for child/ren not booked into Before School Care or After School Care. PROCEDURE Children not collected from school will only be left in the care of Harbord OOSH once all procedures to contact the parents/carers have been followed. The child/ren remains at the school office with school staff following school procedure. If contact is not made to parents or emergency contacts by 3.45 pm the children can be brought to After School Care providing Harbord OOSH has a vacancy. Harbord OOSH must be provided with contact numbers for the children and school contact (Deputy or Principal). At 3.45pm confirm with the Deputy Principal that they may be needed as a contact person before 6.30pm. (See important contact numbers). Call the school contact or police to collect the child if parent/guardian contact is not made by 5.30pm. HARBORD OOSH IS GOVERNED BY THE EDUCATION AND CARE SERVICES NATIONAL REGULATIONS. HARBORD OOSH CANNOT EXCEED APPROVED PLACES UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. SHORT NOTICE BOOKINGS ARE SUBJECT STRICTLY TO AVAILABILITY. Page 25 Endorsed By Parent committee Signature- Position- Date-

26 POLICY 1.10 PARENTING ORDERS Harbord OOSH aims to assist in the safety of all children by acknowledging and abiding by any court approved parenting orders. Harbord OOSH will have a copy of relevant parenting orders on record plus any subsequent alteration registered by the court. PROCEDURE PROHIBITED PERSON It is necessary for Harbord OOSH to have a copy of a court order that restricts any persons contact with a child (a Prohibited Person ). A photo of a Prohibited Person or a clear description should be given to the Harbord OOSH Co-ordinator/ Assistant Co-ordinator. If a Prohibited Person attempts to collect a child from OOSH the procedure is as follows: Staff will immediately notify the Co-ordinator /Assistant Co-ordinator Co-ordinator instructs another staff person to inform the police and primary carer Co-ordinator advises prohibited person of the court order Co-ordinator verbally tries to prevent or delay departure Every attempt is made by Harbord OOSH staff to avoid the Prohibited Person from collecting the child Staff cannot physically prevent departure; this is the role of the Police. The staff are to ensure their own personal safety and all the children at the Centre at all times. Evidence of court orders or agreements will be considered part of the enrolment in order to minimise the likelihood of distressing situations occurring in the future. SHARED CUSTODY The centre will not be responsible for enforcing shared custody arrangements. In the case of shared custody, both parents are considered by the courts as fit parents therefore access and collection from OOSH is the responsibility of the individual parent and OOSH access will be permitted at all times for both parents. If access arrangements are breached the Centre considers this a domestic matter and should be resolved by the parents through the courts. If possible the Centre will attempt to notify the custodial parent when aware of a breech in access arrangements. Page 26 Endorsed By Parent committee Signature- Position- Date-

27 POLICY 1.11 POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND REVIEW We will provide effective management and a quality service through the ongoing development and review of policies, which are required to run the service legally and efficiently. Management will ensure that individuals associated with the Centre are aware of relevant policies and have access to the policy document. Policies will be written in consultation with stake holders and endorsed by the OOSH Parent Committee. PROCEDURE The Co-ordinator and Assistant Co-ordinator, in conjunction with the Management Committee, will ensure the development of all required policies under the Educational and Care Services National Law and the Education and Care Services Regulations. Policies are to be developed to reflect regulatory amendments and as deemed necessary by the Centre Co-ordinator and Management Committee. This will be based on the following criteria: An issue or problem arises that is not addressed in a current policy A current policy is not meeting the current need Daily operations of Harbord OOSH are unclear to staff, parents or management If staff, parents or management are unsure what to do in a certain situation If there have been changes due to outside influences. All policies must reflect the current philosophy of Harbord OOSH. A copy of the policy document must contain Harbord OOSH s philosophy, date of endorsement is to be kept at the Centre in a convenient location available to those who wish to see it. The document is available online on the Harbord Public school website. Management will ensure that any new Management Committee members, staff and families entering the service are made aware of the policy document and any specific policies relevant to them. Any stakeholders involved in Harbord OOSH can make suggestions and discuss any concerns they may have regarding current policies. These concerns will be considered at the next committee meeting. Children, staff and parents and any other relevant stakeholders will be encouraged to have input into the development, review or changes to any policies and where appropriate be involved in the development of these policies. All new policies, or changes to existing policies will be reviewed and formally accepted by the committee in the time frame of six operating weeks. All required policies under the National Regulations will be reviewed annually. The full policy document will be reviewed bi-annually and more frequently if the need arises or there are changes to legislation or recognised best practice. The review of policies will be based on the following criteria: Is the policy operating effectively Does it include appropriate responses to individual incidents Does it meet the needs of all involved in Harbord OOSH Page 27 Endorsed By Parent committee Signature- Position- Date-

28 Does it meet the aims and objectives as outlined Is it consistent with current philosophy Is it consistent with current legislation, acts and standards? Any changes to existing policies will be circulated to all involved in the service through individual notes, notice boards, and if felt necessary through a group meeting. The date the changes will become effective will be noted. All changes are to be recorded in the policy document with the date of endorsement and review. As an ongoing practice specific policies may be mentioned again through notice boards, letters, s or personal contact to highlight any relevant issues. This may be required if there is a recurrent problem arising or to highlight any specific current issues in the running of Harbord OOSH. Two original endorsed policy documents will be made. One original document will be kept on the OOSH premises in the locked filing cabinet in the OOSH office. The other original document will be kept with the Harbord OOSH Committee Chair Person. Page 28 Endorsed By Parent committee Signature- Position- Date-

29 1.12 PARTICIPATION AND ACCESS POLICY We believe that participation by parents/guardians/approved persons in issues relating to their children is important. We aim to provide a caring and supportive environment where everyone feels welcomed and valued. Involvement of parents in activities will be actively sought and open communication constantly maintained. Parents are encouraged to be involved in issues that relate to them and their children, through participation and discussion about all issues relevant to the operation of Harbord OOSH. PROCEDURE Staff will greet and farewell parents on arrival and departure and communicate with parents in a positive and supportive manner, making the parents feel welcome and valued. Staff will establish a pattern of exchange of information, with the use of s, Kinderloop and informal conversations to parents about their child or what they did on that day that may be of interest to them. Staff will respect individual differences in the way parents bring up their children. Parents will be informed of all relevant issues in Harbord OOSH through direct contact, notice boards, s or letters home. Parents are welcome in Harbord OOSH at all times and staff will happily explain activities or answer any questions about Harbord OOSH. Parents/visitors on the premises are to abide by the Centres conduct policy at all time. The centre Coordinator/ Assistant Co-ordinator can refuse any parent/visitor participation or access if they are in breach of the code of conduct or considered to be inappropriate or unsafe. PARENT/VISITOR CODE OF CONDUCT In relation to children, the centre, staff and other families all parents and visitors will: Respect and adhere to the Core Values of Harbord OOSH, CARING, HONESTY, REPECT & RESPONSIBILITY Respect he behaviour management practices of HOOSH and will leave the discipline of children to centre staff. Speak in a respectful and appropriate manner will not swear or use abusive language to anyone at the centre. For parents and visitors collecting children- only interact with children other than your own if approached by the child and always make sure these interactions are positive and friendly Wear appropriate clothing that does not have explicit language or pictures. Not be under the influence of alcohol or illicit drugs when collecting their child/ren or visiting the centre. Respect he property of HOOSH and users. Respect he cultural diversity of HOOSH. Acknowledge and read HOOSH Policy and Procedure Booklet and follow the policies and procedures. Page 29 Endorsed By Parent committee Signature- Position- Date-