Staff Handbook

Regulations, Policies And Procedures

Regulation 30 | Accidents/Incidents | Administering Medication | Annual Leave | Answering The Telephone | Regulation 36

Behaviour And Guidance | Blood Spills| Children’s Clothing | Collection Of Children | Confidentiality / Privacy | Dental Care

Access To Children - Regulation 30

The proprietor must ensure that a child cared for or educated by the children’s service is not -
(a) given into the care of any person other than -

1. a parent; or
2. a guardian; or
3. a person who has lawful authority to collect the child from the service; or
4. a person who is authorised by the parent, guardian or person who has lawful authority to collect the child; or

(b) taken outside the premises of the children’s service except by a staff member.

Accidents/Incidents

In case of an accident with a child staff will:

• attend to the immediate needs of the child keeping them comforted and informed throughout
• assess the situation to ensure no other children are at harm
• reassure the child and assess the nature of the injury
• administer First Aid if required
• if further medical attention is required
  • Contact the parent or Guardian to collect the child
  • If immediate medical attention is needed and the parent is unable to be contacted an ambulance will be called. A staff member will accompany the child in an ambulance
• an accident report must be completed by the staff involved
• parents should be notified on arrival or by a phone call
• staff should evaluate the scene of the accident and remove causes, or discuss situation with other children/staff involved.
• at any time when unsure of a child’s condition use the following as a resource
• Other staff
• Parents / Family members
• Childs doctor (recorded on enrolment form)
• Centre records
• call on extra ancillary staff in an emergency when one staff member is attending to a child
• fatal accidents will be dealt with following guidelines from SIDS emergency responders manual.
  

Administering Medication

(No medications are to be left in children’s bags or within reach of children)
In the event of an administering medication to a child I will:

• collect the medication authorisation sheet
• collect the medication and dropper/measuring glass
• collect the child and make feel comfortable
• ask another staff member to be the witness
• check the lawful authority authorisation (signature)
• check the name of the medication
• check the used by date
• check the name of recipient is consistent with the name on the bottle
• check dosage is consistent with bottle - (If a parent has indicated a different dosage in the medication book than what has been labelled on the medication, the team Leader will contact the parent to clarify what is the correct dosage BEFORE administering medication to the child - if not follow amount stated on the bottle)
• pour liquid away from the label
• administer the medication while the 2nd staff member witnesses this
• you and witness to complete the medication sheet with name and signatures
• return medication and wash out the medication utensil immediately
• at the end of the day ensure medication goes home with the parents and they sign the medication form
  

Annual Leave

You are entitled to four weeks paid leave each year. The period is to be negotiated between the employee and the Managing Director. You must complete a holiday form which you can collect from the manager.

Answering The Telephone

When answering the telephone you are to answer in a professional manner, using the centres name and your own. E.g. “Good Morning, One World Children’s Centre, Jane speaking”. For calls that have been put through to the room must be answered with “Hello, Rajah Room, Jane speaking”.

Authorisation To Administer Medication - Regulation 36

1. the proprietor must ensure that if medication is administered to a child being cared for or educated by the children’s service -
(a) the person whose name is recorded in the child’s enrolment record as being authorised to request or permit the administration of medication to the child has given a written request or permission to administer the medication ; and
(b) the medication is administered from its original container bearing the original label and instruction and before the expiry or use by date; and
(c) the dosage of the medication administration to the child is checked by a person other than the person administering the medication.
2. Sub-regulation (1) does not apply in an emergency if the person referred to in sub-regulation (1)(a) has given oral authorisation for the administration of the medication to the child and, within 7 days after the oral authorisation was given, confirms that authorisation in writing.

Behaviour And Guidance

At One World, the behaviour and guidance techniques used by staff are designed to show children the utmost respect, and to assist them to develop skills to appropriately and successfully resolve conflicts and differences of opinion.

Our guidance of children’s behaviour will

• have due regard to appropriate age and stage expectations and individual temperaments, and will be positive and supportive
• not include subjection to psychological abuse
• not permit frightening methods of control and discipline to be used (timeout)
• not be associated with food (never is a child or infant to be ‘force fed’, or refused food as a form of discipline), rest, toilet training or isolation,
• ensure that a proper tone of voice is used at all times. Voices must not be raised nor abusive at any time and
• at all times be managed with respect

Program Guidelines for staff behaviour
Give consistent, clear and coordinated messages to the children about their behavioural expectations, so that the children are not confused by different staff approaches
Present as good models of behaviour for the children and shall be encouraged to adopt the AECA code of ethics
Become familiar with stages of child development so you hold reasonable behavioural expectations. Some child behaviour may be displeasing for adults, but should be considered acceptable and age appropriate ie toddlers find it difficult to “share” or take into account other’s feelings
Trust and respect the children in your care as unique and special, and recognise that each child’s behaviour is an expression of feelings or an attempt to meet immediate or underlying needs
Be aware of different parent behaviour expectations, as child rearing practices vary greatly from culture to culture, and family to family.
Take into consideration each child’s whole life situation when dealing with their behaviour, consulting regularly with parents to develop appropriate strategies.

Key Guidelines to use when guiding children

• Suggest alternative behaviour
• Keep the child busy by re-directing to other experiences
• Talk to the child about feelings and consequences of their behaviour
• Focus on the inappropriate behaviour not the child
• Use positive language
• Involve older children in setting their own limits

Usage Of Inappropriate Discipline Techniques
Forms of abuse consistent with those stated below will lead to a staff disciplinary action:

• Inappropriate use of “time out”
• Placing a child in a confined space, or in a location in which eye contact with the staff member can not be maintained
• Shaking, smacking, biting, pinching or restraining a child
• Injurious lifting (eg by one arm)
• Shouting, abusive words or tone, labelling inappropriately
• Ignoring a child’s request

Blood Spills

Blood spills kits are located in each playroom. In the case of an emergency where blood is present, you are required to use the contents of the kit and follow the below procedure:

• Put on rubber gloves
• Use the swabs in the kit to wipe up or place pressure on the wound, and attend to the injury as required
• Dispose of the swabs into the hazards bag
• Clean any blood or area with bleach solution
• Give hazard bag to the manager
• We understand in the case of any emergency you may not have time to use the swabs, if you do use face washers please place them in a plastic bag and then place in the laundry.

Children’s Clothing

Staff will do their very best to protect all children’s clothing during art or messy play activities by the use of smocks and puddle pants (for outdoors).
Staff are to monitor the children’s warmth and dress all children according to weather conditions ie jumper and coat for cold days and t-shirt and shorts for warm days.
Any child’s wet or dirty clothing will be put in a plastic bag and placed in the child’s bag to be taken home at the end of the day.
All clothes are to be packed in to the children’s bags before the end of the session or day. Any unnamed clothing items will be placed in the lost property for a short time before going to the Salvation Army.

Collection Of Children

The Children Services Regulations require all Centres to keep records of lawful authority, contact and residence arrangements for children. During enrolment parents complete an authorisation statement in regards to lawful authority and who has permission to collect their child.
Persons unknown to you must be questioned on their arrival to collect a child and lawful authority forms checked. If the person collecting the child is not listed, he or she will be unable to leave the Centre with the child. (if the person is listed and you or any other staff have never met them before you are required to ask for photo identification to confirm their identity)
Should the person who has come to collect the child not have authorisation office staff/management will notify the parent by phone to confirm authorisation for that day. If we are unable to contact the parent the child will not be able to leave the premises. Please seek office staff or management’s assistance should this occur.

Confidentiality / Privacy

Confidentiality is of paramount importance. All of the information provided to us by parents, such as addresses, phone numbers, and custody information, is seen and recorded only by the administration staff and the staff directly responsible for the children.
At no time should you discuss other parents, children or personal matters with parents.
No issues shall be discussed outside of the centre or with other staff inappropriately.
This information includes:

• personal situations
• financial status
• occupation
• marital status
• medical history
• address and phone number
• employment details

Information must stay confidential and privacy laws abided by. (for further clarification please see management)
At no time is a families personal details to be given out. Eg. A parent asks for a phone number to invite that family to a birthday party.

Dental Care

One World Children’s Centre offers well balanced nutritious meals, snacks and drinks throughout the day.
Dental care is ensured by offering all children water after their main meal, fruit at either morning tea, lunch or afternoon tea and late snack, which in turn promotes healthy teeth.
Staff promote dental care through their daily communications with the children during meal times and plan appropriate discussion groups on keeping our teeth healthy.
Brochures are available on the importance of dental care.

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