Staff Handbook

Regulations, Policies And Procedures

Lockers | Lunch and Tea Breaks | Maltreatment of Children | Manual Handling | Regulation 17 | Miscellaneous | Meetings | Nappy Changing |

Regulation 39 | OH & S | Planning and Meeting Room | Photocopier Use | Police Check | Potentially Dangerous Products |

Lockers

You will be allocated a locker that is located in the staff room. Should you lose your key please see the manager. Replacement keys will be at your own cost.

Lunch and Tea Breaks

In accordance with the Children’s Services award - when working a full day 7.6 hrs you are entitled to a one hour lunch break that is unpaid and two ten minute tea breaks that are paid. If you are employed on a casual basis and you work more that five hours you are entitled to an unpaid half an hour break.

Maltreatment of Children

As early childhood professionals, Team Leaders are mandated by the Children’s Services Act to immediately report to the Department of Health and Community Services, any suspected case of child abuse or neglect.
Should you have a concern that a child is being maltreated either physically, emotionally or sexually you are required to follow the following procedure:

• Raise the matter in confidence to the Team Leader in your room (if you are unqualified) and notify the manager immediately
• The Team Leader will observe the child taking observations and making relevant notes
• From these notes the Team Leader and management will make a decision and management will contact the relevant authorities

• Listen to the parents concern and record the details as accurately as possible
• Meet with management and discuss the issue, management will then act accordingly

1. Ask you to be involved in writing an incident report
2. Arrange an interview with the staff member
3. Advise them of dismissal (this is for verbal or physical abuse)

Manual Handling

Manual handling means lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, carrying, moving, holding or restraining any object, animal or person.
You are encouraged to use your common sense and not to take unnecessary risks when handling large/heavy objects.
Ensure you follow the following lifting practices:

• Never twist while lifting
• When lifting a child or object do not stretch over and lift, but lean close and raise as close as possible to their body

When lifting you must:

• Place your feet apart in a striding position
• Keep your breastbone elevated
• Bend your knees
• Brace your stomach muscles
• Hold the child or object close to your body
• Move your feet, not your spine, to stand up
• Prepare to move in a forward direction

You should transfer heavy items to smaller containers to reduce weight
Child Care staff should:

• Kneel where possible rather than bend down
• Restrain from carrying children on their hip
• Lift children using one arm under their buttocks and the other arm to support their backs, with the child facing them

Matters to be Recorded in the Medication Book - Regulation 17

The proprietor must ensure that the following details are recorded in the medication book -

(a) the name of the child;
(b) the request or permission to administer medication;
(c) the name of the medication;
(d) the time and date the medication was last administered
(e) the time and date, or the circumstances under which, the medication should be next administered;
(f) the dosage of the medication to be administered
(g) the dosage that was administered to the child;
(h) the time and date when the medication was administered;
(i) the name and signature of the person who administered the medication;
(j) the name and signature of the person who checked the dosage administrated.

Miscellaneous

It is your responsibility to read the roster for each week that is given to your playroom on a weekly basis.
You need to arrive a few minutes early, so you are ready to commence work at your appointed time.
You are required to supply your own meals and snacks, if there is extra children’s lunch you may have a child size meal with the children. You need to be sitting at the children’s table when eating. Always be a positive role model.
No drinking of alcohol, or taking of drugs will be tolerated on the Centre’s premises or surrounds.
Communication between all staff and management is vital and must be maintained at all times.
Co - operation and respect by each staff member for each staff member must be remembered at all times.

Meetings

You are invited to attend staff and yard meetings. Staff meetings are held twice yearly from 6.45pm - 8.30pm and Yard meetings are held every eight weeks 6.30-8.00, however individual room meetings can be arranged if a need arises. Team leader meetings are held every four weeks. A calendar of dates is displayed in the staff room, however reminders are placed in the communication book located in the staff room.
Meetings are a very important communication tool. These meetings are used to discuss the operations of your playroom, routines, individual children etc.

Nappy Changing Policy and Procedure

Policy:
All children are to have their nappy changed or checked each hour, following the below procedure.
Procedure:

1. Wipe the change table down (it will already have vinegar on it)
2. Always wear gloves for a soiled nappy
3. Change the child into our nappy on arrival, rinsing the child’s own cloth nappy, putting it in a plastic bag (tie the bag) and placing it in their bag
4. Ensure the nappy pin is closed (do not leave an unopened pin on the change bench)
5. Clean the child’s bottom
6. Remove your gloves now, before you touch the child’s clean clothes. Remove gloves by peeling them back from your wrists. Do not let your skin touch the outer contaminated surface of the glove. Put the gloves in the bin.
7. Dress the child
8. Wash the child’s hands, and take back to the playroom
9. Spray vinegar onto the change mat ready for the next person to wipe down (vinegar is required to be left on the change mat for two minutes after every nappy change)
10. Wash your hands
    • Soiled cloth nappies are emptied into the toilet and flushed, then place the cloth nappy into the relevant bin
    • Use nappy changing time to have one on one interactions with the children eg. singing
      • Gloves:
        Gloves should be worn when changing dirty nappies because there are always millions of germs in faeces. Wearing gloves for wet nappies is not essential, although you may chose to use them, because germs are not always found in urine. However, you should always wear gloves for all nappy changes if your hands have any cuts or cracked skin. It is also wise to wear gloves for all nappy changes if you are pregnant.

Notification of Infectious Disease - Regulation 39

If there is an occurrence at a children’s service of an infectious disease listed in Schedule 5 to the Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulations 1990(1), the proprietor must ensure that the parent or guardian with whom each child cared for or educated by the service resides is notified as soon as practicable of the occurrence.

Occupational Health And Safety

One World management provides a work environment that ensures the health, safety and welfare of employees is met by:

• Providing Occupational Health and Safety literature (located in the staff room) on
  1. Duty of care
  2. Register of injuries
  3. Manual handling - reducing the risk, reducing the injuries
  4. Occupational health and safety ACT 2004
  5. Office wise - a guide to health and safety in the office
  6. Getting started with workplace health and safety
• Modelling best practice
• Identifying hazards and actioning these
• Giving employees the opportunity to give feedback on OHS

Planning and Meeting Room

In the planning room you will find an extensive range of parent and staff resource books, posters, tapes, videos and a computer. You are welcome to use any of these resources, however please do not remove any materials without completing a borrowing card or checking with the manager. Always return these resources when you have finished with them. This room is also used as the planning and meeting room. Please do not do any written work in the staff room.
If you are a trainee you are to use the training room when completing any written work.

Photocopier Use

The photocopier is available for use at 10cents per copy or 15 cents double-sided copying - money is to paid to the customer service officer.

Police Checks

You must supply management with a current police check before commencing employment. If you are employed on a casual basis you must provide management with a current police check every twelve months. This is at your own cost.

Potentially Dangerous Products

At times throughout the day you will use cleaning products and other potentially dangerous goods. It is imperative that the following policy and procedure is followed at all times.

Policy:

Potentially dangerous products will be kept out of reach of children at all times. Procedure:
At times throughout the day you will use cleaning products and other potentially dangerous goods.
At all times potentially dangerous goods must have clear labels.
At all times potentially dangerous products such as cleaners are to be kept out of children’s reach, place them in a child proof cupboard or locked cupboard.
Where appropriate discuss with the children safety issues relating to dangerous products, objects etc.
This policy and procedure is monitored by the safety audit officer and reported to management. Any non conformance of this policy will result in a warning.

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