Newsletter Policies

References: Regulations 168(2)(o)

National Quality Standard 6& 7

 

Policy Purpose

 

At Karalee Kindergarten & Early years learning, we value the relationships we have with the families of children in our care. Educators and Team Members build these relationships over time, through effective communication and ensuring that all families know that the Education and Care Services doors are always open. This ensures that our practices and procedures are transparent and open for discussion or observation at any time.

 

It is recognised that there may be occasions where families are not satisfied with an aspect of the Education and Care Services policy or practice. For this reason, our service believes that it is important that families have a genuine and consistent procedure to follow should they wish to raise issues of this nature. A procedure that keeps them informed of the progress of their complaint and provides feedback as to the outcome and/or future planning that has resulted.

 

Scope

• This policy applies to children, parents/ guardians, staff, management, authorised persons, volunteers and students on placement working at Karalee Kindergarten & Early Years Learning.
• Information relating to this policy is communicated throughout the Service using a variety of the following: Newsletters, emails, Parent and Team handbooks, team meetings and memos, planned experiences for the children, notice boards and posters, pamphlets and information sheets in the foyer, role modelling and signs displayed around the classrooms and Service.

 

Background Information and Procedures

 

In regards to receiving complaints the Education and Care Service will:

 

• Ensure understanding of difference between a complaint or concern.

 

• During the complaints process it is often evident that strong emotions are involved. The person who the complaint/concern is about may feel resentful, unappreciated or misunderstood. The person raising the complaint/concern may feel nervous or apprehensive about the complaints process or simply feel angry or upset about the issue itself.

 

• The Education and Care Services approach is to see complaint/concerns as an opportunity to improve practice and relationships and adopt the following approaches

 

• Make attempts to diffuse emotions – this is achieved by acknowledging what the other person is feeling and reassuring them that working together is the best way to finding a suitable solution.
• Actively listen to the complainant – by actively listening to the complainant we are telling them that their complaint is important and that the information they are providing is valuable.

 

• Not responding immediately and defensively – Education and Care Services Team Members will take notes and if a few issues are being raised, advise that the complainant raise their concerns in writing.

 

• Asking questions so that the big picture is shown – by asking questions, a better clarification of the situation can be achieved and this will ensure that the solution is targeted to the specific needs of all involved.

 

• Ensuring that the complainant is involved in the solution finding process. By asking them what they would like to see happen to resolve the situation respect is shown and reinforces a collaborative relationship.

 

• Ensuring that complaints of a serious or sensitive nature, where possible, are taken in an appropriate location and at a time that ensures that undivided attention can be given to the complainant. Should the complainant attempt to raise their concerns at a time or place that is not appropriate the Education and Care Services will guide complainant to a more suitable location (e.g. office) or arrange an alternative time that is convenient for all parties.

 

• Ensuring confidentiality by only discussing the complaint/concern with immediate colleagues or your Nominated Supervisor.

 

All complaints/ concerns will be fully investigated, documented and followed up with the complainant once the investigation is complete. The Parent Grievance Record provides opportunities for the Education and Care Service to document actions taken to rectify the situation and an ongoing process for follow up and providing feedback.

 

 

In relation to Guiding Complainants through the Complaints/ Grievance Process the Education and Care Service will:

 

1. Provide a Complaints/Grievance Process that includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• The parent is advised to communicate their concern/grievance to their child’s Lead Educator (it is noted that families may be reluctant to discuss their concern directly so the Nominated Supervisor may be approached).

 

• It is recommended that parents place any concerns in writing so we can be sure of the details from their perspective. Parents should be specific with names, times and dates where possible and the document should be signed and dated by the parent.

 

• If the concern/grievance is not resolved to the parent’s satisfaction, he or she can be referred to the Education and Care Services Nominated Supervisor or in their absence the Responsible Person.

 

• If the issue is still not resolved to the parent’s satisfaction, the concern/grievance will then be handled by the Approved provider

 

 

2. This Parent Grievances Procedure will be communicated to the parents at the time when they are enrolling their child into the Centre and it is also noted in the Parent Handbook.

 

3. All grievances are to be addressed seriously and Educators and Staff must make their best attempts to resolve the issue to the best of their abilities. All outcomes are to be discussed with the parent/s concerned and documented and placed in the parent communication folder and/or review and revise folder.

 

4. If the Education and Care Service is unable to manage the concern/issue raised because it is not within the control of the service or the practices cannot be altered for ethical, legal, business reasons it is important that this is communicated clearly and concisely to the complainant outlining the reasons why.

 

5. In the event of a serious complaint being made, please complete online portal NQAITS form available on the ACECQA website).

 

 

Policy Review 

• The Service will review the Dealing with Complaints and Parent Grievances Policy every year or as new information arises.
• Families are encouraged to collaborate with the Service to review the policy and procedures.
• Educators/Staff are essential stakeholders in the policy review process and will be encouraged to be actively involved.

 

Relevant Centre Policies and Source Acknowledgements

 

• Communication Policy
• Code of Conduct Policy
• Positive Interactions with Children Policy
• Putting Children First – Managing Complaints – Angela Owens acecqa.gov.au
• Mind Tools Website mindtools.com
• Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010
• Education and Care Services National Regulations
• National Law Guide and National Regulations Guide
• National Quality Standards Guide
  • Early Years Learning Framework and the My Time, Our Place Framework for Outside School Hours Care
  • Quality Improvement Plan Guide Go to ACECQA website acecqa.gov.au

 

 

Policy Reviewed	Modifications	Next Review Date
January 2020	No information updated, all still relevant Policy review table added	January 2021
January 2021	No changed required	January 2022
January 2022	No changes required	January 2023

 

 

Regulations 88, 168(2)(c)

National Quality Standard 2.1.

Staying Healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services (5^th)

 

Policy Purpose

 

Education and Care Services, as semi-public spaces, are a potential site of cross infection and contagion.  These risks are accentuated by the fact that young children and their Educators are particularly vulnerable to infectious illnesses. Karalee Kindergarten & Early Years Learning is committed to providing policy and practice that will assist with the prevention of the spread of infectious diseases in the Education and Care Service. This policy looks at the three elements that enable us to do this.

 

• Infection Control – including personal hygiene of the educators/team members and the children in the Education and Care Service, and maintaining hygiene through effective cleaning practices including general cleaning, cleaning of blood and bodily fluids and safe washing of materials.

 

• Immunisation and Exclusion due to Non-Immunisation Status – includes the monitoring of immunisation status of children and Educators and the exclusion of those who are not immunised should a vaccine preventable disease be reported in the Education and Care Service.

 

• Exclusion – due to illness. In instances where a child becomes ill whilst at the Education and Care Service some exclusion periods may apply. These exclusions may be guided by Staying Healthy: Preventing Infectious Disease in Education and Care Services (5^th edition) or by the Education and Care Services Policies and Procedures.

 

• As of 1 January 2022, due to children 0-5 not being eligible for Covid-19 vaccinations, a medical clearance will be required for all children who exhibit Covid-19 symptoms as published by Queensland Health. Children will be excluded from care until a medical clearance is provided by a doctor, pharmacy certificates will not be accepted.

 

Scope

• This policy applies to children, parents/ guardians, staff, management, authorised persons, volunteers and students on placement working at Karalee Kindergarten & Early Years Learning.
• Information relating to this policy is communicated throughout the service using a variety of the following: newsletters, emails, family and team handbooks, team meetings and memos, planned experiences for the children, notice boards and posters, pamphlets and information sheets in the foyer, role modelling and signs displayed around the classrooms and service.

                                                     

Background Information and Procedures:

 

Infection Control

 

For the effective maintenance of infection control in the Education and Care Service it is crucial that all that come into the services are contributing to a healthy and safe environment. To achieve this, the following must be considered:

 

• The personal hygiene practices of the Education and Care Service Educators and Team Members and the modelling that they are providing.

 

• The personal hygiene practices of the families who enter and exit the Education and Care Service.

 

• The personal hygiene of the children in the Education and Care Service.

 

• The Cleaning Routines and Practices utilised by the Education and Care Services Educators/Team Members and outside contractors where applicable including the procedure for dealing with blood and bodily fluids.

 

Personal Hygiene – Educators, Children, Families and Visitors to the Education and Care Service

Effective personal hygiene includes but is not limited to:

• Hand washing
• Dealing with coughing/sneezing – nose wiping etc.
• Use of gloves
• All educators, visitors, families – including siblings to ensure hand sanitization occurs before entering our classrooms through the available hand foam sanitisers at each room entry point.

 

Other considerations to prevent the spread of infectious disease 

Some areas of the Education and Care Services require special attention in order to reduce the spread of infectious diseases. These include using sandpits, blowing out candles on cakes and playing with play dough. The following procedures are outlined in Staying Healthy In Childcare (5^th Edition) as best practice:

 

Sandpits 

Sandpits can be great fun, but they are also a potential source of infection. They need to be well maintained and kept clean.

 

• Sandpits should be covered when the Education and Care Service is unattended, to prevent contamination from animal faeces and protect them from sharp or dangerous objects that are discarded inappropriately, such as broken glass.

 

• If the sandpit cannot be covered easily, daily raking and exposure to the sun are advised.

 

• Sand pit is to be sanitised on a weekly basis with sandpit sanitiser throughout sandpit.

 

• The sand should be of a depth that can be easily raked over before each use, to help screen for foreign objects.

 

• Sand that is contaminated by animal or human faeces, blood or other body fluids should be removed. Use a shovel and dispose of the sand in a plastic bag or alternative. The remaining sand should be raked over at intervals during the day and left exposed to the sun.

 

• Where extensive contamination has occurred, such as through a large spill of body fluids, replace all the sand.

 

Adults and children must, where practical and possible wash their hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand rub before and after playing in the sandpit. This is available in our outdoor environment through on our veranda stations.

 

Celebration cakes and blowing out candles  

Many children like to bring a cake to share with their friends on their birthday. Children love to blow out their candles while their friends are singing ‘Happy Birthday’. Cakes and candles may also be brought into the Education and Care Service for other special occasions.

 

To prevent the spread of germs when the child blows out the candles, parents should either:

 

• Provide a separate cupcake (with a candle if they wish) for the birthday child and enough cupcakes for all the other children.

 

• Provide a separate cupcake (with a candle if they wish) for the birthday child and a large cake that can be cut and shared.

 

• All cakes must be accompanied with the Birthday Cupcake Form outlining ingredients

 

 

Play dough

Play dough can be great fun. Play dough has a high salt content, which discourages germs from living and multiplying. The following simple steps will reduce the risk of spreading infections when using play dough:

 

• Children and adults using play dough should and are encouraged to wash their hands with soap and water or use an alcohol based hand rub before and after using play dough.

 

• Make a new batch of play dough each week and take out enough play dough for each day. Store the remaining play dough in an airtight container away from children.

 

Effective Environmental Cleaning 

The cleaning procedures adopted at the Education and Care Services are influenced by best practice from leading authorities in the field. In relation to cleaning as an effective tool to minimise the spread of infectious diseases, the Education and Care Service has adopted procedures that include, but are not limited to:

 

• Providing education and training as part of the induction process. This includes familiarisation with relevant Policies and Procedures related to cleaning

 

• Procedures for cleaning the service and the service equipment e.g. tables, floors, toys etc.

 

• Procedures for using various cleaning tools within the service to stop cross contaminations e.g. mops, cleaning cloths for specific purposes etc.

 

• Procedures for washing material items in the service e.g. rugs, blankets, cushions, dramatic play clothes etc.

 

• Procedures for cleaning blood and other bodily fluids – Please note in regards to cleaning bodily fluids during a gastro outbreak, staff will be required to wear a surgical mask to reduce transmission of the outbreak.

 

 

 

 

Immunisation and Exclusion

 

Immunisation is seen as one of the most effective methods of preventing the spread of infectious disease. Immunisation is encouraged for both the children and the Educators in the Education and Care Service. For those families that have conscientious objection to immunisation, their choice is respected but an exclusion period may apply should a vaccine preventable disease be detected in the Education and Care Service.

 

The policy and procedures for vaccination in our service include but are not limited to:

 

• Collection and maintenance of immunisation status of children and educators

 

• Procedures for notifying families/educators in cases where vaccine preventable infectious illness occurs in the service

 

• Procedures for notifying the relevant State Public Health Authority in instances where a vaccine preventable infectious illness or multiple occurrences of infectious illness is detected in the Education and Care Service

 

• Procedures for the exclusion of children and educators with no immunisation from the education and Care Service in the event that a vaccine preventable infectious disease is diagnosed.

 

 

Exclusion due to illness

There are instances where a child/educator may need to be excluded from the Education and Care Service due to illness symptoms they displayed at the Education and Care Service or that the Education and Care Service was made aware of by the parent/legal guardian of the child or the Educator/Team Member themselves.

 

This exclusion may include, in some instances, the additional requirement of a Medical Clearance before the child/Educator/Team Member can return to the Education and Care Service.

 

The nominated supervisor or Responsible Person will work with the West Moreton Public Health Unit in the event of an outbreak or infectious disease to ensure effecting cleaning of the service.

 

Exclusion may occur in instance including, but not limited to:

• Diarrhea – 48 hours, even if medical clearance is obtained earlier
• Vomiting – 48 hours, even if a medical clearance is obtained earlier
• High Temperature – medical clearance by doctor

All Covid-19 symptoms as stated and published by Queensland Health- medical clearance certificate by doctor

• Diagnosis of Infectious Disease on Staying Healthy (5^th Edition) list where an exclusion period is indicated or from advice received from the Public Health Unit in

instances of an outbreak.

 

In the event of a specific outbreak, the service reserves the right to alter the needs for a medical clearance to work with the advice given by Queensland Health or the centre’s duty of care to centre children, families and staff.

 

Please note if siblings must attend pick up/ drop off with their parent, all siblings must now stay with their parent to ensure supervision is provided by the parent. Our Director cannot provide supervision for siblings and our foyer will not be supervised continuously. Parents have a duty of care to supervise all siblings when inside our service.

 

If a sibling is unwell, please do not bring them to attend pick up/ drop off. A rule of thumb is that if a sibling is unwell enough to not attend school, they should not attend our service to collect siblings and potentially spread illness.

 

Older siblings cannot wait in the service foyer as a means of parents collecting them from their school. If you require your child to meet you at the service, they will need to wait outside the service until they attend inside with you.

 

Policy Review  

 

• The Service will review the Dealing with Infectious Disease Policy and Procedures, every year or as new information arises.
• Families are encouraged to collaborate with the Service to review the policy and procedures.
• Educators/Staff are essential stakeholders in the policy review process and will be encouraged to be actively involved.

 

Relevant Cenre Policies and Source Acknowledgements

 

• Administering First Aid Policy
• Acceptance and Refusal of Authorisations Policy
• Communication Policy
• Supervision Policy
• Staying Healthy: Preventing Infectious Disease in Education and Care Services (5th Ed.) Canberra
• West Moreton Public Health Unit
• Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010
• Education and Care Services National Regulations
• National Law Guide and National Regulations Guide
• National Quality Standards Guide
• Early Years Learning Framework and the My Time, Our Place Framework for Outside School Hours Care
• Quality Improvement Plan Guide

 

Policy Reviewed	Modifications	Next Review Date
January 2020	Information added about collaboration with the West Moreton Public Health Unit. Policy review table was added.	January 2021
March 2020	Information regarding sibling/ family exclusion from centre classrooms whilst ill was added. Information regarding increased hand hygiene when entering centre classrooms was added.	March 2021
March 2021	Additional information in regards to surgical masks during out breaks.	March 2022
December 2021	Covid-19 symptoms requiring medical clearance in line with Queensland Health updated symptoms published for Covid-19 Omricon spread and infections throughout Qld	December 2022
March 2022	Siblings must only attend the service when supervised by parents. If they are unwell they are not to attend. Supervision is the parent’s responsibility for siblings.	March 2023