Part 6 Operational requirements
The Parts of the Regulation are:
Part 1 Preliminary (Clauses 1-6)
Part 2 Licensing procedures (Clauses 7-29)
Part 3 Facilities and equipment requirements (Clauses 30-50)
Part 4 Staffing requirements (Clauses 51-57)
Part 5 Child number requirements (Clauses 58-63)
Part 6 Operational requirements (Clauses 64-84)
Part 7 Administrative requirements (Clauses 85-116)
Part 8 Probity checks (Clauses 117-122)
Part 9 Miscellaneous (Clauses 123-125)
Schedule 1 Records to be kept for each child
Schedule 2 Savings and Transitional Provision
Schedule 2 - Dictionary
Excursions
Q. Is a general authorisation /permission for a routine excursion, included on the enrolment form, considered adequate? If yes, how much detail does this authorisation require, eg distance from centre that may be walked on routine excursions, specific locations named?
A. A definition of ‘routine excursion’ is located in the Schedule 2 - Dictionary.
Clause 77 - Authority for excursions, in the 2004 Regulation requires the authorised supervisor to ensure that the service has obtained written authorisation from a parent of the child for the child to participate in excursions of that kind.
Schedule 1 Clause 3(c) - Records of attendance and excursions, requires written records of excursions to be kept.
The 2004 Regulation does not prescribe what needs to be included in the ‘authorisation’ for a routine excursion, however, the details suggested above would be appropriate.
Q. What are the requirements for transporting children on excursions?
A. Refer to Clause 78 - Conduct of excursions: general.
Q. Are the responsibilities allocated to the authorised supervisor in Clause 77- Authority for excursions and Clause 78 - Conduct of excursions: general, allocated to the Family Day Care carer and the Home-Based carer?
A. Refer to Clause 77 - Authority for excursions and Clause 78 - Conduct of excursions: General.
In family day care the authorised supervisor is the person named on the licence as the authorised supervisor and the responsibilities in these clauses fall to that person. This person is often known as the Coordinator of the service.
In home-based care the carer is both the licensee and the authorised supervisors, so the responsibilities fall to the carer.
Some clauses of the Regulation specifically allocate the responsibilities of the family day care authorised supervisor to the carer, such as Clause 64 - Programs for children, Clause 65 - Interactions with children and Clause 66 - Supervision of children.
Q. How can excursions be conducted when parents are transporting children in private vehicles?
A. Refer to Clause 78(5) – Conduct of excursions: general.
Q. What constitutes a water hazard on excursions?
A. Refer to Clause 77 - Authority for excursions, Clause 78 - Conduct of excursions: general, Clause 79 - Conduct of excursions: water hazards and Schedule 1(3) - Records of attendance and excursions.
A water hazard could be a beach, river, lake, or other place where there is a significant water hazard such as a pond, stream, creek that contains water, or a swimming pool.
Q. Is it acceptable for two primary contact staff in a centre-based service to use the sign-off sheet to ensure all children have left the service, or is it necessary to do a physical walk around?
A. Refer to Clause 74(3) - Arrival & departure of children centre-based and mobile children’s service.
The Regulation specifically states that the authorised supervisor must ensure that all beds and all areas of the premises are checked by at least two members of the primary contact staff at the end of each day.
Q. What sort of ‘serious accident’ would an authorised supervisor need to notify a parent of the child, the Director General and the licensee of the service about?
A. Refer to Clause 80 - Illness, accident and emergency treatment
Clause 80 sub clause (4) explains that a ‘serious accident’ is one which requires the child to receive medical, dental or hospital treatment. This treatment would be administered by a medical professional, regardless of whether the service obtained the medical treatment at the time of the accident, or if the parent obtained the treatment after the incident. It does not refer to an accident that only ever requires first aid treatment provided by one of the staff of the service, or by the parent.
Q. What approved first aid qualifications are acceptable for family day care carers and home-based licensees?
A. Refer to Clause 84 - Family day care carer or home based licensee to hold first aid qualification and Clause 100(2)(d) - Family day care register.
A definition of an ‘approved first aid qualification’ is provided in FAQ 1 under ‘What first aid qualifications are acceptable?’
Clause 100 - Family day care register, subclause (2)(d) indicates that a prospective carer must hold a current first aid certificate or be otherwise appropriately qualified to provide first aid in a medical or other emergency. This means a prospective carer must have a first aid certificate unless they are a practicing doctor, nurse or emergency worker.