Excursions Policy

1. Overview

1.1. Purpose

The Safe Environment Policy outlines the approach taken by Junior Adventures Group (JAG) to respond to and manage the health and safety of children, Team Members, families and other people visiting the premises or using program equipment. Team Members must ensure that the Service environment is safe and secure for children.

1.2. Scope

All JAG People are required to comply with the provisions set out in this policy, their contract of employment and all other relevant policies, procedures and legislation.

1.3. Legislative Requirements

Under the Education and Care Services National Regulations, Junior Adventures Group is required to have policies and procedures in place to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of the children in care.

2. Policy Statement

JAG is committed to providing opportunities for excursions and regular outings as part of our educational program. Excursions provide opportunities to build connection with the environment and the local community and contribute to a child’s sense of identity and belonging to the world around them. We are committed to the safety, health and wellbeing of children and staff during excursions.

3. Principles

3.1. Sense of Belonging

Children’s sense of belonging is linked to their connection with the world around them. Excursions and regular outings promote opportunities to connect with the local community and the environment.

3.2. Safety, Health and Wellbeing

All experiences at our service, including during excursions, will be planned and delivered in a way that identifies and minimises risk and promotes wellbeing and safety.

3.3. Excursion Planning

The Service Leader will complete an excursion planning and excursion risk assessment and submit them to their line manager for further review and approval. Where the excursion requires the transportation of children, we will refer to our Transport Policy and procedure. Any changes to the plan or the assessed risk will be reviewed by the Service Leaders.

Consent must be received in writing prior to a child attending an excursion, from an authorised nominee. Authorisation for excursions will be sought at least two weeks before the excursion.

Where a service visits a destination regularly as part of its educational program, and the circumstances of the event are substantially the same on each outing, the visit is deemed a regular outing. Authorisation forms obtained for regular outings must be reviewed annually or if the risk assessment changes.

3.4. Accountability

All Team Members supporting excursions will be allocated specific roles and tasks for the duration of the excursion and will be responsible for performing their role during the excursion.

All Team Members responsible for supervising children must stay within their allocated group and close to the activity, including when led by a venue employee.

A delegated Responsible Person will hold the overall responsibility for the excursion and will have decision-making authority while the excursion is taking place. The leader on the excursion and their line manager must take reasonable steps to ensure policies and procedures are followed while planning and delivering an excursion.

3.5. Child-to-Educator Ratios

Services will maintain an appropriate child-to-educator ratio at all times during operating hours, including when on excursions. The minimum staff-to-child ratio will be determined during the planning and risk assessment of the excursion and will be dependent on the length, location and nature of the excursion.

All children will be assigned to a Team Member, and each child must stay in their assigned group for the duration of the excursion.

3.6. Children’s Knowledge of the Environment

All Team Members must reinforce the importance of remaining within the excursion boundaries and staying with the group at all times.

Team Members will discuss excursion safety with the children. This includes, but is not limited to, discussing safe play, food and other products, equipment, items on site, road and traffic safety and safe meeting point.

Team Members will identify any hazards and obstacles that might require cooperation and communication to reduce risks when sharing equipment.

3.7. Lost Child

An attendance list and regular counts of children will occur during all excursions. In the event that a child is lost during an excursion, the wellbeing and safety of the other children in the group will be considered, and at least one Team Member will remain with the group while procedures are followed. Team Members will instigate the Missing Child Procedure and associated procedures.

3.8. Water Safety

Where an excursion involves water, the excursion planning will detail how risks around water will be managed. The risk assessment will identify any water hazards and associated risk. The supervision plan and service procedures will outline what steps JAG People will take while on an excursion to mitigate risks.

3.9. Excursions Involving Water

The regulations do not specify a specific educator-to-child ratio for activities where water is a feature. The number of educators present is to be determined by a risk assessment of the proposed activity. It must also be noted that in Sections 165, 167 and 169 of the National Law, there are clear statements about adequate supervision. For detailed information, refer to the Water Safety and Swimming Policy.

3.10. Emergency Procedures

Relevant procedures, information and equipment are displayed and regularly referred to. Regular practice sessions and reviews occur following legislated requirements.

3.11. First Aid

At least one Team Member will hold current first aid qualifications. Any children attending an excursion that requires/may require medication must be known to all attending Team Members, and the medication and any documentation must be brought with them on the excursion.

The excursion first aid pack will be checked to ensure the pack is completely stocked. Team Members will ensure that the first aid pack is held by the assigned first aid officer for the excursion. Emergency first aid numbers will be in the first aid pack.

3.12. Incident Reporting

Any incidents occurring during an excursion will be responded to according to JAG’s incident management policy and procedures. The incident reporting will be completed once Team Members have returned to the Service site.

3.13. Review and Evaluation

All excursions will be reviewed and evaluated within the fortnight to determine whether the excursion’s purpose and delivery met the education and care requirements. Feedback from children and Team Members will be used to evaluate the excursion’s success and plan for future excursions.

3.14. Safe Transportation of Children

To ensure the safety of children the Service has policies and procedures in place in relation to safe transportation of children. The Service will take reasonable steps to ensure that all Team Members follow and implement our policies and procedures. Please see 2.14 Transport Policy and Procedure for further information.

3.15. Child Safety

We safeguard children through our procedures and practices, with particular attention to their health and wellbeing. Policies and practices reflect the relevant legislation, including the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. JAG provides polices and procedures to equip JAG people with the knowledge, skills, and awareness to keep children safe. Service Practice are continuously reviewed and improved to ensure current legislation is in effect throughout the business.

3.16. Supervision

Team Members ensure that active supervision of children is maintained throughout the excursion, particulary when children are moving through venues aswell as embarking and disembarking transportation. All Team members and JAG people will work together to ensure that they are actively supervising all children and maintaining open communication with all team members to ensure the health and safety of all children.

4. Key Terms

Excursion:

• An outing organised by an education and care service or family day care educator but does not include an outing organised by an education and care service provided on a school site if (a) the child or children leave the education and care service premise in the company of an educator and (b) the child or children do not leave the school site

Team Member:

• JAG People who work directly with children

JAG People:

• Any adult that governs, manages, conducts work for or provides activities to JAG in a paid or unpaid activity spanning all levels of the organisational structure

Line Manager:

• The persons in the direct supervisory role overseeing the work of the particular JAG person. The JAG persons escalate matters toward the person in this role, in the event of incidents and breaches.

Service Leader:

• Anyone who oversees the Service in one of the following roles:

  1. The Approved Provider; if the approved provider is an individual, in other cases, a person with management or control of the Service

  2. The Nominated Supervisor of the Service

  3. A Responsible Person who has been placed in day-to-day charge of the Service in the absence of the Nominated Supervisor.

Regular Outing

• In relation to an education and care service, a regular outing is a walk, drive or trip to and from a destination (a) that the Service visits regularly as part of its educational program and (b) where the circumstances relevant to the risk assessment are the

Active Supervision:
- Supervising while engaging the educational program, adjusting levels of supervision depending on the area in use and the skills, dynamics and size of the group of children being supervised

5. References

Education and Care Services National Law and Regulations

National Quality Standards for Early Childhood Education and Care and School Care

Children Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010

Educational and Care Services National Regulations Other Relevant Legislation

Section 165 – Offence to inadequately supervise children

Regulation 89 – First aid kits

Regulation 90 – Medical conditions policy

Regulation 99 – Children leaving the education and care services premises

Regulation 100 – Risk assessment must be conducted before excursions

Regulation 101 – Conduct of risk assessment for excursions

Regulation 102 – Authorisation for excursions

Regulation 122 – Educators must be working directly with children to be included in ratios

Regulation 123 – Educator to child ratios—centre-based services

Regulation 136 – First aid qualifications

Regulation 168 – Education and care service must have policies and procedures

Regulation 170 – Policies and procedures to be followed

Regulation 171- Policies and procedures to be kept available

Regulation 172 – Notification of change to policies or procedures Related Policies

Safeguarding Children and Young People

Risk Management

6.2 Acceptance and Refusal of Authorisations 2.12 Water Safety and Swimming Activities 2.2 Absent and Missing Children 2.7 Emergency and Risk Management 2.4 Medical Conditions 2.5 Incident Management 2.8 First Aid 2.11 Sun Protection 2.14 Transport Related Procedures 01P001 Programming Guidelines 01P002 Holiday Program and Pupil Free Day 02P003 Absent and Missing Children 02P004 Medical and Health Management 02P005 Incident Management 02P008 Emergency and Risk Management 02P010 Water Safety and Swimming Activities 02P012 Safe Transportation of Children 07P012 Risk Assessments

Other Quality Area 2, 3, 4 & 7. Standards 2.2, 3.1, 4.1, 7.1 OCG Guide to the Child Safe Standards - https://ocg.nsw.gov.au/child-safe-scheme CCYP Child Safe Standards - https://ccyp.vic.gov.au/child-safe-standards/ National Child safe principles for Child Safe Organisations- https://childsafe.humanrights.gov.au/national-principles St John Ambulance Workcover NSW Health Plants and fungi poisonous to people in Queensland- https://www.childrens.health.qld.gov.au/chq/our-services/queensland-poisons-information-centre/plants-mushrooms/

Version

4.0

Change History

JAG Policy Change Register

Date Approved

01/07/2023

Date Implemented

01/07/2023

Document Owner

Quality Service Development

Document Approvers

CEO / Approved Provider

Next Review

12 months