Policy Introduction

Introduction

Welcome to our Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) service.

The Service is owned and operated by Junior Adventurers Group Pty Ltd (JAG or ‘the Group’). Our organisation is committed to providing high-quality, engaging and fun OSHC programs to thousands of primary school children across Australia.

In compliance with the Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010, the Education and Care Services National Law (WA) Act 2012 and the Education and Care Services National Regulations, the Group incorporates the following Approved Providers:

● Helping Hands Network Pty Ltd

● OSHClub Pty Ltd

● Primary OSHCare Pty Ltd.

Our policies identify parents, carers and guardians as ‘parents/guardians’. ‘Staff’ refers to all employees and contractors engaged by the Group, including management representatives. Service staff responsible for the delivery of programs are described as ‘educators’.

This handbook provides clear guidelines and information for staff and service users. Our policies help deliver a consistently high-quality experience to children, parents/guardians and staff. They ensure that governance is effective and protocols are in place for the safety and wellbeing of participants. Further, our policies facilitate a positive service experience. Our policies are written specifically for the program we deliver and align with the National Quality Framework (NQF) and school-aged curriculum document My Time, Our Place (MTOP).

As part of our quality and governance processes, our documents are regularly reviewed to assure best practice, quality and improvement. Our review process involves consultation with key stakeholders.

Objectives

Our policies and other documents are designed to support our work. This suite of documents:

● ensures the health, safety and wellbeing of children attending education and care services

● ensures children participating in our program engage in quality experiences resulting in rich learning, personal development and citizenship opportunities

● promotes continuous improvement in the provision of quality education and care services

● drives a system of national integration and shared responsibility between participating jurisdictions and the Commonwealth in the administration of the NQF.

● improves public knowledge and access to information about the quality of education and care services

● reduces the regulatory and administrative burden for education and care services by enabling information to be shared between participating jurisdictions and the Commonwealth.

Principles

Our work is guided by a set of principles included in our policies. Our guiding principles are:

the rights and best interests of the child are paramount

● Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures are valued

● the role of families is respected and supported

● children are successful, confident and capable learners and active, informed citizens

● the principles of equity, inclusion and diversity are supported by our policies, actions and law

● the principles of reciprocal relations, partnerships, high expectations, respect for diversity and ongoing reflection are supported by our policies and actions

● best practice is expected in the provision of care and education.

Goals

Our primary goals are to:

● comply with the Education and Care Services National Law and Regulations and the laws and regulations that apply in each state or territory

● comply with Family Assistance Law and the Australian Government Child Care Services Support Program (including management of the Child Care Subsidy and any other childcare payments or funding)

● comply with the NQF and the National Law, including ongoing evaluation of the Group’s Service Quality Improvement Plan

● guide educators in the implementation of the educational programs underpinned by the MTOP (the framework for school-age care in Australia) and the Early Years Learning Framework

● provide detailed and comprehensive guidelines, policies and procedures for use by management, educators, parents/guardians and other stakeholders

● develop partnerships with schools and communities to accommodate the needs of all involved

● implement systems for recruiting, managing and developing high-quality teams of educators

● provide programs and experiences relevant to children’s individual needs and interests in before-school, after-school and holiday programs

● build relationships with parents/guardians such that there are regular opportunities for them to participate in and contribute to the Service, including requests for regular and honest feedback

● acknowledge and attend to social issues such as equity, justice and inclusive practice

● comply with the Department of Education regulations in the staffing, environment, program and conditions offered to children and families

● support staff in effectively managing educators, facilities and budgets, including setting schedules for fees, governing expenditures and obtaining the required resources

● provide and maintain an environment, materials, equipment and resources that are safe, attractive, hygienic and appropriate for service users

● maintain a cycle of assessment and review of management policies, procedures and practices.

We encourage and expect staff who are unsure about our policies or procedures to communicate any questions with us. We value staff input to improve the documents that support our work.

4. Key Terms

Parents/Guardians:

• Parents, carers and guardians

Staff:

• All employees and contractors engaged by the Group, including management representatives

Educators:

• Service staff responsible for the delivery of programs

5. References

Education and Care Services National Law and Regulations

ACECQA National Quality Standards Department of Education (2022). My Time, Our Place: Framework for School Age Care in Australia V2.0. https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-01/MTOP-V2.0.pdf

Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010

Education and Care Services National Law (WA) Act 2012

Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011 Related Policies

OCG Guide to Child Safe Standards - https://ocg.nsw.gov.au/child-safe-scheme

CCYP Child safe Standards - https://ccyp.vic.gov.au/child-safe-standards/

National Principles for Child Safe Organisations - https://childsafe.humanrights.gov.au/national-principles Related Procedures Procedure Collections

Version 3.0 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 24 months