Child Care Safety
You are leaving your precious children in our care and so as you would expect, we ensure that our learning environments are safe and that the team take continued review of the environment and risks as they work.
Risk can never be completely removed from life, or from Millie’s House, but we do take particular care to identify and remove any unacceptable hazards or risks. Here are some of the actions we carry out:
Police vetting
Our registered teachers are all vetted as part of the certification process through the Education Council of Aotearoa New Zealand.
All adults in the Centre including Teachers in training, cooks and the support team are all vetted. Part 3 of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014, states all children’s workers must be police vetted as part of a safety check. A children’s worker is anyone whose work involves regular contact with children, and takes place without parents or guardians being present.
First Aiders
It is a requirement to have one first aid qualified team member per 25 children on site at all times. We make it our practice to ensure that all of our qualified teachers have a current first aid certificate.
We believe there is safety in numbers and the more qualified team members we have the better.
Qualified staff
More than 80% of the team in our settings are qualified early childhood teachers and registered with the Education Council of Aotearoa New Zealand.
That means they have each spent a minimum of three years training and understanding the importance of child care as well as education. They know how important it is to keep children’s safety as paramount.
Peer working and supervision
Irrespective of the number of children present, there will always be more than one team member present at Millie’s House. This is to ensure that at all times team members are supported and children are protected.
Millie’s has viewing windows and clearly visible spaces so children are supervised well and team members can see where they are needed most to ensure children’s safety, attention and support.
Allergies and health care
All children who have allergies and/ or specific health requirements are welcome at our centre, provided parents have ensured that we are well informed and they have completed a health care plan for their child.
This means that we know the issues, know how to avoid the risks, what to do if the risk comes into play and how we can work together to keep your child healthy and fully participating at Millie’s House.
Environment and resource checks:
Each day before children attend, our team complete a hazard checklist to ensure that the environment is safe and ready for the day.
Then throughout the day as we work, we pay attention to and check the environment and resources for safety and maintenance.
Where there is an issue or hazard, it will be immediately removed or sectioned off and referred to the manager and maintenance team.
Any resources that are broken, not fit for purpose or are not for the age group intended, are removed and not reintroduced until they are approved by the manager as deemed safe and fit for purpose.
Building Checks:
Millie’s House has an up to date displayed Building Warrant of Fitness (BWoF) certificate.
A BwoF is an official written confirmation that specified systems are in place and are properly maintained to a high standard and regularly tested to ensure the safety of those who enter the building. More precisely, it signals that we have maintained and have employed qualified people to maintain the systems to the required standard during the previous year.
Collective working
If you see a hazard you think we have overlooked please bring it to our attention. Working together will ensure the safety and well-being of our children.
