4.1 Outside School Hours Care
4.2 Safety Measures
4.3 Food and Nutrition
4.4 Clothing
4.5 Incursions
4.6 Illness
4.7 Sun Safety Policy
4.8 Volunteers Policy
4.9 General Health and Safety Policy
4.10 Infectious Diseases Policy
4.11 Childhood Immunisation Policy
4.12 Hygiene Policy
4.13 Communication with Families Policy
4.14 Parent and Community Participation Policy
4.1 Outside School Hours Care
The program for each week is available for perusal and comment on the OSHC/Kindy Noticeboard. A general description of the activities and experiences given by the service is available in this documentation. Under the Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010 and Regulations 2011, OSHC operates by a ratio of one staff member to every fifteen children for school-age children and one staff member to every eleven children for kindergarten children. OSHC reflects the quality principles outlined in the 'My Time, Our Place' Framework for School Age Care and "The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia" - Belonging, Being & Becoming.
Before School Care:
7.00am Before school care opens for free choice activities in both areas
8.30am Kindergarten children are accompanied to their classrooms
8.10am Years 4 and up depart for class
8.15am Years 2 to 3 depart for class
8.15am Prep to Year 1 children are accompanied to their classrooms.
After School Care:
3.00pm Prep children are collected from classrooms and taken to OSHC Room and then out to the playground for afternoon tea
3.00pm Year 1 children are collected from their classrooms and walked to OSHC then go to afternoon tea.
Year 2 children walk from class to the Lower Drake Building and then go to afternoon tea.
3.15pm Kindergarten children are taken to Kindy After School area for afternoon activities.
3.15pm - 3.30pm All other students have afternoon tea on arrival up until 3.20pm and participate in outside, free play, except for children doing homework/laptops.
3.30pm - 5.00pm Inside (including craft activities)/outside program, except for Fridays, when, following afternoon tea, children take part in organised games outside between 4.00pm - 5.00pm.
5.00pm - 6.00pm Inside activities.
Vacation Care:
7.00am - 9.55am Inside/Oudoor free time
10.00am - 10.15am Group time on carpet
10.15am - 10.30pm Morning Tea
10.30am - 12.30pm Inside/Outside - usually special activity/event for the day
12.30pm - 1.00pm Lunch
1.00pm - 3.30pm Inside/Outside Activities
3.30pm - 4.00pm Afternoon Tea
4.00pm - 5.00pm Outside Play
5.00pm - 6.00pm Inside Play
The program can vary based on the children's needs and the weather. In winter, for example, we move outside time to later in the morning and/or earlier in the afternoon. In summer, we move outdoor time earlier or later in the afternoon to follow Sun Smart guidelines.
4.2 Safety Measures
To help the College maintain the highest safety standards, we ask parents to ensure gates are closed behind them and that our 'No Smoking' policy is strictly followed.
Fire drills are held regularly, and we ask all people in the buildings to join in the drill with the children and educators. Evacuation procedures are outlined in all rooms with diagrams and steps to follow and are also outlined in the College Staff Handbook. In an emergency, the educators will follow the evacuation procedure and relocate the children to a safe place. Parents will be notified as soon as possible to collect their children if needed.
4.3 Food and Nutrition
After School Care staff encourage healthy eating habits and ask for your support by providing a nutritious afternoon tea snack for children attending after 3.00pm.
There is adequate refrigeration space for children to deliver their afternoon teas to the staff at Before School Care to be stored until they arrive in the afternoon. Refrigerators are available in each Kindergarten room for the Kindergarten children's afternoon teas. Please use lunch boxes/bags etc., as insulated bags are ineffective when placed in the refrigerator.
Vacation Care food is to be in named lunch boxes/bags and be placed in refrigerators.
There are food exclusions in OSHC and the service is a nut-free and egg-free zone. Educators take all reasonable steps to ensure these exclusions are upheld. Children are actively discouraged from sharing food. We have children within the program who can experience a severe anaphylactic reaction if exposed to peanuts, peanut products such as peanut butter, Nutella and eggs. To minimise the risk of an anaphylactic reaction, we support excluding these foods and ask that you do not include them in your child's afternoon tea. Educators will remove any products suspected of containing nuts, whole eggs, egg sandwiches, and quiche from lunch boxes. Educators will return these products to parents when they collect their child.
For Vacation Care, parents are asked to provide nutritious food to last the duration of care. Children do seem to burn up extra energy during the holidays, so please provide a little more than you wuld for a normal school day.
4.4 Clothing
For Vacation Care, neat, casual, comfortable clothes are required. Strapless/singlet tops are not appropriate for summer. Joggers or shoes with a heel strap are appreciated for outdoor activities.
Hats are to be worn at all times outside - No Hat, No Play rule applies. The Sun Smart Program recommends broad-brimmed or legionnaire styles.
For the younger children, please provide spare clothes and underclothes each time your child visits Vacation Care.
4.5 Incursions
We organise visiting performances and on-campus incursions through our Vacation Care Programs. These experiences are designed to support and extend children's learning.
4.6 Illness
Parents are to be advised that children who are ill should not be brought to the service. If necessary, the Head of OSHC will instruct the parent to take the child home.
4.7 Sun Safety Policy (OSHC)
The purpose of this Sun Safety Policy is to ensure that all children, staff and visitors attending our service are protected from skin damage caused by harmful UVR from the sun.
The service will provide a SunSmart environment that supports Sun Safe practices and create an awareness of the need to reschedule outdoor activities to support Sun Safe practices.
JPC is a Sun Smart school. Please also refer to the John Paul College Kindergarten Sun Protection Policy.
Procedures:
Sun safety will be practised at our service throughout the whole year.
- Children without school hats are required to play in the shade at OSHC or participate in activities in the covered area under the verandah of Lower Drake and the shaded areas at Kindergarten
- Parents are encouraged to apply sunscreen to children before they arrive at Vacation Care each day
- Sunscreen (SPF 50+) is provided for use during the day at our service. Our educators will supervise reapplications. Parents can supply their sunscreen if their child has sensitive skin or skin irritations
- Parents will be asked to provide a named sun smart hat for their child during Vacation Care and sun smart clothing when the children participate in water-related activities
- Educational programs that focus on skin cancer prevention are incorporated into the program
- Staff are positive role models for children in all sun safety behaviour
- Parents will be informed about our Sun Safety Policy when children are enrolled. The Sun Safety Policy will be included in the enrolment package information
- Ensure that adequate shade is provided during outdoor events.
Ensure outdoor activities occur before 10.00am or after 3.00pm, or follow the daily peak UV rating for your local area wherever practicable. Information can be found in the Cancer Council Queensland SunSmart Policy Guidelines - Early Childhood or on their website www.cancerqld.org.au/icms_docs/54255_Early_Childhood_Settings_SunSmart_Policy_Guidelines.
4.8 Volunteers Policy (OSHC)
As the Approved Provider of the Service, John Paul College encourages members of the community to volunteer their time and expertise to enrich the activities and experiences on offer by the College.
As a child safe organisation, all staff and volunteers must act in every child's best interests and treat all students equally with appropriate courtesy, sensitivity, and consideration in ways that ensure adherence to professional boundaries and conduct. Please refer to the John Paul College Volunteer Management Policy.
4.9 General Health and Safety Policy (OSHC)
This service strives, through the following specific Policies and Procedures, to provide a safe, clean and healthy environment where safety and hygiene procedures are practised at all times to promote and support the health, wellbeing and safety of children, recognising particular needs of children in this respect, and educators, staff members, parents and others coming to the service.
Procedures:
Management, nominated supervisors and educators shall be committed to providing an environment that is safe and promotes the wellbeing of all children at all times through:
Requiring that educators and management sign a Code of Conduct.
Ensuring staff screening and selection is undertaken following the John Paul College Recruitment and Selection and the Training and Professional Development Policies. The service employs suitably trained/experienced personnel and conducts adequate orientation.
Ensuring through Service Policies, Procedures and Training that Educators are directed to ensure:
- they are not left alone at the service with a child except in an emergency;
- following the Education and Care Services National Law (QLD), a person is not permitted to remain at the Service premises while children are being educated and cared for UNLESS that person is an Authorised Person or the person is under the direct supervision of an educator or other staff member of the service
- a safe physical environment is provided for at all times, with all risks and hazards controlled and/or eliminated as far as reasonably practicable (and foreseeable)
- children are supported by being escorted and accounted for when using restrooms/toilet facilities and will ensure that the Children's Toileting Policy and Procedure are followed at all times
- children are actively (and adequately) supervised at all times (across all areas available to them) in compliance with the minimum prescribed staff-to-student ratios to ensure children are protected from harm caused by:
- physical injury
- harassment and
- other non-physical harm to the child.
whether caused by other children, staff, parents of other children or any other person. - Only children who have written parental permission to be photographed are captured in Service reflections and other program photography. Any photography is done only in strict compliance with the Service's Photography Policy, which requires a Service device to be used for collection and storage purposes.
4.10 Infectious Diseases Policy (OSHC)
This service strives to remove immediate and/or serious risks to the children's health from possible cross-infections by adopting appropriate procedures for dealing with infectious diseases*, respecting individual privacy rights.
Accordingly, all people, including children, staff and parents, with infectious diseases*, will be excluded from attending the service to prevent spreading to others.
This is in accordance with the following:
The latter affects the School and Early Childhood Service Exclusion Direction for COVID-19 made under the Public Health Act 2005.
Minimum exclusion times are documented on the Queensland Government's Time Out Poster displayed by the service.
*** When an infectious disease is referred to in these policies and procedures, it means communicable diseases and notifiable diseases (see Commonwealth Department of Health at
www.health.gov.au)
Monitoring:
The Head of OSHC will ensure they keep up to date with information on infectious diseases within the community by assessing the Commonwealth Government Department of Health (see www.health.gov.au) and Queensland Health (www.health.qld.gov.au).
The NHMRC resource 'Staying Healthy in Childcare' and the Queensland Government Time Out Poster will be referred to when making any decisions regarding communicable diseases and/or exclusion periods. The Time Out Poster is displayed in the medical area in the OSHC Office and on the reception door for parents. Community outbreak advice will also be sought from the Queensland Department of Health, Public Health Unit.
Reporting:
It is the responsibility of parents/guardians to inform the Head of OSHC of any infectious disease that their child or other immediate family members may be suffering.
Parents/guardians will be advised through the enrolment procedures and the Parent Handbook that ill children are not to be brought to the service. The service will also reiterate exclusion protocols to parents on an ongoing basis, as needed.
Educators must inform the Head of OSHC of any infectious disease that a staff member, or other immediate family member, may be suffering.
The Responsible Person is legally obligated to notify Queensland Health and the local public health unit as soon as possible after they are made aware that a child enrolled at the service is suffering a notifiable condition. Queensland Health has a list of all notifiable conditions.
The service will also notify current parents of a notifiable condition to support infection control practices and minimise the risk of exposure to contagious conditions by monitoring for symptoms and ensuring adherence to exclusion protocols.
The Privacy and confidentiality of student information and documentation of suspected/confirmed contagious conditions must be upheld at all times.
The Head of OSHC will maintain records regarding the infectious disease. These records will include the child's name, age, symptoms, date and time when educators first noticed the illness and any action taken, including information necessary to ensure adherence with prescribed periods of exclusion (date of clearance and return /date of return). This record will not be available to other parents/guardians in view of the sensitive nature of a child's health information (see Policy- Information Handling (Privacy and Confidentiality). This document is in the OSHC Medical Folder, stored on the medical table in the OSHC office.
A notice will be posted, and attention will be drawn to it when there is a report of infectious disease at the service. These notices are in the front pocket section of the OSHC Medical Folder.
The rights of individual privacy will always be respected. In particular, the Privacy Policy of the service (see Policy 10.8 - Information Handling (Privacy and Confidentiality) will be observed by all staff implementing these procedures relating to infectious diseases.
Exclusion:
All people, including children and educators, who are suffering from infectious diseases need to be excluded from the service to prevent others from being introduced to the infection. When any such person is found to be showing signs of any infectious disease:
For children, their parents/guardians will be asked to:
- immediately collect their child and seek medical assessment/advice
- follow medical advice concerning exclusion from and return to the service by their child
- comply with staff directions for time out of service, as required for the child's condition. For educators and staff, they will immediately be released from work to seek immediate medical attention and for the period of the infectious disease
For parents or other adults, they will be required to leave the premises of the service immediately and not re-enter the premises unless and until they are no longer suffering from the infectious disease
If a duly qualified and registered medical practitioner diagnoses an infectious disease, the child/educator shall be excluded for the recommended period (as per Department of Health guidelines)
Following the 'School and Early Childhood Service Exclusion Direction made under the Public Health Act during the period of the declared COVID-19 Emergency, the service will also require the immediate collection and exclusion of a child attending the service where the person in charge of the service:
- reasonably suspects that a child attending the service is unwell
- determines because of that reasonable suspicion that the child must be removed from the service
- notifies a parent or guardian of the child of that determination.
From time to time, diseases that are published as requiring a medical certificate/clearance to confirm the child/educator's suitability to return to the service will be required before the child/educator is re-admitted to the service. Information can be obtained from the Department of Health at www.health.gov.au and the National Health and Medical Research Council at www.nhmrc.gov.au.
4.11 Childhood Immunisation Policy (OSHC)
The service acknowledges its obligation under the Education and Care Services National Regulation 2011 in ensuring that children are free from risk of harm. This includes limiting exposure to health and safety risks that may arise from vaccine-preventable diseases.
John Paul College supports the National Health and Medical Research Council's recommendation that all children should be immunised unless there is a clear medical reason not to.
Under the Australian Government's 'No Jab No Pay' Legislation, children whose immunisation status is not up to date and do not have an approved medical exemption cannot access child care benefit, child care rebate and family tax benefits Part B (except for children under 12 months).
Parents can obtain an Immunisation History Statement from the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) for their child free of charge by:
A letter from an immunisation provider (e.g. a GP, council or health service) detailing a child's immunisation status is also an acceptable form of proof of vaccination. However, parents should be advised that this may incur a consultation fee. A statement from a vaccination provider must clearly indicate whether the child's immunisation status is up to date or not up to date under the National Immunisation Program Schedule for Queensland.
An up-to-date status includes cases where a child is on an immunisation catch-up schedule or has a documented medical exemption. A template statement for vaccination providers to use is available to download at
www.health.qld.gov.au.
4.12 Hygiene Policy (OSHC)
John Paul College OSHC always supports a clean and hygienic environment. For the children's ongoing and general health and safety, this service strives to ensure for its children and educators a standard of general hygiene that complies, as a minimum, with legal requirements, and as far as reasonably possible, with the standards expected in the wider community.
4.13 Communication with Families Policy (OSHC)
Communication between educators and parents is essential to fostering strong partnerships with our families. Educators aim to communicate informally with parents regularly to share stories and experiences about their child's time with us. JPC has an Open-Door Policy. Therefore, parents are most welcome to visit OSHC at any time*. Whilst we understand that most parents using our service have needs intrinsically linked with the need for care, parents are encouraged to spend time with their children on arrival or at departure.
*Please note, the service reserves the right to restrict access to premises where considered necessary for lessening or preventing a serious threat to health and safety, such as has been the case with the COVID-19 global pandemic. The service will communicate any restricted access to parents in advance, with details of its management plans.
4.14 Parent and Community Participation Policy (OSHC)
The service values the important role that parents and the community take in children's overall development, understanding, and awareness. For this reason, the service shall endeavour to encourage parent participation and engage with the local and wider community in mutually beneficial and supportive relationships to support children's lifelong learning and recreational enrichment.
