- ERO evaluates and reports on the education and care of children and young people in early childhood services and schools.
Bright Futures Central Hawkes Bay (CHB) is one of five home-based care networks managed by the Napier Family Centre. It operates alongside Bright Futures CHB 2, the other Family Centre network, situated in Waipukurau. Two visiting teachers share responsibility for the day-to-day management of the two networks. They are supported by the branch manager and the chief executive officer of the Family Centre. CHB was chartered in 2008 and this is its first ERO report. Reports for other networks can be found on ERO’s website.
Guiding umbrella documentation gives priority to establishing positive relationships with all concerned in children’s learning and wellbeing. Expectations emphasise that children’s experiences be provided in safe, secure, nurturing environments that operate according to family values. Management implements the policy that no child, requiring the service, should be disadvantaged for financial reasons.
The homes visited as part of this review present high quality environments for learning. Educarers provide a wide range of learning resources, generously supplemented by service materials. Additional opportunities for children to learn and socialise are extended through access to the service’s playgroup and gym sessions. Visiting teachers provide good support for educarers and families and show high levels of commitment to their roles.
Children receive good quality care and varied learning experiences. Home-based experiences are supplemented with weekly play-group and gym sessions and excursions to local facilities. These occasions provide opportunities for adults to support each other and extend children’s horizons and social skills. Over time, children develop a strong sense of belonging and ownership.
Relationships between children, educarers, visiting teachers and families are warm, responsive and respectful. Educarers are attuned to children and, as such, able to respond sensitively and appropriately to their needs. Expectations for behaviour are clear and positively applied. Communication between parents and educarers, and educarers and teachers is effective and purposeful and continues to promote trust and wellbeing.
ERO identified that management needs to develop quality assurance processes to meet charter goals and to clarify and implement the strategic plan.
ERO will review the service again in three years.
Before the review, the management of Bright Futures CHB was invited to consider its priorities for review using guidelines and resources provided by ERO. ERO also used documentation provided by Bright Futures CHB to contribute to the scope of the review.
The detailed priorities for review were then determined following a discussion between the ERO review team and the management and staff. This discussion focused on existing information held by the service (including self-review information) and the extent to which potential issues for review contributed to positive outcomes for children atBright Futures CHB.
All ERO education reviews in early childhood focus on the quality of education. For ERO this includes the quality of:
In addition, ERO decided to evaluate:
ERO’s findings in these areas are set out below.
This home-based care network is one of two operating in central Hawkes Bay, managed by the Napier Family Centre. Two visiting teachers share responsibility for the networks and care of up to 120 children in educarers’ homes.
Environment for learning The homes visited as part of this review present high quality environments for learning. Educarers provide a wide range of learning resources, generously supplemented by service materials. Additional opportunities for children to learn and socialise are extended through access to the service’s playgroup and gym sessions. The ongoing focus on their unique interests, together with the purposeful attention of a trusted adult, is likely to foster children’s wellbeing and readiness to learn.
Relationships and interactions Relationships between children, educarers, visiting teachers and families are warm and respectful. Communication is responsive and purposeful and continues to promote trust and wellbeing. Educarers are attuned to children and respond sensitively and appropriately to their needs. Expectations for behaviour are clear and positively applied.
Educarers Educarers demonstrate high levels of commitment and enthusiasm, including participation in network events. They have allowed their family homes and routines to be considerably adapted to provide for children’s needs. Records of children’s daily routines and participation in activities are comprehensive, up to date and a source of invaluable information.
Visiting teachers Visiting teachers provide good support for educarers and families. They are a new team working well together to meet families’ needs and management’s expectations. Ongoing reflection on their practice and a focus on improvement enables them to innovate and develop new ideas and resources for the two CHB networks. Modelling and constructive oral feedback is improving aspects of educarers’ practice. They are much appreciated for their high level of responsiveness and respect.
Māori perspective A review of bicultural practices continues and is resulting for some, in a greater awareness of te reo ne ngā tikanga Māori.
Strengthening programme delivery Visiting teachers have agreed a more systematic approach to providing feedback to educarers is necessary, particularly about the quality of their practice in relation to service expectations and Charter requirements. Areas to consider include:
Self review Teachers need to further develop their understanding and use of self review and evaluation processes to promote continuous improvement to their practice.
Resourcing The service generously resources networks and teachers and provides support for families. Funding is available for teachers’ professional development, educarers training, subsidising families’ participation, meetings and events. The acquisition of a building and resource provision to increase learning and networking opportunities for children, educarers and teachers, significantly enhance the service.
Areas for development and review
Quality assurance Systems for monitoring the implementation of agreed practices and accountabilities are not effective. Suitable procedures need to be put in place to improve induction and ongoing practice of visiting teachers and educarers and to monitor their implementation of requirements. These procedures include:
Long-term planning and self review Self review and strategic planning are not sufficiently developed to provide clear direction for this service. Goals for 2010 are not explicit. Visiting teachers’ are unclear about the strategic direction. Further developing management’s understanding and use of self review should improve decision making about priorities and promote improvement.
ERO provides information about the education system as a whole through its national reports. This information will be used as the basis for long term and systemic educational improvement.
As part of this review ERO evaluated the extent to which:
Ten children on the roll identify as Māori.
The office/playgroup and group gym sessions provide opportunities for parents to meet and network. Visiting teachers regularly welcome high numbers of whānau, educarers and children to these events which also serve to enhance transition into the service.
An appropriate and ongoing focus on bicultural practice is lifting the level and use of te reo me ngā tikanga Māori throughout the service. The visiting teachers and educarers at Bright Futures CHB actively promote opportunities for Māori children to experience success as learners. They nurture basic te reo development. Māori themed resources are a regular part of children’s creative play. During ERO’s visit te reo Māori was observed naturally woven into conversation with Māori children.
Visiting teachers are aware that they need to provide increased levels of feedback to parents and to continue to explore ways to further partnerships with whānau and iwi.
A review of the network’s practice against Charter intentions linked to the Treaty of Waitangi would be a timely next step for management. This is likely to help inform decision making about ways to enhance partnership with whānau.
Before the review, the management and staff of Bright Futures CHB completed an ERO Home-Based CareManagement Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they had taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal obligations related to:
During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on outcomes for children:
During the course of the review ERO found areas of non-compliance.
The service does not clearly meet all its Charter obligations.
Hazard identification and management procedures are not well implemented. Some homes contain hazards that may cause injury to children in the event of an earthquake. Property checks need to be implemented more effectively.
In order to address these, management must ensure that:
[The Education (Home-Based Care) Order 1992, Part 2, 14 and Part 3, 4 (5)]
In order to improve current practice management should ensure:
ERO and the service arranger agreed that management:
reviews the service’s compliance with the Education (HomeBased Care) Order 1992 and Charter requirements to improve its practice and accountability as a care arranger; and
seeks appropriate professional support to review and further develop its knowledge and understanding of self review.
ERO will review the service again in three years.
Kathleen Atkins
National Manager Review Services
Central Region
|
Licence type |
Home-Based Care |
|
Chartered under |
Education (Home-based Care) Order 1992 |
|
Roll number |
67 |
|
Gender composition |
Girls 41, Boys 26 |
|
Ethnic composition |
New Zealand European/Pākehā 53, Māori 10, Other ethnic groups 3, Indian 1, |
|
Review team onsite |
November 2010 |
|
Date of this report |
3 March 2011 |
|
Previous ERO reports |
First report |
These are the findings of the Education Review Office’s latest report onBright Futures Central Hawkes Bay (CHB) is one of five home-based care networks managed by the Napier Family Centre. It operates alongside Bright Futures CHB 2, the other Family Centre network, situated in Waipukurau. Two visiting teachers share responsibility for the day-to-day management of the two networks. They are supported by the branch manager and the chief executive officer of the Family Centre. CHB was chartered in 2008 and this is its first ERO report. Reports for other networks can be found on ERO’s website.
Guiding umbrella documentation gives priority to establishing positive relationships with all concerned in children’s learning and wellbeing. Expectations emphasise that children’s experiences be provided in safe, secure, nurturing environments that operate according to family values. Management implements the policy that no child, requiring the service, should be disadvantaged for financial reasons.
The homes visited as part of this review present high quality environments for learning. Educarers provide a wide range of learning resources, generously supplemented by service materials. Additional opportunities for children to learn and socialise are extended through access to the service’s playgroup and gym sessions. Visiting teachers provide good support for educarers and families and show high levels of commitment to their roles.
Children receive good quality care and varied learning experiences. Home-based experiences are supplemented with weekly play-group and gym sessions and excursions to local facilities. These occasions provide opportunities for adults to support each other and extend children’s horizons and social skills. Over time, children develop a strong sense of belonging and ownership.
Relationships between children, educarers, visiting teachers and families are warm, responsive and respectful. Educarers are attuned to children and, as such, able to respond sensitively and appropriately to their needs. Expectations for behaviour are clear and positively applied. Communication between parents and educarers, and educarers and teachers is effective and purposeful and continues to promote trust and wellbeing.
ERO identified that management needs to develop quality assurance processes to meet charter goals and to clarify and implement the strategic plan.
ERO will review the service again in three years.
When ERO has reviewed an early childhood service we encourage management to inform their community of any follow up action they plan to take. You should talk to the management if you have any questions about this evaluation, the full ERO report or their future intentions.
If you would like a copy of the full report, please contact the service or see the ERO website, www.ero.govt.nz.
Kathleen Atkins
National Manager Review Services
Central Region
