- 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 2 (CHB 2) is one of five home-based care networks managed by the Napier Family Centre. It operates alongside Bright Futures CHB, 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 2 was chartered in 2008 and this is its first ERO report. Reports for other networks can be found on ERO’s website.
The homes visited as part of this review present high quality environments for learning. Educarers provide a wide range of learning resources that is 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.
Relationships between children, educarers, visiting teachers and families are warm, responsive and respectful. Communication is effective and purposeful, promoting the development of trust and fostering wellbeing. Educarers are attuned to children and respond sensitively and appropriately to their needs. Visiting teachers provide good support and are highly committed to their roles.
The Family Centre is very generous in resourcing networks and teachers and providing support for families. The acquisition of a building and provision of resources to increase learning and networking opportunities for children, educarers and teachers, significantly enhance the CHB networks.
Suitable procedures need to be put in place to improve the induction and ongoing practice of educarers and visiting teachers and to monitor their implementation of requirements. Further development of management’s understanding and use of self review should improve decision making about priorities to promote improvement. A review of the service’s compliance with the Education Home-Based Care Order and Charter requirements would be an appropriate next step.
ERO will review the service again in three years.
Before the review, the management of Bright Futures CHB2 was invited to consider its priorities for review using guidelines and resources provided by ERO. ERO also used documentation provided by Bright Futures CHB2 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 CHB2.
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 A high level of commitment and enthusiasm, including participation in network events, is demonstrated by educarers. They have considerably adapted their family homes and routines 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 enable them to be innovative 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 me ngā tikanga Māori for some.
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 over time.
Resourcing The service generously resources networks and teachers, and provides support for families. Funding is available for professional development of teachers, training of educarers, subsidising families’ participation, meetings and events. The acquisition of a building and provision of resources to increase learning and networking opportunities for children, educarers and teachers significantly enhance the service.
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 educarers’ and visiting teachers’ induction and ongoing practice 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 they are supposed to be working towards. Further development of management’s understanding and use of self review should improve decision making about priorities to 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:
There are 10 children on the roll identified as Māori.
The office/playgroup and group gym sessions provide opportunities for parents to meet and network. The 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 profiles of te reo me ngā tikanga Māori throughout the service. The visiting teachers and educarers actively promote opportunities for Māori children to experience success as learners and support their understanding of te reo. Māori-themed resources are a regular part of some children’s creative play. Resources and natural materials at playgroup reflect a bicultural perspective.
Visiting teachers are aware of the need to continue to explore ways of enhancing partnerships with whānau and local iwi.
A review of the network’s practice against Charter intentions linked to the Treaty of Waitangi is a timely next step likely to help inform decision making about ways to enhance whānau partnerships.
Before the review, the management and staff of Bright Futures CHB2 completed an ERO Home-Based CareManagement Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they have 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:
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 |
60 |
|
Gender composition |
Boys 31, Girls 29 |
|
Ethnic composition |
New Zealand European/Pākehā 40, Māori 20 |
|
Review team onsite |
December 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 2 (CHB 2) is one of five home-based care networks managed by the Napier Family Centre. It operates alongside Bright Futures CHB, 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 2 was chartered in 2008 and this is its first ERO report. Reports for other networks can be found on ERO’s website.
The homes visited as part of this review present high quality environments for learning. Educarers provide a wide range of learning resources that is 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.
Relationships between children, educarers, visiting teachers and families are warm, responsive and respectful. Communication is effective and purposeful, promoting the development of trust and fostering wellbeing. Educarers are attuned to children and respond sensitively and appropriately to their needs. Visiting teachers provide good support and are highly committed to their roles.
The Family Centre is very generous in resourcing networks and teachers and providing support for families. The acquisition of a building and provision of resources to increase learning and networking opportunities for children, educarers and teachers, significantly enhance the CHB networks.
Suitable procedures need to be put in place to improve the induction and ongoing practice of educarers and visiting teachers and to monitor their implementation of requirements. Further development of management’s understanding and use of self review should improve decision making about priorities to promote improvement. A review of the service’s compliance with the Education Home-Based Care Order and Charter requirements would be an appropriate next step.
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
