Lincoln Road Childcare & Kindergarten

Lincoln Road Childcare & Kindergarten - 24 Jul 2023

ERO’s Akanuku | Assurance Review reports provide information about whether a service meets and maintains regulatory standards. Further information about Akanuku | Assurance Reviews is included at the end of this report.

ERO’s Judgement

Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed non-compliances and is now taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

Background

Lincoln Road Childcare and Kindergarten is located within the Lincoln Road Bible Chapel. Governance is provided by a board of trustees. The head teacher leads a team of seven staff, including two qualified teachers and an administrator. Approximately a fifth of children enrolled are Māori or have Pacific heritages.

Summary of Review Findings

The service’s curriculum is consistent with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. A philosophy statement, based on Christian values and beliefs, guides the service’s operation. Adults providing education and care engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships.

Children are given opportunities to develop an understanding of the dual cultural heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand. The curriculum respects and supports the right of each child to be confident in their own culture and encourages children to understand and respect other cultures. 

Consistent implementation of licensing requirements is needed to maintain regulatory standards.

Compliance

Since the onsite visit, the service has provided ERO with evidence that shows it has addressed the following non-compliances:

• Having a first aid kit that complies with the requirements of Appendix 1(PF28).

• Having a list of safety and emergency supplies, and resources sufficient for the age and number of children and adults at the service and details of how these will be maintained (HS7).

• Implementing a procedure for monitoring children’s sleep that ensures children do not have access to food or liquids while in bed and are checked for warmth, breathing and general wellbeing at least every 5 to 10 minutes, or more frequently according to individual needs. This includes maintaining a record of the time each child attending the service sleeps, and checks made by adults during that time (HS9).

• Ensuring furniture or items intended for children to sleep on and bedding are hygienically stored when not in use (HS11).

• Ensuring when children leave the premises on an excursion, parents/caregivers have given prior written approval for their child to participate in regular excursions at the time of enrolment (HS17).

• Maintaining a record of all injuries, illnesses and incidents that occur at the service that include evidence that parents have been informed (HS27).

• Maintaining a record of the written authority from parents for the administration of medicine in accordance with the requirement for the category of medicine outlined in Appendix 3. This includes having evidence of parental acknowledgement they have been advised that medication has been given to their child (HS28).

• Ensuring all children’s workers who have access to children are safety checked in accordance with the Children’s Act 2014. Safety checks must be undertaken, and the results obtained before the worker has access to children (GMA7A).

• Maintaining an attendance record that meets the requirements outlined in the Early Childhood Education Funding Handbook (GMA11).

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review is likely to be an Akarangi | Quality Evaluation.

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

24 July 2023

Information About the Service

General Information about Assurance Reviews

All services are licensed under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008. The legal requirements for early childhood services also include the Licensing Criteria for Education and Care Services 2008.

Services must meet the standards in the regulations and the requirements of the licensing criteria to gain and maintain a licence to operate.

ERO undertakes an Akanuku | Assurance Review process in any centre-based service:

• having its first ERO review – including if it is part of a governing organisation
• previously identified as ‘not well placed’ or ‘requiring further development’
• that has moved from a provisional to a full licence
• that have been re-licenced due to a change of ownership
• where an Akanuku | Assurance Review process is determined to be appropriate.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

All early childhood services are required to promote children’s health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements. Before the review, the staff and management of a service completed an ERO Centre Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they have taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal obligations related to:

• curriculum

• premises and facilities

• health and safety practices

• governance, management and administration.

As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO assesses whether the regulatory standards are being met. In particular, ERO looks at a service’s systems for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children's wellbeing:

• emotional safety (including positive guidance and child protection)

• physical safety (including supervision; sleep procedures; accidents; medication; hygiene; excursion policies and procedures)

• suitable staffing (including qualification levels; safety checking; teacher certification; ratios)

• relevant evacuation procedures and practices.

As part of an Akanuku | Assurance Review ERO also gathers and records evidence through:

• discussions with those involved in the service

• consideration of relevant documentation, including the implementation of health and safety systems

• observations of the environment/premises, curriculum implementation and teaching practice.

Past Reports