Starship Play Service Ward 27A & 27B

Starship Play Service Ward 27A & 27B - 30 Jul 2024

1 ERO’s Judgements

Akarangi | Quality Evaluation evaluates the extent to which this early childhood service has the learning and organisational conditions to support equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners. Te Ara Poutama Indicators of quality for early childhood education: what matters most are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. Judgements are made in relation to the Outcomes Indicators, Learning and Organisational Conditions. The Evaluation Judgement Rubric derived from the indicators, is used to inform ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.

ERO’s judgements for Starship Play Service Ward 27A & 27B are as follows:

2 Context of the Service

Starship Play Service Ward 27A & 27B is one of eight services at Starship Hospital. The ward offers haematology and oncology services to children throughout New Zealand and across the Pacific region. An experienced qualified team leader, curriculum leader and clinical lead provide guidance and support to a team of hospital play specialists (HPS), including four who work in this service.

3 Summary of findings

The service’s curriculum is very inclusive and responsive, meeting the complex needs and individual preferences of all children. Highly skilled HPS intentionally guide and support children to engage in purposeful self-selected play, fostering their development and wellbeing.

HPS effectively identify and remove barriers to children’s wellbeing and learning. They empower children and families to become increasingly informed, engaged, and active participants in their healthcare and learning experiences. Achievement of equitable outcomes for children and whānau is sustained through continuous and effective improvement.

Multiple sources of information highlight the breadth of children’s hospital experiences in relation to the learning outcomes of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum. The contribution of HPS’ educational assessment in clinical notes, significantly informs and contributes to holistic approaches to children’s care by medical multi-disciplinary teams.

Effective bicultural practices reflect the ongoing commitment of Starship, leaders and HPS to uphold the principles inherent in Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The team leader works in close partnership with Māori health leaders, engaging them in decision-making that supports the wellbeing and agency of Māori children and their whānau.

The HPS team have made significant improvements to how they promote culturally responsive practices and inclusivity, particularly for Pacific children and their families. These approaches provide sensitive support for children’s learning, within an environment that also celebrates the languages and cultures of all children.

Service leaders and HPS are highly intentional in engaging in professional learning and development opportunities. Coherent internal evaluation processes guide their practice with a deliberate focus on ongoing improvement. Highly effective leadership continues to support the collective understanding of HPS to engage in internal evaluation that impacts positively for children and families.

The service implements effective systems and processes to monitor and review the implementation of policies, procedures, and practices that sustain quality education and care. High relational trust at all levels of operations enables collaboration and ongoing improvement.

4 Improvement actions

Starship Play Service Ward 27A & 27B will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:

• For leaders to continue to support HPS to develop their knowledge and understanding of internal evaluation in order to support ongoing improvement actions that contributes to outcomes for children.
• Continue to build the collective capability of HPS to use assessment, planning and evaluation to provide positive outcomes for all children.

5 Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Starship Play Service Ward 27A & 27B completed an ERO 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.

During the review, ERO looked at the 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 registration; ratios)
• relevant evacuation procedures and practices.

All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

30 July 2024

6 About the Early Childhood Service