Just Like Home Childcare

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

At the time of the review, ERO found the service was taking reasonable steps to meet regulatory standards.

Background

Just Like Home Childcare is a small, privately-owned home-based education and care network. The owner takes responsibility for the operation and professional leadership of the service. Most educators have completed relevant qualifications for their role. There is a small number of children who identify as Māori. As part of this review, ERO visited a sample of educator’s homes. This is the service’s first ERO review.

Summary of Review Findings

The service’s curriculum is inclusive, and responsive to children as confident and competent learners. Children have a range of learning experiences in educators’ homes and the local community. Educators engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. The practices of educators and the visiting teacher, demonstrate an understanding of children’s learning and development and their knowledge of relevant theories and practice in early childhood education.

A philosophy and annual plan guide the service’s operation. Regular opportunities are provided for parents to communicate about their child’s learning and the network’s operation with adults involved in their education and care.

Key Next Steps

Next steps for leaders and visiting teachers to support educators include:

• continuing to build on current shared understandings of assessment, planning and evaluation processes to clearly show children's intended learning and progress in relation to the learning outcomes from Te Whāriki

• providing intentional planned opportunities for children to develop knowledge and understanding of the cultural heritages of both parties to the Treaty of Waitangi

• supporting children to become more confident in their own language, culture and learner identity and show this in their learning documentation.

Next ERO Review

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

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

3 April 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 license 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.