Twinkle Star Home-based Childcare Limited

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

This is the first ERO review of Twinkle Star Homebased Childcare Limited, which opened in 2021. The owner is responsible for governance and management, and a qualified visiting teacher provides curriculum support to 18 educators. Educators are reflective of the diverse ethnicities of children enrolled.

Summary of Review Findings

Educators engage in meaningful, positive interactions to enhance children’s learning and nurture reciprocal relationships. The curriculum provides a language-rich environment that supports children’s learning.

Positive steps are taken to respect and acknowledge the aspirations held by parents and whānau for their children. Regular opportunities are provided for parents to communicate about their child with educators.

Service leaders must ensure that systems and processes are implemented and monitored to maintain regulatory standards.

Actions for Compliance

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

• Providing a variety of equipment and materials that is appropriate for the learning and abilities of the children attending (PF4).

• Having a documented risk management system that ensures equipment, premises and facilities are checked on every day of operation for hazards to children. This includes identifying hazards in kitchen facilities and ensuring appropriate action is taken so that hazards to the safety of children are eliminated, isolated or minimised (HS11).

• Ensuring there is always an adult present while children are attending, who holds a current first aid qualification gained from a New Zealand Qualification Authority accredited first aid training provider (HS22).

• Maintaining a record of all medicine (prescription and non-prescription) given to children attending the service. Records include the name of the child; name and amount of medicine given; date and time medicine were administered and by whom, and evidence of parental acknowledgement that they were advised that medication has been administered to their child (HS25).

• Ensuring a written supervision plan that ensures the health, safety and wellbeing of children enrolled in the service is maintained at all times; the plan must be specific to the premises and the number, age, abilities and enrolled hours of the children attending and must show how the educator will actively supervise children attending the service; it must include but is not limited to interacting with other people in the home, including visitors (HS34).

• Ensuring that before a person is employed or engaged as a children’s worker, as defined in the Children’s Act 2014, a police vet and risk assessment as required by that Act is completed for each person (GMA6A).

Next ERO Review

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

Patricia Davey
Director of Early Childhood Education (ECE)

24 August 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.