Te Aroha Noa Early Childhood Centre

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

Te Aroha Noa Early Childhood Centre is part of Te Aroha Noa Community Services, a community agency committed to empowering and supporting families. The philosophy is underpinned by Christian and Te Ao Māori values of whanaungatanga, aroha and mana. The service has made significant progress since the May 2021 ERO report.

Summary of Review Findings

Tamariki are supported as confident, competent learners. Kaiako engage in meaningful, responsive, caring interactions with tamariki to enhance their learning. Kaiako acknowledge and respect the aspirations of parents.

A range of experiences enhance learning, acknowledge mana whenua and support each tamariki to be confident in their own culture. The learning space provides opportunities for individual and group play.

Ongoing self review helps the service maintain and improve the quality of its education and care. Systems and processes indicate the service is effectively governed and is managed in accordance with good management practices.

Key Next Steps

Next steps include:

• to improve the extent to which assessment information shows children’s progress and learning overtime.

Next ERO Review

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

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

15 June 2022 

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 regulated 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; police vetting; teacher certification; ratios)

• evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

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.

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 identified areas of non-compliance with regulatory standards that are an unacceptable risk to children.

Background

Te Aroha Noa Early Childhood Centre is part of Te Aroha Noa Community Services, a community development agency committed to empowering and supporting families. Governance and some management functions are provided by Te Aroha Noa Community Services Trust. There have been changes in staffing since October 2017 ERO report.

Summary of Review Findings

Governance and leaders must ensure that the service’s policies reflect all ECE regulatory requirements. Monitoring of the centre’s compliance with regulation and criteria and consistent policy enactment is required.

Children have an environment that provides a range of experiences. Kaiako engage in meaningful, positive interactions that nurture reciprocal relationships with learners and their whānau. Children’s developing social competencies are intentionally supported.

Aspects of te ao Māori and children’s taha Māori are incorporated in everyday experiences. Children have opportunities to understand and respect other cultures.

Actions for Compliance

ERO found areas of non-compliance in the service relating to:

• opportunities for parents to contribute to the development and review of the service’s operational documents
• a written procedure for safety checking all children’s workers that meets the safety checking requirements of the Children’s Act 2014 and records of all safety checks and the results
• emergency drills that are carried out on an at least three-monthly basis and evidence of how evaluation of drills has informed the annual review of the services emergency plan
• daily hazard checks including all criteria requirements and the analysis of accident records to identify hazards and actions taken as a result
• ensuring when children leave the premise for excursions that the excursion is approved by a person responsible
• the review of injury, illness or incident records and the implementation of practices as required
• ensuring that all floor surfaces are safe
• ensuring any glass accessible to children is made of safety glass, covered in an adhesive film or effectively guarded.

[Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, GMA4, GMA7A, HS8, HS12, HS17, HS27, PF6, PF7]

During ERO’s onsite review, centre leaders removed the glass (that was not safety glass, covered in an adhesive film or effectively guarded) that was accessible to children. [PF7]

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

• the prominent display of the service’s complaints procedure and the inclusion of local Ministry of Education contact details
• information provided to parents about the amount and details of the expenditure of any Ministry of Education funding received by the service
• records of the time each child attending sleeps and checks made by adults during that time
• a child protection procedure that includes how the service will identify child abuse and/or neglect and that meets the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014.  

[GMA1, GMA3, HS9, HS31]

Recommendation to Ministry of Education

ERO recommends that the Ministry reassess the licence issued to this service provider. ERO will not undertake a further review of this service until the Ministry of Education is satisfied that the service meets regulatory standards.

Next ERO Review

The next ERO review will be in consultation with the Ministry of Education.

Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Central)
Central Region | Te Tai Pūtahi Nui

10 May 2021 

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 regulated 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; police vetting; teacher certification; ratios)
• evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

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.