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Family Information Handbook 2020/2021

Our vision: Children living in connected and enriched

communities.

Head Office

3Bridges Community Limited

Head Office: 1/72 Carwar Avenue, Carss Park NSW

2221

ABN: 96039601269 ACN: 607053127

Children’s Services Administration

23 St Georges Road

Penshurst NSW 2222

3Bridges Community is registered as a charity with the

Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission

ABN 96039601269.

Provider Approval

Section 15, Children (Education and Care Services)

National Law (NSW) - Approval number PR-00007692

Service Approvals

Penshurst Before, After School & Vacation Care (SE-

00013338)

Mortdale After School Care (SE- 00013340)

Penshurst West After School Care (SE-00013341)

Narwee Before, After School & Vacation Care (SE-

00013334)

Summer Hill Before, After School and Vacation

Care - (SE-40008405)

Rockdale Before, After School & Vacation Care (SE-

00013367)

Mascot Before, After School & Vacation Care (SE-00011562)

Milperra Before & After School Care (SE-

400013613)

Excellence and Quality

3Bridges Community is committed to achieving

and maintaining excellence. Our QMS certification

represents quality, reliability and continual

improvement. Our organisation has been certified

by BSI to ISO 9001:2008 and NSW Disability Services

Standards under certificate numbers FS537478 and

632737.

FS 537478 632727

3Bridges Community is a Registered Training

Organisation No. 4105

CONTENTS

Section 1: Service Information 3

• Eight School Communities can Easily Access

our OOSH Services 4

• Who can access our services? 4

• Service Locations and Contact Numbers 5

• Where Your Child will Attend 5

• Our Service Routines 6

Section 2: Administration 7

• Making Contact with Children’s Services

Administration 8

• Fees 8

• Government Assistance 9

• Australian Government Priority of Access 9

• Priorities for Filling Vacant Places 9

• How to Enrol and Book Care 10

• Re-Enrolments 10

• Casual Care 11

• Changes to Family Details and Care

Requirements 11

• Vacation Care 11

• Cancellation of Vacation Care Days 12

• Pupil Free Days 12

• Invoicing and Payment Options 12

• Direct Debit 12

• Account or Booking Enquiries 12

Section 3: Education And Care 13

• Our Philosophy 15

• Our Policies and Procedures 15

• Our Aim 15

• Continuous Quality Improvement 16

• Programs 16

• Our Children’s Services Team: 17

• Nominated Supervisors 17

• Educators 17

Section 4: Rights and Responsibilities 19

• Signing children in and out of care 20

• Absences 21

• Illness 21

• Contagious/Infectious diseases and

conditions 21

• Medical Management Plans 22

• Accidents 22

• SunSmart 22

• Clothing and Footwear 22

• Smoke Free Zone 22

• Child Protection and Protective Behaviour -

Safety, Health and Hygiene 23

• Food and Nutrition 23

• Notices 23

• Lost Property 24

• Emergency Evacuation Procedure 24

• Confidentiality 24

• Feedback 24

• Complaint Resolution 25

• Our Behaviour Management Policy 25

• Basic Rules/ Behaviour Guidelines 26

At 3Bridges we partner with local

communities to provide an array

of solutions that build happier,

healthier, connected, educated

and enriched communities.

3Bridges is a highly reputable

provider of OOSH services in the

South East Sydney region with

over 40 years’ experience.

Our values are Vibrant, Openness,

Innovation, Collaboration, and

Excellence - VOICE.

By listening to your voices, we

apply our values to make a

positive difference for children

and families.

As a niche expert in OOSH, we

focus on educator and team

development, compliance and

continuous quality improvement

to meet the needs of children,

families and our school

communities.

SECTION 1: SERVICE

INFORMATION

3B Children’s Services include seven After School Care and five

Before School Care programs. Five Vacation Care programs for primary

school children.

Twelve School Communities can Easily Access our OOSH Services

• Penshurst Public School

• Mortdale Public School

• St Declan’s Catholic School Penshurst

• St Joseph’s Catholic School

• Penshurst West Public School

• Hurstville Grove Infants School

• Narwee Public School

• Oatley Public School

• Summer Hill Public School

• Rockdale Public School

• Mascot Public School

• Milperra Public School

• Various Special needs school

Who can access our services?

Children are supervised by our educators to and from school and our

services by bus or by walking. Our Vacation Care and Holiday Programs are

well regarded and open to all.

Service Locations and Contact Numbers

Penshurst Before School and After School(6.30am- 9.30am & 2.30pm- 6pm)

Vacation Care (7am - 6pm)

3Bridges Hall, 23 St Georges Road Penshurst

*Service Mobile: 0449 257 890

Mortdale After School Care (2.30pm - 6pm)

Mortdale Public School, Colbourne Avenue, Mortdale


Penshurst West After School Care (2.30pm - 6pm)

Penshurst West Public School (Hall), Cnr Forest Rd & Scott St, Mortdale


Narwee Before School and After School (7am - 9.30am & 2.30pm - 6pm)


Narwee Public School (Hall) Broadarrow Road, Narwee

* Service Mobile: 0422 389 986

Summer Hill Before School and After School (7am - 9am & 3pm - 6pm)


Summer Hill Public School (Hall) 94 Moonbie Street, Summer Hill


Rockdale Before and After School (7am - 9 am & 3pm - 6 pm)

Vacation Care (7 am - 6pm)

Rockdale Public School (OSHC Room) Lord Street, Rockdale 2216


Mascot Before and After School and (7am - 9 am & 3pm - 6 pm)

Vacation Care (7 am - 6pm)

Mascot Public School (Hall) 207 King St, Mascot 2020


Milperra Before and After School (7am – 8.45 am & 2.45 pm - 6 pm)

Milperra Public School (OSHC Room) 22 Pozieres Ave, Milperra 2214

* Service Mobile: 0438 582956

❖ Individual Services can be contacted on the *Service Mobile numbers

above during service hours.

Vacation Care operates from Penshurst, Narwee, Summer Hill, Rockdale

and Mascot from 7am to 6pm during public school holidays.

Note:

• Children attending Penshurst Public, St Declan’s Catholic (Penshurst) Schools,

Hurstville Grove Infants, Oatley Public, St Joseph’s Catholic schools (After

School) and Penshurst West and Mortdale Public School (Before School) can

access our Penshurst service. Transport by bus or walked under supervision of

our Educators. Please call our Admin Team on 1300 327 434, Dial 1 for details.

Before School Care:

• Penshurst Before School Care: Children have breakfast and join in

activities.

[Children attending Penshurst OSHC who attend Penshurst Public and St

Declan’s Catholic Schools are walked to school supervised by our

educators. Children who attend Hurstville Grove Infants, Mortdale Public,

Oatley Public, St Joseph’s Catholic or Penshurst West Public School are

bussed to their respective schools in our 3Bridges bus under the

supervision of an educator from Penshurst Before School Care].

• Mortdale and Penshurst West After School Care parent signs child out of care.

• Mascot, Mortdale, Milperra, Rockdale and Summer Hill Before & After School Care

parent signs child in and out of care.

Our Service Routines

Before School Care: Our aim is to start the day in a happy and relaxed way.

Our educators greet the children and families as they arrive, introduce new

children to the group and offer healthy breakfast options. The space is set up

to provide children with choice, typically with board games, simple craft

activities and supervised outdoor play.

After School Care: Educators call the roll, greet the children, promote the

afternoon’s activity options and encourage them to relax after a busy day. A

typical afternoon tea includes a dip, crudités of celery, carrot, cucumber, rice

crackers, sliced fruit or sandwiches with cheese, tuna and spreads. Indoor

areas are set up with arts/craft, board games, construction, imaginative play,

dress ups, reading corner and a homework area. Outdoor play options

include free and imaginative play, games, modified sports and playground

equipment.

Vacation Care: 3Bridges Vacation Care, Penshurst, Narwee, Summer Hill,

Rockdale and Mascot are popular with our local communities. Feedback is

keenly sought from children, families and educators and influences the

excursions, activities and workshops on offer. We program for a balance of

cultural, physical, natural, play and learning experiences. Favourites include:

picnics, BBQs, play at local parks and beaches, theatres and cinemas, The Rocks

Discovery Centre, local and Olympic Park swimming pools and gymnastic

centres, rock climbing. There is always something happening in- centre with

visits from Kindy Farm, Reptiles, Discos, Magic and Puppet shows; workshops

like Create & Make, science, pottery, tie-dye, origami and educator led

activities like art/craft, sewing, cooking, games, music and dancing.

SECTION 2:

ADMINISTRATION

Making Contact with Children’s Services Administration

• Phone our Administration Coordinators on 1300 327 434, Dial 1

Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm; or

• Email us: [email protected]; or

• Go to our webpages: www.afterschoolcare.org.au to access service

information, locations, booking and enrolment and our latest programs.

Orientation Sessions The service strives to build effective partnerships with families.

Families are encouraged to attend orientation sessions held either in the

morning or evening of a select day in Term 1 each year. Families will be

notified via email as to where & when sessions will take place.

Fees - please check website for current fees

Before and After School Care

Annual Registration Fee

including Vacation Care

$100.00 per child (maximum $200 per

family) (Rockdale charged $25 per

term per child to maximum $200 pa)

Transport to or from +$3.00 per session

Casual Care +$2.00 per session

Vacation Care

Vacation Care Booking Fee $25.00 per family each VC period

Additional Charges

Non-Notification Fee $8.00 per instance you do not let us

know your child will be absent

12noon on the day of absence

Late Fee $10.00 per 10 minutes past program

end time

Wet Weather Hire $5.00 for supplying your child with gear

http://www.afterschoolcare.org.au/

Government Assistance with fees

3Bridges is an approved provider and can offer Child Care Subsidy (CCS).

To register for CCS Centrelink on 13 61 50 or visit

www.humanservices.gov.au or through your MyGov app. CCS is paid

directly to 3Bridges as care Provider to reduce the cost of care.

CCS is managed through the Child Care Subsidy System (CCSS). 3Bridges

records attendance information and submits this weekly. This allows for

the calculation of CCS and, for those eligible, JET, ACCS. Your child’s

absences are also recorded by these submissions and run across services

for the Financial Year.

What determines if you can receive government assistance?

CCS A payment to help with the cost of outside school hours

care and vacation care. You need to meet eligibility

requirements to get Child Care Subsidy.

ACCS Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS) gives some families extra

assistance with the cost of approved childcare.

You need to meet eligibility requirements to get Child Care

Subsidy.

JET JET Funding can help you with the cost of care if you are

eligible, in approved care service and want to re-enter the

workforce and doing activities such as study, work

experience of job search.

Australian Government Priority of Access

The demand for childcare sometimes exceeds supply. Guidelines for

allocating places in such circumstances are called Priority of Access

Guidelines

Priorities for Filling Vacant Places

The Priority of Access Guidelines are used to allocate available care places

where there are more families requiring care than places available.

When filling vacant places, 3Bridges will fill them according to the

following priorities:

• Priority 1 – a child at risk of serious abuse or neglect

• Priority 2 – a child of a single parent who satisfies, or of parents who

both satisfy, the work, training, study test

• Priority 3 – any other child.

Within these main Priority categories, priority is also given to

children in:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families

• Families which include a disabled person

http://www.humanservices.gov.au/

How to Enrol and Book Care

For Before and After School Care, this is a two-step process

Go to http://www.afterschoolcare.org.au/. Click on the location you need, then Enrol

or Update Enrolment Details. A new window will open. If you are a new user, select

the HubWorks ENROL button and complete the details Enrolment Page – then Submit

if you are only enrolling one child.

If you have a second child to enrol, please use the option at the end of the Enrolment

Page you’ve completed for the first child and then submit. It is very important that you

correctly enter CRN’s and dates of birth for each person so that CCS will apply to your

account. Please ensure that Parent 1 is the Parent 1 under Centrelink.

You may need to set up files/accounts in more than one service location. If in doubt, call

our office for assistance.

You will be emailed your log in details from [email protected] which allows you to

LOGIN and view your bookings and financial details and view and update your family and

details.

Once you have enrolled, select the OOSH Booking Form to print. Complete and return via

email to [email protected] along with any relevant information such as your

child’s Medical Management Plan, any Court Orders restricting access to your child or

information about your child’s disability or additional needs.

Should your child have a disability or additional needs or special circumstances please

phone the office and ask for an Area Manager or Children’s Services Manager who will

discuss and email the process to apply for inclusion support and the information we

require from you to do so. We will make a time to meet with you and your child to

discuss your child’s needs, likes and dislikes and the application process.

All bookings will be entered in the office on receipt of your form and fees entered to your

account. If you have any questions about Enrolling or Bookings please phone the office.

Acceptance is automatic but you will be informed if a place is not available and your

child will be placed on a waiting list. Our Admin team will contact you if needing

clarification regarding your bookings or account.

Where permanent bookings are requested and agreed, you will be charged even if your

child is absent. CCS is paid for up to 42 absences per financial year.

Re-Enrolments

Families are required to re-enrol at the beginning of each school year. This is to secure a

place and ensure that your child and family details are up to date.

If you wish to re-enrol your child, simply login to your HubWorks account and update

the information to ensure accuracy. The next step is to print and complete the Booking

Form and return to the office to note the days of care required. You will also be required

to sign off stating your on-line account is accurate and up to date. Booking forms are

year specific and required annually.

Please contact the office if you need your login details resent to you.


mailto:[email protected]


Casual Care

Casual Before and After School Care may be available if there are

vacancies in services. To book casual after school care:

• Check availability by calling 1300 327 434; or email

[email protected] the day before care needed.

• Bookings are preferable the day before but no later than by 12noon on

the day care is needed.

• The office makes a note in attendance diary which is passed on to the

centre staff.

• So your child knows, contact the school to tell your child to line up for

after school care that day.

For casual Before School Care please bring your child in, approach one of

our educators and add your child’s name to the attendance roll.

Changes to Family Details and Care Requirements

Log into your HubWorks account to make changes to family details

e.g. phone numbers, addresses, authorised contacts, health

information. We must be able to contact you.

To change bookings for care days, notify the office via email as follows:

• Give one full week’s written notification of any changes or termination of

care.

• Email notice to [email protected] or complete and return the

Change of Day’s or Termination Form.

• If you terminate care for your child there will be an 8-week exclusion

period should you wish to recommence care.

The days you request will be permanent bookings and you will be charged

even if your child is absent. If you would like to hold a place open for your

child, you will be charged for the days booked.

You will be informed if a place is not available and your child will be placed

on a waiting list

Vacation Care

Go to http://www.afterschoolcare.org.au Click on the centre you require

then click on Enrolment or Update your details then select and Enrol. An

OOSH Booking Form needs to be completed for the current year and

submitted to the office personally or via email [email protected].

Vacation Care Programs Bookings are available 4 weeks prior to each

public school holidays starting. Bookings commence at 6.30 am on the


mailto:o%[email protected]


Monday (Tuesday if Monday is a Public Holiday) four weeks prior to the

holidays. The Vacation Care Booking form is to be returned and if you wish

your child to participate in an excursion/ off-site activity the relevant

Excursion Permission Form must also completed and returned.

Confirmation is not necessary. Our Admin team will contact you if you have

missed out on care, excursion or workshop. You will be offered a place on

our waiting list or may wish to choose another excursion or activity for your

child.

Cancellation of Vacation Care Days

To cancel a booked vacation care day, one-weeks’ notice is required

otherwise fees will still apply.

Pupil Free Days

Care is offered as an extension of Vacation Care on the days of Public School

Pupil Free Days - where contracted.

Should your child attend a private or Catholic School, Before and After

School Care will still be available should your school’s Pupil Free Day not

coincide with the Public School’s Pupil Free Days.

Invoicing and Payment Options

• Invoices are sent out of a Wednesday and are calculated on the previous

Monday to Sunday.

• Any transactions after the Sunday cut off will show on the next invoice.

• All invoices go out with BPay details that relate to the individual family.

This makes it easy for families to pay their account/s.

Direct Debit

Payments are able to be set up through the iPay option by completing the

section on the Enrolment Page of your HubWorks account. Select this

option at the end of this page and enter your bank account or credit card

details.

This option incurs a $0.75 + GST charge for all transaction but with Visa or

Master Cards also incurring an additional 0.9% or AMEX + 3.85%.

Drawing is made from your account of a Friday and will credit to your

account with us the following Tuesday. If you BPay it will come up as

Pole Depot (our previous name at the Bank).

Account or Booking Enquiries

Please direct all enquiries to the office by phone or email, Monday to Friday

9.00am to 5.00 pm. [email protected] or 1300 327 434.


SECTION 3: EDUCATION

AND CARE

At 3Bridges, our School Age Education and Care Service practice is guided by

our Philosophy, Policies and Procedures and the National Quality Framework.

The Children’s Services team or Educators are qualified (or studying for

qualifications) and experienced in children’s education and care. Our team

aims to make your child’s stay with us an enjoyable and satisfying experience.

3Bridges has Provider Approval to operate an approved education and care

service and an associated children’s service. All our school age education and

care services have Service Approval, authorised by the NSW Department of

Education & Communities under the National Quality Framework. The

Framework was implemented 1 January 2012 with the aim

of raising quality, driving continuous improvement and providing a rating to

inform families of service quality and compliance.

Our Philosophy

• We as Educators collaborate with children in our care and the wider

community to create VIBRANT programs and opportunities which

empower each child to explore, grow and learn through meaningful

life experiences, social connections, play and leisure.

• We believe in OPENNESS, facilitating children’s capacity to be

competent, confident, co-contributors and active participants in their

own learning.

• We value and celebrate our indigenous heritage and diverse cultural

backgrounds.

• We COLLABORATE with other professions to include children of

varying abilities.

• We strive to inspire responsibility for the natural environment and

sustainability.

• We are committed to ongoing professional development and endeavour

to apply INNOVATIVE approaches, striving toward EXCELLENCE in school

age education and care.

Our Policies and Procedures

3Bridges Policies and Procedure guide management and educator

behaviour to ensure compliance with relevant regulations including

• Education and Care Services National Law, Education and Care Services

National Regulations

• Children Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 - working with

Children Check or Police Check on recruitment

• NSW Food Act 2003

• Work, Health and Safety Act 2011

• Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act (NSW) 1998 and guide

quality practice in accordance with National Quality Standards and My

Time Our Place school age learning framework.

Our Aim

To provide high quality play-based education and care with the intention

of promoting self-expression, a sense of wellbeing, enhancing curiosity and

creativity, developing children’s talents and interests and building positive

relationships.

Our educational leaders, guided by the My Time Our Place school age

learning framework, plan and implement programs that support children’s

wellbeing, development and learning. The frameworks principles are:

• Secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships

• Partnerships with families

• High expectations and equity

• Respect for diversity

• Ongoing learning and reflective practice.

Continuous Quality Improvement

Our educators assess their practice against the elements of the National

Quality Standards gaining confidence in their achievements and setting

goals and actions to achieve benchmark standards where needed. Critical

reflection against the NQS is embedded in our practice. Each service’s

Quality Improvement Plan includes quality improvement goals and actions

and progress notes and can be viewed on request. The seven Quality Areas

are:

• Educational program and practice

• Children’s Health and Safety

• Physical environment

• Staffing arrangements

• Relationships with children

• Collaborative partnerships with families and communities

• Governance and Leadership

Under the National Quality Framework, our Approved Services are assessed

and rated against each of the seven Quality Areas of the NQS and National

Regulations. The rating and assessment process aims to drive continuous

quality improvement at services and provide families with better

information for making choices about their children’s education and care.

Our Penshurst, Narwee, Mortdale services have been assessed and rated

Meeting National Standards with some Standards Exceeding. Summer Hill

was assessed after 8 months operation as Working Toward, Meeting and

Exceeding Standards. Penshurst West is rated Exceeding National Quality

Standards. Our new Rockdale and Milperra services are yet to be assessed

and rated.

Programs

All programs are designed to cater to the specific needs, skills, interests

and abilities of your children and we seek parent feedback to help guide

programming. We offer a flexible mixture of structured and unstructured

experiences for children to learn through play. Each of our OOSH Services

has developed a Quality Improvement Plan which includes goals, outcomes,

progress notes to ensure continuous improvement against the seven Quality

Areas and related quality elements of the National Quality Standards, and

the principles of school age care learning framework – My Time Our Place.

The programmed experiences are reflected upon, evaluated and ideas

for improvement and expansion are documented. A range of age/stage

appropriate resources are offered to meet the interest and developmental

needs of the children.

Homework is not a compulsory part of the program. A quiet place at each

centre will be available should your child wish to complete homework

during care time.

Our Children’s Services Team:

Our staffing arrangements are designed to enhance your children’s learning

and development and ensure their safety and wellbeing. We are committed

to providing highly competent staff focused on caring and developing your

children. We are proud of our high staff retention rates and most of our

staff is permanent and qualified and supported by our own panel of casual

educators. Many of our educations have been with the organisation for

more than 5 years and for a highly experienced and supportive team. All of

our permanent educators require at least Diploma qualifications or

undertaking a traineeship to achieve qualifications.

Area Manager - Daniel Emmerick

20 years’ experience managing OOSH services

Diploma Children’s Services

Advanced Diploma Community Management

Supporting operations, compliance and quality at Penshurst, Mortdale,

Narwee, Penshurst West & Milperra services.

Area Manager – Louise Murray.

20 years’ experience managing OOSH services

Advanced Diploma Leisure Management

Supporting operations, compliance and quality at Summer Hill, Rockdale and

Mascot

Nominated Supervisors

Minaxi Panchal, Angela Galvin, Tara Davison, Yessica Inostroza, Karen

Bekhit, Andre Goncalves, Bruna Rossi, Louise Murray & Daniel

Emmerick

Educators

Our Educator team includes Assistant Coordinators who are at least Diploma

qualified and Certified Supervisors with several years’ experience. Our

Assistant Coordinators step up as Responsible Persons in the absence of a

Nominated Supervisor. At each service, the image and name of the

Nominated Supervisor and/or Responsible Person is displayed.

All services are supported by permanent Educators rostered to ensure a

minimum 1 staff: 15 children supervision ratio. Along with our casual staff,

many have worked with us for several years and are well known to children

and families. All our educators participate in workshops to update and

improve their skills and meet on a regular basis to discuss programming and

good practice. All have been deemed to be fit and proper persons to

provide care for children. This evaluation is made through such things as

Working with Children Checks, 100-point identification, contacting referees,

establishing the person’s good character and assessing their capabilities to

provide an appropriate standard of care. At times, we roster agency staff to

ensure educator ratios.

SECTION 4: RIGHTS AND

RESPONSIBILITIES

Signing children in and out of care

Parents/carers or authorised persons MUST sign children in and out of the

centre at the actual time of arrival and departure. This is to be done on

the paper sheet and the tablet for Electronic Sign In (ESI).

Before School Care: Parents/carers must accompany their child into the

premises and sign the Parent Sign In Sheet indicating the actual time of

arrival.

After School Care: Parents/carers must come into the Centre to collect

their child and sign the Parent Sign-off Sheet also indicating the actual time

of collection.

Vacation Care: Parents/Carers must come into the Centre and sign their

children in and then out on the Parent Sign Sheets with the actual time of

arrival and departure.

Person Authorised to collect children when you cannot: A person other

than the parent/carer must be nominated by you in Hubworks to collect

your child, this includes siblings (see Regulation 99).

In an emergency situation a parent/carer may contact the office/educator

directly to inform them of a different person collecting on that day. You will

be advised of how to send through written confirmation of this happening.

The person collecting the child is to provide photo identification as evidence

that they are the person nominated.

Children authorised to leave independently: Written permission must be

submitted by you for your child to leave care independently (if they are 10

years or over). Authorisation For Child To Independently Arrive And Depart

Service Form can be obtained from the Service Coordinator, the office or at

www.afterschoolcare.org.au on the Policies and Forms drop-down.


Absences

Please email as soon as you know or phone in before 12 noon if your child

will be absent for a booked session. Charges still apply. You are also able

to mark your child absent through the ESI. Fines apply for not advising as

staff member’s waste time looking for your child. There are 42 days of care

that you are allowed for your child to be absent each financial year. These

are cumulative across all services and are recorded on your account by

CCMS (Child Care Management System). Additional absences will require

supporting documentation.

Following these guidelines will prevent additional charges being incurred.

Health, Hygiene, Safety and Medications

3Bridges understands that from time to time children in care may require

medication. Medication will only be administered when a completed

Medication Form is submitted. In case of emergency, an ambulance will be

called and the family will be notified.

The Medication Authority Form can be obtained from the Service

Coordinator, the office or at www.afterschoolcare.org.au on the Policies and

Forms drop-down.

Prescription medication will only be administered from original packaging

with the prescription sticker bearing the child’s name, dosage, Doctor’s

name, time required and current use-by date. The medication must match

that specified on the authorisation form.

Non-Prescription medication (Panadol) cannot be administered to

children whilst in our care unless accompanied by a Medical Plan with

Doctor’s authorisation. The medication must match that specified on the

authorisation form.

Illness

Keep Sick Children Home From Care And School Parents/carers will be

contacted immediately when a child becomes ill. Treatment and collection

will be arranged ASAP.

Infection spreads rapidly among children and infection control measures are

adhered to. If a child presents with an identified contagious condition, they

will be kept isolated until parent/carer collects the child.

Contagious/Infectious diseases and conditions

If your child is absent and has contracted or been directly exposed to an

infectious or contagious condition (chicken pox, head lice), please share this

information with Educators. Notices can then be displayed for the benefit of

other families. Should Educators detect any incidence of infectious disease,

3Bridges Infection Control procedures will be followed.

Infected children and children not immunised against the infectious disease

will be excluded from the service for the period recommended by the Public

Health Unit and until Doctor’s certificate stating the child is no longer

infectious is produced.


Children will be excluded until a certificate of clearance is produced

indication the condition is no longer a threat. See policy for more

information and exclusion periods.

Medical Management Plans

Parents/carers of any child with diagnosed anaphylaxis, asthma, severe

allergy or condition are required to supply a number of documents prior to

child attending service including child’s Medical Management Plan, Risk

Management Plan, Medication and Medication Authorisation. Please refer

to Serious Medical Condition - Risk Minimisation Planning Information for

families and educators at www.afterschoolcare.org.au or ask our Admin

Team.

Accidents

Every care will be taken with each child whilst in our care. We complete risk

assessments to identify and manage risks. Where accidents do occur we

follow up with first aid and ensure the child is safe and comfortable. In the

case of more serious injuries or conditions, an ambulance will be called. Any

expense will be borne by the parent/carer. On the day of the incident, an

incident report is completed, the events that may have contributed to the

incidents are analysed and where necessary action is taken to minimise risk

of recurrence.

SunSmart

Educators and children will wear protective clothing when outside.

When outdoors children will be encouraged to wear sun safe clothing with sleeves,

collars or covered necklines.

Midriff, crop or singlet tops do not provide adequate protection and are

not recommended. Children will be encouraged to wear sun safe hats that

protect the face, neck and ears when outside. Bucket and Broad Brimmed

hats are recommended, baseball caps and visors are not.

SPF 30+ or higher broad-spectrum water-resistant sunscreen will be

available at the service for children and Educators to use. Apply sunscreen

to your before attending the centre.

Clothing and Footwear

Children are encouraged to have a hat for outdoor play (see above) and

wear adequate clothing. It is suggested that children have a jumper with

them and rain wear with them for their time at 3Bridges. Children not

wearing appropriate clothing and footwear may be disappointed if they are

not able to participate in activities for inappropriate wear. Thongs and loose

footwear (backless) are not encouraged as the risk of harm is greater. Any

clothing that you consider too good for play, painting and cooking is not

suitable for wear at 3Bridges.

Smoke Free Zone

Smoking is not allowed in the Centre or its surrounding grounds. Signs are

posted in all areas.


Child Protection and Protective Behaviour - Safety, Health and

Hygiene

Children’s safety and wellbeing is the priority all children’s services educators

are mandatory reporters under the “Keep Them Safe” government initiative.

3Bridges Educators are trained to Identify and Respond to significant risk of

harm and are expected to uphold high level Duty of Care.

Risk assessments are conducted to identify, manage and minimise risks

at our sites, our workshops and for every excursion. Our staff: supervision

ratios are 1:15 in centre and higher to support children with additional

needs and for higher risk activities. We always have two staff on

premises.

Food and Nutrition

Our menu is developed by our educators using the principles set out in the

Australian Dietary Guidelines for Children.

In terms of children’s health and safety our procedures reinforce Part 4.2 of

the Regulations in the following ways:

• If your child has a food allergy this needs to be indicated on registration

and discussed with the Nominated Supervisor. (Refer to Medical

Management Plans)

• We have strict health, hygiene and safe food practices guidelines for

food (Section 77). We offer food and beverages appropriate to the

needs of each on a regular basis (Section 78). Food and beverages are

nutritious and more than adequate for children in our care (Section 79)

and appropriate to each child’s dietary needs, growth and development,

specific cultural, religious or health requirements

• We offer healthy nutritious breakfasts and afternoon snacks at all

centres. Families are asked to pack a lunch and morning and afternoon

snack for vacation care. Water is available at all times.

• Children are given the opportunity to develop their self-help skills

through food preparation and service. They are encouraged to use best

practice in regard to food safety measures. Educators aim to create a

calm atmosphere which incorporates the fostering of social skills.

• Programs and Menus are displayed at each service.

• Provide healthy lunches and snacks for children throughout Vacation

Care

Notices

Changes to services will be advised in advance via email and also notices

posted at individual centres. Parents are requested to read the information

provided at the services.

Email notice are sent out via HubWorks whenever general communication

is required e.g. Vacation Care Program availability.

Lost Property

Personal Belongings are to be clearly marked with your child’s name. Lost

property will only be kept for a short period of time. Toys, valuables or

electronic devices of any type (such as phones, laptops, tablets) brought to

care are the responsibility of children. 3BC does not have adequate security

or storage areas to safeguard such items. It is strongly recommended that

these are not brought to care. 3BC will not accept responsibility for their

loss or damage.

Emergency Evacuation Procedure

To ensure the safety of the children Emergency Exit and Lockdown

procedures are practiced on a regular basis - once per term for BASC and

once per each Vacation Care.

Our Educators behaviour is guided by A Code of Professional Practice

ensuring respectful relationships with families and children. Mutual

respectful behaviour is required of families and children. Where behaviour

breaches the safety and wellbeing of others, a child’s place in the service will

be reviewed. Where behaviour places others in danger, parent/carer may be

excluded from the service.

Confidentiality

3Bridges acknowledges and follows confidentiality guidelines as outlined in

legislative requirements

Feedback

Feedback is welcomed and important in ensuring that services continue to

meet the needs of children and families. We use your feedback to improve

our service quality and to look into and respond to any issues of concern.

Feedback can be compliments, complaints and suggestions:

• Compliments are welcomed as affirmation of our education and care

practice and customer service.

• Complaints: Let us know of any aspects of the service you are not

satisfied with or that don’t meet your childcare or customer service

expectations.

• Suggestions: Our educators welcome ideas on improving the care, play

and learning opportunities provided to the children.

Feedback is best provided to the service Coordinator in the first instance.

We value our relationships with families and encourage open and respectful

communication to build on those relationships and improve service delivery.

Family Surveys are conducted twice annually via Survey Monkey to gain

feedback on OOSH and Vacation Care. The feedback is summarised and

areas for improvement addressed via an Action Plan.

Complaint Resolution

Should a parent not be satisfied that a complaint has been resolved, the

complaint can be directed to the Children’s Services Management team:

• By calling 1300 327 434, or 8558 4012

• In person or by letter - 23 St Georges Rd Penshurst Children’s Services

Office; or

• By email to [email protected]

Formal complaints will be acknowledged within one working day and should

a resolution be required this will be dealt with promptly.

If you need to take a complaint further, contact:

The Commissioner for Community Services

Level 3, 128 Chalmers Street

SURRY HILLS NSW 2010


Our Behaviour Management Policy

Our service believes that children have the right to be physically and

psychologically safe. We aim to provide an environment where all children and

educators feel safe, cared for, and relaxed and which encourages cooperation

and positive interactions between all persons (My Time, Our Place Outcome 1).

Our behaviour management policy is based on guidance, redirection and

positive reinforcement and collaboration with families. Educators aim to use

strategies to guide rather than control the behaviour of the children in our

care and your support in achieving this aim is crucial.

Basic rules and behaviour guidance are based on safety and respect. Educators

will intervene and take steps to correct behaviour where the behaviour

negatively impacts safety. Our service promotes a positive approach to

managing the behaviour of all children. Children will be encouraged to resolve

problems, defeat and frustrations where appropriate. This can be achieved by

exploring possible solutions, and helping children understand and deal with

their emotions. This will depend on the child’s age and level of development

(My Time, Our Place Outcome 3).

The service aims to encourage positive behaviour and will ensure no child

is subjected to any form of corporal punishment, nor to strategies meant

to shame, humiliate, belittle or exclude.

Basic Rules/ Behaviour Guidelines

Respect and Safety are the core values that guide children’s and educator’s

behaviours.

Respect means:

• Listening to each other.

• Valuing each other.

• Speaking with respect to others. Communicating your needs, respectfully.

• Supporting each other when feeling angry or that something is unfair or

unwanted; by using the 1, 2, 3 approach being 1. Tell the person what

you want or tell them to stop 2. Walk away 3. Ask an educator to help

you sort things out. Take time out to calm down before re-joining the

group, if needed.

• Showing care and consideration when using centre games/toys/

equipment and facilities.

• Sharing with other children and being inclusive.

• Respecting individual needs and differences.

• Helping to clean up after activities with keeping our environment a great

place to be

Safety means:

Behaving in ways that keeps everyone safe.

Not participating in physical fighting (play or real), for example, spitting,

throwing toys, stones or dangerous objects. Not bullying or engaging in any

form of aggressive behaviour.

Following educator directions to stay safe e.g. when walking and travelling,

playing on equipment, using toilets, etc.

Leaving dangerous items at home. If observed by Educators, the items will be

confiscated

Cooperating in managing risks e.g. to children with food allergies - food or

cakes brought to be shared with the other children are to be given to the

Coordinator to serve appropriately.

• Staying within the boundaries of the centre’s indoor and outdoor play

areas as directed by educators. Keep balls, play equipment within the

centre boundaries. Children are to remain in view of at least one

Educator at all times. Remain at the service until collected.

Ask for educator assistance to stay safe e.g. to retrieve balls or equipment

that goes out of bounds, to use the toilet on excursion, to purchase items

on excursion.

Leave valued items at home - card collections, computer games, mobile

phones, jewelry (or in the safe keeping of the Coordinator until collected by

parent/carer).

Guiding Children’s Behaviour

Steps that educators take to support respectful and safe behaviours include:

• Establishing positive relationships, which are the foundation for building

children’s self-respect, self- worth and feelings of security;

• Observing children to identify triggers for challenging behaviours. Paying

attention to the child’s developmental level and any program issues that

may be impacting on the behaviour;

• Using positive approaches to behaviour guidance. Some of these

include redirection, positive acknowledgement, giving explanations,

encouragement, giving help, collaborating to solve problems and

helping children to understand the consequences and impact of their

behaviour;

• Supporting children by providing acceptable alternatives when

challenging behaviour occurs;

• Ensuring limits are consistent, carried out in a calm, firm manner,

followed through and that children are helped to behave within the

limits;

• Involving the family and the child in appropriate ways in addressing

challenging behaviour;

• Using other professionals when necessary to help with behaviour

guidance, for example, the Inclusion Support Facilitator (ISF);

• Identifying children’s strengths and building on them; and

• Seeking support from other educators and management.

Correction Steps

When a child’s behaviour negatively impacts safety, educators will actively intervene

and take steps to minimise risk and where behaviour is intrusive to another person’s

enjoyment, educators will assist in finding a solution that benefits all involved - assist

negotiation, redirect, facilitate other activity, support to find own space etc.

The educator will ask the child, “What happened?” Ask, “What are some better ways to

achieve what you needed?” Our values are respect and safety which means we talk

nicely about what we would like. To assist children to manage frustrations before they

lead to acting out behaviour, educators are to explain the 1, 2, 3 approach to the child.

If the child’s behaviour is no risk to others, the educator will calm the situation, assist

negotiation, or redirect to another activity, or facilitate another activity, or support to

find own space, etc.

Should the child’s behaviour be a threat to others, seek necessary support to calm the

situation, move other children from the area and reengage the other children in play.

Explain to the child, “Hurting anyone is not okay here. We wouldn’t let anyone hurt

you. Our values are respect and safety”. Once things are calm, the educator will ask the

child what happened. Any instigators will be spoken to with the same expectations of

respectful and safe behaviour.

If the child’s behaviour continues or instigator behaviour continues, the children will be

moved away from the group to calm down and think about their actions. Once it

appears a child is calm and ready for discussion, the educator will reiterate that the

behaviour is unsafe and/ or disrespectful, receive reassurance of respectful and safe

behaviour and take steps to reengage the child in play.

In liaison with management and family, a child’s behaviour may be observed and

recorded over a number of days and the behaviour and any factors contributing

noted. The aim is to identify patterns and strategies to assist educators to address the

behaviour and support the development of skills such as emotional regulation.

Aggressive behaviour harming others or self

In the event that a child’s behaviour endangers or harms other children, educators or

themselves, a period of suspension will be imposed. The period of suspension will be

decided on a case by case basis, based on the severity or repetition of the behaviour.

This could be for a day, two day or one (1) week.

If, after the suspension period, similar harming behaviour occurs, the parent/ carer will

be contacted immediately to collect their child.

Return to the service will be conditional upon a behaviour support plan being agreed

with the child and family - to provide the supports needed to identify any skill deficits

(e.g. self-control) and the strategies to put in place to support skill development.

Should aggressive behaviours, harming others or self, continue in spite of reasonable

efforts, care will no longer be offered i.e. expulsion from the Program. Fees are payable

in the event of suspension or expulsion from care.

We as Educators collaborate with children in our care and the wider community to create vibrant programs and opportunities which empower each child to explore, grow and learn through meaningful life experiences, social connections, play and leisure.

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