Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
CAMP AUSTRALIA NATIONAL OPERATIONS
POLICY MANUAL – OCTOBER 2017
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 1
©This document is the property of Camp Australia and is not to be reproduced in any form
Reviewed: March 2017 Version: 1.0
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 2
©This document is the property of Camp Australia and is not to be reproduced in any form
Reviewed: October 2017 Version: 1.12
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
Contents
REVISIONS HISTORY 7
QUALITY AREA 1: EDUCATION PROGRAM AND PRACTICE 9
PHILOSOPHY ........................................................................................................................ 9
Camp Australia Philosophy.............................................................................................. 9
CHILD SAFE POLICY .......................................................................................................... 10
RISK MANAGEMENT STRATEGY and CHILD SAFE STANDARDS Frameworks .......... 12
1. PROGRAMMING ........................................................................................................... 13
Program Planning .......................................................................................................... 13
Reflection Evaluations ................................................................................................... 15
Recording Critical Reflection of the Service Operations ................................................ 16
Diversity and Inclusion................................................................................................... 17
Bias and Prejudice......................................................................................................... 18
Animals In The Environment.......................................................................................... 19
Classification Ratings .................................................................................................... 20
Programming With Music............................................................................................... 21
Personal Electronic Devices .......................................................................................... 22
QUALITY AREA 2: CHILDREN’S HEALTH AND SAFETY 23
Day to day management of children’s incidents and illnesses ...................................... 23
Serious or Fatal Incident................................................................................................ 25
First Aid Kit Management .............................................................................................. 27
Infectious Disease ......................................................................................................... 28
HIV/Aids Management................................................................................................... 30
Blood and Body Fluid Precautions................................................................................. 31
2. HEALTH AND SAFETY ................................................................................................ 32
Hygiene and Infection Control ....................................................................................... 32
Personal Hygiene .......................................................................................................... 33
Dental Care.................................................................................................................... 34
Nutrition and Health Care .............................................................................................. 35
Food Preparation ........................................................................................................... 37
Food Served .................................................................................................................. 38
Sun Smart...................................................................................................................... 39
Rest Times, Comfort and Clothing................................................................................. 41
Tobacco, Drug and Alcohol Free Environment .............................................................. 42
3. THE COLLECTION, ACCEPTANCE AND REFUSAL OF AUTHORISATIONS .......... 43
Supervision .................................................................................................................... 43
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Bathroom Supervision ................................................................................................... 45
Children Leaving the Area of Supervision ..................................................................... 46
Late/Non-Arrival of Children .......................................................................................... 48
Late/Non-Collection of Children ..................................................................................... 49
Authorisation to Collect Children ................................................................................... 51
On-The-Day Attendances .............................................................................................. 52
Parental Responsibility Arrangements........................................................................... 54
Acceptance and Refusal of Authorisation ...................................................................... 56
Extra Curricula Activities................................................................................................ 57
Excursions ..................................................................................................................... 59
Transition between School and Service ........................................................................ 61
Transport of Children ..................................................................................................... 62
4. EMERGENCY AND EVACUATION PROCESSES ....................................................... 63
Emergency and Evacuation Process ............................................................................. 63
Aggressive Behaviours and Intruders at the Service ..................................................... 65
Improper Relations ........................................................................................................ 66
External Dangers ........................................................................................................... 68
Fire on Site .................................................................................................................... 69
Natural Disasters (Including Flood, Cyclones and Bushfires)........................................ 71
Telephone Amenities ..................................................................................................... 72
5. MEDICAL CONDITIONS AND PRACTISES................................................................. 73
Administration of Medication.......................................................................................... 74
Asthma Management..................................................................................................... 75
Anaphylaxis and Epi-Pen Administration....................................................................... 77
Diabetes Management................................................................................................... 78
QUALITY AREA 3: PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT 80
Service Area Requirement............................................................................................. 80
Cleaning and Maintenance of the Service Area ............................................................ 81
Bathroom Facilities and Supervision ............................................................................. 82
Dangerous Products and Equipment ............................................................................. 83
Storage and Maintenance of Resources ....................................................................... 84
Onsite Pools .................................................................................................................. 85
Water Activities .............................................................................................................. 86
Environment Statement and Sustainability .................................................................... 87
QUALITY AREA 4: STAFFING ARRANGEMENTS 88
Staff Ratios and Qualifications....................................................................................... 88
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Responsible Person and Supervisors Certificate .......................................................... 89
Nominated Supervisor ................................................................................................... 90
Role of Educational Leader ........................................................................................... 91
Students and Volunteers ............................................................................................... 92
Duty of Care................................................................................................................... 93
Visitors and Spectators on Site...................................................................................... 94
Career Training and Development................................................................................. 96
Working with Children.................................................................................................... 98
Child Abuse ................................................................................................................... 99
Child Protection Mandatory Requirements .................................................................. 105
Grooming Behaviour.................................................................................................... 110
Reportable Conduct..................................................................................................... 114
Investigation of Serious Protection Issues ................................................................... 116
Code of Conduct: Ethical Behaviour ............................................................................ 118
Code of Conduct: Professional Appearance................................................................ 119
Inability to Work ........................................................................................................... 120
Educator Grievance and Complaint Process ............................................................... 121
Recruitment and Professional Development ............................................................... 122
Death of an Employee ................................................................................................. 123
QUALITY AREA 5: RELATIONSHIPS WITH CHILDREN 124
Interactions .................................................................................................................. 124
Limited Physical Contact ............................................................................................. 126
Guiding and Supporting Children’s Communication .................................................... 128
Suspension or Exclusion from the Service .................................................................. 129
Children’s Comments and Feedback........................................................................... 131
Children’s Grievance and Complaints ......................................................................... 132
QUALITY AREA 6: COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH FAMILIES AND
COMMUNITIES 133
Family Participation and Communication .................................................................... 133
School and Local Community Involvement.................................................................. 134
Fundraising and Seeking Donations ............................................................................ 136
Family Grievance and Complaints Procedures ........................................................... 137
QUALITY AREA 7: LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE MANAGEMENT 139
1. GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT OF SERVICE................................................. 139
Child Enrolments ......................................................................................................... 139
Child Attendance Records ........................................................................................... 140
Definition of Booking.................................................................................................... 141
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Cancellations of Booking ............................................................................................. 142
Hours of Service Operation ......................................................................................... 143
Orientation Process ..................................................................................................... 144
Priority of Access/Waiting List ..................................................................................... 145
Equal Opportunity ........................................................................................................ 146
Fees............................................................................................................................. 147
Fee Collection.............................................................................................................. 148
Supporting Children with Additional Needs ................................................................. 149
Late Fee Payment Procedure...................................................................................... 151
Late Pick Up Administration Fee ................................................................................. 152
Child Absences............................................................................................................ 153
Child Care Benefit........................................................................................................ 154
Family Confidentiality................................................................................................... 155
Administration and Maintenance of Records ............................................................... 157
Archiving of Records.................................................................................................... 158
Partnership Responsibilities and Communication ....................................................... 159
Quality Management.................................................................................................... 160
Policy Management ..................................................................................................... 161
APPENDIX A 162
Child Safe Standards – Victoria................................................................................... 163
Standards Of Care – Queensland ............................................................................... 164
Child Safe Environments – South Australia................................................................. 165
Child Safe Organisation – New South Wales .............................................................. 168
Camp Australia – Child Safe Standards Framework ................................................... 169
Camp Australia - Blue Card Risk Management Strategy Framework.......................... 176
APPENDIX B 186
Code of Conduct 187
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Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
REVISIONS HISTORY
Policy Title Page Date of Description of Amendment
Amendment
Number Addition of last bullet point – notifying the
28/03/2017 state regulatory authority within 24 hours.
Full Policy Manual Review 11/04/2017 Policy updated
Educator Grievance and 118 01/05/2017 Addition of last sentence – “Our promise to
Complaint Process you” to be displayed on the Penny Board.
17/05/2017 Updated link to revised Medical
Suspension or Exclusion 125 Authorisation Form
from the Service 23/05/2017
Updated copy of Code of Conduct included
Program and Planning 9 26/05/2017 Updates strategies
Philosophy 31/05/2017
26/06/2017 Updated strategies
Administration of 73
Medication 26/06/2017 Updated policy and strategies
Updated policy and strategies
Limited Physical Contact 123 26/06/2017
26/06/2017 Updated policy and strategies
Code of Conduct 182 Updated strategies
26/06/2017
Personal Electronic 22 26/06/2017 Updated strategies
Devices Updated strategies
26/06/2017
Transport of Children 61 26/06/2017 Updated evidence and explanation on how
and where this occurs
Medical Conditions 72 26/06/2017
Administration of 73
Medication
Asthma Management 74
Visitors and Spectators on 93
Site
Working With Children 96
Administration and 154
Maintenance of Records
How does the 175
organisation support
educators and children
with online mediums,
visitor and photography?
Child Protection 105 27/06/2017 Updated policy and strategies
27/06/2017 SA – Dept name change from Department
Mandatory Requirements of Families and Communities to
29/06/2017 Department of Child Protection
Child Protection 114 29/06/2017 Updated policy and strategies
06/07/2017 Updated policy and strategies
Authorities 28/08/2017 Updated policy and strategies
01/09/2017 Child Profile Link updated
Infectious Disease 28 Policy and Links updated
18/09/2017
Hygiene and Infection 32 18/09/2017 Update to Legislative Requirements
Control 15 31/10/2017 Update to the Policy
Reflection evaluations Specific details for QLD and Bluecards
31/10/2107 included
Programming 13 Reference to QLD Bluecards updated
Supporting Children with 149
Additional Needs
Child Safe Policy 12
Serious of Fatal Injury 26
Working With Children 98
Mandatory Requirements 192
- 7.1
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Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
QUALITY AREA 1: EDUCATION PROGRAM AND PRACTICE
PHILOSOPHY
Camp Australia Philosophy
Kids are our priority and this philosophy is at the core of everything we do at Camp Australia. Key to
our approach is our commitment to making kids smile, which is why we:
• Provide safe, fun, engaging and quality services.
• Support educators so they can give extra attention to the kids in their care.
• Understand every school is unique and match qualified educators to each school.
• Personalise each eservice to suit the school community.
• Align OSHC programs with school values.
• Actively involve children in program planning, direction and the selection of activities to make
sure they have fun.
• Become part of the community at each of our partnership schools.
• Help kids in need.
• Treat every child as a V.I.P.
Camp Australia’s full “Our promise to you” document is to be displayed on the Penny Board at each
service.
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CHILD SAFE POLICY
Camp Australia is committed to prioritising child safety and as such it is embedded in our four values:
safe, fun, engaging and quality care. Camp Australia has zero tolerance to any forms of child abuse.
As an organisation we are committed to cultural safety for Aboriginal children, children from culturally
and linguistically diverse backgrounds and provide a safe environment for children with a disability.
Our dedicated team members have detailed explanation in the role each individual plays at Camp
Australia to keep children safe. The training offered through the Learning Management System includes
a number of workshops that all educators are encouraged to do. This includes: Guiding and Supporting
Children, Safety Course and Child Protection Training.
Camp Australia prides itself on employing robust human resource and recruitment practices for all
educators. Additionally, educators receive up to date training on mandated qualifications such as First
Aid, Coordinator inductions and Holiday Club Training.
Camp Australia is committed to preventing child abuse and aims to identify risks early, and employ
strategies to reduce and eradicate risk. Camp Australia adheres to our legal and moral obligations to
contact authorities if we are concerned about a child’s safety.
Camp Australia works hard to support the safety of each child which is supported by relevant legislation
to keep kids safe: Appendix A
• Child Safe Standards – VIC - Department of Health and Human Services
• Standards of Care – QLD - Department of Communities Child Safety and Disability Services
• Child Safe Environment – SA – Families SA (DECD)
• Child Safe Organisation – NSW – Office of the Children’s Guardian & NSW Government
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT POLICY
1. Our Kids:
• Empower children by involving them in decisions, especially when it involves them
• Educators will listen to the children’s views and respect what they have to say
• We recognise and promote diversity and inclusivity and welcome all people from all walks of
life and cultural backgrounds.
2. Our Educators
• This policy in conjunction with all other Camp Australia policies guides educators on how to
behave, respond and support children whilst working at Camp Australia
• All Educators must read and sign an agreement as part of their employment with Camp
Australia to abide by our Code of Conduct which specifies the standards of conduct required
when working with children
• The safety and well-being of children is our primary concern; however we also value and
provide for the safety and wellbeing of all team members.
• In cases of complaints lodged in relation to a team member, all actions and decisions made
after the investigation will be transparent
• All educators will uphold children’s privacy at all time unless there is a risk to a child’s safety or
information has been requested by relevant authorised authorities
3. Training and Supervision
• Everyone at Camp Australia understands that children’s safety is priority and is everyone’s
responsibility
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• We have worked hard to provide a culture that ensures that all educators and team members
feel comfortable and confident in discussing any allegations of child abuse or child safety
concerns
• Educators who work with Camp Australia are trained to be able to identify, assess and minimise
risk of child abuse and are trained to identify indicators of child abuse and neglect and respond
appropriately
• New educators and team members will be supervised during site visits and supported by their
Regional Managers, co-workers to ensure they uphold the high quality practices Camp
Australia has in relation to child safety and child protection.
4. Recruitment
• Camp Australia works to ensure we employ the right people to work with our children
• Our advertisements and selection criteria positions child protection as an important aspect of
working with children and establishes our commitment to child safety
• Camp Australia actively encourages applications from Aboriginal people, people from cultural
and linguistically diverse backgrounds and people with a disability
• All applicants must have successfully passed a police and/or criminal history check before
being considered for employment to prevent the employment of unsuitable or unsafe people.
All reference checks carried out and WWCC (or state equivalent police check requirements)
ensures we are recruiting the right people to work with the children
5. Legislative Requirements
• Camp Australia takes our legal responsibility very seriously, including failure to disclose and
protect
o Failure to disclose:
▪ All educators are mandated reporters and as such must comply with their legal
responsibility to report any allegation or incident of child abuse
▪ All staff have a responsibility to report any allegations or incident of abuse if
there is a reasonable belief that incident has taken place
o Failure to protect:
▪ Camp Australia has risk management strategies in place to identify, assess
and take steps to minimise risk which must be adhered to by all staff.
▪ All allegations are treated as serious and Camp Australia has practices in place
to investigate all allegations thoroughly and quickly.
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RISK MANAGEMENT STRATEGY and CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
Frameworks
POLICY:
Camp Australia’s risk management strategy is to support Camp Australia’s four values in keeping
children safe. The risk management strategy policy is designed to ensure all employees of Camp
Australia are aware of their responsibilities and commitment to child safety. A breach of this policy is
when any action or inaction by any member of the organisation including children and young people
that fails to comply with any part of the strategy that is clearly documented in the Camp Australia
framework for child safety standards frameworks and risk management strategy framework.
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT POLICY:
• All Camp Australia team members must be aware and familiar with:
o Child Safe Standards Framework
o Blue Card Risk Management Strategy Framework QLD
• The risk management strategy and child safe standard framework applies to everyone who is
involved in the organisation including children, parents, contractors and all other people
relevant to Camp Australia.
• Both frameworks are available to all team members online on ONE TEAM or by clicking on the
above links
• Regular discussions with educators and members of the operations team will occur frequently
during site visits, one on one meetings, network sessions etc.
• The executive leadership team is responsible for ensuring that any breach of the frameworks
by team members are managed with the support of HR
• Should a team note a breach in the frameworks this should be managed up to the direct
manager or per the grievance processes who will then manage the incident
• The normal HR process will follow when documenting the breach to the framework/strategy
and team members will be advised
• Confidentiality will be maintained as always when dealing with this matter.
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1. PROGRAMMING
Program Planning
POLICY
The service will provide a stimulating program based on, the children’s interests, needs and strengths.
The program will support the five (5) outcomes outlined in the national quality framework (NQF) to
enhance the development of each child.
The five outcomes include:
1. Children have a strong sense of identity.
2. Children are connected with and contribute to their world.
3. Children have a strong sense of wellbeing.
4. Children are confident and involved learners.
5. Children are effective communicators
The Educators will provide a safe, secure and stimulating learning environment that will foster each
child’s identity, contribution to the world, well-being and confidence, and help support each child to
become an effective communicator. The program will also incorporate Camp Australia’s Mission
Statement and Philosophy which is displayed at the service.
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT POLICY
All Educators will:
• Provide a quality program that offers a balance of planned and unplanned activities aimed at
promoting children’s interests and strengths and supporting their further development and
learning
• Reflect on and base the programming around the Camp Australia values and service
philosophy
• Explain the purpose behind the Educators practices
• Use the approved educational frameworks to enhance all areas of children’s learning and
development
• Reflect on and use the five (5) learning outcomes
• Work closely with the educational leader to develop clear goals and expectations through site
visits, one-on-one training and during network sessions
• Ensure the program reflects elements highlighted in the service’s Quality Improvement Plan
which is onsite for all services as part of the NQF
• Organise the indoor/outdoor resources and environment according to best practice to
minimise child conflicts and maximise safety and stimulation of learning
• Support parents through consistent communication and consultation to develop a more
meaningful program for their child
• Children will be encouraged to complete Child Profiles to determine their interests and
strengths. Educators will continue to discuss these with the children and observe their
interactions whilst engaged in activities
• Program based on observations and child profiles, children’s interests and strengths, and by
using the reflection journal
• Offer a range of activities where children can make choices and extend their learning, to
encourage child directed exploration and discovery
• Encourage participation and respect each child’s level of participation
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• Incorporate the goals and requirements of children with additional needs. Take into account
areas of development, health and medical needs identified by families and/or early
intervention professionals
• Display the service program on the penny board for families, children and the school
community to view and contribute
• The reflection journal will be displayed at the sign in/out table for all to review and provide
comments/suggestions/ideas
• Use the reflection journal to critically reflect on the program
• Program regularly as per the support/guidance provided by the service educational leader
• The program will show how the program extends on children’s interests during the week
• Children’s first names will be used in the program and reflection journal to clearly link which
child’s interest was extended
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Reflection Evaluations
POLICY
Camp Australia services will provide a stimulating program that will be carefully evaluated by the
educators, children, families and the school community supported by the educational leader.
Reflective evaluations involves educators analysing their own practices – thinking about how their
language, their level of involvement in play, their support of children to communicate and resolve
conflict and how the organisation and environment impacts learning, relationships and interactions.
The evaluation of the program will be coordinated with the requirements set out in the National Quality
Framework (NQF) and use the appropriate tools developed by ACECQA and Camp Australia.
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT POLICY
• The educators, with support from the educational leader, will determine the appropriate way
to document discussions and observations that have been highlighted in the service
reflection journal.
• Reflective evaluations on the program are to be completed daily by educators in the
service’s reflection journal.
• Reflective evaluations will be used to support the elements developed in the service’s
quality improvement plan, inform continuous improvement and the cycle of planning to
extend learning.
• It is important that reflections include input from parents, children and the school as
appropriate.
• The reflection journal needs to be available on site for the school community, educators and
children to enable them to review and document their feedback.
• The reflection journal will include the use of children’s names to link the reflection to the
program, child interests and observations. Educators are to provide evidence the program
is informed by these reflections.
• Ongoing discussions with families regarding their child’s strengths, interests and activities
enjoyed at home, will be gathered and reflected on in the service journal.
• The reflection journal will capture how the children were involved in reflecting on their
activities and learning outcome. Educators will work collaboratively with families, children
and the school community to reflect on the program and implement suggestions.
• Educators along with the children and families, will regularly reflect on the service program
and routines to enhance the service. This can be done through child profiles, observations,
family/committee/school meetings, a suggestion box and surveys in addition to the daily
completion of the service’s reflection journal.
• Reference to the approved learning frameworks and five (5) learning outcomes must be
included as part of the evaluation.
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Recording Critical Reflection of the Service Operations
POLICY
All Educators can provide a unique view of the service in which they operate. These views need to be
recorded and considered as a team, in line with the national quality framework (NQF). All Educators
are to support this process in each of the services where they work or where they are asked to
provide feedback by the service coordinator.
Critical reflections questions will consist of:
• Why was the activity/discussion successful?
• Why was the activity/discussion unsuccessful?
• What could we do next time to further enhance this learning opportunity?
• What could we do next time to improve?
The quality improvement plan is a vital tool in the service for critical reflections aligned with the
National Quality Standards and works towards achieving the goal as a team.
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT POLICY
• Coordinators will regularly review the service operations and document their observations in
the reflection journal
• Educators will provide feedback in the reflection journal independently, with the children or
with other educators throughout the session
• Coordinators will review this feedback weekly and implement any relevant actions
• Feedback can also be collected during staff meetings and recorded in the staff meeting
minutes
• Educators’ comments may also be recorded in the staff communication book
• Educational leaders will reflect on service operations as a part of their service visits and
provide this feedback to the educators during the visit
• A PDF copy of the visit report from the regional manager shall be provided to the service via
email and kept on site as evidence. The visit report will identify all areas of the NQF
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Diversity and Inclusion
POLICY
The service embraces the philosophy of diversity and inclusion of children, families, activities and
experiences, and welcomes all genders and those from religious, cultural, Aboriginal and linguistically
diverse backgrounds (CALD). We also support children with special needs and children with
disabilities. The service will offer an anti-bias approach to programming which is inclusive of all the
children.
The children’s program will support children’s individual needs, interests and requests by providing a
range of planned and unplanned activities. Services will continue to learn about and celebrate the
different cultures within the service program cycle.
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT POLICY
• The educators will encourage and support all children to participate in the range of
experiences provided
• To develop knowledge and appreciation of other cultures, educators will promote by
discussion, group activities, family involvement, community engagement and cultural
presentations
• Educators will work closely with children to support the building of relationships with one
another
• Educators will role model and guide children in empathising with each other’s feelings and
thoughts
• To value and respect diversity of all children, families and educators from different cultures,
ethnic groups and religions educators will work with families, schools and individual children
to further learn more about families diversity
• Educators will work closely with schools, to support and embrace the values of the school
and school communities
• Where required, educators will work in partnership with agencies involved with CALD
families as well as support access of information in languages other than English
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Bias and Prejudice
POLICY
The service will offer an anti-bias program which is inclusive of all children, families and cultures.
Consideration for children’s enrolment, programming, resources and educational practices will always
be given to all factors including culture, language, gender, community and ability. The service will
provide an inclusive culture that supports the cultural identity of children and/or linguistically diverse
backgrounds including Aboriginal children.
Cultural Competence is more than an awareness of different cultures, it is embracing each culture
with the ability to understand, communicate and interact with each other. Camp Australia understands
the diverse backgrounds, traditions and expectations of children are not always visible in which the
service will be respectful of these. Culture can include but is not limited to: Indigenous, family
dynamics, beliefs and values.
Educators will support all children, families and the school community to ensure inclusion and will role
model respect for diversity by interacting and working with others. The program will incorporate the
goals and requirements of children with additional needs, taking into consideration individual
developmental, health and medical needs that have been identified by parents and early intervention
professionals.
The service will provide an environment which encourages and embraces the different cultures within
the local and wider community through the program that it offers.
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT POLICY
• The educators, with the support of the community, will provide children with experiences to
build their understanding of a range of social, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and
different abilities
• The program will respond to individual strengths, interests and requirements by
implementing a range of diverse activities
• The educators will meet regularly with families and early invention representatives to ensure
that communication is clear and that each child’s needs are accommodated
• The educational leader will support the educators and will discuss any key areas such as
practical strategies and clear communication during one-on-one meetings
• Educators will provide an environment that is supportive of different cultures and promotes a
positive learning experience
• Educators will offer programs that are consistently incorporating a variety of cultural
experiences and activities.
• Educators will provide a receptive and transparent service to provide an inclusive
environment for all who attend
• Educators will develop and build trusting relationships between children, educators and
families to share essential information that enhances the child’s learning and wellbeing.
• Camp Australia’s philosophy is inclusive of all children which will guide educators practies
on a day to day basis.
• Educators will provide a culturally safe environment which promotes children’s self-identity
and self-expression.
• Educators will use forms of communication reflective of the culture to build upon the
knowledge and understanding of the different cultures
• Educators will provide opportunities for children to develop their knowledge of the
Indigenous culture relevant to Aboriginal history in the community.
• Educators will demonstrate cultural responsiveness to the community by encouraging
feedback and opportunities for families to be involved in their child’s learning.
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Animals In The Environment
POLICY
Animals and birds can be wonderful learning experiences for all children. All animals and birds kept at
the service must be maintained in a clean and healthy condition, and all reasonable steps must be
taken to ensure they will not harm the children and educators.
Educators must first seek approval for an animal or bird to be kept on the service premises from the
regional manager and school principal.
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT POLICY
• The educator in consultation with the regional manager and the school may choose to
introduce an animal or bird to the service at the service’s own cost and maintenance
• Together with the children, the service will decide on what animal or bird they would like to
care for at the service
• Parents will need to sign the permission slip for their child to participate in caring for the
animal
• Educators will need to ensure no child has allergies or unreasonable phobias to the selected
animal or bird. Where a new child attends the service after the purchase of an animal or
bird, the educators will talk to the family about the best approach for their child. This may
also include further discussion with the school or class room teacher.
• The Educators must develop a risk assessment plan and present it to the regional manager.
The plan will talk about how the animal/bird will be housed, fed and cared for.
• Clear instructions on the care of the animal will then be displayed for children, parents and
educators
• The children, with support of the educators, will clean and maintain the animal’s housing
weekly or depending on the care required for the animal.
• The animal will be fed dependant on the type of animal
• All children and educators will need to wash their hands after touching or feeding the
animal/bird and after cleaning its housing
• The animal/bird needs to be cared for during weekends and school holidays by a roster
system that includes the children, families and educators
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 19
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Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
Classification Ratings
POLICY
Children are provided with a range of activities and experiences which may include the viewing of
appropriate TV/DVD/Games. All media shown or played during the service and holiday club
excursions will be General Exhibition (G) rated. Where the classification rating is Parental Guidance
(PG) instead of (G), written parental authority will need to be obtained.
Films with a (G) rating need to relate to the children’s learning and interest. The purpose of showing
the movie/show needs to relate to the planned program and be able to support the child’s learning.
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT POLICY
• TV/DVD/Games with a (G) rating may be viewed or played by children without prior parent
permission
• Children must be willing to watch the program and organisation of this activity will be in
consultation with the regional manager/educational leader
• Where children are not interested in participating in the TV/DVD/Game activity, the
educators will continue to offer other activities
• The times dedicated to media interaction will be limited in the service program and the
purpose of the activity must be linked back to the overall program
• Educators must gain written permission from parents/or authorised persons before children
may view or interact with TV/DVD/Games with a (PG) classification. If parents share custody
of a child, permission needs to be granted by the parent responsible for care of the child for
the day the child is to view or interact with the media
• TV/DVD/Games with a rating of M15+, MA15+ and/or R 18+ cannot be viewed at the
service irrespective of parental permission
• YouTube clips or other internet based activities will not be provided to children during
service operations.
• Television programs, DVD and Games used in services must be in the original packaging
and not copied or downloaded copies.
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 20
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Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
Programming With Music
POLICY
Music is an integral part of children’s learning. Through the interest of children alongside the values of
Camp Australia and the school, music is often played during the operation of the service. Music
supports children to listen, understand and appreciate how words and rhythms are an important part
of our culture.
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT POLICY
• Educators will gather from children the types of music that they enjoy
• Music played must be of the children’s age and be made available to children upon request.
Excluded music will include inappropriate language/messages, sexual connotations and
violence.
• Educators need to be conscious of the type of music that children listen to during the service
operations
• Listening to the radio should be limited and must be done with extreme caution
• Internet, YouTube clips and other musical websites will not be available to children at the
service
• Children will be provided with opportunities to advise educators on their thoughts when
listening to music
• Educators will be in regular contact with families and the school community for their input
and regular feedback
• Music will be sourced from other cultures and played at the service for the children to listen
to
• Educators may choose to support their program by tailoring music to meet the community
needs
• Educators will review the music to be offered to the children prior to playing to ensure that it
meets the above strategies
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 21
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Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
Personal Electronic Devices
POLICY
The use of personal electronic devices owned by children and educators is prohibited during the
hours of the service except where prior written permission has been provided by a child’s parent or
authorised person.
Personal electronic devices include, but are not limited to, computers, laptops, iPads and tablets,
hand held game consoles, iPods, and mobile phones.
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT POLICY
Any personal electronic device that has been brought to the service must be kept in the child’s or
educator’s bag at all times during the operations of the service.
• This includes:
o Not making and/or taking calls AND
o Not taking photos of educators and children
• Any personal electronic device is the sole responsibility of the owner.
• Camp Australia is not responsible for any theft, loss or damage to any personal electronic
device brought to the service by the children or educators
With written permission from the parent or other authorised person, laptops, iPads and tablets may be
used by children during school times/vacation care period and for homework purposes under the strict
supervision of an educator.
Duration of use will be determined by the educator and the regional manager and details of times
allowed must be displayed at the service
Children will not have access to the internet unless with approval from school or parents has been
received. In such cases, an educator will need to monitor the child/ren during this time.
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 22
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Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
QUALITY AREA 2: CHILDREN’S HEALTH AND SAFETY
Day to day management of children’s incidents and illnesses
POLICY
All care will be taken to avoid incidents and injuries to children and educators. When an incident,
illness, accident, trauma or injury does occur, the safety and wellbeing of the child must be
paramount. This care will extend to any children that are in the surrounding area. An incident report
must be documented and communicated to the appropriate personnel. This information will be filed
with the child’s enrolment information sheet and stored with Camp Australia archiving process until
the child reaches 25 years of age.
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT POLICY
Day to Day management to prevent incidents
• Educators need to ensure that regular hazard checks of the environment are completed by
using the Hazards Checklist template (indoor and outdoor). Equipment and room layout is
reviewed throughout the operations of the service
• The regional manager will also observe the service during their site visits. Any issues will be
addressed immediately and documented
• Educators need an up-to-date and valid First Aid Certificate. A copy must be available on
site as part of the staff record and a copy recorded with the educators one team profile.
Day to day management of illnesses
• A child will be treated with first aid by the first educator that reaches the child or by the
service coordinator if deemed appropriate at the time of the incident/injury
• The child will be supervised until medical aid or the parent arrives to collect the child or until
the injury/illness has been treated appropriately
• Parent or other authorised person must keep children at home if they are suffering from any
illness highlighted in the Infectious Disease Table. (Please refer to the signage at the
service.)
• If a child presents with an illness the child will be supervised and kept comfortable by
educators who will contact the parent or authorised person to request the child be collected
• Once the parent or other authorised person has been contacted, they will be advised of the
symptoms to assist them to establish the best course of action
• If the parent nominates another adult to collect the child from the service, the educator must
ensure the adult is authorised to collect the child and the nominated person will be asked for
photo identification
• In the case of an illness the educator will inform the parent or other authorised person of the
exclusion period and will actively encourage the parent or other authorised person to seek
medical attention
• The regional manager must be contacted whenever a child has had to seek professional
medical aid as soon as the incident/illness/trauma takes place
• The educator must complete Camp Australia’s Incident/Accident/Illness/Trauma/Injury
record and include both the educator and parent signatures at the time of the incident
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 23
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Day to day management of minor incidents/injuries:
• For all cuts and abrasions where the skin is broken and blood is evident, the child must be
treated using universal precautions which include the wearing of fluid resistant gloves and
hygienic disposal of any and all materials that have been used to treat the cut/abrasion
• The Educator will clean any blood spills or body fluids on surrounding equipment, floors etc,
as per Camp Australia Policy – Blood and Body Fluid Precautions, which is located in the
Operations Policy Manual
• Parents should be notified on the day that an accident occurs at the service. Where the
accident is not of a serious nature or does not require professional medical aid, the
parent/other authorised person must be informed upon collection of the child and sign the
Incident form.
• For all head injuries (shoulders and above), parents must be contacted by the coordinator
and advised at the time of the injury. The parent or authorised person should be encouraged
to collect their child in this instance
• A copy of the Incident report will be provided to the parent or other authorised person upon
request and stored with the child enrolment information sheet
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 24
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Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
Serious or Fatal Incident
POLICY
All care will be taken to avoid accidents and injuries in the service, however in the event of a serious
or fatal incident or illness, appropriate ethical and professional care will be taken.
A serious incident is:
• An incident that has occurred or is occurring while the child Is being education for by a
service
• The National Law and/or National Regulations have been contravened
Sensitivity to all children and adults will be taken to reduce the likelihood of trauma.
A serious incident can include:
1. The death of a child while in the care of the service or following an incident while that child
was being cared for by the service
2. Any incident involving serious injury or trauma while the child is being cared for by the service
3. An incident that required urgent medical attention from a medical practitioner; or
4. The child attended or should have attended a hospital (eg. a broken limb)
5. Any incident involving serious illness at the service, where the child attended or should have
attended a hospital (eg severe asthma attack, seizure or anaphylaxis)
6. A child was missing from the service or was not able to be accounted for
7. A child appears to have been taken or removed from the service by someone not authorised
to do this.
8. Was taken or removed from the service in a manner that contravenes the national regulations
9. A child was mistakenly locked in or locked out of the service premises or any part of the
premises
10. Any emergency for which emergency services attended.
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT POLICY
Immediate response to the incident:
• In the event of a serious or fatal incident, emergency services will need to be contacted
immediately
• All other children will be moved away from the incident zone to a safe area with the other
educators, whilst one educator stays with the child until emergency services arrive
• The child’s parent or authorised person will be contacted and advised of the situation
• The regional manager will need to be notified as soon as practical to advise on the situation
and to attend the service
• The regional manager will immediately contact the operations manager and the school
principal to report the incident
• At a small program operation, the educator will direct the most responsible child to move the
remaining children away from the incident zone and telephone 000 for assistance. The
educator may also direct the other children. The service will keep a specific plan to follow on
site as part of their service information folder
During the incident:
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 25
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• The educator will provide as much information as is necessary to emergency services upon
their arrival
• All children will be kept safe and away from the area
• Parents collecting the children will be asked to respect confidentially with minimal
discussions about the situation
Immediately after the incident:
• The educator must complete the Camp Australia Incident/Accident/Illness/Trauma/Injury
Report and include both educator and parent signatures
• The regional manager will then complete, with the support of the educator and operations
manager, the ACECQA notification of serious incident form and lodge it with the State
Regulatory Authority within 24 hours of the incident occurring
• Copies of the report will be kept at the service with the childs’ enrolment details and at
Camp Australia’s head office
• All costs associated with any professional medical attention will be the responsibility of the
parent or other authorised person
• In the event of a child’s death, the operations manager must contact the Regulatory
Authority immediately. A full report must be lodged to the Regulatory Authority
• Educators must make available all relevant documents to support the report and be able to
prove that all precautions had been taken
• The regional manager will discuss with the operations manager the communication to the
school community where deemed necessary
• The regional manager will continue to work closely with the school principal
Debriefing:
• The regional manager will conduct a debrief meeting with all educators. The regional
manager will follow the Camp Australia guide to debriefing effectively with team members
• All educators will be involved in the meeting
• The regional manager will make contact with the child’s parent
• The regional manager will provide a report for the operations manager for review
• The operations manager will report back to the executive leadership team
Reflective Actions:
• Camp Australia’s executive leadership team and executive will sight all reports and ensure
that preventative strategies were fully identified and followed. A full investigation will take
place during this time
• A review of Camp Australia’s Policy and Procedure will take place and be updated where
necessary
• A communication plan will be put in place for families, the school and educators where
required
• The educators will ensure that any additional preventative strategies identified are put in place
with the support of the regional manager
• The regional manager with the educators will ensure that the incident has been documented
properly and will follow through any recommendation arising from the incident
• HR will, when appropriate, provide further support/guidance and training to all personnel
affected by the incident
• In consultation with the school, children and families will be offered further support and/or
counselling to assist in addressing any trauma caused by the incident
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 26
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Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
First Aid Kit Management
POLICY
A first aid kit will be well maintained and kept at the service in a cabinet (or similar) accessible to the
educators but out of reach of the children. All educators must hold a current and approved first aid
qualification to ensure the care and wellbeing of the children in care.
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT POLICY
• An appropriate fully stocked first aid kit must be kept on site and be readily available at all
times. It should not be accessible to children
• The first aid kit must reflect the number of children that attend the service
• The service must complete a first aid kit audit every term to ensure there is sufficient stock
and order more as required by completing the First Aid Kit Order form
• All items must be within the ‘use by’ date otherwise they should be discarded and replaced
• All services must take a portable first aid kit when outdoors and/or on an excursion. This will
include breakable ice packs and individual children’s medical management plans and
medication
• It is the responsibility of each and every educator to ensure that their first aid qualifications
are valid, and copies are kept on their one team file and with their staff record at each of the
sites they work at (ACECQA’s list of approved first aid courses are available on the
ACECQA website)
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 27
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Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
Infectious Disease
POLICY
The service aims to protect children from Infectious disease by excluding children and educators with
an infectious disease from the service until cleared of the infection by a health practitioner.
For all definitions and identification of infectious diseases, symptoms and exclusion periods please
refer to the Infectious Disease Table developed by Commonwealth and State Legislation
Recommended Minimum Exclusion Periods
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT POLICY
• The service and educators will ensure that the legislative policies are adhered to at all times
• Please read and refer to ‘Staying Healthy in Child Care’. A copy of this book must be accessible
at all times of service operations
• Where information is provided about the occurrence of an infectious disease within the service
the information will not be conveyed in a manner that is prejudicial to the rights of the individual
child or educator
• The service will keep a record of confirmed cases of any infectious disease in the service
lockable drawer/cupboard.
• Parents are required to notify the service of an infectious disease; however, this does not apply
to HIV/AIDS due to confidentiality legislation
• Appropriate health and hygiene practices will be undertaken by the service to minimise possible
contraction of infectious disease by children
• The service will maintain current and important information regarding infectious diseases to
minimise the health risk to children and educators
Upon suspicion or advice or an infectious disease
• On advice from the child’s parent/other authorised person and or, Health Practitioner or on the
grounds of reasonable suspicion that a child or educator has an infectious disease, the child or
educator will be excluded from the service as outlined in the Infectious Disease Table
• Once an infectious disease is confirmed all parents, the school and educators will be advised
through a sign displayed at the service and written communication. The name of the child and/or
educator will be kept confidential. The sign should read ’There is a reported case of….................’
• The excluded child or educator will not be readmitted to the service until a clearance of infection is
provided in written form from a health practitioner, or until the recommended exclusion period has
lapsed
• A child found to be suffering from a potentially infectious disease will be taken to a quiet place and
supervised until a parent or authorised person or emergency service arrives
Immunisations
• Parents must indicate on their child enrolment information sheet whether their child has been
immunised or not. Educators must also sight immunisation records and record this on the child
enrolment information sheet.
• For the protection of any children who have not been medically vaccinated (this includes
children who may have been naturopathically or homoeopathically vaccinated),
parents/guardians will be notified by educators, that if there is an outbreak of an infectious
disease (e.g. measles and pertussis) their child will be excluded, even if their child is well.
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 28
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Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
• If an outbreak of an infectious disease occurs within the service children who are not immunised
will be excluded as per the Infectious Disease Table
• Staff working in education and care services are at an increased risk of catching and passing on
infectious diseases. The Department of Health and Human Services provides best practice
advice which recommends the following vaccinations be considered
• Whooping cough (pertussis)
• Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)
• Chickenpox (varicella)
• Hepatitis A & Hepatitis B
• Seasonal Influenza
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 29
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Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
HIV/Aids Management
POLICY
Although not mandatory, it is recommended that parents will consult with the educator or/and regional
manager to advise them of their child’s HIV infection so as to ensure the best possible care for their
child and other children/educators at the service. Any information of this nature will remain
confidential. Standard infection control procedures will be implemented in all situations dealing with
blood contaminated items, regardless of whether or not it is known that a child/educator has a blood
borne virus.
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT POLICY
Immediate response:
• Where an educator is attending to an injured child or adult who is bleeding or has other body
fluid discharge (faeces, urine, vomit or nasal), the educator must avoid direct contact with
the discharge where possible until correct precautions are adhered to, i.e. by wearing gloves
• An educator will begin to administer first aid with gloves
• For immediate first aid required in a small program operation, the educator must attend to
the child promptly and request an older child to collect gloves from the kitchen area. The
educator must immediately wash hands and possibly any other contaminated body area
thoroughly with soap and warm water
• Gloves used by an educator to administer first aid must be disposed of by placing the gloves
into a plastic bag, sealing the bag, then putting the sealed bag into the bin. The educator
must wash their hands and any other possible contaminated body area with soap and warm
water
• Where blood and/or body fluids have come into contact with another person or child the
area of the contact must be washed with soap and warm water.
• If the area of contact made is the eye or mouth, this person/child must seek medical
attention immediately
• If contact is made with a person/child in an open wound, broken skin or a penetrating injury,
the area must be washed with soapy warm water and medical aid sought immediately
• Documentation of the incident and actions taken must be recorded and kept on file at the
service as per Camp Australia processes
• Parents must be notified of the incident and appropriate documentation completed
Clean-up of area:
• Children must be kept away from the area until any blood and body fluid is cleaned up
• Paper towel must be placed around the contaminated area until it is cleaned up
appropriately
• The paper towel and gloves must then be put into a plastic bag, sealed and placed into a
rubbish bin
• Educators will put on a new pair of gloves and wash the area down with detergent and warm
water
• The gloves will then be removed, put into a plastic bag, sealed and placed in the bin
• Educators must display a ‘wet floor’ sign to inform children, parents and staff and reduce the
risk of slipping
• Educators will then wash their hands and any other contaminated body area thoroughly with
soapy warm water
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 30
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Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
Blood and Body Fluid Precautions
POLICY
All care will be taken to avoid incidents and injuries at the service however, where an incident or injury
does occur, it will be attended to by educator’s (holding an approved first aid qualification) and
managed appropriately with all documentation completed effectively.
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT POLICY
Immediate response:
• Where an educator is attending to an injured child or adult who is bleeding or has other body
fluid discharge (faeces, urine, vomit or nasal), the educator must avoid direct contact with
the discharge where possible until correct precautions are adhered to, i.e. wearing gloves
• Where first aid is required immediately and gloves are not available, an educator will begin
to administer first aid and request another educator to attend wearing gloves. The initial
educator must immediately wash hands and possibly any other contaminated body area
thoroughly with soap and warm water after administering first aid
• With a small program operation, the management of this situation will be clearly listed in the
service information folder as each small program operation will have particular processes.
After the response:
• Gloves used by an educator to administer first aid must be disposed of by placing the gloves
into a plastic bag, sealing the bag and then putting the sealed bag into a bin. The educator
must wash their hands and any other contaminated body area with soap and warm water
• Where blood and/or body fluids have come into contact with another person or child the
area of the contact must be washed with soap and warm water
• If the contact area is the eye or mouth, this person/child must seek medical attention
immediately
• If contact is made with a person/child with an open wound, broken skin or a penetrating
injury, the area must be washed with soapy warm water and medical aid sought immediately
• Documentation of the incident, together with a record of all the details must be completed
and stored at the service with the child enrolment details
Clean-up of area:
• Children must be kept away from the area until any blood and body fluid is cleaned up
• Paper towel must be placed around the contaminated area until it is cleaned up
appropriately
• The paper towel and gloves must then be put into a plastic bag, sealed and placed into a
rubbish bin
• Educators will put on a new pair of gloves and wash the area down with detergent and warm
water
• The gloves will then be removed, put into a plastic bag, sealed and placed in the bin
• Educators must display a ‘wet floor’ sign to inform children, parents and staff and reduce the
risk of slipping
• Educators will then wash their hands and any other contaminated body area thoroughly with
soapy warm water
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 31
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Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
2. HEALTH AND SAFETY
Hygiene and Infection Control
POLICY
To provide a safe and healthy environment for the wellbeing of children and educators, educators
will use risk management and control procedures to reduce the possible spread of infection and
illnesses.
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT POLICY
• All educators on their first shift will be informed about the strategies and procedures
implemented at the service to keep everyone protected and safe. This is clearly documented in
the service information folder
• Training and professional development for educators regarding current hygiene and infection
control practices must be kept updated
• Educators must implement safe health and hygiene practices by keeping areas clean and tidy
• Educators must adhere to safe food handling and storage practices to minimise risk for children
in the service and ensure that a food safety plan is available at the service
• Educators will be required to complete Hazard Checklists and document all information where
applicable and use tools su h as Staying Healthy in Child Care to support this pro ess
• Cleaning schedules to prevent contamination and cross infection will be implemented
• Educators will be responsible for routine cleaning of the service. This will include sweeping after
meals, wiping tables and sanitising toys and equipment
• Educators will ensure that the children have access to soap and paper towels during service
operations
• Effective hand washing practices will be followed by all children and educators and staff will
wear gloves when required ie. first aid procedures and food preparation
• Educators will identify, monitor and exclude sick children and educators as per the Camp
Australia illness policy. Educators will observe children for symptoms such as lethargy, high
temperature, vomiting, skin rash, difficulty in breathing, diarrhoea, etc.
• Where there is o er a out a hild s health/well ei g, the edu ator will o ta t the fa ily
and the child will be taken to a quiet place and supervised until a parent or authorised person
or emergency service arrives
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 32
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Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
Personal Hygiene
POLICY
All educators are aware of and will comply with good health hygiene practices to maintain a safe and
healthy environment. The educators will ensure that children in their care are reminded of and
encouraged to follow positive personal hygiene practices.
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT POLICY
• Educators will be required to abide by professionally accepted standards of personal (body
odour and cigarette smell) and oral care
• This includes wearing a clean Camp Australia uniform at each session of care
• Cover all cuts, abrasions, dermatitis or open skin on hands with a water resistant dressing
• Educators will wash hands and lower arms before and after the preparation and serving of
food
• Educators who assist children with toileting, nasal discharge or cleaning of body fluid must
wash hands and lower arms
• Children will be encouraged to wash and dry their hands before eating, after nasal discharge
and toileting. This practice will be supported during excursions
• Children and educators will be encouraged to cover their noses and mouths when sneezing
or coughing followed by washing their hands
• Paper towels/hand dryers are to be used when drying hands and rubbish thrown directly into
the rubbish bin for disposal
• Recommended periods of exclusion for infectious disease as described in the Infectious
Disease Schedule and ‘Staying Healthy in Child Care’ will be adhered to for all service users
and educators
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 33
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Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
Dental Care
POLICY
Information exchange on dental health, will be encouraged to promote good dental hygiene practices
and learning for children and families. Dental health will be included as part of regular discussions
with children and Educators.
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT POLICY
• The service will provide nutritional snacks to the children, and foods and drinks that have
high sugar content will be limited. Water will be available at all times to the children
• Discussions with children about dental health will take place throughout the sessions to
promote and understand the importance of dental care
• Families will be provided with dental care information through newsletters, posters and,
brochures
• Educators will speak with families about the importance of nutritious food and dental care to
support children’s awareness of oral hygiene
• Where appropriate, a service may develop an individual program for children who wish to
brush their teeth during service operations
• Educators will encourage school community support of the Dental Care Policy
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 34
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Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
Nutrition and Health Care
POLICY
Childhood is a very important time to educate children about nutrition and to help them develop
healthy eating habits. Through our services we embrace the opportunity to guide and support children
about food, cultures and eating behaviours.
The service will ensure that children are offered nutritious and balanced breakfast and afternoon tea
snacks, in a relaxed environment. Children will also have water readily available to them at all times
during the operation of the service. The menu will contain a selection of nutritious foods based on the
recommendation of Nutrition Australia.
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT POLICY
• Safe drinking water will be provided to the children at all times of the day
• Children are offered breakfast in the morning which includes a variety of cereal and bread.
Afternoon tea will consist of platters of fruit and vegetables, as well as pre-packaged goods,
(savoury and fruit based) and crackers.
• All items provided by Camp Australia are low in salt, low in sugar, low in fat and high in
vitamins and minerals
• Only food items provided by Camp Australia will be offered in the service. Educators cannot
purchase, supply or provide any additional items e.g butter/margarine
• To ensure that all food provided complies with Camp Australia’s Healthy Eating Program,
educators are to use recipes provided in the Camp Australia Cookbook only
• All educators will role model healthy eating policy practices
• Due to the increase in the number of children with allergies, no peanuts, nut products or
eggs are provided or used in cooking activities
• Educators are aware that many common packaged foods may contain traces of nuts. These
foods will be offered in the service but on a limited basis and children will be made aware of
this
• A menu will be prepared on a weekly basis by the educators. The menu will be well
balanced and include a variety of food groups in appropriate proportions
• Menus will be displayed in a prominent position for the children and families to view
• Children will be consulted in the planning of a menu and asked for suggestions. The
children’s suggestions will be based on compliance with the philosophy of the service and
budget requirements
• All food prepared during the service will be done in a hygienic manner following the
legislation of food practices. The kitchen will be maintained in a clean and hygienic state
• All educators and children handling food will be using tongs or other serving implements
• Special dietary requirements may be catered for where possible and the service will be
advised of these when the child enrols. Where dietary requirements cannot be
accommodated, the coordinator will ask the parent or authorised person to provide the
appropriate food for their child
• Meal time is a relaxed and enjoyable time for the children and educators
• Food will not be used as a form of punishment or reward either by its provision or denial
• Recipes and food awareness activities will be chosen from a variety of cultures which are
provided in Camp Australia’s Cookbook
• During holiday club and pupil free school days, the service will continue to provide a fruit
snack for afternoon tea. Parents are encouraged to provide a healthy and nutritious midday
meal for their child based on the same philosophy of the service
• All educators will be actively encouraged to complete the Healthy Eating LMS module
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 35
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Reviewed: October 2017 Version: 1.12
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
• All educators have the opportunity to contribute to Camp Australia’s Healthy Eating program
by submitting healthy recipes. Approved recipes will be added to the Camp Australia
Cookbook
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 36
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Reviewed: October 2017 Version: 1.12
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
Food Preparation
POLICY
Camp Australia adheres to the principals and guidelines of the National Quality Framework for
services and will ensure all educators comply with the Food Act to guarantee safe and hygienic
conditions are maintained wherever food is handled.
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT POLICY
• The educators will wash their hands before and after the preparation of any snacks
• After washing hands, educators must wear food handling gloves for the preparation of food
• All kitchen utensils will be washed and stored appropriately prior to their use in the
preparation of food
• Kitchen benches will be cleaned with hot soapy water and then sanitised and dried with a
paper towel before and after preparation of food
• The educators will need to comply with the National Food Handing Regulation’s as specified
by the Department of Health
• Where pre-packed meals are being served, the kitchen must be registered with the local
council and adhere with each relevant state’s requirements.
• Where pre-packed meals are being served, the kitchen will have suitable equipment for
storage and heating of meals.
• The kitchen will be kept clean and tidy at all times with all utensils and food contents put
away in appropriate storage containers
• Tables must be washed with hot soapy water and then sanitised before and after use
• All non-individually wrapped foods will be served using tongs or appropriate food serving
equipment
• Each child will be served on their own plate, or the like, and the plates must be washed and
stored appropriately after use
• Where children participate in cooking activities they will be directed to wash their hands
before and after the activity and asked to assist in cleaning up the activity area
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 37
©This document is the property of Camp Australia and is not to be reproduced in any form
Reviewed: October 2017 Version: 1.12
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
Food Served
POLICY
Camp Australia follows the guidelines reflected in the service food safety plan. Educators and families
must ensure the requirements are adhered to at all times whilst the service is in operation. The Food
Safety plan will ensure that children are served breakfast and afternoon tea according to the required
specifications.
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT POLICY
• Each service will have a food safety plan which will be on site and reviewed every 12
months
• All educators must be familiar with and follow the plan
• Educators will undertake food safety training relevant to their state legislation
• During the Holiday Club period, children’s lunch meals will not be reheated as this practice
is not included as part of the service food safety plan
• All services must maintain food safety records in line with the food safety regulation, these
include fridge and freezer temperature
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 38
©This document is the property of Camp Australia and is not to be reproduced in any form
Reviewed: October 2017 Version: 1.12
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
Sun Smart
POLICY
The Sun Smart policy has been developed to ensure all children and educators have some UV
exposure for Vitamin D but are also well protected from the strong UV rays. There are sun protection
measures in place to support outdoors activities. Educators must provide a safe outdoor environment
that provides shade as well as educating children to dress appropriately whilst out in the sun.
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT POLICY
• A shade audit is conducted regularly by the coordinator and regional manager to determine
the current availability and quality of shade. This is recorded on the service visit report for
review and reference
• All educators are to ensure that there is adequate shelter for the children and educators
• Educative information about harmful UV rays is to be provided to children and families
• Outdoor activities, where possible, should be planned to take place before 11:00 AM and
after 2:00 PM throughout the summer months to avoid prolonged sun exposure
• WA, NT and QLD will need to ensure that this policy is followed all year round due to the
warmer climates in these states
• Educators will include Sun Smart Education in the planned program for children and families
• Each child and educator is required to wear a wide brimmed hat that protects their face,
neck, ears, i.e. legionnaire, broad brimmed or bucket hats. Baseball or peak caps are not
considered appropriate
• Educators and visitors will need to wear hats outside to role model sun safe behaviour
• If children do not bring their hat, they will be asked to play indoors or in the shade – “No hat,
No outside play”
• Children and educators are permitted to wear sunglasses brought from home that meet the
Australian standard 1067 (Sunglasses: Category 2,3 or 4) and cover as much of the eye as
possible
• SPF 30+ broad spectrum, water resistant sunscreen is to be made available for staff and
children
• Application of sunscreen needs to occur at least 20 minutes before going outside with
reapplication every two (2) hours
• If any child has a particular sensitivity to the sunscreen provided by the service, the parent
must provide an alternative, which needs to be clearly labelled and at their own cost. The
sunscreen should be left at the service with a signed Medical Management Plan
• Educators will direct children at the service to self-administer sunscreen before going
outside
• During Vacation Care, parents will be encouraged to apply sunscreen to their child’s
exposed skin before they attend. Educators will direct children to reapply before going
outside if necessary and remind children every two (2) hours to reapply.
• Educators will mark the roll in red each time sunscreen is applied as evidence of application
• If a parent would prefer an educator to apply sunscreen to their child’s exposed skin, the
parent must complete the Camp Australia permission form
• Drinks are offered and accessible to children throughout the day
• If the weather is above 35 degrees, is deemed hot, or risks the health and wellbeing of
children, all excursions during Holiday Club or outdoor play will be cancelled for the day in
consultation with the regional manager and operations manager. Parents/other authorised
persons will be notified as soon as practicable of the change
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 39
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Reviewed: October 2017 Version: 1.12
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
• Children that are medically diagnosed with a Vitamin D deficiency may be exempt to this
policy once written confirmation has been provided to Camp Australia by a medical
practitioner
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 40
©This document is the property of Camp Australia and is not to be reproduced in any form
Reviewed: October 2017 Version: 1.12
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
Rest Times, Comfort and Clothing
POLICY
Camp Australia endeavours to meet the individual needs for rest and comfort of each child within the
constraints of a service.
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT POLICY
• All areas provided to the children will be licensed areas as per service approval to ensure
the children’s safety
• Area’s available within the indoor setting will allow children to engage in a number of
activities and will include quiet and rest areas
• In the event of an unwell child waiting to be picked up by a parent/other authorised person, a
safe and comfortable space will be available within the service to allow the child to
rest/sleep while they are waiting
• Educators will regularly monitor the child through observations, standing close by and
monitoring breathing
Comfort and Clothing:
• Educators will determine the suitability of outside play taking weather conditions into
account
• It is the responsibility of the parent/other authorised person to provide suitable clothing and
footwear for their child whilst in the service
• All Educators and children will be required to wear closed footwear at all times
• During variations in weather conditions, educators will direct children to wear clothing
suitable for the climate
• Wet/soiled clothes will be discreetly placed in a plastic bag and provided to parents on
arrival
• Educators will wash art smocks and dress-up materials off site (where required) following a
structured documented routine developed by the service
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 41
©This document is the property of Camp Australia and is not to be reproduced in any form
Reviewed: October 2017 Version: 1.12
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
Tobacco, Drug and Alcohol Free Environment
POLICY
All Camp Australia services are tobacco, illicit drug and alcohol free environments.
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT POLICY
• All educators are required to comply with Camp Australia’s policy of a tobacco, illicit drug
and alcohol free environment
• Educators are at no time permitted to smoke, take illicit drugs or/and be affected by these
substances whilst at the service, on excursions, on school grounds or/and outside the
school gates and whilst in Camp Australia uniform
• There must be a 5 metre smoke free buffer around the land from which the service operates
• Educators must immediately report directly to the Regional Manager, Operations Manager
or HR Manager any behaviours that contravene this policy.
• All educators must support the Code of Conduct policy that is signed on employment
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 42
©This document is the property of Camp Australia and is not to be reproduced in any form
Reviewed: October 2017 Version: 1.12
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
3. THE COLLECTION, ACCEPTANCE AND REFUSAL OF
AUTHORISATIONS
Supervision
POLICY
Camp Australia has a duty of care to all the children that attend the service. Children must be
supervised at all times by an educator whilst in the care of the service. Educators need to follow
active supervision practices to ensure the highest level of supervision of all the children in their care.
Active supervision practices is a proactive approach to keeping the children safe whilst in care by
following these key concepts:
Vision It is important that an Educator has line of sight with all children in care at all
times
Scanning It is important to constantly scan from one boundary of your space to another as
well as the area surrounding your play space
Headcounts Conduct regular headcounts (every 15 minutes) and each time there is a change
in location or play area, activity or educator.
• Child Attendance Numbers - Before School Care
• Child Attendance Numbers - After School Care
• Child Attendance Numbers - Holiday Club
Anticipate By being actively engaged educators will be able to anticipate if children are
Positioning becoming frustrated or disengaged and educators can then actively guide and
support
An educator must position themselves to maintain vision
Engage Actively engage in conversations, discussions and activities whilst you are
supervising
STARTEGIES TO SUPPORT POLICY
• Educators will need to have completed the LMS training to support the active supervision
practise to be then familiar with the approaches to supervising children and keeping them
safe
• Educators will implement the active supervision practices in their day to day work with the
children
• Educators will refer to the Top 5 instructional Guide – How To Keep Our Kids Safe
• Staff Child ratios and qualifications must be adhered to at all times as clearly specified in the
Education and Care Regulations
• Educators will provide activities, equipment and games in an organised, safe manner that
will allow clear supervision of participating children
• Educators will refrain from personal discussions whilst supervising and interacting with
children. Personal mobile phones and other electronic devices will not be used during
operating hours of the service as per Camp Australia requirements
• Children will be encouraged to participate in all aspects of the program
• During high risk activities and environments such as cooking, or using large equipment,
educators will ensure strict supervision processes and where deemed appropriate a risk
assessment developed.
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 43
©This document is the property of Camp Australia and is not to be reproduced in any form
Reviewed: October 2017 Version: 1.12
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
• In difficult areas, a supervision plan should be developed by the educators and regional
manager and implemented. The supervision plan should be reviewed regularly, and be
available at the service and included in the service information folder
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 44
©This document is the property of Camp Australia and is not to be reproduced in any form
Reviewed: October 2017 Version: 1.12
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
Bathroom Supervision
POLICY
Children and educators will follow due process to ensure safety of all children whilst in care, walking
to and from the bathrooms. As individual service requirements will differ from each other, there will be
a process available for all users of the service to follow and adhere to at all times. Each service will
also have a risk management process developed to support the children’s safety and wellbeing.
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT POLICY
• Educators in consultation with the school will need to develop a specific bathroom process,
using the Bathroom Risk Assessment Template that must be followed during operations of
the service. This will be documented and kept in the service information folder at all times.
• The process will be available for families, children and Educators to read at all times
• Children must notify an educator when they need to go to the bathroom
• Educators must refer to the service bathroom procedure – this may include a ’toilet run’
• Educators will closely monitor the time spent by children in the bathroom, this may be
through a whiteboard name system, time system or other approaches that will support the
children
• Educators will walk over to the bathroom once a short period of time elapses to ensure
children are safe and will walk back with them to the service
• Where children cannot be located, the Educator will refer to the Camp Australia policy on
Children Leaving an Area of Supervision
• Educators will continue to encourage and reinforce with children the process for using
bathroom facilities during service operating hours and ensure it is aligned to the school
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 45
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Reviewed: October 2017 Version: 1.12
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
Children Leaving the Area of Supervision
POLICY
Supervision policy in line with the active supervision practices, must prevent the children leaving an
area of supervision, In the event that a child does leave an area of supervision without permission, it
is the duty of the educators to attempt to locate the child without comprising the safety of other
children in their care and themselves. Once the Educator can determine that the child cannot be
accounted for, the educator of the service must follow the strategies below to ensure the safety and
well-being of the child.
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT POLICY
Immediate response to an unaccounted child:
• The educator will immediately advise all educators in the service of the potential issue
• The educator will review the sign-in attendance sheet and complete an immediate
headcount to determine all other children in the service are accounted for
• The educator will ask another member of the team to check bathrooms, school grounds and
other areas to ensure the child/children are not in these areas
• In the event of a small program operation, the educator will refer to their service information
folder to assist with the particulars of their program
• The educator will contact the school and advise them of the situation. Where the school
office is open an announcement can be made over the school PA asking the child/children
to return to the service
• Parents or authorised person will be contacted and informed of the situation
• The regional manager is to be notified about the situation immediately
• If the child/children cannot be accounted for within a 10minute timeframe, the Police will be
contacted by the Educator and/or Regional Manager and advised of the situation
• The regional manager will contact the operations manager and advise them of the situation
• The educators will continue to keep the other children in care supervised and safe
• The educators will be supported by emergency services and their regional manager
• Where possible, if ratios allow, educators may start to look in the nearing school streets.
Immediate response to an observed child absconding:
• Educators are to stay close with the child and continue to talk to the child about their safe
return to the service
• Educators remaining at the service will contact the police to assist in the situation
• The parents/authorised person will also be contacted by the educators to advise them of the
situation
• The regional manager should be contacted and where possible will immediately attend the
service to assist
Once the child is safe and accounted for:
• The Regulatory Authority will be provided with a completed Notification of Serious Incident
report within 24 hours of the incident occurring
• The educator must complete the Camp Australia Incident/Accident/Illness/Trauma/Injury
Report and ensure the parent signs it. This report will then be forwarded to the regional
manager and a copy will remain on the child’s file at the service.
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 46
©This document is the property of Camp Australia and is not to be reproduced in any form
Reviewed: October 2017 Version: 1.12
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
• After the event, the regional manager will arrange a time within a 24hour period to sit and
meet with all the Educators involved for a complete debrief meeting
• In this meeting, it will be determined what the cause of the situation was and how it must be
rectified to avoid a repeat of the situation
• The regional manager will minute the meeting and provide all Educators with a copy of the
Minutes
• The educator will need to review with the regional manager any preventative strategies that
will need to be implemented at the service to avoid a reoccurrence. This may also include
the opportunity to review the service, programming areas and whether a guidance support
plan is necessary
• The regional manager will determine whether educators at the service will need to
participate in a Performance Management Process
• Parents or authorised person of the child/children will need to be contacted by the regional
manager to discuss the situation
• The regional manager must advise the School Principal of the situation including follow up of
the incident
• Further discussion will take place with the regional manager and operations manager to
ensure the safety of children process has been followed
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 47
©This document is the property of Camp Australia and is not to be reproduced in any form
Reviewed: October 2017 Version: 1.12
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
Late/Non-Arrival of Children
POLICY
Educators will endeavour to ensure that all children booked into the service arrive as intended by their
families. If the child has not arrived at the service after the school dismissal time, the educators will
alert appropriate personal to attain the child’s whereabouts.
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT POLICY
• At the commencement of an educator’s shift, the educator should go the school office and
collect the child absentee list for the day. This will enable the educator to mark the children
absent prior to commencement of operations
• The educator will check any phone messages, emails and print rolls for that session to
ensure that the attendance sheet is accurate
• Educators will sign children into the service using the Camp Australia sign-in sheet at the
commencement of each session
• Educators will allow up to ten minutes for children to arrive at the service and be signed in
• Where a child is booked into the service and does not arrive, the educators will contact the
school office to establish if the child was at school (if not already clearly set out in the
collected Absentee List)
• Where possible, the educator will contact the office staff to make an announcement over the
school PA system calling for any child that still has not arrived at the service
• The educator should also send another member of the team to check the school grounds for
any child that has not yet arrived at the service
• If a child is still not accounted for, the parents/other authorised persons must immediately be
contacted to confirm that the child was booked into the session and to ascertain the child’s
whereabouts
• Where a parent/other authorised person cannot be contacted, the educator must contact the
emergency people listed on the child’s enrolment Information sheet
• On the confirmation of the parent/other authorised person of the child attendance’s in the
program the educator must then contact the Police to advise of the situation
• The regional manager must be contacted and advised of the situation. The regional
manager will use discretion if attendance at the service is required
• During this period, the remainder of the children must be kept safe and program operations
will continue
• Parents/other authorised persons must be advised that the Police have been contacted
• Parents may decide to go to their place of residence to see if the child has gone directly
home after school
• The regional manager will contact the operations manager and advise them of the situation
• After the event, the educator will need to discuss with the regional manager and child’s
parents or authorised person any preventative strategies that will need to be implemented at
the service to avoid a reoccurrence.
• The regional manager will provide an update for the operations manager regarding the
situation and discussions with the child, the child’s family and the school
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 48
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Reviewed: October 2017 Version: 1.12
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
Late/Non-Collection of Children
POLICY
All children are to be collected by an authorised person at the completion of each session. Whilst it is
understood that unforeseen circumstances will arise, it is expected that the service is informed of the
situation promptly to ensure other necessary measures may be implemented to protect the child’s
safety and wellbeing.
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT POLICY
Immediate response:
• Educators must ensure that the operating hours of the service are displayed promptly at the
service for parents/families to see
• After five (5) minutes after the closure of the service, the parents/other authorised persons
of the child will be contacted by the educator
• As the educator is speaking with the parent/other authorised person, they will remind the
parent of the service operating hours and late fee charged to families
• Educator will need to confirm with the parent/other authorised person their estimated time of
arrival to the service
• Where the parent/other authorised person believes that the timeframe will be more than 15
minutes, the educator will advise the parent if another authorised person listed on the Child
Enrolment Information sheet can be contacted to collect the child
• If parents are not able to be contacted, the educator must then proceed to contact the
authorised personnel listed on the child’s enrolment
• Educators must contact their regional manager and advise them of the situation
• The regional manager will review the process followed by the educator and offer any further
guidance
• The educator will ensure that during this period the child is supported to keep calm and
reassured. The educator will offer the child food or drink during this period and continue to
interact and engage with the child
• The regional manager must then contact the operations manager to report the situation
• If parents/other authorised persons and listed emergency authorised personnel cannot be
contacted, the educators or regional manager will contact the Police to report the situation
• The regional Manager should make contact with the school Principal and advise them of this
situation. The school may be able to assist locating the child’s family
• Regional Manager will then proceed to contact the State Department After Hours
Emergency Hotline to advise them of the situation
• After 45 minutes and after every effort is made to contact parents/other authorised persons
and authorised personnel, the Police or Department may then decide to take the child into
their care
• In this case a notice must be left at the service with the details of the local
Police/Department where the child is in care
• The Educators will explain to the child what is happening so that they understand the
situation. The educator must be mindful that this may be an overwhelming experience for
the child
• The Police and Department will be provided with contact details for the child’s family
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 49
©This document is the property of Camp Australia and is not to be reproduced in any form
Reviewed: October 2017 Version: 1.12
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual
After the event:
• The regulatory authority must be contacted by the regional manager and provided with a
completed Notification of Serious Incident report within 24 hours of the incident occurring if
the child is taken into emergency services care
• The educator must complete the Camp Australia Incident/Accident/Illness/Trauma/Injury
Report and ensure a parent signs it the following day. This report will then be forwarded to
the regional manager
• Parents or authorised person of the child/children will need to be contacted by the regional
manager to discuss the situation in further detail
• After the event, the regional manager will arrange a time within a 24hour period to sit and
meet with all the educators involved for a complete debrief
• In this meeting, it will be determined what the cause of the situation was and what strategies
can be put in place to avoid a repeat of the situation
• The regional manager will minute the meeting and provide all educators with a copy
• Further support and guidance will be provided to the child next time that they attend care
Camp Australia National Operations Policy Manual 2017 Page 50
©This document is the property of Camp Australia and is not to be reproduced in any form
Reviewed: October 2017 Version: 1.12
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