Education [Early Childhood Centres] Regulations 2008: : 45 (1) (a)(ii),(b) RATIONALE As responsible employers, we prioritise staff safety at all times. This includes their personal safety as well as the protection from any concern re the mistreatment of any child or adult on our premises. Mistreatment includes physical and or sexual assault, abuse, belittling or any other behaviour that could be deemed as detrimental to the well being of others. Caring in intimate situations with very young children, provides a number of challenges to ensure that staff are protected against wrongful claims of harm. This Policy is to outline how staff can safely work within this context.

GUIDELINES • No employee should be in the building alone unless the doors are locked for their personal safety.

• Staff will be aware of the need to avoid being alone with a child/children in secluded areas of the Centres building/grounds.

• No Adult should be in any space with children that is defined as a closed space. Definition - A closed space shall be defined as any area where another adult has restricted visual access from the outside.

• No Staff member can accept a child being left in their care if there is not another teacher present. In this situation the parent or person dropping the child must wait until there are at least two adults present. If a parent is late at the end of the day, 2 staff must be present until the child/children have been safely collected

• All changing of children should be completed by a teacher or their parent/caregiver. At times teachers in training may be given responsibility as part of their professional practice to help change children but this will be only be permitted by their Associate Teacher with permission by the Centre Manager. They will then be given access to the Playground App so that their name will show on child’s changing record.

• Staff will encourage children's self care skills and teach them to change themselves whenever possible

• A teacher should not change a child's clothing, or bathe a child that has soiled itself outside of the centre bathrooms (unless on an excursion). The bathroom spaces are open areas and adults move in and out of these regularly which ensure they are not closed areas.

• A record will be kept when a child is changed. This will include the child's name, date, time, staff member responsible and reason for change. Parents will have access to this information in real time on their home app.

• Procedures for changing children will be displayed in the bathroom area.

• If it is necessary for a child to be withdrawn by another adult for positive guidance management, or because the child is upset or unsettled, the teacher involved must ensure that the child is withdrawn to an open space where both teacher and child are visible at all times.

• Staff will also implement these procedures during excursions.

• Any teacher who is concerned about the behaviour of another staff member in relation to their interaction with children or other adults must follow the protocols as outlined in the Child Protection Policy , or utilise the Early Childhood on Stafford Concerns and Complaints process.

It is impossible to cover every situation that may arise but staff need to remove as many risks as possible.  

Note : Early Childhood on Stafford has cctv cameras in all indoor playspaces (not bathrooms) which also provide a level of site safety through their 24hr monitoring

See also: Early Childhood on Stafford Child Protection Policy.

Adopted: August 2025
Review Date: June 2027