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Yarm Gwanga Acceptance and Refusal Guideline

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Section 1 - Overview

(1) Yarm Gwanga education and care service requires parental/legal guardian authorisation for activities such as administration of medications, collection of children, excursions and providing access to personal records. These Guidelines outline what constitutes a correct authorisation and what does not, which may therefore result in a refusal. We will ensure that we only act in accordance with correct authorisation as described in the Education and Care Services National Regulations, 2011.

(2) For the purposes of clause 168 (2) (j) of the Education and Care Services National Regulations this Guideline is considered to be the policy and procedure.

(3) These Guidelines satisfy the following National Quality Standards:

  1. Quality Area 2 - Children's health and safety
    1. Standard 2.1 Each child’s health is promoted.
      1. Element 2.1.3 Healthy eating and physical activity are promoted and appropriate for each child.
    2. Standard 2.2 Each child is protected.
  2. Quality Area 4 -Staffing arrangements
    1. Standard 4.2 Professionalism
      1. Element 4.2.2 Professional standards guide practice, interactions and relationships.
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Section 2 - Scope

(4) This Guideline applies to all UNE Representatives, children and families, and all visitors to the Yarm Gwanga services.

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Section 3 - Guideline

Implementation

(5) Where activities require authorisation, either to comply with national regulations, or to comply with our service policies, our service requires that the authorisation is provided in writing and is dated. These activities include:

  1. administration of medication;
  2. administration of medical treatment, dental treatment, general first aid products and ambulance transportation;
  3. excursions including regular outings;
  4. incursions;
  5. taking of photographs by people who aren't educators;
  6. water-based activities; 
  7. collection of children; and/or
  8. enrolment of children including naming of authorised nominees and persons authorised to consent to medical treatment or trips outside the service premises.

(6) The format of written authorisations required under the national law must comply with the regulations. Please see specific guidelines for more information.

(7) Our service does not accept verbal authorisations in any circumstances except in situations requiring emergency administration of medication, including emergencies involving anaphylaxis or asthma

Authorisation Requirements 

(8) Authorisation documents are required for the following situations and must have details recorded as specified.

  1. Administration of medication
    1. The name of the child.
    2. The authorisation to administer medication, signed by a parent or person named in the child's enrolment record as authorised to consent to administration of medication.
    3. The name of the medication to be administered.
    4. The time and date the medication(s) is/are to be administered.
    5. The dosage of the medication to be administered.
    6. The period of authorisation from and to.
    7. The date the authorisation is signed.
  2. Medical treatment of the child including transportation by an ambulance service (included and authorised initially as part of the child's enrolment record):
    1. The name of the child.
    2. Authorisation to seek medical treatment for the child from a registered medical practitioner, hospital or ambulance service.
    3. Authorisation for the transportation of the child by an ambulance service.
    4. The name, address and telephone number of the child's registered medical practitioner or medical service and if available, the child's Medicare number.
    5. The name of the parent or guardian providing authorisation.
    6. The relationship to the child.
    7. The signature f the person providing authorisation and date.
  3. Emergency medical treatment (included and authorised initially as part of the child's enrolment record or as updates are provided during enrolment):
    1. The service is able to seek emergency medical assistance for a child as required without seeking further authorisation from a parent or guardian in the case of an emergency (ie. medical practitioner, ambulance or hospital) including for those emergencies relating to asthma and anaphylaxis.
    2. Administer immediate first aid where a child requires emergency medical treatment for conditions such as anaphylaxis or asthma. The service can administer medication without authorisation in these cases, provided they contact the parent/guardian as soon as practicable after the medication has been administered.
  4. Collection of children (included and authorised initially as part of the child's enrolment record or as updated during enrolment):
    1. The name of the child.
    2. The name of the parent or the guardian of the child, or the authorised nominee on the enrolment form providing authorisation.
    3. The name of the person(s) authorised by a parent or authorised nominee named in the child's enrolment record to collect the child from the premises.
    4. The relationship to the child, of the persons authorised to collect the child from the premises.
    5. The signature of the person providing authorisation, and the date of signing.
  5. Excursions (including regular outings). If the excursion is a regular outing, the authorisation is only required to be obtained once in a 12 month period, otherwise, the following is required:
    1. The name of the child.
    2. The date of the excursion (if not for a regular outing).
    3. The reason for the excursion.
    4. The proposed destination for the excursion.
    5. The method of transport to be used.
    6. The activities to be undertaken by the child during the excursion.
    7. The period the child will be away from the premises.
    8. The anticipated number of children likely to be attending the excursion.
    9. The ratio of educators attending the excursion to the number of children attending the excursion.
    10. The number of staff members and any other adults who will accompany and supervise the children on the excursion.
    11. That a risk assessment has been prepared and is available at the service.
    12. The name of the parent or guardian providing authorisation.
    13. The relationship to the child. The signature of the person providing authorisation, and the date of signing.

Confirmation of Authorisation

(9) All authorisation forms received (other than the initial enrolment form) from parents or guardians are to be checked for completion and checked that the authoriser (name and signature) is the nominated parent or guardian on the enrolment form.

(10) If incomplete or inappropriately signed, the authorisation form should be returned to the parent or guardian for correction.

(11) Unless confirmation has been proven, the activity will be suspended for the child's participation until the form has been completed and authorised correctly.

Refusal of Authorisations 

(12) Refusal of an authorisation will be made on a case by case basis by the Service in exceptional circumstances.

(13) Yarm Gwanga will refuse an authorisation if:

  1. Administration of medication
    1. Someone who has not been listed as authorised, authorises administration of medication to a child.
    2. The services is asked to administer medication to a child that is not in accordance with the requirements of Regulation 95, such as being administered from its original container.
  2. Self-administration of medication
    1. The child is not capable of self-administering.
  3. Children leaving the education and care service premises
    1. The parent or any other authorised nominee or person does not appear to be fit to take care of the child.
    2. The sibling or older child authorised to take another child out of the service does not appear to be capable.
  4. Authorisation for excursions
    1. An authorisation received by the service for an excursion does not meet the requirements of Regulation 102, such as it appears to not have been signed by a person authorised to sign.

Recording of Refusal(s) of Authorisation

(14) Ifan authorisation is refused by the service, Yarm Gwanga will document:

  1. the details of the authorisation
  2. why the authorisation was refused
  3. actions taken by the service (ie. if the service refused an authorised nominee named in the child's enrolment record to collect the child from the service as they were under the influence of alcohol, what action was taken to ensure that the child was collected).

Procedures for Refusing a Written Authorisation

(15) On receipt of a written authorisation from a parent/guardian that does not meet the requirements outlined in the related service policy, the Approved Provider will:

  1. immediately explain to the parent/guardian that their written authorisation contravenes service policy and it cannot be accepted;
  2. ensure that the parent/guardian is provided with a copy of the relevant service policy and they understand the reason for refusal of the authorisation;
  3. request that an appropriate alternative written authorisation is provided by the parent/guardian that complies with the requirement of the relevant service policy;
  4. ensure that procedures outlined in the relevant service policy are followed where a parent/guardian cannot be immediately contacted to provide an alternative written authorisation; and
  5. follow up with the parent/guardian where required, to ensure that an appropriate written authorisation is obtained.

(16) Acceptance of the authorisations outlined above will be accepted by Yarm Gwanga.

Authority and Compliance

(17) The Guideline Administrator, the Director UNE Life, makes these Guidelines.

(18) UNE Representatives must observe these Guidelines in relation to University matters.

(19) These Guidelines operate as and from the Effective Date.

(20) Previous Policies/Procedures/Guidelines relating to correct authorisation and refusal for activities are replaced and have no further operation from the Effective Date of this new Guideline.

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Section 4 - Definitions

For the purposes of this Guideline the following definitions apply:

(21) Authorisation is the signed approval by a child's parent or guardian nominated in the enrolment process (or nominated at a later date if appropriate).

(22) Visitor includes, but is not limited to, students on practical placements, volunteers, community members and persons conducting inspections/audits.

(23) Yarm Gwanga refers to both the Yarm Gwanga Preschool and Early Education centre as well as Yarm Gwanga Vacation Care.