Aussie Childcare Network Forum

potential work practice improvements to enhance workplace legal and ethical requirements that would prevent the above situations from reoccurring.

Respond with what your two (2) ideas are and how would you share this with colleagues and management.


My answer so far is
Work practice improvement 1:

Discuss legal and ethical requirements with colleagues and supervisor. Explain them scenarios and what action could be taken in those situations. Obtain different prospective on the problem.



Work practice improvement 2:


There must be written policies and procedures that reflect legislation and ethical standards of the service. Provide training to all the staff where they get updated knowledge of legal and ethical requirements.

I am not sure I am answers are right. Please help me......

Scenario 1
Joseph arrives to work on time and proceeds to the playground to begin his shift. He does a head count of the amount of children and realises there are too many preschool children in relation to the educators that are supervising in the playground. He goes to the lead educator and asks if there are any other staff on roster who are not currently in the playground because it seems they have too many children and he is aware of a spare educator in the nursery room. The lead educator says that all staff on roster are currently in the playground and she is aware there are too many children, but as another staff member is meant to be starting in 15mins, she doesn’t want to bother the extra educator in the nursery.


a) Is this a legal or ethical situation?

This is a legal situation



b) What is the issue or breach occurring?
It breach National Law and Regulations. Under the National Regulation, teacher-to-child ratio for preschool children is 1:11. The objective of which is to ensure the safety, health and well being of children attending the service.




c) What action would you take and who would you report to if required?
I would talk to the lead educator first and explain her that we are breaching National Law and Regulations under that teacher-to-child ratio is 1:11 and she must call teacher from the nursery. If she is not agree with me, I would go to the Director of the service and let her know the whole situation.





Scenario 2
A parent approaches and asks an educator if they can babysit on Saturday night for their children who the educator knows well from the service. The educator accepts.
The next week, you overhear the educator talking with the parent about their discussion on Saturday night that included activities they had been doing in the centre recently.

a) Is this a legal or ethical situation?




b) What is the issue or breach occurring?




c) What action would you take and who would you report to if required?






Scenario 3
Sarah reads on the medication form that one of the infants needs 2.5mls of Panadol medication at 1pm. She is currently the only carer in the room as her lead educator is on lunch. She however notices it is 1pm so goes to the fridge and finds the infants medication as she does not want to be late in administering it. She checks the label for the child’s name and does amount, measures the medication and gives it to the child, then puts it away. She carries on with her duties and forgets to fill in the medication book.

a) Is this a legal or ethical situation?

It is a legal situation.


b) What is the issue or breach occurring?

It breach Education and Care Services National Regulation 92. According to which details are to be recorded if medication is administered:
the dosage that is administered;
date and time the manner in which medication is administered
the name and signature of the person who administered the medication.

c) If you were the lead educator, what action would you take and who would you report to if required?


If I am a lead education I will complete the medication book. I would inform the Centre Director.

Question 4:

Regarding the scenarios above, consider how you might share feedback with colleagues and supervisors regarding some workplace improvements.


Based on above scenarios I have to answer how I will share feedback with my colleagues and supervisor regarding some workplace improvements.

Hello,
I' am currently study my Cert 4 in School Aged education and care.

I' am struggling with getting my words together for these questions (I' am 29 and I haven studied since I was in high school)

Q2 For each of the scenarios below, identify in one paragraph how you would react to the following ethical dilemmas and your reason why.



a. You are asked by a parent if a child has wet her pants today. You have seen the child physically punished (i.e. smacked) for this before.

b. You are a student on placement and are asked to take sole charge of a group of children because a staff member is ill. This is against regulations.

c. A parent has approached you and asked for information about another child’s family.

d. You are having a 21st birthday party and think it is alright to copy 100 invitations on the Childcare Centre’s photocopier.

e. A child attends the centre who you suspect rarely receives a bath. You are upset about this as you feel strongly that it is the responsibility of a ‘good’ parent to bathe their child daily (think about your own cultural beliefs verses requirements).


Thank you