Aussie Childcare Network Forum • Scenario: Supervising Children During Lunch breaks
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Scenario: Supervising Children During Lunch breaks

Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 7:42 pm
by Ganz
please help I'm having trouble trying to het my head around this question.

You are the educator in the nursery responsible for the care of 4 infants between 2 and 12 months. You are asked by the educator in the toddler room to supervise her 4 children (1-2 years) while she has her 30 minute lunch break, in which she leaves the centre. All of her toddlers are sleeping and there is a sliding door between the two rooms, which she has left open. The manager suggests that you place a chair between the two rooms so that you have some view of the children in each room. You feel anxious about whether this breaches supervision regulations.

1. is this legal or ethical ?
my answer is - Legal because my educator to child ratio is at capacity 1:4 and I'm legally bounded by supervision laws

3. Is this a breach of regulations? Why/ why not?
Not a breach because it states in the national educaton and care serives national law and educaton and care services national regulations 2011’ that Breaks
The National Regulations require the educator to child ratio to be maintained at all times. However, it is recognised that backfilling educators in centre-based services while they are on short breaks is difficult. The approach of regulatory authorities will be to allow each educator to take up to 30 minutes off the floor per day without being backfilled—for example, for personal hygiene, meal breaks or to take personal phone calls—without the service being in breach of prescribed ratio requirements. At all times the overarching consideration must be the needs of the children and adequate supervision must be maintained at all times.

please help I'm so confused thanks :angel:

Re: legal and ethical

Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2015 9:35 am
by Diana1973
Hi we do the same to and are manage says as long as under the roof line our numbers are ok there is no issue.hope this will help :angel:

Re: Scenario: Supervising Children During Lunch breaks

Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2015 7:58 am
by Amy H
hi
My understanding is that you can have your 30 minute break but you must remain on the premises.