Health, Safety & Wellbeing
Our Centre
Health, Safety & Wellbeing
Our Children and Families
Drop off and pick-up
We know mornings and evenings can be a busy time for parents, so we make drop-offs and pick-ups as seamless as possible, however, there are certain procedures that must take place to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of the children in our care.
The centre required attendance records and confirmation of the child’s presence or absence must be recorded. This ensures the accuracy of the number of children in attendance and that the correct child to staff ratios are being met. That is why it is important that families sign their child in at the start of the day and out at the end of the day. It also means your attendance is recorded accurately for any Child Care Subsidies you may be receiving.
Shooting Stars ELC has a duty of care for every child attending our centres. This exists while a child is on the centre’s premises even if he/she hasn’t yet been signed in or has been signed out. That is why we also have strict guidelines on why and how your child can leave the centre premises:
- A parent, guardian or nominee collects the child, provides written authorisation for the child to leave or to attend an excursion.
- The child requires medical, hospital or ambulance treatment, or there is another emergency.
Keeping children safe in our centres
Nothing is more important than the safety and wellbeing of every child in our care. We want families to know that creating a safe, secure environment isn’t just something we talk about — it’s deeply embedded in our culture, policies, and what we do each day.
At Shooting Stars ELC, child safety is a continuous, organisation-wide commitment. We have zero tolerance for any behaviour that could compromise a child’s wellbeing, and we act swiftly and thoroughly whenever concerns are raised. We work to ensure that we provide an environment that inspires confidence, friendship, security, and happiness. Our Child Protection policy and practices encourage a culture of openness, inclusiveness, and awareness. Children need safe and secure environments to thrive in both life and learning.
- We will respond to children’s concerns truthfully and help them feel valued and heard.
- We actively listen to and empower children.
- We have zero-tolerance for child abuse or any form of neglect.
- We take all allegations and concerns seriously and respond in line with our policies and procedures and Child Protection Law and National Regulations.
- We reinforce a culture of speaking up about bad behaviour. Our policy provides a confidential, anonymous way for team members to report any poor behaviour or treatment they see, with no repercussions.
- We provide mandatory child protection and incident reporting training for team members.
- We take all concerns and allegations seriously and will always respond in a fair and consistent way, following our policies and child protection laws.
- We’re dedicated to creating a safe, supportive environment where children feel heard, confident, and protected every day.
- Our social media and digital devices policy ensures children’s safety and privacy by using centre-owned devices, sharing content only with family permission, and through approved channels following strict guidelines for use.
Wellbeing and nutrition
Educating children about the importance of healthy eating and good nutrition is an important part of early childhood development. We believe in providing a positive eating environment that reflects dietary requirements, cultural and family values, and promotes lifelong learning for children.
Shooting Stars ELC is committed to promoting and supporting healthy food and drink choices that meet the requirements for children. We also value families’ contributions to menu planning because we know this is the best way to extend healthy habits from the centre into the home and beyond.
- We always follow through health and hygiene practices for handling, preparing and storing food.
- Children always have access to food and water throughout the day.
- Children’s individual dietary requirements are catered for, and we work together with families to support each child’s needs.
- Positive mealtime experiences through education and role-modelling of healthy eating practices.
Other Health, Safety and Wellbeing measures for children
- Excursions
- First aid
- Children and water play
- Sun protection for children
- Creating safe environments in our Centres
- Handling incidents and injuries
- Illness procedures
Our Staff
Safety and wellbeing are everyone’s responsibility and therefore each Guardian employee is required to behave and perform their duties to ensure a positive, safe and healthy culture for all.
We believe that every team member has a responsibility to do more than just follow the relevant legislation. Instead, we work together to create and maintain a safe work environment for our colleagues and, importantly, the children in our care.
Specifically, our teams show their commitment to health, safety and wellbeing in the following ways:
- Taking responsibility for their own safety and wellbeing by following appropriate procedures and practices.
- Proactively identifying hazards, assessing risk and implementing appropriate measures to ensure a safe environment for all.
- Effectively raising and consulting on safety or wellbeing concerns.
- Adhering to injury management procedures.
