NQS

QUALITY AREA 2:  CHILDREN’S HEALTH AND SAFETY

Education and Care Services National Regulations

Purpose

Excursions are a valuable experience for children, families, and staff of education and care settings. Excursions provide the opportunity to expand and enhance children’s experiences, explore different environments and engage in meaningful ways with their communities. Excursions require appropriate planning and risk management to ensure the best experience and enjoyment for all.

It is our aim to ensure that all excursions undertaken by Baulkham Hills Early Learning Centre are planned and conducted in a safe manner, always maintaining children’s well-being in accordance with National Legislation and National Regulations.

Planning

• Assess the requirements for the excursion.

• Conduct a risk assessment.

• Book transport venues.

• Make alternative arrangements for adverse weather conditions

• Inform families of the details of the excursion including destination, objectives and outcomes, and what the child should bring.

• Provide parents or legal guardians with an excursion permission form to complete to authorise their child to participate in the excursion.

• Collect completed permission forms for each child attending the excursion.

• Request additional adult participation on the excursion where required.

• Arrange for a suitably equipped first aid kit (including EpiPen) and mobile phone (with access to families details and emergency contacts) to be taken on the excursion.

• Educators must make alternate arrangements for any children who are not attending the excursion, and ensure that any dialogue or pre-planning for the excursion does not alienate such children from social networks.

• Additional factors need to be considered in the planning of excursions for children with additional needs. Where possible, our service will uphold the right for all children to access all excursions and engage in meaningful ways while on excursions.

Risk Assessment by Nominated Supervisor

• Ensure a risk assessment is conducted prior to any excursion to identify and assess the risk the excursion may pose to the safety, health and wellbeing of any child whilst on the excursion, and will specify how the service will manage any risks identified.

• Appoint a Responsible Person/Nominated Supervisor to be in charge of the excursion. This supervisor will be in charge of keeping track of children, educators, volunteers and guiding people where to go and what to do. This person will carry the attendance list of children, the emergency contact list and do regular head counts.

• Ensure that an educator caring for children while on the excursion must hold current first aid, asthma and anaphylaxis training. The Nominated Supervisor must also ensure that an Educator who holds these qualifications must also remain at the service.

• The nominated supervisor will ensure that an Educator who has accepted to a responsible person of the service is present on the Excursion, and that there is a responsible person of the service remaining at the service.

The risk assessment conducted will consider:

• Destination and duration of the excursion; ⊲ potential water hazards or any hazard associated with water based activities;

• Transport to and from destination

• Number of educators, responsible persons, and children involved

• Number of educators and responsible adults needed to provide adequate supervision, including the necessary number of adults with specialised skills

• The proposed duration of the excursion

• Proposed activities

• The management of children’s specific health needs

• Items to be taken on the excursion e.g. mobile phone, emergency bag containing a first aid kit, emergency contact numbers etc.

NB: If the excursion is a regular occurrence a risk assessment will only be carried out once, provided the circumstances around the excursion have not changed in any way since the initial risk assessment was conducted.

Authorisations

• For all excursions parents or legal guardians will be given an excursion permission form with full details of the excursion including:

  • Date, description, duration and destination of proposed excursion;

  • Method of transport to be used;

  • Child’s full name

  • Reason for the excursion, and proposed activities to be conducted on the excursion;

  • The anticipated adult: child ratio – outlining number of educators and staff and other adults attending

  • The anticipated number of children likely to attend the excursion

  • A statement that a risk assessment has been prepared and is available at the service for parents to view.

• If the excursion is a regular outing, authorisation is required once in a 12-month period. All parents or legal guardians will be asked to sign permission forms for regular excursions on enrolment and at the beginning of each subsequent year.

• A regular outing is considered a walk, drive or trip to and from a destination, visited as part of the educational program. The risk assessment is relevant for each outing, given that there are no relevant changes – e.g. the route, time of day, etc. remains unchanged each time.

• No child will be taken on an excursion unless written permission from parents or legal guardian has been received.

 Families and Volunteers

• Families will be encouraged to participate in excursions to assist in maintaining suitable child/staff ratios. If the parent needs to bring their child’s sibling because they cannot find suitable care, the siblings must be included in ratios.

• If additional adults are required volunteers will be invited. Volunteers will be mature, responsible people who are aware of the hazards and responsibilities of taking a group of children out of the service.

• Family members/volunteers will not to be left in sole charge of children and must be supervised by an educator at all times.

• All volunteers/family members’ details will be entered into the appropriate staff record for that day.

• Students and volunteers who attend excursions must hold a Working With Children Check (WWCC), and complete the Students and Volunteers Sign-In Sheet. Details to be provided in the book are printed name, date of birth, address and phone number, WWCC number and expiry date, visit date, brief reason for visiting, time in and signature, time out and signature, and total hours in the Service.

• To ensure the child wears/brings (e.g. hat, suitable shoes, water) all items requested by the Service on the day of the excursion.

Travel Arrangements

• Travel arrangements are made on the basis of individual excursion requirements. Every reasonable precaution will be taken to protect children from harm and any hazard likely to cause injury.

• Walking - Educators will ensure children obey road rules and cross roads at a crossing or lights where available.  Educators will remain vigilant to ensure no child runs ahead or lags behind the group.

• Our service WILL NOT utilise any form of transport other than walking. There will be no public transport, cars, buses, trains, or any form of vehicle.

Supervision

• Supervision on excursions will ensure the safety and wellbeing of all children for the duration of the excursion, taking into account ratios and all risks and hazards likely to be encountered.

• The venue will be assessed as safe for all children and adults on the excursion and will be easily supervised and accessible.

 Water Hazards

• No excursions will be conducted to a swimming pool or other water related activity.

• Where there are significant water hazards (such as rivers or lakes) risk management strategies will be identified and implemented such as high adult to child ratios

Conducting the Excursion

• All educators, volunteers and children attending will be informed of excursion timetable/ itinerary, special requirements, safety procedures, grouping of children and responsibilities.

• A list of children on the excursion will be left at the service and a copy carried by the delegated Responsible Person/Nominated Supervisor.

• Before leaving on the excursion, a notice will be prominently displayed at the service which includes:

  • Itinerary and timetable

  • Mobile contact phone number.

• Items to be taken on excursions include:

  • A suitable stocked first-aid kit including EpiPen

  • A mobile phone

• Children’s emergency contact numbers

• Children’s medication, if required

• Other items as required e.g. sunscreen, drinking cups, jackets etc.

Responsibilities of the Approved Provider

• Ensuring that a child does not leave the service premises on an excursion unless prior written authorisation has been provided by the parent/guardian or person named in the child’s enrolment record, and that the authorisation includes all details required under Regulation 102(4).

• Ensuring that educator-to-child ratios are maintained at all times, including during excursions.

• Ensuring that parents/guardians, volunteers, students and all adults participating in an excursion are adequately supervised at all times and are not left with sole supervision of individual children or groups of children.

• Ensuring the risk assessment identifies and assesses the risks, specifies how these will be managed and/or minimised, and includes all details required by Regulation 101.

Responsibilities of the Nominated Supervisor

• Implementing Approved Provider responsibilities as delegate.

• Ensuring that each child’s personal medication and current medical management plan is taken on excursions and other off-site activities.

• Ensuring that a portable first aid kit (including required medication for managing any child’s medical conditions) is taken on excursions and other off-site activities.

• Ensuring a mobile phone, the emergency contact details for each child and the contact details of their medical practitioner are taken on excursions for notification in the event of an incident, injury, trauma or illness.

Responsibilities of the Educators

• Adhering to this policy.

• Checking that a parent/guardian or person named in the child’s enrolment record has completed, signed and dated the excursion/service event authorisation form prior to the excursion.

• Allowing a child to participate in an excursion or service event only with the written authorisation of a parent/ guardian or person named in the child’s enrolment record.

• Maintaining the required educator-to-child ratios at all times, and adequately supervising children during excursions and service events.

• Adequately supervising parents/guardians, volunteers, students and all adults participating in an excursion, and ensuring that they are not left with sole supervision of individual children or groups of children.

• Undertaking a risk assessment for an excursion prior to obtaining written authorisation from parents/guardians.

• Ensuring the risk assessment identifies and assesses the risks, specifies how they will be managed and/or minimised, and includes all details required by Regulation 101.

• Including all children in excursions and service events regardless of their abilities, additional needs or medical conditions.

• Taking each child’s personal medication and current medical management plan on excursions and other off-site activities.

• Taking a portable first aid kit (including required medication for dealing with medical conditions) on excursions and other off-site activities.

• Every child will wear an Excursion tag with the Service’s name, address, and telephone number, and the mobile number of the educator in charge of the excursion. No child’s name will appear on the identification tag.

• Contingency plans for events such as medical emergency, accident or a lost child are carefully considered and these plans clearly communicated to all adults attending the excursion.

• Engage children in prior discussions about outlay of day and the importance of road safety.

Responsibilities of the Families

• Families will be encouraged to participate in excursions to assist in maintaining suitable child/staff ratios. If the parent needs to bring their child’s sibling because they cannot find suitable care, the siblings must be included in ratios. This will need to be considered when writing the risk assessment responsibilities given to this parent will need to be adjusted accordingly.

• If additional adults are required volunteers will be invited. Volunteers will be mature, responsible people who are aware of the hazards and responsibilities of taking a group of children out of the service.

• Family members/volunteers will not to be left in sole charge of children and must be supervised by an educator at all times.

• All volunteers/family members’ details will be entered into the appropriate staff record for that day.

• Completing, signing and dating excursion/service event authorisation forms.

• Providing written authorisation for their child to leave the service premises on routine outings.

• Reading the details of the excursion or service event provided by the service and asking for additional information if required.

• Understanding that, if they participate in an excursion or service event as a volunteer, they will be under the immediate supervision of the Responsible Person at all times.

Incursions at the Service

• All incursion providers visiting the Service MUST have obtained a Working with Children’s Check prior to visiting the Service.

• Incursion providers visiting the Service must have clearance before providing their services within the care environment. 

Related Statutory Obligations & Considerations

• Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA)

• Department of Education

• Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF)

• Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011

• Kids and Traffic

• National Quality Framework (NQF)

• NSW Government Transport for NSW

• Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act 2011

• Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulation 2011

• Kidsafe

Related Telephone Numbers

• Early Childhood Directorate 1800-619-113

• Department of Health 1800-020-103

• Emergency Services – 000

• Roads and Maritime Services – 13-22-13

Amendment History

This policy will be updated to ensure compliance with all relevant legal requirements every year. Appropriate consultation of all stakeholders (including staff and families) will be conducted on a timely basis. In accordance with Regulation 172 of the Education and Care Services National Regulation, families of children enrolled will be notified at least 14 days and their input will be considered prior to any amendment of policies and procedures that have any impact on their children or family

Date:

14.01.2025

Version:

6

Last amended by:

Laura Clarke  

Next Review:

14.01.2026

Position:

Nominated Supervisor