POLICY CONTENT

Under the Education and Care Services National Regulations the approved provider must ensure that policies and procedures are in place in relation to the safe transportation of children (Regulation 168) and take reasonable steps to ensure those policies and procedures are followed (Regulation 170). [ACECQA, 2021] .
 
Transportation of children is sometimes provided as part of our education and care service. Compliance with the Education and Care Services National Law and Regulations is mandatory to ensure the safety of children at all times and new provisions and amendments to these regulations are reflected in our procedures and policy for transportation and the safe handover of children. We acknowledge our ensuring duty of care obligations by adhering to relevant legislation providing adequate supervision of children at all times, maintaining correct educator to child ratios, maintaining accurate attendance records and providing appropriate child restraints for children under our care. 
 

NATIONAL QUALITY STANDARD (NQS) 

QUALITY AREA 2: Children's Health and Safety

2.2	Safety	Each child is protected.
2.2.1	Supervision	At all times, reasonable precautions and adequate supervision ensure children are protected from harm and hazard.
2.2.2	Incident and emergency management	Plans to effectively manage incidents and emergencies are developed in consultation with relevant authorities, practiced and implemented.

 

PURPOSE 

We aim to ensure that all children being educated and cared for by our School are adequately supervised at all times. This includes ensuring educator to child ratios are met whenever and wherever the service is operating including providing transportation as part of our service activity.  
 

SCOPE 

This policy applies to children, families, staff, management and visitors of the Service. 
 

IMPLEMENTATION 

The safety of children enrolled at our Service is paramount. Every reasonable precaution is taken to protect children from harm and from any hazard likely to cause injury. Appropriate safety measures have been implemented through our comprehensive risk assessment process to ensure supervision is adequate at all times including transportation. Educator to child ratios are adhered to in addition to ensuring the maximum numbers on the service approval are not breached at any time. Adequate supervision is therefore not static as it is dependent upon a range of considerations documented in risk assessments.  
 

Definitions (effective 1 October 2020) 

Regular outing: In relation to an education and care service, means a walk, trip to and from a destination  

• that the service visits regularly as part of its educational program; and 
• where the circumstances relevant to the risk assessment are substantially the same on each outing  

 
Regular transportation: In relation to an education and care service, means the transportation by the service or arranged by the service (other than as part of an excursion) of a child being educated and cared for by the service, where the circumstances relevant to a risk assessment are substantially the same for each occasion on which the child is transported. 
 
Written authorisation - Authorisation will be given by a parent or other person named in the child’s enrolment record for community walks/Norwood park visits. If a seperate and planned curriculum based excursion will occur, parents will be provided with a consent form via EarlyWorks. This will provide the School with consent to having authority to authorise the child being transported by the service or on transportation arranged by the service. If the excursion requires transportation, the authorisation must state: 

• the child’s name;
• the reason the child is to be transported; 
• if the authorisation is for a regular outing, a description of when the child is to be taken on the regular outings; 
• if the authorisation is not for a regular transportation, the date the child is to be transported; 
• a description of the proposed pick-up location and destination; 
• the means of transport; 
• the period of time during which the child is to be transported; 
• the anticipated number of children likely to be transported;
• the anticipated number of staff members and any other adults who will accompany and supervise the children during the transportation;
• any requirements for seatbelts or safety restraints under a law of each jurisdiction in which the children are being transported; 
• that a risk assessment has been prepared and is available at the education and care service; and
• that written policies and procedures for transporting children are available at the education and care service

Transport Specific Risk Assessment

 As per the Education and Care Services National Law, our Service will ensure that every reasonable precaution is taken to protect children from harm and from any hazard likely to cause injury (Section 167). Our Service will conduct comprehensive transport specific risk assessments to minimize and manage all potential risks for transporting children before authorisation is sought to transport a child. [Reg. 102B, 102D (4)].  
 
A risk assessment will be undertaken at least annually for ‘regular transportation’ of children. Each time our Service transports, or arranges, the transport of children as part of an excursion, a new risk assessment will be conducted. All risk assessments will be regularly assessed and evaluated as to facilitate continuous improvement in our Service. 
 
Our risk assessment process is guided by the following process: 

• identify any hazards or potential hazards that transporting the child may pose to the safety, health and wellbeing of the child 
• assess the risk of harm or potential harm using a risk matrix 
• specify how the identified risks will be managed by eliminating or minimising the impact using control measures 
• evaluate the current risk or potential harm by implementing control measures 
• review and monitor the risk or potential harm to ensure it continues to be managed as a low risk  

Source: Risk assessment and management ACECQA (2020) 
 
Our risk assessment will consider the following: 

• the proposed route and duration of the transportation; and 
• the means of transport; and 
• any requirements for seatbelts or safety restraints (as per the law of our jurisdiction); and 
• any water hazards; and 
• the number of adults and children involved in the transportation; and 
• given the risks posed by transportation, the number of educators or other responsible adults to provide supervision and whether any adults with specialized skills are required; and 
• whether any items should be readily available during transportation (mobile phone, list of emergency contact numbers) and; 
• the process for entering and exiting-  
  • the education and care service premises; 
  • the pick-up location or destination (as required); and
• procedures for embarking and disembarking the means of transport, including how each child is to be accounted for on embarking and disembarking

Additional considerations may include: 

• the age, ability, needs and skills of children being transported (non-ambulant, infants) 
• the experience of adults involved in transportation and their capacity for supervising children 
• movement of children between the vehicle and venues 
• traffic conditions 
• extreme weather conditions or natural disasters 
• environmental hazards such as temperature extremes, smoke 
• communication to/from the vehicle- mobile phone reception 
• health needs of all children and adults 
• first aid provision and management of illness, injuries and emergencies 
• child safe practices

Source: NSW Government Kids and Traffic (2020) 
 
Management/ Nominated Supervisor/Responsible Person will ensure: 

• all staff are inducted in the Safe Transportation Policy and procedure and have completed practical training 
• risk assessments are carried out prior to seeking authorisation for transporting children is made with the Approved Provider 
• risk assessments for ‘regular transportation’ are evaluated regularly to ensure potential risks are identified and managed 
• any updates to procedures are clearly communicated to all staff 
• risk assessments for ‘regular transportation’ are reviewed at least annually 
• every reasonable precaution is taken to protect children from harm and hazards likely to cause injury  
• adequate supervision is provided (see below) 
• compliance with first aid requirements of Regulation 136 is met at all times  
• parents/guardians complete a written authorisation for transportation of their child and a copy of this is filed in the child’s enrolment record/ attached to the enrolment form (effective 1 Oct 2021) 
• children are instructed on processes for entering and exiting the service premises 
• children’s attendance is checked against an accurate attendance record showing when children are within the care of the service. The record of attendance must record the time that the child arrives and departs the service and signed by the nominated supervisor or educator 
• educator to child ratio requirements are maintained at all times, including when children are being transported as part of the service activity 
• a record of staff working with directly with children (regulation 151) is kept  
• children wear approved seatbelts/restraints whilst the 'vehicle' (pram) is in motion in accordance to [state/territory] Road Rules and Road Transport Act 
• safety rules are developed with children to ensure a clear understanding of appropriate and inappropriate behaviour 
• a working mobile phone or other similar means of communication to communicate with the service, parents/carers is provided in case of emergency  
• a list of emergency contact numbers for the children being transported is available (through SmartCentral on the mobile internet)
• every effort will be made to notify parents/carers of delays returning to the Service if applicable 
• relevant criminal history requirements and Working with Children Checks are made for any person transporting children (WWCC is recorded in staff records)
• any allegation of misconduct of the educator or staff member will be reported immediately as per the Reportable Conduct Scheme detailed in our Child Protection Policy and/or Child Safe Environment Policy

 

Safe Maintenance of Transportation- Service pushchairs

Management/Nominated Supervisor/Responsible Person will ensure: 

• the School prams are fitted with the required child restraints
• any repairs are completed as soon as possible by a qualified technician 
• in the event of any damage or breakdown of the prams, children will be kept safe, comfortable and occupied with suitable activities

Management/Nominated Supervisor/Responsible Person will ensure:

• adequate supervision is provided when children are being transported. Consideration must include: 
  • the number, age and ability of children 
  • visibility and accessibility 
  • physical positioning of educators 
  • risks related to the mode of transportation (including travel on foot) 
  • risks in the environment, location and while travelling 
  • the experience, knowledge and skill of each educator
• an easily recognised and suitably equipped first aid kit is easily accessible during transportation 
• educators carry medication and risk minimisation plans for individual children  
• educators are aware of emergency procedures in case of an incident, injury or illness of a child 
• at least one staff member accompanying children during transportation holds: 
  • an approved first aid qualification and 
  • a current approved anaphylaxis management training qualification and  
  • an approved emergency asthma management training qualification

The educator or driver will ensure:

• every reasonable precaution is taken to protect children from harm and from any hazard likely to cause injury 
• they adhere to the road rules and regulations mandated by law within each state/territory 
• children remain seated and do not behave in a dangerous or inappropriate manner  
• the prams are parked in a secure and safe location for children to access 
• the number of children does not exceed the amount of seats in the pram  
• a working mobile phone is taken in case of an emergency  
• a fully equipped first aid kit is easily accessible 

 

Resources

• Childcare Centre Desktop 
• Safe Transportation of Children Module 
• Transporting Children Risk Assessment Template 
  • Safe Transportation Procedure 
  • Transportation Pick Up/Drop Off Checklist
•  Kids and Traffic- Early Childhood Road and Safety Education Program  
  • Transporting children safely- Guidance on Understanding safe transport and travel requirements for education and care service providers (2020). 
  • Safe Travel and Transport- Advice for working with children, families, schools and communities (2020).

 

SOURCE

Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2014).  
ACECQA. (2021). Policy and Procedure Guidelines. Safe Transportation of Children. 
Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment. (2009) Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. 
Childhood Australia Code of Ethics. (2016). 
Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010. (Amended 2018). 
Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2011) 
Guide to the Education and Care Services National Law and the Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2017). 
Guide to the National Quality Framework. (2017). (Amended 2020). 
Revised National Quality Standard. (2018). 
Queensland Government Early Childhood Education and Care (2021) Guidelines for health and safety- Transportation