Supervision of children policy

Last updated 13 November 2024 | Version 1.0

Early Learning Victoria has a duty of care for all children who attend its centres.

Early Learning Victoria will ensure that children are supervised during all aspects of play, learning and care to support wellbeing, development and learning.

1. Scope

This policy applies to children, families, staff, management and visitors of Early Learning Victoria centres. This includes volunteers, students on placement and contractors or labour hire employees of Early Learning Victoria.

2. Policy statement

This policy will support Early Learning Victoria to:

ensure the safety, wellbeing and development of all children and staff at all services
support staff to understand their shared legal responsibility and accountability to implement the procedures and practices outlined in this policy
meet all legislative requirements as an approved provider under the Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010 (the National Law) and Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011 (the Regulations).

2.1 Requirements

Early Learning Victoria centre staff must always comply with the educator-to-child ratios. These ratios only include teachers and educators who are working directly with children at the service.

Early Learning Victoria centres must ensure that:

no educator, student on placement or volunteer under the age of 18 supervises children alone
any unauthorised persons (see Definitions) are directly supervised by an educator while at the Early Learning Victoria centre
every child at the centre is always in sight and/or hearing of an educator, including during eating, toileting, sleep, rest and transition routines
staff have clear communication methods to facilitate the safe supervision of children.

The approved provider and nominated supervisor are responsible for ensuring that the centre is staffed to ratio and has sufficient educators to operate safely.

In Victoria, the minimum educator to child ratios are:

Birth to 36 months: 1:4
Over 36 months of age and including preschool age: 1:11

Volunteers and students on placement should not be considered in the centres educator ratios and must always be supervised by an educator (see the Visitors, volunteers and students policy).

Duty of care

All centre staff including volunteers have an obligation to all children at the centre to manage risks of abuse or harm. This includes fulfilling their duty of care (see Definitions) and legal obligations to protect children by preventing any reasonably foreseeable risk of injury or harm.

Staff must always maintain their duty of care to children, including when the child is on the premises but not signed into or signed out of the care of the centre and the parent or person delivering or collecting the child is responsible for supervising that child.

Design and layout of Early Learning Victoria centres

It is the responsibility of the approved provider, centre leadership and centre staff to ensure the design, layout and arrangement of resources at a centre facilitates effective supervision.

The design and arrangement of resources within both the indoor and outdoor learning environments must support the safety of children by:

ensuring risks are identified and managed appropriately, therefore reducing the potential for injury or incident to children and adults
providing direct, constant and proximal monitoring to children undertaking activities that involve some risk (noting that the ratio of educators to children needs to be suitably increased during riskier activities – for example, carpentry, water activities or climbing)

Staff must also implement specific strategies for supervision, such as positioning, peripheral vision and monitoring children’s arrival and departure from the centre, and make decisions about when children’s play needs to be interrupted and redirected.

3. Actions and procedures

Effective supervision is a key part of keeping children safe while they are engaged in self-care routines, learning and play.

Our staff continuously assess each child to ensure their safety, using skills including, but not limited to:

maximising their line of sight, including using their peripheral vision
being aware of and alert to the individual children in both indoor and outdoor environments
being aware of all adults, both authorised and unauthorised (see Definitions) who are on site at the centre
communicating in an open and effective way with other staff – for example, to ensure continuous supervision of children if they need to leave the area for any reason
using self-reflection to inform practice
being attentive to other educators' patterns of behaviour regarding the boundaries of appropriate relationships with children, reporting any concerns to the nominated supervisor.

Early Learning Victoria staff use techniques to actively supervise each other and children, to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children enrolled in the centre. Active supervision helps build positive relationships among educators, children and families. It also supports reflective practice and continuous improvement.

Good supervision also relies on teamwork and clear communication among our staff.

Active supervision techniques

Planned positioning to maximise line of sight: Educators position themselves to scan and observe children in the environment. Educators ensure close proximity to children who may require additional support. Educators ensure all children can be seen and/or heard at all times.
Knowledge of children: Knowing each child’s range of skills, interests, ability to interact with others and developmental stage is an important facet of active supervision. This knowledge helps educators to monitor and enhance skills that promote children’s agency.
Being alert to the surrounding environment: This involves educators regularly glancing around the outdoor and indoor area and listening carefully to the volume and tone of children’s voices. Children who are not in an educator’s direct vision can in this way still be supervised and responded to immediately if required.
Using redirection: Children can be redirected to other areas or activities when they are unable to problem-solve on their own, or when undesirable behaviour is imminent or likely. This technique helps ensure the safety of all children. For this to be effective, educators need to know the children in their care and be across any current behaviour plans.
Provide close supervision: In areas that may pose a potential risk to children’s health and safety, educators are required to evaluate the situation and determine if intervention is required, depending on the age and ability of each child. Sometimes, a child needs reassurance to explore and take appropriate risks with the support of an adult.
Planned transitions: Educators are attentive of children’s movements as they transition between different areas or environments, including when children use the bathroom.
Routine checks: Conducting regular head counts and roll calls assists active supervision and ensures that all children are always accounted for.
Consideration of all children and ages: Educators are aware of the different ages, personalities, behaviours and characteristics of the children in their care to ensure that supervision levels are appropriately tailored and responsive to each child’s developmental needs.
Consistent supervision strategies: Support a positive, inclusive approach to children’s ability to make responsible and appropriate decisions about their behaviour, interactions with others and their learning.
Actively supervising hygiene practices: Supervising and modelling appropriate practices – such as using soap and water when hand-washing, using hand sanitiser, and practising cough and sneeze etiquette – helps to ensure the health and safety of children and staff.
Observation and engagement: Being responsive to children’s supervision needs and engaging in opportunities to promote independence and learning.
Communication and collaboration: Ensuring all staff are aware of the needs of each child, including the supervision they may require in a given situation or environment. Communicating when changes in supervision occur, due to a range of variations – for example, when collecting resources, visiting the bathroom or attending to an individual child’s needs.
Health and safety: Ensuring effective supervision of a child or children suffering an illness or injury. Children must be closely supervised and kept safe and comfortable until their parent or carer collects them from the centre.
Clear supervision plans: Ensuring all staff (including relief staff) understand supervision plans and procedures to ensure the safety of all children.

Risk assessments

Indoor and outdoor risk assessments are conducted daily and consider how the space enables the safe and effective supervision of children. Educators and early childhood teachers consider risk management and the supervision of children within the educational program.

Ongoing supervision is planned by considering factors including:

the layout of the premises
high-risk activities
the presence of authorised and unauthorised adults on site (see the Emergency and evacuation management policy)
the presence of animals
the locations of activities and facilities.

Before authorising excursions, a thorough risk assessment will be carried out to determine the required number of adults for adequate supervision (see the Excursions, incursions and regular outings policy). The effectiveness of the supervision plan will be regularly evaluated, with adjustments made as needed.

Head counts

Early Learning Victoria uses the Kidsoft to record attendance and head counts. In the event the Kidsoft is unavailable to record regular head counts, educators will record head counts on the head count record.

The nominated supervisor will advise educators who will be responsible for conducting regular head counts during the day. Educators will receive information and training on how and when to conduct head counts as part of induction and orientation.

Educators will conduct regular head counts during changes in staffing – for example, before and at the end of a shift and to maintain awareness of where each child is. This includes during transitions from one activity or environment to another – for example, mealtimes and moving outside.

3.1 Responsibilities of families

Families are responsible for:

informing the centre and providing identification for who is authorised to pick up their child (see Drop off and collection of children policy)
signing their child in and out at the centre and notifying educators when families drop off or pick up their child
supervising their child before signing them in and after signing them out
scheduling discussions with educators at a mutually convenient time to avoid unduly distracting educators from supervision duties
closing all doors and gates when entering or exiting the Early Learning Victoria centre.

3.2 Responsibilities of staff

Educators are responsible for:
- understanding their child safety responsibilities as outlined in the Child safety and wellbeing policy and Staff code of conduct policy
- having a clear understanding of which children they are responsible for supervising
- grouping children into smaller, manageable groups to facilitate safe supervision
- being aware of potential hazards in the immediate area
- considering the physical environment of the centre and position themselves accordingly for effective supervision
- monitoring children's experiences actively and diligently
- considering the age mix, dynamics, and size of the group they are supervising
- identifying children with medical conditions requiring greater vigilance
- assessing the riskiness of the activities in which children are engaged
- responding immediately to distressed children or hazardous situations
- complying with the Sleep and rest policy and procedure, including the practices for monitoring sleeping children, especially infants and those with medical conditions needing higher levels of supervision
- identifying and reporting any risks caused by other educators’ blurring appropriate boundaries with a child or family.
To effectively meet these expectations, educators must:
- ensure a minimum of 2 educators are always on duty when children are present at the centre, in addition to meeting ratio requirements. If a child is late to be collected, 2 educators must remain on site
- maintain accurate attendance records to account for all children at various times throughout the day, including during outdoor activities
- respect children's right to privacy and independence when evaluating supervision strategies
- ensure that all children are always in sight or hearing of educators
- ensure that no child is left alone while eating or at nappy change and toileting times
- keep all doors and gates closed while at the Early Learning Victoria centre
- balance children’s safety and learning needs (including determining when to intervene in their play for safety, and identifying learning opportunities while respecting their need for uninterrupted play)
- conduct daily safety inspections and supervise children’s arrivals and departures (see the Drop off and pick up policy and procedure)
- participate in risk management and ongoing supervision planning
- ensure that supervision plans and strategies are displayed for families in all rooms and outdoor areas
- collaborate with colleagues to ensure effective supervision and avoid distractions (such as prolonged conversations, personal phone calls or administrative tasks)
- position themself to maximise visibility of the area and avoid standing with their back to children or engaging in lengthy discussions with other educators
- move around the environment to maintain comprehensive observation of children and ensure all areas are monitored effectively
- alert colleagues when they need to leave an area – for example, to obtain resources or visit the bathroom – to ensure that another educator covers the area, maintaining appropriate child-to-staff ratios
- actively engage with children to support their learning while continuously observing and supervising them
- regularly scan the environment, even while interacting with individuals or small groups, and be attentive to changes in the volume or tone of children's voices
- plan a variety of learning experiences to ensure appropriate supervision of different groups of children
- report any concerns identified regarding other educators blurring appropriate boundaries with a child or family.
Students on placement or volunteers are responsible for:
- understanding their child safety responsibilities as outlined in the Child safety and wellbeing policy and the Staff code of conduct policy
- keeping doors and gates closed at all times to prevent children from leaving the Early Learning Victoria centre unaccompanied or accessing unsupervised or unsafe areas
- considering when to intervene in and redirect children’s play to ensure safety
- recognising opportunities to support and enhance children’s learning while respecting their need for uninterrupted play
- reporting any concerns identified regarding educators blurring appropriate boundaries with a child or family.
The nominated supervisor is responsible for:
- rostering staff and implementing practices to ensure that the service always maintains the required number of educators for the education and care of children
- ensuring that children being educated and cared for are adequately supervised (see Definitions) by being in sight and/or hearing of an educator at all times
- considering the following factors when determining the required number of educators to ensure responsible and active supervision:
  - the layout and design of the centre
  - staff emergencies or illnesses
  - the flexibility needed to allow children to be in small groups throughout the day during activities such as playing, relaxing, sleeping or toileting
- ensuring adequate supervision for children with medical conditions requiring additional monitoring
- continuity of supervision for a group if an educator is assigned to care for a sick or injured child
- ensuring that staff and families are familiar with and implement this policy and its procedures
- ensuring that risk management strategies are followed and developing ongoing individual centre supervision plans
- overseeing the display of supervision plans and strategies for families in all rooms and outdoor areas
- regularly evaluating the effectiveness of the supervision plan and implementing necessary changes
- ensuring the supervision audit is completed every 6 months (see Attachment 1).
- notifying the Regulatory Authority through the NQA IT System within 24 hours of a serious incident (see Definitions), or any complaints alleging that a serious incident has occurred at the service or that the National Law has been breached (see the Incident, injury, trauma and illness policy)
- reporting notifiable incidents to Worksafe Victoria (see the Incident, injury, trauma and illness policy)
- notifying parents or carers of a serious incident involving their child as soon as possible and within 24 hours of the occurrence
- reporting and responding to any concerns identified regarding other educators blurring appropriate boundaries with a child or family.
The approved provider is responsible for:
- ensuring the implementation of Early Learning Victoria policies and procedures, and actively addressing feedback through regular consultation with nominated supervisors
- designing and maintaining centres to support effective supervision and respect for children’s rights
- reviewing and updating this policy annually and ensuring all staff are aware of and adhere to relevant procedures
- overseeing risk management, including conducting risk assessments and creating supervision plans for all relevant factors, such as premises layout and high-risk activities
- monitoring and evaluating supervision plans and procedures, making necessary adjustments based on regular evaluations
- ensuring that any educators under 18 are supervised by qualified staff and that students, volunteers and visitors are never alone with children
- employing and rostering sufficient qualified staff who support adequate supervision during learning and play, excursions and transportation
- maintaining required educator-to-child ratios and effective supervision strategies
- responding to any concerns identified regarding other educators blurring appropriate boundaries with a child or family
- notifying the Regulatory Authority through the NQA IT System within 24 hours of a serious incident (see Definitions), or any complaints alleging that a serious incident has occurred at the Early Learning Victoria centre or that the National Law has been breached (see the Incident, injury, trauma and illness policy).

4. Resources

Legislation and standards

Child Safe Standards
Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010
Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011
National Quality Standard, Quality area 2: Children’s Health and Safety
Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004
Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017
Worker Screening Act 2020

Administering medication policy and procedure
Child safety and wellbeing policy
Drop off and collection of children policy and procedure
Emergency management and evacuation policy
Excursions, incursions and regular outings policy and procedure
Incident, injury, trauma and illness policy
Staff code of conduct policy
Staffing overview policy
Sleep and rest policy and procedure
Toileting and nappy changing policy
Water safety policy

Attachments

Attachment 1: Supervision audit (DOCX, 212 KB)

Definitions

Adequate supervision: Supervision entails all children (individuals and groups) in all areas of the service being in sight and/or hearing of an educator at all times, including during toileting, sleep, rest and transition routines. Services must comply with the legislative requirements for educator-to-child ratios at all times.

Authorised: A person who belongs to at least one of the below groups:

a person who holds a current Working with Children Check or Working with Children Card
a guardian of a child who is being educated and cared for by the education and care service
an authorised nominee of a guardian of a child who is being educated and cared for by the education and care service
in the case of an emergency, medical personnel or emergency service personnel
a person who is permitted under the working with children law of a jurisdiction to remain at the education and care service premises without holding a Working with Children Check or a Working with Children Card (National Law).

Duty of care: A legal concept that refers to the responsibility of all staff members in any Victorian early childhood service to take reasonable steps to protect children in their care from harm that is foreseeable.

Serious incident: For the purposes of the definition of serious incident in section 5(1) of the National Law, each of the following is prescribed as a serious incident:

the death of a child:
- while that child is being educated and cared for by an education and care service, or
- following an incident occurring while that child was being educated and cared for by an education and care service
any incident involving serious injury (such as a broken limb) or trauma to a child occurring while that child is being educated and cared for by an education and care service:
- which a reasonable person would consider required urgent medical attention from a registered medical practitioner, or
- for which the child attended, or ought reasonably to have attended, a hospital
any incident involving serious illness of a child occurring while that child is being educated and cared for by an education and care service for which the child attended, or ought reasonably to have attended, a hospital (for instance, for a severe asthma attack, seizure or anaphylaxis reaction)
any emergency which emergency services attended
any circumstance where a child being educated and cared for by an education and care service:
- appears to be missing or cannot be accounted for, or
- appears to have been taken or removed from the education and care service premises in a manner that contravenes these Regulations, or
is mistakenly locked in or locked out of the education and care service premises or any part of the premises.

Unauthorised person: Any person who has not been listed as an authorised nominee on the child’s enrolment form.

Education

Updated 24 January 2025