General

PF1 Hospital legislation compliance

Criteria

The hospital from which the service operates has been granted certification under the Health and Disability Services (Safety) Act 2001 either:

• for a period of at least 3 years; or
• for a period of less than 3 years, but the lesser period of certification does not reflect problems identified with requirements relating to the hospital's premises and facilities that would affect children participating in the ECE service.

Documentation required

1. Copy of the current certificate issued to the hospital under the Health and Disability Services (Safety) Act 2001; and
2. If the certificate denotes a certification period of less than 3 years, a copy of the Corrective Action Plan from the hospital’s Audit Report, showing that failure to meet premises and facilities requirements that affect children participating in the ECE service is not the reason for a shorter certification period being granted.

Rationale/intent

The Ministry of Education places fewer premises- and facilities-related requirements on hospital-based services because the hospital within which it operates is subject to health legislation that achieves many of the same outcomes.

Guidance

If certification has been granted for less than 3 years, the Ministry of Education will view the Corrective Action Plan that forms part of the Hospital's Audit Report, in order to be satisfied that the relevant aspects of operation remain compliant.

A copy of the current certificate issued to the hospital under the Health and Disability Services (Safety) Act 2001 is required to be held by the service.

PF2 Variety of equipment

Criteria

A sufficient quantity and variety of furniture, equipment, and materials is provided that is appropriate for the learning and abilities of the children participating in the service.

Rationale/intent

To ensure that children’s learning is supported by a range of suitable and safe furniture, equipment and materials.

Guidance

Children learn by interacting with people and with their environment. The furniture, equipment, and resources provided for children will have an impact upon their learning and how they view themselves and others.

Equipment used by the service will need to engage and challenge children and be flexible enough for children to construct their own learning.

Exactly what type and quantity of furniture, equipment, and materials provided in the activity room will differ between services.

Outdoor equipment

If there is an outdoor play area provided for children in a hospital-based setting, the service will need to consider the type of outdoor equipment to provide.

Flexible, moveable equipment allows children choice and control over how their learning environment is set up. Moveable equipment also encourages cooperation between children, and provides opportunities for problem solving.

See more information on equipment in early childhood education (ECE) services.

Furniture, fittings and equipment

Things to consider

Consider how the furniture, equipment, and resources you provide in a hospital-based service will:

• reflect the cultural differences in the centre
• promote and protect written and spoken language
• be non-sexist and inclusive
• support parents' aspirations for their children’s learning
• reflect different attitudes and feelings
• provide for group and individual play
• provide for children’s current and emerging interests
• provide opportunities for choice, planning, and problem solving
• reflect the special nature or philosophy of the centre
• be relevant and challenging for the range of ages and abilities of children attending.

Consider a balance between natural products and man-made equipment and materials. Plastic products are usually cheaper and easy to clean, but they do not usually last as long or have the same aesthetic appeal as products made from natural materials.

PF3 Safe furniture and equipment

Criteria

All indoor and outdoor items and surfaces, furniture, equipment and materials are safe and suitable for their intended use.

Rationale/intent

To ensure that all equipment is of a standard that is considered safe.

Guidance

One way to ensure children’s safety is to make sure that the indoor and outdoor furniture and equipment within your centre complies with the New Zealand Safety Standards.

The New Zealand Standard for playground equipment and surfacing is NZS 5828:2015 Playground equipment and surfacing.

NZS 5828:2015 – Standards New Zealand

Before purchasing new equipment or safety surfacing, service providers should ensure the product has been tested against the specifications of NZS 5828:2015 and the manufacturer can supply a certificate of compliance for that product.

Services should check with any potential manufacturer/supplier that a certificate of compliance is available before purchase (for example, a certificated manufacturer may have added a new piece of equipment to its range since certification and the new product may not comply with NZS 5828:2015).

Newly installed playground equipment or safety surfacing must have a certificate of compliance to show it is installed according to the manufacturer's instructions. These may be asked for during the licence assessment process.

It is the responsibility of the service to ensure new playground equipment is compliant. If the furniture or equipment does not come with proof of compliance, ask the supplier to provide the appropriate evidence.

Where structures or equipment have not been designed, built and installed by a commercial manufacturer, as a minimum, centres need to demonstrate:

• evidence of ongoing routine maintenance inspection of structure/s and equipment for compliance with the following provisions of NZS 5828:2015:
  • entrapment provisions
  • fall zones (including free height fall provisions), and
  • structural adequacy, and
• a risk-management appraisal of any issues identified.

If the inspection is carried out by a person other than a qualified inspector a Playground Inspection Attestation Form stating that the structure/equipment is safe for use will need to be signed by the person completing the inspection.

Centres should take all reasonable steps to ensure equipment is kept in good repair and maintained regularly. A regular inspection programme to ensure equipment and surfacing are properly maintained is advised. This will ensure any necessary repairs and maintenance can be completed promptly.

PF4 Storage

Criteria

There are spaces for the safe storage of equipment and materials.

Rationale/intent

To ensure that equipment is safely stored.

Guidance

Storage space is needed for the variety of indoor and outdoor equipment and resources that are required.

Children will need to have access to enable some choice from stored equipment and materials to support children’s learning.

If equipment is accessed outside of the service’s hours of operation, consider a designated area for that equipment.

Things to consider

• How will storage facilities be arranged to ensure easy access, minimise congestion and ensure safety?
• How will the range of indoor and outdoor equipment and material be stored?
• Pay particular attention to frequently used areas.
• Avoid over stacking both on top of and inside cupboards.

PF5 Adult workspace

Criteria

There is space for adults working at the service to:

• withdraw from children for planned breaks as appropriate
• meet privately with parents and colleagues;
• store curriculum support materials; and
• assess, plan, and evaluate.

Rationale/intent

To ensure adults working at the service have the space and opportunity to plan and reflect, and appropriate spaces to take their breaks during the day.

Also to ensure that a level of privacy is available when required for parent meetings.

Guidance

Adults should have adequate space to meet their own needs as they are working to support the education and care of the children.

If space allows, hospital management may be in a position to provide a separate room for the exclusive use of early childhood education staff. Where separate space is not available, staff may share space with other hospital staff.

Staff space does not have to be located within the licensed premises, but it does need to be situated nearby.

Things to consider

Considerations when deciding upon the provision of staff space should include:

• size
• its location in relation to the activity room
• ability of staff to assess, plan and evaluate if space is shared with others
• appropriate and secure storage for early childhood education curriculum support materials and records.

PF6 Art sink

Criteria

There are hygienic facilities (other than those used for body wash) or alternative arrangements available for the preparation and cleaning up of paint and other art materials.

Rationale/intent

To ensure that services provide separate washing facilities for art materials to maintain hygiene.

Guidance

There needs to be adequate space and facilities to prepare and clean up paint and other art materials. Body wash facilities must not be used for art preparation and clean up.

It is preferable that the art preparation and clean up facility is a separate plumbed-in sink or tub unit that is used exclusively for this purpose.

If a dedicated art sink is not possible at your centre, you will need to have an acceptable alternative system. Alternative systems should (as much as possible) eliminate the risk of art materials either causing contamination, or becoming contaminated by pathogens or toxic substances.

Alternative systems may include:

• using one or more buckets to wash materials, and disposing of the wastewater in a cleaner’s sink or down an outside gully trap
• placing an insert into a sink facility used for another purpose to prevent art materials from coming into contact with any cleaning waste or chemical residues, and/or to prevent paint or wastewater from coming into contact with the sink.

Robust cleaning procedures are needed to ensure all facilities are thoroughly cleaned before and after being used for art preparation and clean up.