Compliance

Perth service fined $15,000 after 4yo exits unattended

Freya Lucas

Feb 28, 2023

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A Perth kindergarten service, located on the site of a K-12 school, has been fined $15,000 after a four-year-old boy left the service and was found wandering in a nearby area.

An investigation by the Department of Communities’ Education and Care Regulation Unit (ECRU), Western Australia’s regulatory authority, established that the child left the service unsupervised through a gate in the outdoor yard of the service.

A nearby resident found the child outside of the service and left him with her husband while she approached educators who were looking for the child. He was returned to the service a short time later.

ECRU subsequently referred the matter to the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) who found that the approved provider had breached section 165(1) of the Education and Care Service National Law (WA) Act for inadequate supervision of a child and imposed a penalty of $14,000 and $1,000 in legal costs.

“The Department of Communities’ Education and Care Regulatory Unit continues to warn Providers about the importance of supervision,” said Phil Payne, Executive Director Regulation and Quality, Department of Communities.

“Being approved to operate a childcare service in Western Australia carries with it significant responsibilities and obligations to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children enrolled at the childcare service.”

Mr Payne advised services to “continually review perimeter boundaries to eliminate single points of failure that could result in direct open access”.

“Communities will continue to proactively target Providers’ supervision policies and procedures to ensure they are robust and that adequate checks are undertaken, especially during transition times, to ensure all children are accounted for.”

Approved providers who need advice and support should contact ECRU on (08) 6277 3889, Free call 1800 199 383 or by email at ECRU@communities.wa.gov.au

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