Western Australia approved provider fined $16,000 in relation to 2024 serious incident

An approved provider in Mirrabooka, Western Australia, has been fined $16,000 and ordered to pay $1,500 in legal costs following a serious incident in 2024 in which a child was left alone and unsupervised inside a closed early childhood education and care (ECEC) service.

A 16-month-old child was left unattended after two educators failed to complete the required closing procedures and left the premises.

The child’s mother arrived to find the centre locked, prompting immediate concern and an investigation by the Department of Communities’ Education and Care Regulatory Unit (ECRU).

Tribunal documents confirm that the educators did not follow the centre’s established closing procedures, despite having been trained in them. 

While the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) did not cancel the provider approval, the incident serves as a clear reminder of the critical importance of staff consistently following safety procedures. Failures in this case led to a young child being left unattended.

In response to the incident, the service introduced policies and procedures to reduce the risk of recurrence. This includes the introduction of 15-minute interval headcount checks to enhance supervision.

This incident serves as a significant reminder to ECEC providers and educators of the critical importance of consistently applying safety protocols. Even where robust systems and policies are in place, individual lapses in accountability can pose serious risks to children’s safety, health and wellbeing.

ECEC providers are encouraged to routinely review supervision practices, invest in and reinforce staff training, and maintain a culture of compliance to ensure child safety remains the highest priority.

For further details, see the full Tribunal decision here.