<Service name>
Supervision Policy
Services have a responsibility to protect the health and safety of each individual at
all times. A service’s health and safety policies and practices affect an individual’s
physical and psychological health and safety.
The Supervision Policy is important not only for children, families and staff/carers, but
relates to every person who enters the service’s premises.
Federal, state and territory governments have their own Occupational Health and
Safety (OHS) legislation and regulations, which govern the standards of health and
safety in the workplace. Therefore, services must comply with the relevant OHS
legislation.
Services should contact their state or territory OHS worksafe management agency for
further information and advice.
Policy Number
<number>
Link to CCQA Principles
Family Day Care Quality Assurance (FDCQA)
Quality Practices Guide (2004) – Principle 2.1, 4.1, 4.5, 4.6 /
Outside School Hours Care Quality Assurance (OSHCQA)
Quality Practices Guide (2003) – Principle 7.1, 7.3, 8.4 /
Quality Improvement and Accreditation System (QIAS)
Quality Practices Guide (2005) – Principle 5.2, 5.3
Policy statement

<Service name> has a duty of care to provide all persons1 with a safe and
healthy environment.

The service defines ‘supervision’ as <definition of supervision>.
It is important that services define the term supervision and clarify the
difference between the active supervision of children for health and safety
reasons and the type of supervising which promotes, supports, builds on and
challenges children’s learning and development.

The service’s Supervision Policy is committed to:
o complying with <title of state/territory children’s services licensing
regulations or national standards> adult/child ratios;
o ensuring that children are supervised at all times;
For the purpose of this policy, 'persons' include <children, families, staff, carers, carers' family,
management, coordination unit staff, ancillary staff (administrative staff, kitchen staff, cleaners,
maintenance personnel), students, volunteers, visitors, local community, school community, licensee,
sponsor and/or service owner>.
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o
o
o
o
o
o
considering the design and arrangement of children’s environments to
support active supervision;
using supervision skills to reduce or prevent injury or incident to children
and adults;
guiding staff/carers to make decisions about when children’s play
needs to be interrupted and redirected;
supporting staff/carers and their caregiving strategies;
providing consistent supervision strategies when the service requires
relief staff; and
acknowledging and understanding when supervision is required for
high risk experiences and/or the ratio of adults to children is increased.
Services can identify high risk experiences and develop strategies,
depending on the age and development of children, where the
constant supervision of children is required. For example, experiences
that include using scissors or water play may require a staff/carer to
stay close to young children. While older school age children may only
require staff/carers to monitor their play from a distance.
There may be circumstances where the service increases the adult
ratios above licensing requirements to improve children’s safety. This
can include during excursions, when children are swimming in or
playing near large volumes of water (swimming pools or fishponds), or
when children are unwell.

It is understood that there is a shared legal responsibility and accountability
between, and a commitment by, all persons to implement the service’s
Supervision Policy, procedures and practices.

The service also complies with <OHS National Standards, codes of practice,
Australian Standards> and best practice recommendations from recognised
authorities.

The procedures relating to the Supervision Policy are laminated, clearly
labelled and displayed in the service for all stakeholders to read.
Supervision procedures and practices should be easy to read and interpret.
Staff/carers should be able to access information about rosters and relief staff
lists. Services may need to consider obtaining information in community
languages.
Rationale
The rationale represents a statement of reasons that detail why the policy and/or
procedures have been developed and are important to the service.
Please refer to:
 <title of federal/state/territory legislation and regulations2>
Please refer to the relevant federal, state or territory OHS legislation and
worksafe management agency3.
There are legislative Acts and regulations for each state and territory that address the issue of
Occupational Health and Safety. Services are advised to seek information that is relevant to their
jurisdiction.
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
The service also complies with the <title of state/territory children’s services
licensing regulations or National Standards> which reflect additional health
and safety requirements.

The strategies, procedures and practices documented in the Supervision
Policy reflect the service’s Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Policy.
Strategies and practices
These are examples. Services are encouraged to develop and adapt the following
strategies and practices as required to meet their individual circumstances and daily
best practices.
Principles of active supervision
Supervision is one of the most important caregiving strategies and skills required by
staff/carers to develop and master. Active supervision is a combination of listening to
and watching children play, being aware of the environment and its potential risks,
the weather conditions, the time of day, managing small and large groups of
children, and an understanding of child development including theories about how
children play.
It is also crucial that staff/carers are aware of the different ages, personalities,
behaviours and characteristics of the children in their care. How children interact,
communicate and play with one another is dependent on staff/carers building
relationships with children to learn about who they are, how they react in certain
situations and discover their interests. These are vital skills to develop as they assist
staff to predict children’s play patterns, which affects how staff/carers plan and
establish environments and coordinate supervision strategies to maximise children’s
safety and ability to play free from harm or injury.
Important: For family day care and single staff model outside school hours care
services, where the staff member or carer is alone with children for the majority of
time, the strategies to supervise children are important because they are unable to
rely upon colleagues to assist them. While services need to consider the safety of
children at all times, they also need to recognise the difficulty for those staff/carers
who are alone; and provide support and information that guide staff/carers to
develop active supervision strategies.
Positioning of staff/carers in the environment
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
 Services should consider the following reflective questions:
o Why is positioning important and how do staff/carers position
themselves in the environment?
o Does positioning change between indoor and outdoor spaces?
o How do staff/carers position themselves when introducing new or high
risk experiences to children’s play?
o How do staff/carers consider the role of students/volunteers when
coordinating supervision positions?
Services should contact their federal, state or territory worksafe management agency to clarify their
OHS obligations and seek further information and advice.
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Scanning the environment
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
 Services should consider the following reflective questions:
o Why is scanning important and are there times when scanning is a
timed event? For example, the regular scanning of children sleeping,
especially babies in cot rooms; or the regular checking of older
children in outside school hours care who may not be directly
supervised.
Listening when children play
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
 Services should consider the following reflective questions:
o Why is listening important and what sounds alert staff/carers to
potential risks? For example, water splashing; crying; choking or
gasping; offensive or aggressive language; or silence.
Knowledge of the environment and its potential risks
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
 Services can link this section by stating:
Please refer to the service’s Maintenance of Buildings and Equipment Policy.
Please refer to the service’s Occupational Health and Safety Policy.
Setting up the environment
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
 Services can state how the placement of equipment and play and learning
experiences affects active supervision strategies.
 Services can link this section by stating:
Please refer to the service’s Maintenance of Buildings and Equipment Policy.
Knowledge of the children in care and understanding how groups of children
interact and play together
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
 Services should consider the following reflective questions:
o How does staff/carers’ knowledge of children affect active
supervision?
o How do staff/carers anticipate children’s play behaviours?
o How do behaviour guidance strategies affect active supervision of
individual or groups of children?
o How does monitoring children’s health, including symptoms of illness,
affect the active supervision of children?
Transitioning groups of children
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
 Services should consider the following reflective questions:
o When are children transitioned throughout the day?
o What types of transitioning strategies do staff/carers implement? How
do these strategies complement the active supervision of children?
o Are there potential risks when transitioning children? How can the
service develop risk management strategies to eliminate or reduce the
potential risks? For example, transitioning children from the parked car
or bus to the service’s entrance.
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Promoting play and learning experiences
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
 The service can state how supervision relates to, and supports play and
learning experiences.
 Services should consider the following reflective question:
o How can play and learning experiences assist staff/carers to actively
supervise children and minimise the risk of harm and injury?
Limit setting with school age children
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
 The service can state how children are actively involved in establishing safe
limits of play. When children are offered opportunities to develop their own
limits, they understand the reason for limits and acknowledge the
consequences when limits are not adhered to. This supports supervision
because it allows staff/carers to give reasons to children that explain why
supervision is important.
 School age children can range from five to twelve years of age, which
reflects various levels of play behaviour. Staff/carers should assess each play
scenario in accordance with children’s development and adapt supervision
strategies to meet individual needs. For example, younger children require
more active supervision throughout the care period than older children do.
 Services should be aware that older children require, at times, privacy and the
space to be independent. Staff/carers should develop supervision strategies
that monitor these areas and allow older children to self-manage their play
and limit setting.
Risk management strategies
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
 Services can link this section by stating:
Please refer to the service’s Occupational Health and Safety Policy.
Children’s arrival and departure from the service
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
 Services should consider the following reflective questions:
o How does the service ensure that only authorised persons collect
children from the service?
o What types of mechanisms ensure that families sign children in and
out?
o Does the service consider the car park its responsibility? If so, what is the
service’s strategy when families in the car park do not adequately
supervise their children?
o In outside school hours care, who is responsible for children between
the time school finishes and when they are collected by staff? How are
children supervised?
o In outside school hours care, how are school age children supervised
when staff need to leave one group of children to collect another or
locate a child who is enrolled for care but has not arrived?
Nappy changes and toileting children in the service’s bathroom
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
 Services can link this section by stating:
Please refer to the service’s Supporting Children’s Individual Needs Policy.
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Services that use public or school facilities
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
 The service can define ‘public or school facilities’ which may include the
school or local park toilets.
 Services should consider the following reflective questions:
o How does the service monitor the safety of public or school facilities?
o How do staff/carers assess children’s independence to visit the toilets?
o What strategies can staff/carers use to protect children from older
children not enrolled at the service, or adults not known to the service,
when children visit public facilities? For example, do children visit the
toilets in groups?
Transporting children
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
 Services can link this section by stating:
Please refer to the service’s Occupational Health and Safety Policy.
Water safety
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
 Services can state the supervision required when children are near water or
swimming. This may include state/territory licensing regulations and the
requirement of staff/carers with first aid.
Additional policies
 Services can link this section by stating:
Please refer to the service’s Child Protection Policy
Please refer to the service’s Emergency Policy
Please refer to the service’s Healthy Eating Policy
Please refer to the service’s Medication Policy
Please refer to the service’s Rest and Sleep Policy
Documenting OHS procedures and practices
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
 The documentation relating to this policy are staff/carer rosters, play and
learning experiences, and excursion plans.
 Services can link this section by stating:
Please refer to the service’s Occupational Health and Safety Policy.
Protective behaviours and practices
Staff, carers, students and volunteers as role models
 Children learn through example and modelling is an important way to teach
children about safe behaviours and practices.
 Staff/carers, students and volunteers must comply with the Supervision Policy.
Staff/Carer professional development opportunities
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
 The service can describe how it aims to maintain and strengthen the skills and
knowledge of staff/carers in relation to active supervision of children and
adults.
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Communication with different stakeholders
Children
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
 Services should consider the following reflective question:
o How can the service communicate the importance of supervision to
children? For example, an outside school hours care that uses toilet
facilities located separately from the service can discuss strategies with
children which promote the active supervision of children.
Families
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
 Services should consider the following reflective question:
o How does the service communicate the importance of supervision
ratios to families?
o How does the service communicate the families’ role in the service to
support the effective supervision of children? For example, closing of
gates, keeping door codes and combinations secret, or ensuring
children are signed into care.
Staff/Carers
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
 Services should consider the following reflective questions:
o How do staff/carers communicate with one another when they are
unable to supervise? Is there a strategy, which ensures children are
actively supervised at all times?
o Who is responsible for coordinating the supervision of children and
staff/carers? For example, is it the most senior staff member on an
excursion who ensures that the service’s supervision practices are
adhered to?
o Who is responsible for the safety and supervision of children when
students/volunteers are caring for children?
o In family day care, what is the role of the carer’s family when
supervising children in care? For example, in overnight care, can a
carer’s family members supervise children bathing?
o In family day care, how do carers negotiate the supervision of children
during play sessions?
Management/Coordination unit staff
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
 Services should consider the following reflective questions:
o How does the service identify knowledge of supervision when recruiting
and selecting staff/carers?
o How does the service maintain supervision ratios in accordance with
National Standards or state/territory licensing regulations?
o How are staffing rosters developed to meet active supervision
requirements? Who develops the rosters?
o When and how does the service communicate to stakeholders when
there are changes to staff/carers rosters, which may affect supervision
in the service?
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o
o
How does the service determine whether its environment aids or inhibits
staff/carers from active supervision? For example, if there are ‘blind
spots’ in the outdoor environment, how can the service plan for
changes or develop strategies to minimise potential risks?
How do coordination unit staff support family day carers to develop
supervision strategies?
Experiences


Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
Services should consider the following reflective questions:
o What types of experiences require staff/carers to be constantly
supervising? How do play and learning plans indicate this requirement
to staff/carers? Do the plans indicate who is responsible for supervision?
o How does the service support active supervision and ensure that
experiences meet the service’s health and safety practices?
Excursions
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
 Services should consider the following reflective questions:
o Who is responsible for maintaining supervision ratios on an excursion?
o How do staff/carers ensure active supervision throughout the entire
excursion, which includes supervision strategies when leaving and
returning to the service?
o Do the supervision ratios meet state/territory licensing requirements for
excursions?
o Is there an action plan when an incident occurs on an excursion,
affecting the adult/child ratios? For example, a child requires medical
attention and an ambulance is telephoned. Which staff/carer
accompanies the child? How does the service maintain adequate
supervision ratios?
Community
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
Policy review



The service will review the Supervision Policy and procedures, and related
documents, every <timeframe>.
Families are encouraged to collaborate with the service to review the policy
and procedures.
Staff/carers are essential stakeholders in the policy review process and will be
encouraged to be actively involved.
Procedures
The following are examples of procedures that a service may employ as part of its
practices.
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Examples:
 Employee induction procedure.
 Policy development and review procedure.
 Procedure for non-compliance of the Supervision Policy and procedures by a:
o school age child;
o staff/carer;
o parent or family member;
o student/volunteer; or
o visitor.
 Student and volunteer induction procedure.
Measuring tools
Service may further specify tools that assist in measuring the effectiveness of the
policy.
Links to other policies
The following are a list of examples:
 Behaviour guidance
 Child protection
 Dangerous products
 Emergency
 Employment of child care professionals
 First aid
 Food safety
 Healthy eating
 Hygiene and infection control
 Illness
 Maintenance of buildings and equipment
 Medication
 Rest and sleep
 Staff/carers as role models
 Sun protection
 Supporting children’s individual needs
 The role of carers’ families in family day care
Sources and further reading



Australian Competition & Consumer Commission. (2005). Safety toys for kids.
ACT: Commonwealth of Australia.
Frith, J., Kambouris, N., & O’Grady, O. (2003). Health & safety in children’s
centres: Model policies and practices (2nd ed.). NSW: School of Public Health
and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales.4
Kidsafe. (2007). Kidsafe: Playspace resource kit. SA: Kidsafe SA Incorporated.
This publication is produced on behalf of Early Childhood Australia New South Wales (NSW) Branch
and the NSW Children’s Services Health and Safety Committee. Services should be aware that the
publication may refer to practices that reflect NSW licensing regulations or health department exclusion
guidelines.
4
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





McLeod, P. (2005). Health and safety information on the internet. Putting
Children First, 15, 12-13.
Tansey, S. (2005). Outside School Hours Care Quality Assurance Factsheet #2:
Effective supervision. NSW: National Childcare Accreditation Council Inc.
Tansey, S. (2005). Supervision in children’s services. Putting Children First, 15,
8-11.
Tansey, S. (2006). Outside School Hours Care Quality Assurance Factsheet #3:
Safety in children’s services. NSW: National Childcare Accreditation Council
Inc.
Tansey, S. (2006). Quality Improvement and Accreditation System Factsheet
#2: Safety in children’s services. NSW: National Childcare Accreditation
Council Inc.
Tarrant, S. (2002). Managing OHS in children’s services: A model for
implementing an Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) management
system in your children’s service. NSW: Lady Gowrie Child Centre.
Policy created date
<date>
Policy review date
<date>
Signatures
<signatures>
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