Early Childhood Education Services Child Protection Procedures

This procedure applies to all University Early Childhood Education (ECE) Services staff members.

These Procedures support the Child Protection Policy and provide direction to ECE Services staff members to recognise and report suspected child abuse/ tūkino mokopuna.

These Procedures are further supported by the ECE Child Protection Guidelines.

This document prescribes the procedures to be followed by ECE Services staff members who suspect child abuse/ tūkino mokopuna or have well-being concerns about a child/ tamaiti while providing children’s services.

These procedures notwithstanding, any person may report suspected child abuse or well-being concerns about a tamaiti directly to Oranga Tamariki or the New Zealand Police. Provided that a report is made in good faith, such person is protected from any civil, criminal or disciplinary proceedings.

Note: Information and contact details for making a report to Oranga Tamariki under section 15 of the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 are at Report of Concern.

1. All staff members/kaiako, and where applicable, the whānau, are required to read and understand this document and accept the responsibility to implement this procedure.

Recognising abuse and neglect

2. Staff members/ kaiako are to familiarise themselves with physical and behavioural indicators of child abuse/ tūkino mokopuna.

3. Kaiwhakahaere must work alongside the ECE department to provide appropriate training to staff members/ kaiako who work within ECE services or the Kōhanga Reo.

4. Kaiwhakahaere must include all relevant Child Protection Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines both the University’s and ECE Services’, into staff/ kaiako induction processes upon employment.

Responding to Suspected Abuse or Neglect

5. Any person who suspects that a tamaiti attending the service is experiencing abuse / tūkino mokopuna, whether within the service or outside of it, must report their concerns immediately to the kaiwhakahaere or the ECE Senior Leadership Team.

6. Where the kaiwhakahaere has received the immediate report, they must contact the General Manager who will support involvement of appropriate governing bodies/ the Registrar.

7. Upon receiving a report of child abuse/ tūkino mokopuna, an immediate, thorough and accurate investigation must be conducted by the ECE senior department.

8. The key priorities during an investigation must always be:

8.1 to protect the child
8.2 to protect the rights of all involved parties

9. Where the investigation and further information collected shows clear evidence of child abuse/ Tūkino mokopuna, Oranga Tamariki must be immediately notified (0508 326 459).

Staff and Kaiako Confidentiality

10. All matters related to individual cases are confidential with those directly involved and will not be discussed with any persons within the centres/ Kōhanga Reo. Breaches of confidentiality may result in dismissal.

Responding when a staff member/ kaiako is suspected

11. Ill-treatment, abuse and neglect by a staff member/ kaiako will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Such treatment, suspected or actual, may be grounds for immediate stand-down or suspension pending investigation where there is continued risk to tamariki safety.

12. Upon initial report of Tūkino mokopuna suspected by a staff/ kaiako, Kaiwhakahaere must write down the incident in full.

13. Kaiwhakahaere will discuss the incident with the ECE senior department as soon as possible.

14. ECE senior department will conduct a full and fair investigation presuming innocence of accused until an investigation provides substantive evidence. University HR will guide the ECE investigation process and, where applicable, appoint a third party to investigate further.

15. ECE senior department will discuss the incident with possible witnesses as soon as possible.

16. Where investigation of the staff member/ kaiako has produced substantive evidence of child abuse/ tūkino mokopuna occurring, ECE senior department will contact the Registrar, Oranga Tamariki and the Teaching Council as part of mandatory reporting.

17. When initial investigations are reasonably completed, the Kaiwhakahaere, with support of ECE senior department, must contact the whānau of the tamaiti affected to advise them as soon as possible.

Reporting

18. In cases where abuse is not extreme, directly observed, or injuries sighted, staff members/ kaiako and whānau may report a low-level concern or observation. This low-level concern must be taken seriously by staff/ kaiako and kaiwhakahaere and accurately documented in case of escalation.

19. Kaiako and kaiwhakahaere must use the Low-level Report of Concern or Observation Form found in the ECE Child Protection Guidelines to document information shared by the observer.

20. Kaiwhakahaere will initiate appropriate preventative actions or strategies immediately to address low-level concerns regarding a tamaiti’s wellbeing or safety that have been identified and documented.

21. All Low-level Concern and Observation Forms must be filed in the Privacy folder onsite and placed in a locked cabinet.

22. Where multiple Low-level Concern and Observation Forms have been completed for a tamaiti, the kaiwhakahaere will make sure these are kept in chronological order from oldest to newest and review them quarterly to recognise patterns of child abuse/ tūkino mokopuna or neglect.

23. When unexplained injuries have been observed, kaiwhakahaere must document these on the Body Map form found in the ECE Child Protection Guidelines.

24. Where injuries have been reported, staff members/ kaiako are not permitted to take photographs. This is to protect tamaiti right to privacy.

25. Where concerns raised, or observations, made raises immediate concern for a tamaiti/ tamariki wellbeing, Kaiwhakahaere must use the Investigation Statement Record in the ECE Serious Injury and Incident Procedure to document statements.

26. Where concerns raised involve the Kaiwhakahaere, the staff member/ kaiako or whānau must contact the ECE senior departments acting General Manger to make a report.

Mandatory Reporting

27. In circumstances where an investigation into child abuse/ tūkino mokopuna of a tamaiti attending our services has resulted in substantial evidence against an employee or whānau member, and a report to Oranga Tamariki has been made, the ECE senior department must also make a mandatory report to Ministry of Education. Alternatively, the Kōhanga National Trust will be notified for any investigations involving the Kōhanga Reo.

28. In circumstances where an investigation into child abuse/ tūkino mokopuna initiated by a staff member/ kaiako has resulted in substantial evidence, the ECE senior department must make a mandatory report to the Teaching Council.

29. Kaiwhakahaere and the ECE senior department must make a mandatory report to the Teaching Council in all cases where a staff member/ kaiako:

29.1 has engaged in serious misconduct
29.2 has been dismissed for any reason
29.3 has resigned 12 months or less after a conduct or competence issue has been raised
29.4 has had a complaint made about them after they have recently left/ resigned
29.5 has had competency issues addressed with appropriate support but the ECE service/ Kōhanga Reo believes the required level of competence hasn’t been reached within specified timelines.

Child Abuse/ tūkino Mokopuna Prevention

30. All staff members/ kaiako/ kamahi and ECE Senior department leaders must act in good faith to protect and enhance tamariki mana.

31. Training resources will be provided to staff members/ kaiako.

32. Alcohol will not be consumed within an ECE service/ Kōhanga Reo, or in the presence of tamariki at ECE events off campus, at any time.

33. Staff members/ kaiako will always be visible to each other, especially during private/ intimate care taking activities.

34. Whānau will not perform intimate, care-taking activities and tasks of tamaiti that is not their own. Intimate, care taking activities specifically includes nappy changing, toileting and changing of tamaiti full clothing. Kaiako must ensure this is maintained by actively monitoring care-taking tasks both at the service and during excursions.

35. Staff members/ kaiako and kaiwhakahaere will not force unwanted affection on tamariki and physical contact will be for the purpose of necessary tasks such as cleaning, cleansing or consoling a tamaiti in need of emotional support. Reflecting tikanga Māori values, physical contact such as hongi may be appropriate, particularly within settings like the kōhanga reo or marae. Kaiako will support tamariki to engage in tikanga practices in respectful and culturally appropriate ways.

36. Staff members/ kaiako and Kaiwhakahaere will ensure that no tamaiti leaves the centre/ Kōhanga Reo without consent from the whānau, except in an emergency.

Protection orders

37. In accordance with the Care of Children Act 2004, our services recognise and uphold all legally issued parenting orders, guardianship agreements, and court directions relating to the custody and care of tamariki.

38. Kaiwhakahaere must enquire at the time of enrolment if a tamaiti has any parenting orders, agreements or directions in place. Where these are in effect, the enrolling legal guardian is responsible to provide and ensure the service always has the relevant current legal documentation on file.

39. Legal documents will be stored confidentially in a locked filing cabinet.

40. Where a tamaiti is subject to a protection order, or other legal directive, that restricts any specific person from having access to or collecting a tamaiti, the service encourages the guardian to provide a recent photograph of the individual to ensure the person can be identified.

41. Once a copy of a protection order has been received, kaiako and whānau will work together to establish and document a clear individual safety/response plan, outlining agreed steps to be taken should the individual appear at the service without prior agreement in line with the order or legal instructions. This will include a code word to discretely communicate the need to initiate the safety/response plan. Where appropriate, the tamaiti will be involved in the development of the individual safety/response plan.

42. If a tamaiti attempts or is coerced to leave with the individual named in the protection/parenting order, kaiako must immediately notify Police. In situations where the individual becomes aggressive or poses a threat to others, kaiako will prioritise the safety of all tamariki and staff, taking steps to de-escalate where safe to do so, and seeking immediate support from Police or University Security services as necessary.

43. Where a tamaiti birth parents are separated and still both actively involved as legal guardians, our services will seek signed consent from both parties for all major decisions involving the tamaiti; for example, matter concerning excursions, enrolment changes, matters involving the privacy act.

44. Where whānau members share legal custody of a tamaiti and visible tension or conflict is causing distress to the individual tamaiti or impacting the wellbeing of other tamariki, the service may implement designated handover zones or scheduled collection times intended to reduce emotional stress and support the safety of all tamariki and staff.

45. Kaiako, Kaiwhakahaere and ECE Department Leaders must remain neutral in whānau or parental disputes and will not mediate in such cases. Services cannot deny parental access to their tamaiti, without a parenting or protection order being in place.

46. All kaiako and relevant staff will be made aware that an order is in place and will be provided with the safety/response plan, to ensure they can implement this in the event the code word is activated.

47. In the event there is uncertainty or conflict regarding access to a tamaiti or the implementation of an order, the tamaiti safety and wellbeing will be prioritised. ECE Department leaders will support services; seeking advice internally on legal matters or external parties such as: Oranga Tamariki, social workers, Ministry of Education, The Kōhanga Reo National Trust or the New Zealand Police as appropriate.

48. All parenting order documentation must be reviewed annually or when changes occur.

Employment

49. Kaiwhakahaere or ECE senior department leaders will complete a 7-point safety check at time of employment for new staff, as outlined in the Children’s Act 2014, where a risk assessment will be completed on the kaiako/ kaimahi.

50. All safety checks will be carried out every 3 years by the Kaiwhakahaere or ECE senior department, as outlined in the Children’s Act 2014.

51. All safety checks will be kept in staff files, in locked cabinets onsite of the ECE service or Kōhanga the kaiako/ kaimahi is employed to work in and/ or accessible to ECE senior department.

52. Safety checks and risk assessments will be carried out for all relief kaiako and kept in a staff file, in locked cabinets that are accessible to ECE senior department.

53. Students, volunteers and contractors must all be safety checked, and risk assessed in accordance with the Children’s Act 2014, before they can work within a UOA ECE service/ Kōhanga Reo.

54. Copies of all safety checks and risk assessments are provided to the UOA HR team at time of employment and at each 3 yearly reviews.

55. Kaiwhakahaere are responsible for ensuring adherence to ethical behaviour and guidelines of kaiako, kaimahi, volunteers and students by completing the Goals for kaiako/kaimahi behaviour form at time of employment induction.

Document retention

56. All documentation relating to Tūkino mokopuna, including low-level concerns, mandatory reports, staff files with safety checks and risk assessments, children’s enrolment records, observations/ body maps, kaiako/ kaimahi induction documents, must be kept for a minimum of 7 years after the tamaiti has left the service alongside the tamariki’s file.

57. All Court appointed or related documents including Court orders must be kept securely in a locked cabinet and kept for seven years after the tamaiti last date of attendance at the service.

The following definitions apply to this document:

Child/ren (Tamaiti/ Tamariki) a person under the age of 18 years. For the purpose of this procedure, children are under the age of 6 years when enrolled in our services/ Kōhanga Reo.

Child abuse (Tūkino Mokopuna) means the harm, ill-treatment, abuse, (whether physical, emotional, or sexual), neglect, or deprivation of a child.

Disclosure means a statement made or provided by someone who has suffered or witnessed an act of abuse or neglect.

Early Childhood Education (ECE) Services staff member means all full and part-time staff including kaimahi/ kaiako, administration, cooks who provide child services, and leaders/ managers who are in positions of governance within the UOA ECE department of the Early learning service and Kōhanga Reo.

ECE Senior Department refers to the General Manger of ECE or any other acting persons in their absence.

Emotional Abuse is when a child’s emotional, psychological, or social well-being and sense of worth is continually battered. This includes confinement, isolation, verbal assault, humiliation, intimidation, infantilisation, or any other treatment that may diminish the sense of identity, dignity, and self-worth (mana). We also include exposure to Family Violence in this category.

Inappropriate Material means any pornographic or violent games, DVD’s, websites, magazines, devices, music, clothing and objects.

Kaiwhakahaere means the leader of the ECE service or Kōhanga Reo.

Low- level Concern means abuse or neglect that is not obvious, or extreme but formal concern has been raised by a person/s.

Ministry of Education is the governing body of all education institutions.

Neglect is a pattern of behaviour that occurs over a period and results in impaired functioning or development. It is a failure to provide for a child’s basic needs.

Observation means actions or behaviours witnessed or omissions heard.

Oranga Tamariki means Ministry for Children.

Physical Abuse is a result from excessive or inappropriate discipline or violence within the family. This may be a result of a single episode or a series of episodes. It includes smacking, punching, beating, kicking, shaking, biting, burning or throwing a child.

Mandatory Report is an official report of breaches to the appropriate governing agencies- NZ Police, Oranga Tamariki, Teaching Council, UOA Registrar.

Teaching Council means professional body representing certified teachers/ kaiako in early childhood education.

Sexual Abuse includes acts or behaviours where a person older or more powerful uses a child for a sexual purpose. There are 2 types of child sexual abuse known as:

• Contact Abuse: where an abuser initiates physical contact with a child through touching activities. It includes sexual touching of any part of the body whether a child is wearing clothing or not.
• Non-Contact Abuse: where an abuser initiates non-touching sexual activities, such as grooming, exploitation, persuading tamariki to perform sexual acts, exposure to sexual activities, viewing/ distributing child abuse images, showing a child pornography, and sexual exploitation for money, power or status.

Serious Misconduct means misconduct which is so serious that it may warrant summary dismissal and may include but is not limited to, sexual harassment, assault, theft, fraud, misappropriation, deliberate or repeated disregard of health and safety standards, wilful disobedience, deliberate or repeated misconduct, failure to disclose a conflict of interest, breach of the University’s policy against harassment, behaviour which leads to significant loss of trust and confidence (As specified in Professional Staff Disciplinary Procedures - The University of Auckland).

Staff Member/ Kaimahi / Kaiako means anyone employed by the University or ECE services/ Kōhanga Reo.

Substance Abuse is repeated uncontrolled use of illegal drugs, prescribed drugs or alcohol resulting in impairment of normal daily functioning. For the purpose of this procedure, this also includes any person suspected to be under the influence on UOA ECE premises.

Suspected Abuse is concern of abuse or neglect based on observation or a disclosure passed on second hand, sighting of injuries or change in behaviour; ultimately there is no direct witnessing of abuse or neglect, however, enough concern or pattern of concern to raise suspicion.

University means the University of Auckland | Waipapa Taumata Rau and its subsidiaries.

Verbal Abuse is a form of emotional abuse and includes yelling, shouting, frightening, swearing, belittling, teasing, name calling, loud aggressive tone, threatening, bullying, neglectful language, inappropriate or harmful language, ridicule and humiliate.

Well-being concerns means concerns about the well-being (including the welfare) of a child.

Whānau means family, both immediate and wider family.

Include the following:

• Children’s Act 2014
• Children’s (Children’s Services) Order 2016
• Children’s (Prescribed State Service) Order 2017
• Care of Children Act 2004
• Oranga Tamariki Act 1989
• Family Violence Act 2018
• Education and Training Act 2020
• Privacy Act 2020
• Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008
• UOA Child Protection Policy
• ECE privacy procedures - The University of Auckland
• Professional Staff Disciplinary Procedures - The University of Auckland
• Conducts Expectations Procedure (ECE)
• Concerns and Complaints Procedure (ECE)
• Serious Injury and Incident Procedure: Investigating and Reporting (ECE)
• Substance Abuse Procedure (ECE)
• Smoke-free and Vape -free Procedure (ECE)
• Oranga Tamariki Report of concern
• Oranga Tamariki Safer organisations Safer children
• Childhood Sexual Behaviours
• Goals-for-Adult-Behaviour.pdf
• Body Map - Safeguarding Children
• Parents-leaflet.pdf
• Reporting Process: What to report? (Flowchart)
• Responding to child abuse (Flowchart)
• Low-level Report of Concern or Observation (Form)
• ECE Contractor Risk Assessment Form
• ECE Student Risk Assessment Form
• Recruitment Process
• Teaching Council Our Code and Standards

Owner: Registrar
Content manager: ECE Growth and Compliance Leader
Approved by: Vice-Chancellor
Date approved: 6 August 2025
Next review date: 6 August 2028