Sector Update 

Kinross vacation care service left a child at a restaurant

The Learning

Increased risks must be considered when undertaking excursions, for example (but not limited to):

• the venue type,
• size of the group,
• educator transportation experience.

It is important that risk assessments are reviewed by all staff immediately prior to going on an excursion. Any changes to staffing or circumstance should be considered before a decision is made to undertake the excursion. Consideration should be given to each educators’ role based on their familiarity of the children, and experience.

It is the responsibility of approved providers to ensure all staff are aware of the supervision policies, their associated risk assessments and to be properly inducted into the service.

Approved providers should have in place, appropriate auditing procedures to ensure inductions are conducted according to policies and procedures.

The Incident

A Department of Communities investigation found that on Tuesday 20 December 2022, a five year old child, who was in the care of Atlantis After School- Kinross was left unsupervised whilst on an excursion during vacation care. 

The child was attending an excursion at the cinema and a restaurant in Clarkson.

After lunch, educators commenced the process to return children to the service via coach and buses. The educators lined up all the children and conducted a headcount.

Once all children were accounted for, the group began to transition from the restaurant to the nearby coach service.  At this time, the child became separated from the group to go to the toilets located within the restaurant. This went unnoticed by the educator positioned at the back of the line and the group continued to the coach and buses.

When the child exited the toilets, a member of staff from the restaurant assisted the child.  The restaurant staff contact the service and educators immediately returned to the restaurant to collect the child and take them back into the care of the service.

The child was not harmed whilst unsupervised, and the service later contacted the child’s parents about the incident.

The Penalty

The approved provider, YCC (WA) Pty Ltd, was ordered to pay a total of $12,000 including costs by the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) for contravening section 165(1) of the Education and Care Services National Law (WA) Act 2012 for an offence relating to the inadequate supervision of a child. 

More information on the SAT order is available on the eCourts website.