BEHAVIOUR GUIDANCE POLICY

The right for children to receive positive guidance in a supportive and respectful environment is promoted within the Education and Care Services National Regulations. Children learn to face a variety of challenges throughout their lives. Learning the difference between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour assists children to regulate their own behaviours in different social and emotional environments as well as when interacting with peers and adults. Our Out of School Hours (OSHC) Service will liaise with local feeder primary schools to ensure consistency of behaviour guidance strategies such as Positive behaviour for learning (PBL) values.

NATIONAL QUALITY STANDARD (NQS)

RELATED POLICIES

PURPOSE
We aim to create positive relationships with children making them feel safe, secure, and supported within our OSHC Service. We will ensure children are treated with respect, consistency, fairly and equitably as they are supported to develop the skills and knowledge required to behave in a socially and culturally acceptable manner.

Supporting children to develop socially acceptable behaviour is a primary goal for educators and families. This is embedded in fundamental documents including the My Time Our Place (MTOP), The Education and Care Services National Regulations, and the National Quality Standard (NQS).  

SCOPE
This policy applies to children, families, staff, educators, approved provider, nominated supervisor, management, and visitors of the OSHC Service.

DEFINITIONS

Behaviour guidance- this term is used to reflect current thinking about the most positive and effective ways to help children gain understanding and learn skills that will help them to manage their own behaviour. Using appropriate behaviour guidance educators aim to support each child regulate their own behaviour, respond appropriately to the behaviour of others and communicate effectively to resolve conflicts.

Cool down- this is an example of appropriate discipline or behaviour guidance. A cool down period is when a child is having a difficult moment, they are encouraged to find a space, near an educator, to ‘cool down’ and regain self-control. This strategy can be used as an opportunity for educators to support children to regulate their own behaviour. [ACEQA, 2020]

Self-regulation- The ability to manage energy states, emotions, behaviour and attention: the ability to return to a balanced, calm and constant state of being. Self-regulation is a key factor for mental health, wellbeing and learning (KidsMatter, Early Childhood, 2014).

Inclusion- taking into account all children’s social, cultural and linguistic diversity (including learning styles, abilities, disabilities, gender, family circumstance and geographic location) in curriculum decision-making processes. (MTOP).

IMPLEMENTATION

The behaviour and guidance strategies used by staff and educators at our OSHC Service are designed to provide children the opportunity to expand their experiences of life in a productive, safe environment that allows individuals the right to safety, tolerance, self-expression, cultural identity, dignity and the worth of the individual. Educators understand that as children grow and develop self-regulation becomes an important aspect of social and emotional development as they begin to understand how their actions affect others.

We believe in providing clear, consistent guidelines for children’s behaviour as part of a caring and trusting relationship with children and families to help them feel secure and self-confident. Children benefit from knowing that their environment is stable and that a competent adult is taking care of them.

There are three key aspects to promoting positive behaviour:

1. Creating a quality learning environment that is positive and supportive and provides developmentally appropriate experiences and resources.
2. Implementing guidance strategies for building skills and strengthening positive behaviour based on age-appropriate behaviour expectations.
3. Employing strategies for guiding children’s behaviour resulting in decreasing undesired behaviours.

POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR GUIDANCE STRATEGIES

Guiding children’s behaviour is an important aspect of caring for and educating children. Positive strategies need to be developed to assist children to learn appropriate ways of behaving. Corporal punishment and unreasonable discipline are not permitted at any time in children’s services, not only because the child may be physically harmed, but also because it nearly always has detrimental effects on the child’s self-esteem and feelings of security. All educators and staff at our OSHC Service will role model appropriate behaviour and language, encouraging children to socialise with other children, including children of different cultural backgrounds as well as from different age groups and different genders.

Behaviour guidance strategies implemented within our OSHC service are appropriate to the child's age and developmental capacity. Children are encouraged to make decisions for themselves and are provided with opportunities for independence and self-regulation. Children are given the opportunity to make choices and experience the consequences of these choices when there is no risk of physical or emotional harm to the child or anyone else. They are acknowledged when they make positive choices in managing their behaviour.

Strategies may include using visual cues, prompting, redirection, re-teaching strategies, developing logical consequences providing a ‘cooling down’ period and conferences with children. In the instance of adverse behaviour being persistently observed, educators will evaluate their program, room set up, supervision etc. to identify triggers and sources of inappropriate or challenging behaviour. Physically restraining a child will only be used in emergency situations if a child is:

• In a clearly unsafe situation – e.g., attempting to scale a fence or run onto a road
• Physically threating other children or adults
• Behaving in ways that are destructive to themselves, other people or the environment. [ACECQA, 2020]

Regular routines and consistency in implementing behaviour guidance strategies are critical to support children’s wellbeing and promote children’s agency. All staff implement an active and positive approach to guiding children’s behaviour within our service.

THE APPROVED PROVIDER/MANAGEMENT/NOMINATED SUPERVISOR WILL ENSURE:

• no child being educated and cared for by the OSHC Service is subjected to any form of corporal punishment or any discipline that is unreasonable in the circumstances
• every reasonable precaution is taken to protect children from harm and from any hazard likely to cause injury
• each nominated supervisor and person in day-to-day charge of the service has completed child protection training (Section 162A of the National Law)
• staff records include evidence of the approved training completed by staff members (Reg.147)
• connections are built between our service and local primary schools to support positive learning environments
• behaviour guidance does not involve making judgements about children or their families
• information is gathered from families about their children’s social skills, relationship preferences, family and cultural values which will be recorded in the child’s individual file
• educators will use this information to engage children in experiences that support children to develop their social and decision-making skills
• positive and respectful relationships with children are established and maintained
• children are empowered to use language and other forms of non-hurtful communication to communicate their emotions
• positive, empathetic relationships are promoted between children assisting them to develop respectful relationships
• the dignity and rights of each child are maintained at all times
• positive and inclusive strategies are implemented to enable educators to encourage positive behaviour in children in order to minimise adverse behaviour
• general information about behaviour guidance is provided to families such through parent interviews and newsletters
• a partnership is developed with other professionals or support agencies that work with children who have diagnosed behavioural or social difficulties to develop plans for the inclusion of these specific children. This information will be kept confidential and in the individual child’s file.
• excessive or challenging behaviour is managed and communicated with families

• strategies are implemented to re-direct a child who may be causing or about to cause harm to himself or herself, another child, or adult. Incidents may include a child who is kicking, spitting, biting, throwing furniture or toys, punching or hitting, or being disruptive. Redirection may also include an incident where a child places him/herself in a dangerous situation, for example, climbing a fence or hiding in a potentially dangerous position. Safety is a priority, and this may mean using physical re-direction in which an educator will actually remove the child from the harmful situation if required. It may be necessary to remove other children from the area while the child calms down.

• families are notified and the incident/behaviour is addressed sensitively. In an instance where a child or children's safety has been jeopardised, parents are required to sign the Behaviour Incident Report.
• should the behaviour continue, the child’s behaviour is observed and carefully documented. Additional information is collated related to the context and behaviour guidance strategies implemented.
• a meeting with the child’s parents/carers and educator may be arranged to discuss any behaviours or concerns that have been observed. A Behaviour Guidance Plan may be developed in consultation with families and other health professionals as required
• Behaviour Guidance Plans are to be reviewed on a periodic basis reflecting changes that have been applied through the implementation of the plan in consultation with the child’s family
• the child’s primary school is contacted to gain information about behaviour guidance strategies implemented within the school context to ensure consistency between environments
• families, the child’s primary school and professional agencies are consulted to ensure that a consistent approach is used to support the child with diagnosed behavioural or social difficulties

• application for additional support for educators to build their capacity and capabilities to include children with additional needs will be made through the Inclusion Support Program.
• a Strategic Inclusion Plan (SIP) is developed and guided by local support agencies as required for individual groups of children
• the SIP is reviewed on a periodic basis reflecting changes that have been applied through the implementation of the plan
• professional development is provided for educators to be informed, trained and supervised to implement the SIP created, ensuring that information is composed and recorded for reflection on its effectiveness for the individual child
• notification is made to the regulatory authority within the legislated time frames of any circumstance that poses a risk to the health, safety and wellbeing of a child or children, or of any complaint alleging that a serious incident has occurred at the OSHC Service
• notification is made to the regulatory authority and to the children’s commissioner, child protection agencies or the police of any incident of inappropriate discipline.

EDUCATORS WILL:

• encourage and support each child’s social and emotional development, striving to develop children’s self-regulation and an understanding of the feelings of others
• actively work with younger children to promote and role-model positive ways to interact with others
• teach behavioural expectations
• support appropriate behaviour- visual cues, prompting, positive verbal feedback and quality learning environments
• ensure children are provided with positive guidance and encouragement toward acceptable behaviour
• promote children’s initiative and agency
• actively work with all children to support them in constructing and conveying ways of expressing needs, resolving conflict, and responding to the behaviour of others
• at all times provide positive role-modelling in their dealings with children, other educators and families
• discuss guidelines, rules, limits, and what is fair with children, and use their contributions in setting limits and guidelines
• talk calmly with children about the consequence of their actions, and the reason for rules
• use corrective consequences- prompt, redirect, re-teach, provide choice, logical consequence, conference with child and educator
• guide children’s behaviour, teaching them how to be considerate of others – to think about the effects of their actions on others.  It is important that children understand what acceptable and unacceptable behaviour is and how to manage their emotions.
• provide positive feedback and focus on children’s strengths and achievements and build on their abilities

• take into consideration the child’s past experiences as their behaviour could be a result of past trauma such as changes in routine, changes or losses within the family, placement in care, or more serious circumstances involving abuse, neglect, or family violence
• be responsive to these former experiences, designing and implementing behaviour plans with the individual child that include strategies which will assist alternative and positive behaviour
• provide age appropriate, challenging, and interesting activities, experiences, and equipment for children to use and become engaged with
• ensure there are sufficient materials and equipment for individual, small and large group activities
• set up the environment (indoor and outdoor) for children to engage in activities and experiences in accordance with their abilities and interests
• adapt a positive approach, excluding cruel, harsh, humiliating or demeaning actions
• commit to professional development and keep up to date with industry information regarding behaviour guidance strategies
• support children to explore different identities and points of view and to communicate effectively when resolving disagreements with others
• participate in planned and spontaneous conversations with children about emotions, feelings and issues of inclusion and fairness, bias and prejudice, and the consequences of their actions, as well as the appropriate rules and the reasons for the rules
• provide children with the language and vocabulary needed to express their emotions and feelings and verbalise their concerns
• encourage children to listen to other people’s ideas, consider pro-social and altruistic behaviour and collaborate and negotiate in problem solving situations
• listen empathetically to children when they communicate their emotions, provide encouragement as they reassure the child it is normal to experience positive and negative emotions
• guide children to remove themselves from situations where they are experiencing frustration, anger, or fear
• support children to negotiate their rights and rights of others and mediate perceptively when children experience difficulty in resolving dissimilarity
• learn about children’s relationships with others and their relationship preferences they have and use this knowledge to encourage children to manage their own behaviour and expand on their empathy skills
• use positive language, gestures, facial expressions, and tone of voice when redirecting or discussing children’s behaviour with them
• remain calm, respectful and tolerant as they encourage children who are strongly expressing distress, frustration or anger
• guide children’s behaviour with a focus on preserving and promoting children’s self-esteem as they learn to self-regulate their behaviour
• implement ‘time with’ or ‘cool down time’ with an educator, which will be used when all other strategies (above) have been exhausted. ‘Time with’ or ‘cool down time’ allows educators to offer reassurance and support so the child can settle and regain self-control, develop some self-calming behaviours and gain composure. Once calm, educators can assist the child to identify what happened, reflect on their actions and consider how they may have done something differently. ‘Time with’ or ‘cool down time’ will always occur under the supervision of other educators.
• contribute to and ensure Individual Support Plans are followed in consultation with the Services’ SIP.

FAMILIES WILL:

• provide consent for the OSHC Service to consult with their child’s primary school and other professional agencies to assist with implementing a Strategic Inclusion Plan (SIP)
• work collaboratively with educators and professional agencies when required in order to develop a broader understanding of the child’s developmental level and share any recent events which may be influencing the child's behaviour
• consult with educators and provide consent when the Service is applying for Inclusion Support Funding
• work in partnership with educators and health professionals in the development of a behaviour guidance plan or Individual Support Plan to assist with the identification of challenging behaviour, the development of supportive strategies and the review of strategies implemented within a behaviour guidance plan where required
• create consistency in behaviour guidance strategies used at the Service and at home

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The Behaviour Guidance Policy will be evaluated and reviewed on an annual basis in conjunction with children, families, educators and staff.

CHILDCARE CENTRE DESKTOP - RELATED RESOURCES

SOURCE

Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies: www.acwa.asn.au

Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2014).

Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. Inappropriate discipline. (2020). www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-06/inappropriate-discipline.pdf

Australian Government Department of Education (2022). My Time, Our Place- Framework for School Age Care in Australia.V2.0

Australian Government Department of Education. Inclusion Support Program.

https://www.education.gov.au/child-care-package/inclusion-support-program

Department of Education NSW Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) Early Childhood https://pbl.schools.nsw.gov.au/resources/early-childhood.html

Department of Education State Government of Victoria. Strategies to guide children’s behaviour (reviewed 2015)

Early Childhood Australia’s Blog (2018). What every child needs for learning self-regulation KidsMatter Early Childhood.

Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics. (2016).

Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010. (Amended 2023).

Education and Care Services National Regulations. (Amended 2023).     

Family & Community Services: www.community.nsw.gov.au

Guide to the National Quality Framework. (2017). (Amended 2023).

NAPCAN: www.napcan.org.au

Porter, L. (2016). Young children’s behaviour: Guidance approaches for early childhood educators. Australia: Allen & Unwin.

Raising Children Network. (2019) Understanding school-aged behaviour

 https://raisingchildren.net.au/school-age/behaviour

Revised National Quality Standard. (2018).

State Government of Victoria. Strategies to guide children’s behaviour (reviewed 2015)

Western Australian Education and Care Services National Regulations