Personnel

Ngā kaimahi/Personnel Policy

2019

Rationale: Sound personnel policies are critical components of quality early childhood education.

Purpose: To ensure Management implements the principles of being a good employer and appoints competent and capable staff who are committed to ongoing professional learning and growth.

PROCEDURES

Equal Employment Opportunity

Management is committed to being a ‘good employer’ by appointing the best candidate to each position without discrimination on the grounds of gender, age, ethnic group or disability.
All employees and applicants will be treated according to their skills, qualifications and abilities, without regards to irrelevant factors.

Staff Appointments

The Centre will use the following processes when employing staff:

Advertise for staff in the Education Gazette and on occasions at Teacher Education providers, as appropriate to the position.
Send out position descriptions to interested applicants.
Receive applications and make a short list according to the qualities and attributes required for the position.
Prepare an interview format and interview applicants on short list.
The interview will include questions that encourage applicants to talk about their experience, attitudes, values and beliefs about teaching and learning, working with families/whanau, contribution to a team and child safety.
Referee checks will be completed for shortlisted or preferred applicants prior to the offer of employment. The referee check will include questions related to the person’s commitment to child protection.
Select the most suitable applicant for the position.
Negotiate and sign with the successful applicant an employment agreement and letter offering employment before commencement.
Contact all other applicants and advise they have been unsuccessful.

Police Vetting

All staff employed will complete the Children’s Worker Safety Check Process, and an offer of employment remains conditional until such time as a full check is obtained and is satisfactory. (Children’s Workers Safety Checklist see Child Protection Policy Appendix C)
Teachers who have teacher registration must supply proof of their registration status, and Management will ensure that registration is checked using the Education Council of New Zealand (EDUCANZ) website.
Non-registered staff will be asked to fill in a Police Vetting Application Form, and a full Children’s Worker Safety Check will be completed prior to employment.
Non-registered staff will complete the Children’s Worker Safety Check Process every three years, on or about the third anniversary of the last completed check.
All information related to a Children’s Worker Safety Check and Police Vetting information will be treated confidentiality and stored appropriately by Management.

Induction Process

Staff employed will be inducted into the Centre using the following process:

They will receive a warm and friendly welcome into the Centre, and be introduced to all staff, children and parents.
They will be given a folder and other documents to read which will include all relevant parent/child information (names, for example), Centre policies, the rosters, and any other relevant information.
They will be inducted into the ICT systems, provided with password and the Centre Cyber Use and Cyber Safety Procedures (Sample Policies and procedures are available from Netsafe https://www.netsafe.org.nz/resources-early-years/ Adapt these to meet the requirements of your Centre) to be discussed 2019.
New staff will work alongside another team member or the Supervisor for the first few days to become familiar with the routines, programme, and other important information about the children for whom they will be responsible.
The new staff member will have the opportunity to discuss policies and procedures with the Centre Manager/Supervisor.
The new staff member and Centre Manager will meet on a weekly basis until the induction process has been completed.

Appraisal Procedures

Management will work collaboratively with staff to develop a robust and rigorous appraisal process that will focus on growing and improving practice.
The Manager will be responsible for co-ordinating the appraisal process for all staff employed at the Centre.
The appraisal of teaching staff is undertaken by the Owner/Manager. An external Mentor from Interlead will appraise the Owner/Manager. To meet Education Council requirements for teacher registration one appraiser must be a registered teacher.
Appraisals will be directly linked to the relevant job descriptions.
The appraisal process will focus on growth and improvement.
All teachers will complete the documented Centre Appraisal Programme
An appraisal meeting will be held during which the teacher and appraiser will develop an Appraisal Inquiry Plan to support the teacher to inquire into their identified area for development.
The appraisal will be confidential to the appraiser and the appraisee. The appraisee may choose to share their Appraisal Inquiry Plan with others.
Competency issues will be dealt with outside of the appraisal process.

Professional Development/Learning

A Professional Development Plan for the Centre will be developed, based on needs identified through the Centre Strategic Plan, appraisal and self-review.
All staff will be actively encouraged to participate in on-going professional learning.
The Centre Manager/Owner will access information from professional development providers to ensure teachers are informed of relevant courses. All relevant course fliers will be emailed or put on the clipboard the Professional for all staff to view.
All PLD needs to be approved by the Owner/Manager
Professional development will be provided for in the Centre’s Annual Budget.

Expression of Concerns from a Staff Member

All concerns should in the first instance be raised with the people involved. If an issue is not able to be resolved, the concern should be expressed verbally or in writing to either the Owner/Manager.
All written concerns will be addressed within 14 days of notification.
The staff member/s involved will work with the Owner/Manager to address the issue.
If the issue is still not able to be resolved, an independent facilitator will be consulted to support a resolution.
Resolution of the issue will be documented and signed by those concerned, including when an independent mediator is involved.

Discipline and Dismissal Procedures

Management will receive all complaints as per the Complaints Procedure Policy.

Concerns/Complaints Related to Staff Performance

Any concerns regarding the non-performance of a staff member will be addressed informally when the matter arises and discussion recorded. If this concern continues to be an issue, competency proceedings will be enacted
The staff member will be made aware of the concerns and a plan developed to assist the staff member to improve their practice (‘Warning’).
If the plan for assistance and improvement is not successful the following actions should be taken:

The staff member be advised in writing of

the specific matters causing concerns,
the process the employer will follow to address the concerns,
the corrective action required by the staff member to address the concerns,
a timeframe for undertaking the actions and addressing the concerns,
the right to have a support person.

Any action taken by the employer must be fair and in accordance with the staff member’s employment agreement. All permanent qualified teachers are part of the NZEI EC Collective Agreement.

Misconduct

Criteria for Misconduct shall include but not be limited to:

·Failure to comply with time recording procedures.

·Failure to report lateness, sickness or absence from work to the Supervisor by the required time.

·Persistent lateness or absences from work.

Failure to attend to rostered and/or prescribed duties.
Failure to keep information confidential.
Continually exceeding the time allocation for morning, afternoon or lunch breaks.
Acts of negligence, which adversely affects hygiene, quality or safety of children or staff.
Failure to observe safety rules and report accidents in the accident form and register.
Using abusive or threatening language on Centre premises or while on Centre business.
Failure to meet professional dress and hygiene standards.
Sleeping during working hours.
Non-compliance with the Centre policies and procedures.

Serious Misconduct
Criteria for Serious Misconduct shall include but not be limited to:

Arriving to work under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Mistreating children, including isolation, corporal punishment, deprivation of food, etc.
Physical violence towards staff, children and visitors to the Centre.
Verbal abuse towards staff, children and visitors to the Centre.
Theft of the Centre, staff or parents’ belongings.
Intentionally damaging the Centre’s property.
Displaying inappropriate behaviour towards the Centre or Management in public.
Refusal to obey a lawful order or walking off the job.
Acts of negligence, which seriously affect the quality of care and education or safety of the children or staff.
Sexual harassment.
Conviction of a serious criminal offence while being employed by the Centre.
Falsifying documentation.
Failure to follow cash handling procedures.

Privacy Procedures

Management will be responsible for the appointment of a Privacy Officer.
Information will be collected only for a specific purpose. All forms requesting information will explain why it is being collected.
All staff will have access to information relating to them.
All parents/guardians will have access to information relating to their child.
Parent/guardians’ approval will be sought prior to any information being shared with a third party or agency.
All documents requesting information relating to children, families or staff will clearly identify the name and address of the Centre.
All requests for information on staff or children which is held on file, must be referred to the Privacy Officer.
Only accurate and up-to-date information is held on file. Staff may alter information on their own file and parents/guardians may up-date information on their child’s file at any time.
Parents will be told that their child’s enrolment form will be held for 7 years as this is a requirement of the Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 2008.
All personal details of staff and children will be stored in secured cabinets.

Teacher Registration

Provisionally Certificated Teachers (PCT) undergoing the support and mentoring programme for Teacher Registration will be allocated a support person to oversee this programme.
Time may be allocated during normal rostered hours for meetings, observations and any other relevant activity connected with the PCT process. This will be decided in consultation with Management.
It is the responsibility of a teacher, Provisionally Certicated or Fully Certificated, to maintain their registration. The Owner/Manager/ will be available for support if required.

Staff Leave

All staff leave will be provided as stated in each teacher’s Employment Agreement.
A clear process will be provided for staff applying for Annual Leave.
Procedures will be provided for staff to inform the Manager/Supervisor when they take Sick, Bereavement or any other discretionary leave.

Licensing Criteria GMA 7, 10.

Links: http://childrensactionplan.govt.nz/whats-new/childrens-workforce-guidelines-available/