Playcentre Aotearoa’s Positive Guidance Policy
Purpose
Playcentre Aotearoa requires all of our people to treat each other, and to expect to be treated, with respect and dignity. For our tamariki, we provide positive guidance to support their social and emotional competence. For our adults and whānau, we encourage professional, friendly and respectful collaborations and conversations in order to role model positive behaviour and provide safe inclusive environments.
Ultimately, we protect tamariki rights to participate fully in our Playcentre sessions and communities. The purpose of this policy is to:
- Set out our commitments to guiding social competence in our tamariki and promoting positive relationships between our adults, whānau and tamariki
- To comply with required education and early childhood service regulations, human rights and other applicable legislation
At Playcentre Aotearoa we work together in meaningful ways with positive interactions to enhance how our tamariki learn, and we nurture reciprocal relationships with and between our tamariki and with each other.
Guiding social competence in our tamariki
Playcentre Aotearoa commits to the vision for tamariki as set out in the Ministry of Education’s Te Whāriki whereby children are competent and confident learners and communicators, healthy in mind, body and spirit, secure in their sense of belonging and in the knowledge that they make a valued contribution to society.
To support our tamariki developing social competence, we:
- Provide an environment where we support our tamariki to develop self-regulation and self- competence, and where they can learn the limits and boundaries of acceptable behaviour (according to their stage of development)
- Encourage our tamariki to be aware of the needs, rights, and welfare of themselves and others
- Ensure our tamariki develop strategies and confidence in resolving conflict
- Help our tamariki to understand and develop responsibility for their own behaviour and actions so that they enjoy constructive relationships with peers, adults and their environment
- Create an environment where tamariki are encouraged to speak out and express their
- Ensure physical and emotional safety for all of our tamariki
To support our adults and whānau in providing positive guidance for tamariki, we:
- Provide wānanga/educational programmes and access to educational resources on positive guidance for development of social competence in tamariki
- Have regular discussions on session to ensure consistent strategies are in place to assist our tamariki to enhance their social competence and enable adults to promote pro-social behaviour
- Act within the Playcentre Aotearoa Privacy and Information Policy and the Privacy Act 2020.
We do not discuss a child as a group without consulting whānau first
- Provide regular opportunities for whānau to be involved in assessment, planning and evaluation practices concerning their child, both formally and informally
- Promote opportunities for all Centre members to attend regular Centre meetings
When there is particularly challenging behaviour, we:
- Provide clear procedures for Centres to seek further internal support within Centres and in Regional teams in order to address any challenging behaviour
- Include whānau in decision-making regarding their child and the Centre as a whole
- Seek specialist assistance when required
- to support whānau to implement positive guidance strategies with tamariki
- Consult with external agencies as necessary
- Use our Child Protection Policy and procedures
- Use our Complaint Resolution Policy and procedures