Policies and Procedures
How long to Retain Documents/Records at Playcentre

Any documents/records not listed below, that may have been previously, are now kept at Regional Offices or National
Service Centre. Check with your Centre Advisor in the first instance with any queries.

 

  Licensed
Centres 		Playgroups Required by
criteria or
legislation		 Recommended
by Ministry		 Recommended by
Playcentre		 Rationale
Emergency Drill Practices

HS8

 HS4   2 years   Past year plus current year is long enough to inform annual review of practices
Sleep times and checks HS9     2 years   Past year plus current year is long enough to inform annual review of practices and is useful record of sleep patterns
Excursions Form and Excursions Risk
Assessment & Management Form		 HS17     2 years   Past year plus current year is long enough to inform annual review of practices
Permission for Regular Excursions is kept on enrolment form which must be kept for 7 yrs
Record of Food served HS19   3 months     Provides useful information in the event of any allergic reactions that may develop in
children
Injuries/Illness – Minor Injury, Illness or Incident Notice HS27     2 years   Past year plus current year is long enough to inform review of practices and highlight
ongoing issues

Injury/Illness- Serious Injury, Illness or Incident Form or any notifiable events

Hs27   5 years     Health and Safety at Work Act requires this.
Again enables record of ongoing issues or concerns
Medicine Administration Agreement –
Cat I 		HS28/29     7 years   Forms part of enrolment information that must be kept for 7 years
Medicine Administration Agreement
Cat ii 		HS28/29     As long as the
child is receiving
the medicine		 For 3 months
following the
administration of
the medicine		 Recommend keep for 3 months in case any concerns arise, the documentation can be
checked.
Medicine Administration Agreement –
Cat iii 		HS28/29     7 years   Forms part of enrolment information that must be kept for 7 years.
Medicine Administration Register HS28     2 years   To inform review of practices and in case of any issues arising
Daily Health and Safety Checklist         2 years – are
needed for IQP
Reports		 Allows time to notice trends. Any issues that arise are summarised in reports for centre meetings and included in the minutes
Hazard and Risk Register         1 year Updated Termly – keep one year’s worth to review for issues or concerns over time. Helps record reviews and action towards addressing potential harm.
Information & guidance from other
agencies and services – related to
additional learning needs of tamariki 		C13    

7 years if child specific 

2 years if general advice

   If the information and guidance related to a particular child, it should be kept with their
enrolment record If it is for general information the Playcentre
can decide.
Outcomes of Self Review GMA6   7 years Until Nect ERO review has occurred Depends on
review topic		 Timeframe reflects need for information to be available for ERO review and to capture
 improvements made. Consider review relevance for future families. Major review
topics (eg property upgrades) may be useful to keep indefinitely; other topics removed
when they lose relevance to current practice.
Enrolments GMA10 MA5 7 years     Required by Public Finance Act 1989
Attendance GMA11 MA5 7 years     Required by Public Finance Act 1989
Financial Records           IRD requires records to be kept for 7 years from balance date. Includes all invoices, bills, bank records, and end of year accounts. Can
be kept on Xero. 
Minutes         Forever Provides the history of the centre and useful
when celebrating anniversaries etc.
Building – Compliance Schedule Building
Act 2004		 Forever        
Building Warrant of Fitness/Form 12a Building
Act 2004		 1 year
(until next
one is
issued)		        
IQP Reports/Manual Records Building
Act 2004		 2 years     Must be kept with
Compliance
Schedule. Includes
documentation
like Daily H&S
Checks if required
as part of
Inspections		  
Fire Evacuation Scheme Letter of
Approval or other FENZ Approval
Document		 HS4 Until new
revised
Scheme
receives
approval		     Fire Evacuation
Scheme may need
to be updated
regularly if
changes are made
to Fire Exit Doors,
Assembly Point
and other fire
related items		  
Code of Compliance PF3 Forever        
RECORDS KEPT AT REGIONAL OFFICE            
Formal Complaints         2 years or for
employee – until
employee ends
their employment		 Allows for information be available in case of
future action needed.
Child Protection Concerns       7 years after child
leaves Playcentre		    
RECORDS HELD BY NATIONAL
PROPERTY TEAM		            
Property Lease or ownership
documents		         Forever  
RECORDS BY PLAYCENTRE EDUCATION            
Student and teaching staff records NZQA and
TEC
requirements		         Refer to Playcentre Education QMS
RECORDS BY HR            
Safety Checking GMA7a     Students = 3
years, or until 12
months after last
activity in
programme.
Employees = 3
years or until
they leave the
service.		   Until the next Safety Check is conducted.
Needs to be available to MoE Staff
Police Vets       3 years or until
they leave the
service		   New police vet would be done in 3 years. We
can keep copies of the completed police vets
as we are required to show these to ERO or
MoE as part of compliance checks.
Unsuccessful job applicants        

Police vet forms
destroyed as soon as successful
candidate
confirmed. Other
documents
destroyed after 12
months

 

Police vetting forms should not be kept for
unsuccessful candidates.

Other documents maintained in case of any
concerns raised over appointment process.
Appraisal documents & record of PLD
undertaken by employee 		        Up to 5 years or
until the employee
leaves the service 		 Provides record of the processes being
carried out. Available for review and
feedback