First Aid revalidation
You may have received advice from your First Aid qualification provider that the ‘grace period’ for revalidation has changed on the 1st of February (see example below).
Please note: the Ministry of Education licencing criteria (HS25 First aid qualifications) specifies that a current First Aid qualification is held. The grace period is only relevant to the qualification provider.
Example from NZ Red Cross:
As of 1 February 2023, participants can attend a revalidation course if their certificate is no older than two years and three months from the date of issue. For example, the time between attending courses can NOT be longer than two years three months.
As of 1 May 2023, participants can attend a revalidation course if their certificate is no older than two years from the date of issue. For example, the time between attending courses can NOT be longer than two years — three month ‘grace period’ no longer exists.
We have also become aware that there are some first-aid providers offering courses who are not providing the unit standards required to meet HS22 of the licensing criteria. The core health unit standards 6401 and 6402 need to be included in the first-aid qualification for anyone working in centre-based services and kōhanga reo.
If you have any questions about this, please contact your regional office.
Guidance for sunscreen use
Now that it’s summer, it is timely to remind you about the use of sunscreen for children at your Centre.
As sunscreen is not a medicine, it does not need to be authorised or acknowledged in the same way that medicines do.
While there is no requirement for parents/caregivers to sign for sunscreen on a daily basis, they should be informed and advised of the brand of sunscreen that is provided and how and when it will be applied. This could be through your usual channels of communication within your Centre.
Being SunSmart – Ministry of Education
Emergency Evacuation Management Plan template
Following feedback, the Ministry of Education have updated the Emergency Evacuation Management Plan template. The updated form can be found in the forms section on their website. The updates, if relevant to Playcentre operation, will be transferred into our Playcentre documentation and associated resources.
Emergency Evacuation Management Plan – Ministry of Education
Te Whare Tapa Whā Model of Wellbeing
Our health is central to our overall wellbeing. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), healthy individuals and populations are happier, more productive and live longer. Research has found strong links between our physical health, mental health, social connectedness, family health, and our sense of fulfilment and ability to live life in a way that feels meaningful.
Te whare tapa whā is a model of the 4 dimensions of wellbeing developed by Sir Mason Durie in 1984 to provide a Māori perspective on health. The four dimensions are:
- taha tinana (physical wellbeing)
- taha hinengaro (mental wellbeing)
- taha wairua (spiritual wellbeing)
- taha whānau (family wellbeing)