At School's Out we acknowledge that handing over your child/children to others for their care and welfare can be a difficult process. In the effort to ease this situation we would like to invite you to spend some time with us during your first visit so that we can get to know you and your child better.

 

This will provide us with the opportunity to introduce you to the programme, meet the staff and discuss any concerns that you may have. Schools Outs desire is to make sure that your child receive the best experience when they are not with you and to ensure we are able to achieve that we need to obtain some further information from you.

 

This is a requirement of our ongoing accreditation with the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) and will provide you with peace of mind that you are receiving best-practice service delivery. To achieve this, Schools Out has set out a set of robust Terms & Conditions of Enrolment as detailed here. Please ensure that you acknowledge and understand every statement in full and that all compulsory questions have been completed as true and correct on the online Enrolment Safety Form.

 

I agree to abide by the rules of the Schools Out programme as set down by management, and the expectations as detailed in the Parent Information Guide. Please note  enrolments/bookings may be revoked at any time due to unpaid fees or a breach of the behaviour expectations. Also agreed:

 

The Fee Schedule is current as advertised, however may be subject to change. Where possible at least two weeks notice of any changes will be provided. Schools Out reserves the right to add, amend, clarify or delete terms, conditions or policies by issuing newsletters, notices, or posting notification on one of the programme notice boards or similar online digital platforms.

  

Our preferred method of payment is via Credit/Debit card. Other payment options include: online internet banking, EFTPOS, cash, and automatic payments. Please enquire with the Programme Manager for available payment options, as these differ between centres. Fees must be always maintained at least one week in advance. One weeks fees must be paid before your child starts attending the programme.

 

I accept full responsibility for payment of fees for all booked days, on the basis that the Fee Schedule is current at the time your booking is made. Irrespective of any arrangement with any third party, including Work and Income NZ (WINZ), I agree to pay the fees. I acknowledge, understand, and accept that if any fee or charge remains unpaid beyond the time specified in the Fee Policy, my childs enrolment may be cancelled, and the outstanding debt passed on to a debt collection agency - I will be responsible for any costs incurred in this process. Interest may be charged on all overdue balances and any collection costs will be charged to your account.

 

In the event of fees being in arrears I acknowledge a late payment fee will be charged in accordance with the current fee schedule issued by the centre. Additionally, I acknowledge I will be liable for interest on all outstanding amounts at the current rate and that all debt collection costs will be charged in addition to fees, interest, and late payment charges.

 

The terms of this agreement are subject to the centre rules and regulations, and as such, rules and regulations may hereafter be amended from time to time:

 

One weeks fees are to be paid upon confirmation of your booking, which will be applied to your account. This is non-refundable if your child does not start with the programme. If you have already submitted a WINZ OSCAR Subsidy application, then the Pre-payment is less the confirmed WINZ subsidy amount received.

  

We require one weeks notice if you wish to cancel or change your childs booking. All bookings are locked into the Enrolmy online booking platform, one week prior. If you receive a WINZ OSCAR Subsidy, you must contact the programme staff directly for any changes you require to your booking, and please ensure WINZ are notified directly of any adjustments made.

  

To ensure the best possible care for your child, it is important that you inform the programme prior to 12:00pm on the day your child is going to be absent. The normal fee will be charged. Please note, failure to notify us of any absence, will incur an additional fee for the time spent confirming your childs safety and their whereabouts.

  

If you believe you are eligible for a WINZ OSCAR Subsidy, please read the WINZ information sheet available at the programme. Even if you are eligible for the WINZ OSCAR Subsidy, it remains your responsibility to ensure your account is always paid in advance, and to pay any part of your fees which are not covered by a subsidy  this is referred to as the Parent Portion. Always ensure your application renewal is lodged with WINZ prior to your child attending the programme, or prior to expiry of the current subsidy i.e. an application or declaration form needs to be completed prior to each school holiday period and/or each school term.

 

  

 

The Privacy Act 2020 establishes a framework for protecting personal information and safeguarding individual privacy rights, including the right to access personal information. It also recognises that privacy rights must at times be balanced with other legitimate rights and interests. The Act supports New Zealand's commitment to internationally recognised privacy principles, including the OECD Privacy Guidelines and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

 

The privacy principles are the core of the Privacy Act, and need to be adhered to when dealing with the following:

This means, in practice, when requests for personal information are received from an individual or agency, Schools Out will consider the request in terms of the Information Privacy Principles to see whether the information should be disclosed. All such requests require judgement on a case-by-case basis, and if there is a difficult case then refer to the Schools Out Privacy Officer for a decision.

  

School’s Out Ltd shall appoint a Privacy Officer. The Privacy Officer’s responsibilities shall include encouraging compliance with the Act’s principles, ensuring compliance with privacy provisions, dealing with privacy requests, and working with the Privacy Commission if a complaint is made and an investigation is carried out.

 

The Privacy Officer for School’s Out is the Operations Manager.

 

If you believe that your privacy has been breached, you can raise this matter by email to: [email=operations@schoolsout.co.nz]operations@schoolsout.co.nz[/email]

 

 

Schools Out reserves the right to exclude individuals from any of their OSCAR programmes if the information provided does not meet the minimum recommeded, accreditation standards to ensure that the duty-of-care for any child can be met. These standards are mandated and audited by the sectors governing body, Te Kāhui Kāhu (please refer to the Schools Out Policies & Procedures for further information).

  

School's Out maintains a zero-tolerance stance for physical violence, foul language and intentional damage to property or equipment. Parents/caregivers are notified of any disruption caused by their child. If the behaviour is considered a risk to others, your child will be removed immediately and may be excluded from future attendance. You agree to accept the cost of any damage wilfully caused by your child and you agree to pick up your child immediately if his/her behaviour is deemed unacceptable. No refund will apply for any session that the child is excluded from.

 

  

It is the expectation that all children are sufficiently toilet-trained prior to attending our programmes. School's Out acknowledges that soiling accidents involving children can occur within the programme and our staff will do their best to clean-up any soiled child, and you will be advised accordingly of the incident. If soiling issues continue, we will speak to you about the viability of your child continuing their care with School's Out, as our ratios do not allow for continuous 1:1 care of children. As a result, a stand-down period may be discussed and imposed, until such time as the toileting issues have been addressed, however please note that School's Out also reserves the right to permanently exclude any child from our programmes due to continued toileting issues.

 

  

School's Out staff will do their best to ensure a safe, fun, and quality experience for your child. However, Schools Out staff and volunteers will be free and clear of all liability if any injury, damage, or loss is sustained to your child or their personal effects that they have brought to the programme.

 

  

Minor Health & Safety accidents and/or incidents will be treated appropriately by programme staff. In the unlikely event of a medical emergency, I understand my child will be transported to hospital or nearest emergency medical facility (in an ambulance if necessary), and parents or a named contact person will be notified immediately. All medical costs incurred are at the childs Principal caregivers expense.

 

Any child with flu-like or communicable/infectious disease symptoms (see Pandemic Policy), fever, rash, sticky eyes, diarrhoea, or vomiting is required to stay home until 48 hours after symptoms settle.

 

Any child who exhibits any of the above conditions during the programme will be isolated away from other children and their parent/caregiver will be contacted immediately to collect them and advised how to do so in a safe manner.

 

 

In relation to the care and treatment of my child:

Programme staff are trained to deal with emergencies and natural disasters. In the event of a Civil Emergency, programme staff will remain with the children until such time as they cleared or evacuated by authorised personnel, and the children have been returned to their parent/caregiver.

 

It is your responsibility as the parent/caregiver/authorised person to sign your child in and/or out each day at the appropriate times and in the prescribed manner  this a mandatory procedure as part of our accreditation with MSD. Non-attendance or failure to complete this process will result in programme staff having to execute this on your behalf and will require a follow-up signature from you at your next attendance. Any repeated breaches of the prescribed process may result in your child being excluded from the programme and/or a penalty fee of $5.00 per failed procedure being added to your account.

 

For safety and identification purposes, I consent to a photograph of my childs identity being taken by programme staff and uploaded into the Enrolmy database. I acknowledge and understand that this photo will not be disseminated publicly whatsoever and will only be used for its intended purpose by Schools Out staff members.

 

  

All medications administered to your child/children by the centre must be handed to the supervisor on arrival at the centre and must be signed in the Medication Register by a parent or guardian (see Administration of Medicine Policy). For safety reasons, medication must be within the expiry date and if prescribed by a Doctor, it must have the correct child/childrens name on it.

 

  

School's Out will ensure every effort is made to maintain the safety and security of your child while in our care and therefore we ask that all relevant details are recorded accurately on your childs online Enrolment Safety Form.

  

I acknowledge and understand that my booking with School's Out is not confirmed until it has been verified and accepted by the centre and I have completed an initial face-to-face meeting with a member of staff at the centre (for new customers), and also that my School's Out account has been deemed to be up-to-date and clear of any outstanding balances.

 

I declare that all information provided on the online Enrolment Safety Form, is true and correct and is not intended to mislead in any way. I will make the appropriate updates via the Enrolmy Parent Portal, or advise the centre as soon as possible, of any changes to the information contained therein.

 

Information provided by parents/guardians is required for statistical purposes, MSD audits, to ensure contact in an emergency and to facilitate individual care and attention for your child. Schools Out follows the principles of the Privacy Act 1993. As required by The Children Act 2014, this information may be shared with appropriate organisations if there are any concerns for the safety of a child or another family member.