Safe practice with children
QA2, QA3, QA4, QA6, And QA7
Emergency Procedures, Safe Arrival, Collection, Transitions, And Travel
Emergency procedures, safe arrival, collection, excursions, regular outings, transport, outdoor safety, and transitions between spaces protect children during higher-risk moments. Staff need to know local procedures, maintain active supervision, check authorisations carefully, and act immediately if a child is missing, unaccounted for, or at risk.
Emergency Procedures And Safe Transitions
Know The Process Before It Is Needed
Staff need to understand the local service procedures that protect children during emergency responses, evacuations, lockdowns, arrivals, departures, outdoor routines, water safety, excursions, regular outings, transport, safe arrival, and collection.
These procedures rely on active supervision, clear communication, accurate attendance records, careful checking, and speaking up immediately when something is unclear, incomplete, concerning, or unsafe.
Higher-Risk Moments
Some Routines Need Extra Checking
Children’s safety can be affected quickly when children are moving between rooms, play spaces, gates, vehicles, outdoor areas, public places, authorised adults, or emergency situations.
Emergency exits, evacuation routes, assembly areas, and emergency equipment
Who gives direction during an emergency, evacuation, lockdown, or urgent service response
Attendance records, head count processes, and roll check procedures
Delivery, collection, authorised nominee, court order, and safe handover information
Sun protection and outdoor safety procedures
Water safety procedures
Excursion, regular outing, transport, and safe arrival procedures
What to do if a child is missing, unaccounted for, or at immediate risk
Pause If Something Is Unclear
If an authorisation, collection arrangement, transition process, emergency direction, travel arrangement, or safety procedure is unclear, incomplete, concerning, or unsafe, staff must pause, keep children supervised, and seek guidance before proceeding.
Know
Know The Local Procedure
Know where emergency exits, evacuation routes, assembly areas, emergency equipment, attendance records, authorisation information, and safe arrival or collection procedures are located at your service.
Check
Check Before Children Move, Leave, Or Travel
Check attendance, authorisations, court orders, identity where required, head counts, supervision arrangements, risk assessments, and service procedures before children transition between spaces, leave the service, travel, or are collected.
Act
Act Immediately When Needed
If a child is in immediate danger, urgent medical help is needed, emergency services are required, or a child is missing or unaccounted for, act immediately and follow emergency procedures.
Emergency Response
Emergency Response
Emergency Procedures Must Be Known Before They Are Needed
Staff should know how to respond to serious injury, illness, allergic reaction, asthma attack, seizure, evacuation, lockdown, missing child, unsafe collection concern, or any other urgent risk.
Staff must know who gives direction during an emergency, evacuation, lockdown, or urgent service response, where to go, how children are accounted for, and how supervision continues during the response.
Call 000
If There Is Immediate Danger Or Urgent Medical Need
Call 000 first if a child is in immediate danger, urgent medical help is needed, or emergency services are required.
Quick Guide
Emergency Response Staff Guide
Open this guide for practical reminders about what staff must do during an emergency response.
Sun Protection And Water Safety
Sun Protection
Sun Protection Is Part Of Health And Safety
Staff must follow NERPSA’s Sun Protection Policy and local service procedures whenever children are outdoors or moving between indoor and outdoor spaces.
- check the UV level or follow the service’s current sun protection process;
- support children to wear suitable hats and clothing;
- use shade where possible;
- apply or support the use of sunscreen according to service procedure and family permissions;
- monitor children for heat stress, dehydration, fatigue, or discomfort.
Water Safety
Water Safety Requires Close Supervision
Water can create serious risk, even when the amount of water is small. Staff must actively supervise children around water, empty or remove water containers when required, and consider children’s age, mobility, curiosity, impulsivity, and individual needs.
Water safety is a required policy area under the National Regulations.
Quick Guide
Water Safety Staff Guide
Open this guide for practical reminders about what staff must do around water.
Delivery, Collection, And Authorisations
Safe Collection
Children Must Only Leave The Service Safely And Lawfully
Staff must follow NERPSA procedures for children’s arrival, attendance, delivery, and collection.
Staff must check authorised nominees, relevant court orders or parenting arrangements, identity where required, sign-out requirements, and safe handover before a child leaves the service.
Children must not be released where an arrangement is unclear, incomplete, concerning, unsafe, or inconsistent with a legal, service, or authorisation requirement.
Do Not Release
If Anything Is Unclear, Incomplete, Concerning, Or Unsafe
Do not release the child. Keep the child supervised and seek guidance from the Responsible Person, Nominated Supervisor, person in day-to-day charge, Education Manager, NERPSA Manager, or approved provider representative before proceeding.
Quick Guide
Acceptance And Refusal Of Authorisations
Open this guide for reminders about when authorisations need to be checked carefully before staff proceed.
Excursions, Regular Outings, Transport, And Safe Arrival
Safe Transitions And Travel
Leaving The Usual Service Environment Needs Careful Planning
Excursions, regular outings, transport, and safe arrival processes create additional child safety and supervision risks because children may be moving between rooms, outdoor spaces, gates, paths, vehicles, public spaces, or services.
Staff must follow approved procedures, risk assessments, authorisations, supervision arrangements, attendance records, head counts, roll checks, first aid and medication requirements, and communication processes.
Plan
Authorise
Check
Supervise
Record
Quick Guide
Safe Transitions And Travel Guide
Open this guide for practical checks connected to transitions between spaces, excursions, regular outings, transport, and safe arrival.
Missing Or Unaccounted-For Child
Immediate Action
Do Not Delay Or Assume
If a child is missing, unaccounted for, cannot be located, has not arrived as expected, is not where they should be, or may be at immediate risk, staff must act immediately and follow emergency and service procedures.
Staff should not delay action by assuming the child is with someone else, waiting until the end of a routine, or relying on memory. Other children must continue to be supervised while the response is escalated.
Urgent Action
If A Child Is Missing Or Unaccounted For
Act immediately, notify the appropriate service leader, maintain supervision of other children, follow emergency procedures, and call 000 if there is immediate risk or emergency assistance is required.
Immediate Response
Raise the concern straight away. Follow the service process for a missing or unaccounted-for child and do not delay escalation.
Supervision Continues
Other children must remain supervised while the response is managed. Roles and communication need to be clear.
Attendance And Locations
Use attendance records, head counts, roll checks, sign-in/sign-out information, room checks, yard checks, transport checks, and known transition or travel information.
Records And Notification
Complete required records and notifications according to NERPSA policy, service procedure, and regulatory requirements.
NERPSA Policies Connected To This Section
Policy Connection
Policies That Support Emergency, Collection, Safe Transitions, And Travel Practice
Key connected policies include Emergency and Evacuation, Incident, Injury, Trauma and Illness, Sun Protection, Water Safety, Delivery and Collection of Children, Acceptance and Refusal of Authorisations, Excursions and Service Events, Transportation of Children, Safe Arrival of Children, Supervision of Children, Child Safe Environment and Wellbeing, Staffing, and Privacy and Confidentiality.
Use the current NERPSA policies on the main NERPSA website and follow local service procedures. If something is unclear, keep children supervised and ask before proceeding.
Useful Resources
ACECQA Emergency And Evacuation
Guidance about emergency and evacuation procedures in education and care services.
Open ResourceACECQA Active Supervision
Guidance about active supervision, safety, and children’s learning.
Open Resource
Required Induction Activity
Connect Emergency, Collection, Safe Transitions, And Travel Procedures To Your Service Orientation
At your service orientation, make sure you know where to find or how to check:
- emergency exits, evacuation routes, assembly areas, and emergency equipment;
- who gives direction during an emergency, evacuation, lockdown, or urgent service response;
- attendance records, head count processes, and roll check procedures;
- delivery, collection, authorised nominee, court order, and safe handover information;
- what to do if a collection arrangement is unclear, incomplete, concerning, or unsafe;
- sun protection and water safety processes;
- excursion, regular outing, transport, and safe arrival procedures if these apply at your service;
- what to do if a child is missing, unaccounted for, or at immediate risk.
If you are unsure where something is located or how a process works, ask before proceeding.
Emergency, Collection, Transition, And Travel Routines Rely On Active Supervision
Safe practice is built through planning, authorisation, checking, active supervision, head counts, roll checks, safe handover, clear records, and immediate action when a child is missing, unaccounted for, or at risk.