Insurance and Accidents

New members must pay their fees within four weeks of joining ECP to ensure that each family is covered by insurance if there is an accident.

Each member must sign in and out each time they attend to ensure attendance records are kept for insurance purposes. The attendance books are located in the entry foyer. Failure to fulfil these requirements puts others at risk.

Public liability insurance is provided by Playgroup Victoria. If a member fails to sign in/out when using the centre, insurance coverage may be withdrawn if an accident occurs.

Any accidents or near misses should be reported to a Committee Member as soon as possible and recorded in the section provided at the back of the red folder. An online accident report can be also be filed (Accident and Incident Form). Details of the time, date and the incident must be supplied.

Cleaning and Tidying the Facility

Each group is responsible for leaving the Playgroup area clean and tidy by assisting with the tasks on the following checklist at the end of every session.

Inside

• Tidy up and put away all toys
• Vacuum the centre (carpet, lino, couches)
• Place furniture according to floor plan
• If bin is full, take rubbish out and replace with a new rubbish bag
• Wipe down train set and lock trains in drawer
• Shut all windows and doors
• Wash, dry and put away ALL dishes
• Wipe out microwave
• Wipe down bench tops and tables
• Clean high chairs and play pods thoroughly
• Alarm the building and close maindoor if building is empty

Outside

• Return outside toys to shed (shake sand from sand toys and dry water from wet toys)
• Collect rubbish
• Sweep outside area
• Cover sandpit
• Lock shed

Maintenance

If you notice that something is broken and needs repairing, there is a maintenance book hanging under the white board in the kitchen, for members to complete. Alternatively complete an online Maintenance Request form.

Annual Working Bee.

Each group will be asked to nominate a minimum of two volunteers annually to clean and tidy various aspects of the centre/resource areas. Additional working bees will be organised as needed with the same requirement for volunteers from each group.

Toys and Equipment

The toys and equipment are important resources and need to be cared for as if they were your own and always returned to the correct location. Every parent/carer is responsible for their children's use of the toys.

Padlocks

The outside sheds and external gates are fitted with coded padlocks. Each Group Representative is provided with the lock code and each of these items must be locked after each playgroup session. When open, the padlock is to be locked onto the door, so that the lock does not get lost or fall off.

Group Responsibilities

All groups and their members must contribute in the following ways:

• Members must register attendance by signing in and out of the attendance book on entering and leaving the building
• Groups must nominate two members as group
• Groups must be represented at all General Committee meetings by at least one member
• Groups must be represented by at least two members at the annual working bee and volunteering at all events
• Groups must maintain the playgroup area
• Groups must submit membership fees promptly and inform the Treasurer of any changes to member or group details
• Groups must ensure new members are made welcome
• Groups must ensure there are no children in the kitchen
• Groups must adhere to their allocated sesssion time (unless cross over sessions have been mutually agreed upon between two groups. In such a case, it is up to the groups involved to determine responsibility for cleanups, etc)

• Groups must have at least 10 paid members
• Groups must maintain average attendance of 6 members per session Failure of groups to meet these requirements may result in groups being merged with other groups, possible on a different day or time.

Playgroup should be an enjoyable, educational experience for all children and their parents. Members should ensure that children are always responsibly and appropriately supervised (Click to see our Behavioural Guidelines).

ECP accomodates a new playgroup every 4-6 weeks. These groups are formed from the new parents groups run by the local Maternal Child and Health Nurses. It is critical that these new parents are provided continuity of support in the early phases of parenthood and ECP is essential to this. This means that periodically ECP may need to merge existing groups.

In addition to meeting each groups responsibilities as outlined above, the following is considered:

Groups may also request to merge or change their session day or time. Such requests will be accommodated where possible. Each family must read and agree to abide by the rules set out in ECP Information Brochure and outlined above as well as pay their membership fees. Groups or individuals not following the rules or have unpaid membership fees risk being asked to leave the Playgroup.