Behaviour support

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Our behaviour support policy is underpinned by the following principles:

  • Strengths
    We focus on the STRENGTHS of children, caregivers and staff at all times, even when communicating about difficult issues or conflict. All human beings respond better to praise and support than they do to criticism and ‘management’. We invite caregivers to share an understanding that focuses on the strengths of the child and of our staff. All other behaviour support policies below should be read with this strengths-based framework in mind.
  • Community
    We think of each Jabiru Kids program as a small community of children and adults, including staff and caregivers. Being part of this community brings rights and responsibilities, and provides opportunities for children to learn important skills and ways of living happily with others.
  • Dialogue
    Discussion of a child’s behaviour is NOT a criticism of the parenting that child has received, and staff should never attempt to correct or advise a caregiver about parenting matters. This should not prevent staff from engaging in constructive dialogue with caregivers about ways that we can work collaboratively with them about their child.We encourage caregivers to feel free to discuss ways that your child’s behaviour is supported at home, or issues that may arise from time to time that could affect your child’s behaviour.
  • Relationship
    Staff, caregiver/s, and children will strive to maintain a positive, open and supportive relationship at all times so that most difficulties can be easily discussed and quickly resolved.
  • Understanding
    All human beings, regardless of age, are capable of momentary lapses of behaviour which may give offence, create risk, or cause harm to others. Usually, when we are reminded that our behaviour is causing offence, risk, or harm, we will overcome our momentary embarrassment, and agree to change our behaviour. Like adults, children live complex lives, and may have varying abilities to be aware of, or modify, their behaviour.

How we practice behaviour support

  • Our staff are trained in the developmental stages of children who attend Jabiru Kids, and will apply appropriate, age-relevant support and guidance strategies, which are consistent with the Philosophy Statement of Jabiru Kids.
  • A Community Code which is developed with caregivers and children, then discussed regularly with them, is placed in a clear position where everyone can see it.
  • Some instances of negative, careless, naughty, or over-exuberant behaviour will be classified as extremely minor, and will be dealt with as such within the everyday routine operation of the program.
  • A child may be warned about behaviour in public, but all discussions with children and caregivers about behaviour will be conducted in private. In particular, staff will not discuss a child’s behaviour, or any incident, in front of, or in the hearing of, other caregivers and children.
  • Staff will only discuss the behaviour of a child with their caregivers. No information will be given, or discussion entered into, about any other child, EXCEPT as required for a caregiver to inform staff about the behaviour of another child which is causing their own child harm. No caregiver will be given contact details for any other caregiver of a child involved in an incident.
  • When difficulties arise, staff, caregiver/s and the child will talk about improving their relationship and try to find positive ways to develop coping skills and reinforce positive behaviours for the child.
  • We do not ‘punish’ children, but may encourage the child to experience ‘consequences’ for any behaviour that affects the rights, safety or well-being of staff or of other children. By doing so, the dignity and rights of the child are respected by staff at all times, and any kind of demeaning punishment is forbidden.
  • Any form of physical punishment, such as withholding food, hitting, smacking, or washing a child’s mouth out with soapy water, is forbidden, even though Jabiru is aware that some general community standards of parenting may include some of these.
  • When a ‘consequence’ is imposed on a child as a result of behaviour that is contrary to the Community Code, it must always be meaningful to the child because it is directly relevant to the behaviour that has caused the problem. Consequences should never be arbitrarily punitive or demeaning. (For example: A child who has deliberately tripped and pushed another child could be supported to have age-appropriate reflective ‘time out’ during which the child has a specific task to think about what has happened, how it fits with the Community Code, what the consequence might be, and how different actions in the future could lead to different outcomes. A child who has deliberately wasted food may agree to lead a small research project about countries where there is not enough food. A child who has been found to be bullying another child may spend time making a poster about how children feel when they have been bullied and what they should do about it.) A ‘consequence’ is NOT a punishment, and child who is participating in a ‘consequence’ must never be treated as though they are being punished. Our staff NEVER ‘punish’ children. If such an action is considered necessary through dialogue between Jabiru Kids staff and caregivers, it must only be done by caregivers.
  • Caregivers will only be contacted about their child/s behaviour if it is a significant incident as defined below. If caregivers want a more active role in supporting their child’s behaviour they should discuss this with their local Program Site Manager, and describe the role they would like to have (such as when staff would phone the caregiver about a child).

Minor incidents
A MINOR INCIDENT includes:

  • Incidents contrary to the Community Code, of an entirely accidental, minor or lesser nature, or that are caused by behaviour that is inconsistent with a child’s usual good behaviour (Examples: A child playing soccer accidentally trips another child and the second child is not harmed. A child is over-excited and spills paint on the floor.)
  • Incidents contrary to the Community Code, that are persistent but are more annoying that dangerous or damaging (Example: A child who often speaks to other children while adults are giving instructions.)
  • Incidents that are related to the child’s personality, situation, and development but that are only concerning to that child and do not cause harm to property or others (Examples: A child who often cries when their caregiver is late picking them up. A very young child who has difficulty concentrating on complex group instructions. A child who has specific anxieties caused by the recent loss of frequent contact with a caregiver through divorce.)
  • A more serious accident contrary to the Community Code, that is judged to be an caused entirely by non-malicious carelessness or impulse that is inconsistent with a child’s usual good behaviour (Example: A child playing soccer accidentally trips another child who falls over and sustains a broken wrist. An older child who has never previously done anything similar, pushes a younger child out of the way whilst forming a queue.)

When a MINOR INCIDENT occurs:

  • Where the behaviour is contrary to the Community Code, the child will be reminded of the Code, asked if they have understood it and how it applies to the incident, and either invited to act in a way that is consistent with that Code, or engaged in a dialogue with Jabiru Kids staff or with other children about how they will act in the future.
  • If they do not understand the Code and how it applies to the incident, this will be explained to the child in an age-appropriate way; and
  • Staff will check with the child as to whether there is any matter which is causing them to behave in a way that is inconsistent with the Code and will attempt to deal with any arising matters as carefully and positively as possible; and
  • A small consequence may be imposed.

Major incidents
A MAJOR INCIDENT includes:

  • An incident contrary to the Community Code, deemed by the Program Site Manager to have created a substantial risk to the child, other children, property, or staff (Examples: A child hits another child with a large stick. A child throws a ball at a glass window. A child bullies another child or calls them a racist name.)
  • Repeated minor incidents contrary to the Community Code, that are a persistent or major disruption to the good order and operation of the Jabiru Kids program (Examples: A child is involved in repeated incidents of not listening to safety instructions given by Jabiru Kids staff. A child leaves the school grounds.)
  • Incidents contrary to the Community Code which show a repeated lack of understanding of the Community Code and a failure to attempt to understand it (Examples: A child repeatedly refuses to help clean up after activities. A child frequently uses abusive language towards other children or staff.)

When a MAJOR INCIDENT occurs:

  • The child will be reminded in an age-appropriate manner about the Community Code.
  • Staff will check carefully that the child understands how the Code applies to them and the current incident or repeated incidents.
  • The child will agree to remedy the outcome of the incident as far as possible through an apology or by making good the damage they have caused and a ‘consequence’ will be decided upon, to reinforce the unacceptability of the behaviour that caused the major incident.
  • The child will be asked what support they would like from others (including adults) in the Jabiru Kids community to help them to avoid other similar incidents.
  • An agreement will be reached with the child about how their behaviour will be different in any similar circumstance in the future.
  • Entirely at the discretion of the Program Site Manager, OR if the caregiver or child directly requests it, we can ask the caregiver and child to speak to each other on the phone as a way of assisting the child to focus on behaviours that are expected within the family and in the Community Code.
  • An entry will be made in the Behaviour Register and if any person has been harmed, an incident report will be completed.
  • A private face-to-face conversation will always take place between the Program Site Manager and the caregiver about all matters associated with the incident and how it has been handled, and agreement sought from the caregiver to use a strengths-based approach to reinforce the messages Jabiru Kids staff have been attempting to communicate.

Exclusion

  1. Under certain circumstances where it is clear that continuing a child’s attendance at a program places that child, staff or other children or adults in that community at risk, or under which a child may continue to experience failure, a decision may be made with the Director of Jabiru to exclude the child from the program. When a child is excluded, the length of time of exclusion must be made clear, and the time and circumstances under which the exclusion can be lifted must be explained to the caregiver/s and the child.
  2. The most likely cause for exclusion from a program will be an instance of major threat or risk to children or staff, or any repeat of dangerous behaviour that causes a physical or emotional threat of harm to children or staff.
    In the event of 1, above, the relative physical, emotional, or intellectual level of development of the child, or any threat to the employment of the caregiver, CANNOT be taken into consideration because we have an overwhelming responsibility to the safety of others including children, staff and caregivers.