Fine issued after child walks out of after-school care

BYRON Bay Council has been fined $4500 after a child walked out of an after-school hours care service.

On December 8, 2017, a sixyear-old child left the Brunswick Heads Outside of Hours School Care service, which operates within the grounds of the Brunswick Heads School.

She left through an unfenced area used for people with disabilities between 5pm and 5.10pm.

Staff noticed she was missing about 5.10pm and started a search of the school. Public

She returned to the school grounds at 5.35pm with her mother.

Council self-reported the incident to the NSW Department of Education, which regulates Outside of Hours School Care services.

The department took action against council. On May 2, council pleaded guilty to the offence of failing to ensure that a child being educated and cared for by the service was adequately supervised at all times that the child was in the care of the service.

The maximum penalty is a fine of $50,000. The court found council had fully cooperated with the investigation and had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

They also found that council has restructured the facility to prevent a similar incident occurring and determined the breach was not flagrant.

Council was further fined $1500 and $750 for failing to comply with the conditions of its provider approval on two occasions by failing to give certain notices as to staff changes within the prescribed period.