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Holiday programme terms and conditions

Please notify the facility by phone on the day if your child is going to be late, or will not be attending.

Terms and conditions

By enrolling your child/children into the programme via EnrolMy, you agree to abide by the terms and conditions as set out by Wellington City Council (WCC) below.

1. Absences/late drop-offs

All absences or late drop-offs must be reported by phone to the Facility Manager/Programmes Team Leader of the programme no later than 8:30am on the day that your child has been booked to attend.

Please see below for a list of our facilities, their holiday programmes and phone numbers:

If your child is absent without notice, our staff will give you a call. You can ensure your contact details are up to date on EnrolMy.

2. Late pick ups

Children must be collected by the end of the day programme. This is 3:30pm*, unless they have been registered for aftercare.  

  • If a child is picked up more than 5 minutes late, a $5 late fee will apply. 
  • If a child is picked up more than 15 minutes late, a $15 late fee will apply 

These fees apply to both the day programme end time (3:30pm) and the aftercare end time (5:30pm). Please sign children out as soon as you enter the facility to avoid late fees.  

*1pm, at Kilbirnie Recreaction Centre  

3. Care after holiday programme activities

The Council offers school holiday programmes on weekdays between the hours of 8.30am and 3.30pm (8am at Ākau Tangi). Some of our holiday programmes offer after care, however this must be booked in advance, and comes at an additional cost.

To be eligible for an aftercare booking, children must be booked into and attend the day programme on that day. Bookings made for aftercare only, will not be accepted or refunded.  

Children enrolled in aftercare need to bring extra food to account for the longer stay.  

Children enrolled in aftercare must be picked up by 5:30pm, or else late pick up fees may be incurred as stated in Section 2.  

4. What are the payment terms?

All customers must pay the holiday programme fees in full at time of booking. This includes customers who may be applying for an OSCAR subsidy through Work & Income.

If you are eligible for a subsidy, it is your responsibility to ensure the paperwork is submitted to the Facility Manager/Programmes Team Leader for completion by entering the programme care details, then you must submit the completed form to Work & Income as soon as possible before the Holiday programme begins. All enrolments are to be completed through EnrolMy, have the WINZ Subsidy box ticked and be paid in full at the time of booking.

If Work & Income approves your subsidy and we receive their payment towards your booking, we will reimburse you directly the equivalent payment on completion of the programme.

The Council reserves the right to cancel a booking if payment is not received on, or before, the due date.

5. What happens if I want to withdraw my child?

5.a) Where a parent/caregiver wishes to withdraw a child from the programme, requests must be provided to the Facility Manager/Programmes Team Leader as follows:

(i) When notification is given with more than two working days but less that 10 working days before the commencement of the holiday programme* the fee for the booked day/s (full day and aftercare as applicable), will be credited to the parent/caregivers EnrolMy account, less an $8 administration fee for each day withdrawn. 

(ii) When notification is given within less than two working days of the commencement of the programme*, no refund, account credit or make up day will apply.

*The commencement of the programme being the first day of the holiday programme regardless of your child's first day of attending

6. What happens if I want to transfer my child to another day or to another Recreation Centre programme?

Transfers can only be made during the same school holiday period, and if another day/programme has availability. No additional fees apply for approved transfers.

You can request a transfer by contacting the facility (as above), or by emailing recreation@wcc.govt.nz.

7. What happens if my child is sick or absent?

When a child is unable to attend the programme, the parent/caregiver must notify the facility by phone no later than 8:30am on the morning of the day booked. Failure to notify the facility by this time will make you ineligible for a refund.

Please do not email this information - phone calls are required to ensure that staff are informed promptly of your child's absence. 

  • If parent/caregivers have concerns that a child may be unwell, this information must be shared with Council staff on or prior to arrival.
  • Any unwell child will be turned away from the programme at the discretion of the Facility Manager/Programmes Team Leader. The parent/caregiver will be requested to take the child home.
  • To help prevent other children getting ill, please do not attend any holiday programme for at least 48 hours after any symptoms of a contagious illness.
  • Ministry of Health and Government guidelines must be followed by all children attending and their households.

7.a) One day illness cancellation: If a child is unable to attend a day of the programme due to illness, the parent/caregiver must notify the Facility Manager/Programmes Team Leader by 8:30am by phone on the day of the booking. Given that the facility has been notified as per the terms above, the council will issue an account credit in EnrolMy equivalent to one programme fee (full day and aftercare as applicable), less an $8 administration fee.

7.b) Multiple day illness cancellations: In the instance that a child will miss two or more consecutive days due to illness, a medical certificate must be presented* in order for a refund or credit to be applied. Given that a medical certificate has been supplied, a refund for each day missed, less the $8 administration fee (per day) will be credited to the parent/caregiver’s EnrolMy account.

*Note: Medical certificates need to be presented within 5 working days of the non-attendance.

7.c) Early Collection due to illness/injury: In the event a child becomes unwell or injures themselves and can no longer participate in the programme, parents/caregivers will be required to collect the child or make alternative arrangements (see 11. Emergency Contacts and Collection Requirement). Any credit for an early collection  will be at the discretion of the Facility Manager/Programmes Team Leader.  

7.d) Bereavement cancellation: In the event of bereavement, refunds or account credits may be granted by the Facility Manager/Programmes Team Leader at his or her discretion.

7.e) Cancellation of the Programme/programme days: The Facility Manager/Programmes Team Leader reserves the right to cancel or postpone or vary the programme, waitlists and enrolments at his or her discretion.

8. Refunds 

All credit and refund requests are subject to the approval and discretion of the Facility Manager/Programmes Team Leader. Credits and refunds will be considered in the following circumstances:

Refunds may only be given if:

  • A child moves outside of the Wellington area,
  • A child surpasses the maximum age to attend the programme,
  • A medical certificate is supplied relating to section 7a and 7b,
  • A child sustains an injury or illness** which prevents them from continuing to participate in the programme, (at the discretion of the Facility Manager/Programmes Team Leader),
  • Whereby WCC cancels or postpones the programme for any unforeseen extraordinary circumstance.

** Refer to section 5 and section 7 points 7a, 7b and 7c.

9. What is expected of my child attending the programme?

9.a) Children are expected to follow all instructions from Council staff when preparing for and taking part in the programme and while visiting the facility. WCC staff follow a 5 step behaviour management plan that focuses on positive reinforcement and offers children the opportunity to take ownership of their behaviour. WCC may exclude children who continually behave in a manner which is disruptive, unsafe to themselves,  other children, or staff, or if they refuse to follow instructions from Council staff. Continuous misbehaviour or actions of misdemeanour may result in refusal to continue in the programme on the day, and future participation in WCC holiday programmes will be at the Facility Manager/Programmes Team Leaders discretion. 

9.b) Children are to stay within the facility premises at all times. The only exception to this is on trip days or outside the facility on surrounding park or playground, where children will be accompanied by staff. It is expected that when outside of the facility (e.g. trip days)  all children are to follow the instructions of staff at all times. Any behaviour that puts themselves, other children or staff at risk will not be tolerated and will follow the 5 step management plan as described in 9.a.

10. What health and safety rules apply?

10.a) All holiday programmes are OSCAR accredited, with the exception of Ākau Tangi Sports Centre’s Sporting Skills and Break Out programmes.

10.b) Transportation methods vary, including public transportation, private taxi charters, private coach hires and walking. By accepting these terms & conditions you agree to the transportation methods used by the programme provider.

10.c) Parent/caregivers must provide adequate food and a water bottle for their child. Children will not be permitted to leave the programme to buy food during the day (exception of Ākau Tangi Sports Centre Break Out programme where staff will accompany children).  

To avoid allergic reactions or intolerances - sharing of food is not permitted without caregivers' consent. Reception must be notified at the beginning of the day.  

10.d) Appropriate footwear (socks and shoes), and clothing suitable for the weather on the day must be worn. Crocs and slides/sliders are not permitted for trip days. Please ensure to check the day’s activities ahead of time so that you can plan clothing/shoes appropriately.

10.e) Council staff will take all reasonable steps to ensure the health and safety of children while they participate in all Wellington City Council holiday programmes. Staff will manage all injuries in accordance with our Policies and Procedures. Staff will record all incidents and gather private information as per OSCAR accreditation. Parents/caregivers will be required to sign off any incident reports relating to their child at the conclusion of the days programme.  

10.f) Only suitable movies rated G or PG (Parent/caregiver guidance recommended) may be shown to children. All PG movies will be previewed and approved by a staff member.

Note: There is an exception to this guideline for the Break Out programme at the Ākau Tangi Sports Centre.

10.g) In conjunction with the Council, the parent/caregiver shall take reasonably practicable steps to ensure the risks to health and safety of people are eliminated, or if not possible, minimised as required by the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. The Council will communicate any hazards and risks known to be associated with the facility prior to the programme commencing.

10.h) Children are required to wear or bring sunscreen and a hat every day to wear outside. Staff will make sunscreen available to children before every outing. Assistance with providing and applying sunscreen will be in accordance with our self-care policy.

10.i) Council staff will ensure that all children are provided with a health and safety briefing at the commencement of each day of the programme.

10.j) All children must comply with any notice or direction given by Council staff relating to the control, safe use, security and protection of the facility.

10.k) Parent/caregivers must ensure that any medical conditions or allergies are disclosed on EnrolMy, and that adequate arrangements are in place to manage these. 
This form also provides an opportunity for parents/caregivers to inform staff of any additional information that could improve the childs experience on the programme and help staff to manage any specific needs.

10.l) All Council sites are vape and smoke free areas.

10.m) If requested by staff, parents/guardians must provide photo identification when signing out a child.

11. Emergency Contacts and Collection Requirements

11.a) In case of an emergency at the venue your child is attending, staff will follow specific policy and procedures guidelines. These are available upon request.

11.b) All children enrolled in our programmes are required to have one main point of contact and two additional emergency contacts. To ensure we are able to contact a parent/caregiver please provide these contacts in the  EnrolMy safety form. These contacts are expected to be willing and able to collect the child, in circumstances of emergency, illness, or behavioural escalations. 

11.c) In an event where the primary contact and additional emergency contacts are unable to collect the child, it is the primary contacts responsibility to arrange alternative collection and inform staff of this decision verbally and confirm via email in a timely manner. 

Council staff may be required to activate internal policies and procedures after all efforts of contact for collection have been exhausted, to ensure the safety of the child, staff and other children on the programme. 

11.d) Ākau Tangi Sports Centre Only: For older children attending Ākau Tangi Sports Centre Breakout programme, please also supply staff with the attending child’s personal mobile phone number.

11.e) If your child has permission to walk to and from the facility at the start or end of the days programme - written permission must be given by the parent/caregiver prior to the programme commencing. You must also have a check in place with the facility to ensure the child reach their destination.

12. Medication

12.a) To dispense medicine to a child the medicine must be directly supplied by the parent/guardian and handed to Council staff upon arrival. (Medication must be contained in the original packaging with the child's name, name of medication and dosage/frequency required or a photograph retained of the original packaging with the name of the child and dosage once the original packaging has been sighted)

12.b) The parent/caregiver must complete a medical consent form provided by the facility, giving permission for Council staff to dispense medicine to the child. Any remaining medication must be taken home at the end of the days programme. The facility will not hold the medication overnight.

12.c) In the instance a participant has an inhaler the parent/caregiver can choose to have the participant or supervisor responsible for the inhaler. Refer to 12.b

13. General

13.a) Toys should be left at home unless a request has been made for particular items to be brought along.

13.b) Mobile phones should be left at home where possible. If a device needs to be bought to the programme, all devices are to remain in the childs bag unless authorised and agreed between the Facility Manager and the parent/caregiver. All contact is to be made with the centre and not personally to a child's mobile phone. Break Out programme is an exception to this clause.

13.c) Copies of policies and procedures will be available at all venues for parents to view.

13.d) Wellington City Council and the Facility Manager/Programmes Team Leader reserve the right to vary these terms and conditions or to impose further conditions at any time.

13.e) You acknowledge that Wellington City Council may review and increase fees through review of the Annual Plan or Long Term Plan.

13.f) You acknowledge that as Wellington City Council Holiday Programmes are OSCAR accredited, any personal information supplied to Wellington City Council may be shared with Oranga Tamariki, the Ministry of Social Development, and Te Kāhui Kāhu.

14. What happens if something gets damaged?

The Council staff will not be liable and will not accept liability for any loss or damage arising (by way of accident, injury, theft or otherwise) suffered by any person resulting from visiting the facility, or otherwise participating in any programme or activity at the facility, but every care will be taken.