Principle 10: Accommodation, Facilities & Equipment

Introduction

The following is one of a group of principles which recognise the particular needs of tamariki and rangatahi receiving health and disability support services. The principles describe what should be provided when your child or young person receives those services.

The principles are based on expert opinion and a considerable body of literature in Aotearoa New Zealand and overseas and they have been developed after wide consultation.

See a listing of 14 principles guiding provision of health and disability services

Children and young people receive healthcare in many different settings

Principle: Accommodation, facilities and equipment should meet the needs of tamariki (children) and rangatahi (young people). Facilities and equipment should be designed, provided and maintained to ensure children and young people's safety and emotional well-being. Accommodation for tamariki and rangatahi should be separate from that provided for adults.

Tamariki and rangatahi receive healthcare and disability services in many different settings, including:

• doctor surgeries
• community clinics
• outpatient clinics
• x-ray laboratories
• inpatient wards
• residential care

Although in some of these settings, tamariki and rangatahi may make up a small fraction of the overall client group, wherever they receive healthcare or disability support services, the location, design and equipment must be considered to ensure their well-being and safety.

What kind of environment do children and young people need?

Tamariki and rangatahi receiving health and disability services need an environment which:

• promotes health
• protects them from harm
• helps maintain their dignity
• is developmentally supportive
• values play and learning, and provides books, games and other recreational equipment
• encourages and respects continuing support from parents, whānau (family) and friends
• ensures they feel comfortable, both physically and emotionally
• nurtures their emotional wellbeing
• involves them in information sharing and decision making
• protects them, so far as possible, from sights and sounds that may cause needless anxiety, for example, ensures that clinical equipment is kept out of sight as much as possible

What kind of environment do children and young people need in residential settings?

When tamariki and rangatahi are in hospital or another residential healthcare facility, the accommodation, facilities and equipment should:

• meet their clinical needs
• provide for ongoing developmental experiences and education
• ensure their safety and emotional wellbeing
• be supportive of family involvement

Accommodation for tamariki and rangatahi should be separate from that provided for adults.

Tamariki and rangatahi need to be cared for with others of their own age. All tamariki should be cared for in children’s services, with access to play and recreational facilities, age-related toys, activities and equipment. Staff, of all disciplines, should be trained in caring for tamariki and rangatahi. Despite this having been established as a principle, older tamariki are still admitted to adult wards in hospitals at times, in particular for surgical specialties.

There should be:

• encouragement for you to stay with and support your child
• written advice on the facilities available and any policies for their use (for instance, in a ward book and/or leaflets)

You can also expect

• a bed for you to sleep in beside or as close to your child as desired
• that the facility is designed to enable you to be with your child before and after surgery
• privacy for breastfeeding
• a place for formula warming
• a place for nappy changing
• easily accessible parking facilities
• spaces and easy access for prams, pushchairs and wheelchairs with good access at all doors for wheelchairs and double pushchairs
• bathrooms, baths, showers and toilets with wheelchair and attendant access
• disability-friendly reception areas
• availability of refreshments
• a telephone for external calls
• laundry facilities
• a parents' sitting room
• access to a kitchen area
• an appropriately furnished and equipped playroom space
• recreation space for young people
• safe equipment and furniture, in areas accessible to tamariki