mcsa - excerpt from annual report 11-12 9 2012

7/31/2019 MCSA - Excerpt From Annual Report 11-12 9 2012

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Mobile Childrens Services Association of NSW Inc.

Excerpt from 2011/2012 Annual Report

Association Report for 2011/2012

Introduction

This document is primarily the report of the Associations Mobiles ResourcingProject [The Project], authored by the Associations Executive Officer, aboutthe activities of the Project over the last year: July 2011 to June 2012.

The report also provides information regarding the operations, governanceand management of the Association.

The report is an output and process evaluation of the work of the Project aswell as a strategic analysis that raises issues and points to the work for2012/2013.

MCSA has been working on an outcomes evaluation in 2011/2012 which willbe kicked off in 2012/2013, including external evaluation.

The report is also a history of the many aspects of the Association over theyears: Retain your history! See later for a history of the funding of the Project.

From September 1996, the NSW Government funded Mobiles ResourcingProject has carried out the majority of the resourcing and advocacy work of

the Association. The funded project carries out the objectives of theAssociation [See inside cover of this report], as directed and supervised bythe Associations management committee. The management committee, withmembers located throughout NSW, has taken on the traditional governancerole of project oversight and contributing to public policy development fromtheir grounded perspective.

The NSW Department of Education and Communities [DEC] providessignificant funds for the Mobiles Resourcing Project which includes funding forthe Associations annual conference, the Mobile Meet.

This report covers the work of the Executive Officer [Tim Keegan], Early

Childhood Project Officer [Melissa Bridges] and Bookkeeper/AdministrationOfficer [Dianne Hansen to September 2011 and Lauren Highfield fromNovember 2011].

As with every year, 2011/2012 has been stimulating, productive &challenging. The Project provides a great variety of activities: Directlysupporting Mobile Childrens Services on a range of issues, facilitating a flowof information on topical issues [Filtered and adapted for Mobile Service use],mentoring staff & committee members, developing Mobile Service specificresources, providing Mobile Service specific training, working at policy levelwith governments, decision-makers & colleagues in the sector, facilitatingnetworking, facilitating training, facilitating Mobile Meet, PR and

troubleshooting.


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Mobile Childrens Services Association of NSW Inc. Excerpt: 2011/2012 Annual Report

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Troubleshooting is strongly related to the difficulties & fragility of communitymanagement, particularly for smaller services, often compounded by constantchange as well as increasing accountability requirements and responsibilitiesas well as the usual underfunding/Over-servicing on the funds available.

Part of this is the difficulty many services have matching their level of

demand, level of service delivery, quality of service deliver and back-roomtasks with their level of revenue, often overstretching service delivery becauseof the diversity of need and high demand: Nobody wants to say no. Thisremains a constant in MCSAs resourcing work.

Continuing themes in 2011/2012 have included:

Being at the centre of a web focused on a vast flow of information Supporting services through various licensing and monitoring processes.

There are good attitudes on both sides of the regulatory fence, with allstakeholders focusing on the absolute value of providing access toservices to children and their parents in isolated circumstances in non-purpose built facilities: Access//Safety//Quality.

Supporting services on their WH&S duties, particularly manual handling,premise [Venue] safety and, from January 2012, information and trainingon the new WH&S legislation.

Supporting services on financial management and service developmentmatters in an environment of rising real costs and increasing demand forboth the amount and type of service delivery [ie: Aiming to address adiverse expression of community need].

Putting on hold the Administrators Network support activity, a strategy thatspecifically supports administrators and bookkeepers in their crucial workat Mobile Service bases, as funding was only available from carryover

and the skilled worker, Di Hansen, left in September 2011 after 15 monthsin the role Supporting these small businesses on governance and management Supporting services on staff issues, particularly referral on the bedding

down of Modern Award and transitional IR arrangements and satisfying therequirements of the childrens services regulation, both pre and post 1stJanuary 2012 when the new regulation was introduced.

Supporting services on a million and one early childhood practices, mainlyby information and referral

Supporting services through the development of the supplementaryprovision regulation and its introduction from 1st January 2012

Supporting licensed Mobile Services in their preparations for a transition to

the National Quality Framework, sometime after 2014 Continuing presentations on Mobile Services at tertiary institutions with the

objective of inspiring students to become Mobilers, eventually. Tracking and contributing to the development of public policy for the

Federally funded Mobile Services, through support of their nationalassociation.

Tracking and contributing to the funding of Preschools in NSW throughcontributing to the Brennan Review of ECEC funding

Tracking & contributing to the development of national early childhoodpolicy including the National Quality Framework, consultation on the DraftNational Regulation, working out the fit of Mobiles as out-of-scope in theNQF & contributing to Productivity Commissions ECD Workforce Study.

Tracking the implementation of the newly developed licensing policy forMobile Services.

Connecting policy makers to services, so that the value and potential ofMobile Childrens Services is recognized.


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The redevelopment aims to assist with better service planning and evaluation,particularly external evaluation.

MCSAs primary stakeholders are Mobile Childrens Services and our firstresponsibility is to the incorporated bodies of the Mobile Services. This meanswe work with committees, management bodies and staff but we focus on the

survive and thrive of the Mobile Service organisation.

The Impact or long term outcomes MCSA wants to achieve are:

Mobiles Services are strong organisations Mobile Services stakeholders are capable people Mobile Service stakeholders are connected and Public policy is sound in the support of access to and the operations of

Mobile Services

MCSAs primary stakeholders are Mobile Services working with their primarystakeholders: Children, families and communities in isolated circumstances. Indoing this we engage with any other stakeholder, government, non-government or private who supports our work.

Theory of change 1: In achieving these Impacts, short term outcomes areachieved through Activities leading to increased knowledge, skills, motivationand confidence.

Theory of change 2: In turn, changes in knowledge, skills, confidence andmotivation are assumed to lead to the medium term outcome of stakeholderstaking action to address practices or issues.

An external evaluation in 2012/2013 will assess the Impacts, Activities and thetheory of change on select Activities.

The Mobiles Resourcing Project: Service delivery areas

The MRP has three service delivery areas with numerous activities related tothe support of Mobile Services and one activity area related to the governanceand management of the Association.

Influence Connect Develop

Govern and manage MCSA

The Mobiles Resourcing Project: The work in 2012/2013:

1. Influence

Impact: Public policy is sound in support of access to Mobile Services & theiroperations

Objective: To provide timely, representative & well informed input into policydevelopment that supports access to Mobile Services & their operationsincluding advocacy for individual Mobile Services.


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This Activity aims to ensure that public policy is sound for the operation of andaccess to Mobile Services. It focuses on consultation with Mobile Services andengagement with general, government and non-government organisationstakeholders.Dealing with public policy is a core task of Executive Officer role.

For convenience, as the issues appear in all the sections of the followingInfluence activity area, this report outlines the activity of the MRP on thevarious public policy issues and some historical matters in the next section,1.1.1 Inform.

From the foundation of Informing services, MCSA Consulted, Advocated andthen worked with government and non-government stakeholders.

As all the issues have a long history. Sections 6 and 7 provide a historyregulation and funding matters: Keep the history.

1.1 Inform, consult & represent Mobile Childrens Services on strategic& public policy issues

This Activity is focused on ensuring that Mobile Services are kept informedand their voice heard in the development of sound public policy.

The tasks are to keep Mobile Services informed about public policy/strategicissues, to consult with and represent Mobile Services and to advocate for themcollectively and individually.

1.1.1 Informed

The work in 2011/2012 involved keeping the services informed on a range ofstrategic issues.

It is useful to describe the history: See Sections 6 and 7 for the recent historyof the two most critical issues, regulation and funding.

Most information was supplied through e-letters broadcast to all MobileServices and then through consultation papers and then throughcommunication with individual services as well as discussion at regionalmeetings and delivery of workshops [WH&S].

Many of these issues were also the subject of consultation and representation

See later.

The top public policy and strategic issues in 2011/2012 were:

[i] Reviews of the Childrens Services regulation[s] relevant to MobileServices

There were several reviews of childrens services legislation in 2011/2012,continuing from 2010/2011 and now into 2012/2013.

These reviews were held in the shadow of the development andimplementation [From 1.1.2012] of the National Quality Framework where

licensed Mobile Services are currently out-of-scope.


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There are 60 licensed Mobile Childrens Services in NSW, serving hundreds ofcommunities and thousands of children, amongst 3,500 licensed childrensservices in NSW: Small in number but great in coverage.

MCSA is keen that licensed Mobile Services retain their flexibility and areregarded as good quality, fit for purpose childrens services, not a poor cousin

in the ECEC service system. As such, licensed Mobiles need to be subject tomost of the standards applicable to centre-based services.

MCSA believes that the NSW Governments mechanism for licensing MobileChildrens Services and dealing with non-compliant venues on a riskmanagement basis [Venue Management Plans] is the best of any Australianjurisdiction.

See Section 6 for a history of regulation matters up to mid-2011.

In lieu of a complete review of the Childrens Services Regulation 2004 in2010/2011, stymied because of an earlier than expected COAG agreement onthe National Quality Framework, the NSW Government opted to amend theregulation, introducing some mooted administrative aspects of the nationalsystem including better ratios for under two year olds from January 2011.

All licensed childrens services in NSW operated under this amendedregulation for 2011, marking time until the NQF legislation came into forcefrom 1st January 2012, at least for those services in-scope for the NQF.

2011 was therefore a year of development and finalisation of the NationalRegulation [The National Law was finalized in late 2010], National QualityStandard and attendant ratings and assessment system under the NQF.

MCSA was part of the NSW Governments NQF Reference Group which wasa consultation group supporting resourcing the sector rather than direct inputinto legislation or system development.

By the by, MCSA tracked the development of the National legislation andsystem, attending many NSW NQF reference Group meetings and readingmany pieces of legislation, including submissions [April 2011 on the draftNational Regulation] and comment on this Federally led initiative.

The DEC NQF Reference Group continued into early 2012 as the newNational Law and Regulation was introduced from 1st January 2012.

MCSA paid close attention to the development of the new system because itwas likely that Mobile Services would come under the NQF after 2014.

In parallel with the development of the national system, through the sameNSW NQF Reference Group, MCSA worked with DEC and other non-NQFservices [Occasional Care and some Indigenous services], to develop a newAct and Regulation for non-NQF services which was to be operational from 1stJanuary 2012 when the NQF legislation began and the old legislation was tobe repealed.

DEC consulted on the post-January 2012 non-NQF regulation in mid-2011,

providing a Discussion Paper [New Act & new regulation].


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MCSAs principles were that the standards in the new legislation would not belower than the current NSW legislation and, if the National legislation hadhigher standards, this should be in the new out-of-scope legislation.

MCSA provided a submission for the development of the new out-of-scopelegislation in mid-2011 and then a final submission in late 2011 when an

exposure draft was consulted on.

The process of the consultation and the results were good for Mobiles in thatthe new non-NQF legislation aligned several major administrative aspects ofthe NQF legislation and retained the higher standards of the previous NSWChildrens Services Regulation 2004: Easier transition!

The early part of 2012 was spent resourcing Mobile Services on the newSupplementary Provisions Act and Regulation.

As the new Childrens [Education and Care Services] SupplementaryProvisions Act 2011 and Childrens [Education and Care Services]Supplementary Provisions Regulation 2004 provided no great changes inoperational terms to the previous legislation, MCSA informed the servicesthrough e-letters for the most part.

DEC set up an NQF Partnership Group in May 2012 to support the roll-out ofthe NQF.

Thank you to DEC staff who ran a good show in consulting, designing andjumping through the parliamentary hoops to get the new non-NQF legislationup and running by 1st January 2012. Once again, NSW has shown that it hasthe best Mobile Service system and regulation in Australia. Brilliant! Cut!

Overall, MCSA is clear that the NSW Government and departmental officersvalue the work of licensed Mobiles. This is important if Mobiles are to retainthe flexibility needed to work in non-purpose built/non-compliant facilities.

[ii] The Department of Education & Communities Mobiles Licensing Policy

Arising from several discussions about the definition of Mobile Services in thepre-January 2012 legislation, 2010 saw the development by NSW CommunityServices of a policy for licensed Mobiles. This was consulted on, completed bySeptember 2010 and has proven useful. The Project provided several writtencomments and had meetings with the Department.

Within several constraints, centre-based services are able to auspice one-venue outreach Mobile Services, outreaching into under-serviced areas.MCSA expects that most of these will eventually pick up two venues, meetingone of MCSAs main criteria for being licensable as a Mobile, having at leasttwo venues.

This flexibility is likely to prove useful as the work continues to get MobilePreschools into under-serviced communities, however, it is yet to be seen howthe Mobiles Licensing Policy has fared under the new definition of MobileChildrens Service in the National Legislation and NSWs SupplementaryProvisions legislation for state regulated childrens services: Something to

work on in 2012/2013.

MCSA has kept services informed about this policy.


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[iii] Development & implementation of the regulatory aspect of the NQF

As noted above and described in Section 6, MCSA contributed to referencegroups assisting in NSWs response to the NQF and in a partnership groupsupporting resourcing in NSW.

Mobile Services were kept informed through e-letters, website articles, socialmedia, regional meetings, some regional training, phone discussions andactivities at Mobile Meet 2011.

As a member of the NQF Partnership Group, MCSA has kept Mobile Servicesin the loop about the NQF through e-letters.

Congratulations to everyone involved in the development of the NQF. DEEWRand DEC staff have produced a fantastic effort in getting this show on theroad. Generations of children and parents and their communities will benefit.Mobiles Services in NSW want to be part of this system.

[iv] Preparation for Mobile Services transitioning into the NQF

MCSA participated in various forums and reference groups and contributedsubmissions during the development of the NQF.

All the while, MCSA kept an eye on how licensed Mobile Services couldtransition to the NQF in coming years. The COAG partnership agreementunderlying the NQF is up for review in 2014 and this will be a vehicle to arguefor the inclusion of licensed Mobile Services in the NQF.

MCSA noted in its early 2011 submission on the consultation draft of the

National Regulation that the mechanism of service waivers on physicalenvironment seems like a useful substitute for the Venue Management Plansof the current arrangement.

MCSA has also looked at the various components of the NQF and hasdeveloped a broad strategy for Mobile Services to be NQF ready:

2012: Mobiles implement the Early Years Learning Framework 2013: Mobiles implement the National Quality Standardinto their practice 2014: Mobiles trial the ratings & assessment system through

development of a Quality Improvement Plan

This has brought to bear all the various resourcing activities listed in ActivityArea 2: Develop and will deepen over the coming years.

The Early Years Learning Framework [EYLF] element of the NQF waslaunched in mid-2009, is a well accepted framework, is a key element in thenew system and its use a standard to achieve.

MCSA has encouraged Mobiles to learn and implement the EYLF to kick starttheir transition to the NQF. The EYLF is a useful tool, directly addressing theProgram Quality Area of the National Quality Standardand informing aspectsof other Quality Areas.

Work on the NQF in 2011/2012 proceeded at an early stage on thedevelopment of the NQF ratings and assessment system. The system hashad several cycles of development, piloting and review.


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MCSA has only tracked this loosely to end-2011 as licensed Mobiles wouldntbe subject to the system until sometime in 2014/2015 and it seemed that therewas a long way to go.

MCSA has tracked this more closely recently as the system rolled out withNQF services from June 2012.

The final documentation of the ratings and assessment system, published inlate 2011, provides useful guides on indicators of quality and will help theeventual transition of Mobiles to the new system.

MCSA has also advised Mobile Services to focus on the National QualityStandards rather than the letter of the National Regulation as there are stilldifferences between the National and supplementary provisions Regulation.

Throughout the last few years, MCSA has provided Mobiles with a lot ofinformation about the NQF and encouraged services to attend information andtraining sessions offered by all providers.

Mobile Services were kept informed through e-letters, website articles, socialmedia, regional meetings, some regional training, phone discussions andactivities at Mobile Meet 2011.

In particular, Mobile Meet 2011 workshops had the EYLF as foundational.Workshops at Mobile Meet 2012 will be underlain by the EYLF and theNational Quality Standards.

[v] Administration of NSW Government funding of Mobile Services

See Section 7 for a history of the funding of the NSW Preschool sector andMobile Preschools to mid-2011. MCSAs briefing papers and submissions arealso available on the website.

Following is what happened in 2011/2012. MCSA kept Mobile Services up todate through e-letters, individual support, website articles, ConsultationPapers, Briefing Papers and a submission to the Brennan Review.

2011/2012 and 2012/2013 are set to be the game changer for NSWsPreschool service system. Successive governments of all typesneglected the system for decades.

A change of government in March 2011 led to various immediateadministrative changes to the system, significantly more Universal Accessfunds became available from the Feds and, most importantly, there was areview of the NSW governments funding of ECE services.

MCSA started off 2011/2012 by meeting with the new Minister for Educationand Communities, Adrian Piccoli, in June 2011, providing a briefing paper withsome focus on Preschool funding and the opportunities provided by the Mobilemodel of service delivery.

MCSA developed a comprehensive briefing paper on the administration &opportunities of a service system approach to NSW Preschools in June 2011.


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The Minister announced a review of NSW ECE funding, led by ProfessorDeborah Brennan. After wide consultation, MCSA provided a submission tothis review in November 2011. MCSA attended the Reviews consultations andProfessor Brennan addressed the issues at Mobile Meet 2011.

Whilst the Review Report was made available to the Minister in early 2012, the

sector is waiting on the Ministers response which is to come after theDepartment has made an assessment. Well, OK I suppose. Waiting.

On system administration and day to day issues in 2011/2012, MCSAsupported Mobile Preschools:

Through the August data collection process Supported where individual services had trouble with their particular

circumstance being crunched through the formula Supported DEC in their work on ensuring the peculiarities of the funding

formula didnt disadvantage Mobiles Supported on rule interpretation such as the buffering and 15hpw rule Supported on the various back-payments made at the end of 2012 Supported on the implementation of the Early Childhood Teacher subsidy Worked with DECs regional staff on community engagement, Indigenous

access, venues, the funding review, application of the funding formula

Thank you to FACS/DEC funding staff who worked hard at ensuring MobilePreschools were well served by the application of the funding formula.

MCSA advocated with the DEC Ministers office on one serious failure ofprocess during the pick-up by DEC of Mobile Preschool funding allocatedthrough the Preschool Growth Program, leaving services wondering how to

finance their operations for many months.

2012/2013: Things to do on Mobile Preschool issues:

Working with agencies to expand the number & reach of MobilePreschools, where a mobile model is useful, especially focused on so-called hard to reach communities & filling gaps in urban expansion areas.

Waiting for the result of the Brennan Review and working with MobilePreschools to support their survive and thrive strategies

Working with the Preschool sector to support better governance andmanagement arrangements, especially multi-auspice arrangements

Working with the Preschool sector to support unviable small, stand alone

centre-based Preschools to become mobile Waiting for the result of the Brennan Review to address the circumstances

of a large number of centre-based Preschools working in low incomecommunities or with low utilization.

Waiting for the result of the Brennan Review to address the circumstancesand service delivery models of Mobile Preschools

Advocating for a good standard of establishment funds for new orexpanding Mobile Preschools, including capital costs for venues

Waiting for the result of the Brennan Review for a funding model tosubsidise ECTs

Working with partners to ensure the social planning and servicedevelopment work of the Preschool Growth Stage agencies continues in

one form or another Advocating for a regionally based childrens services resourcing strategy to

ensure Preschools in NSW are ready for the roll out of the National QualityFramework, especially the new quality assurance system


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I have measured out my life with Preschool funding committees Reworking MCSAs business planning resources in light of the result of the

Brennan Review

MCSA now waits for DEC to make the Review and their response public andunderstands there will be a working group assisting DEC test their model.

[vi] Implementation of new Work Health and Safety legislation

In a similar way to the COAG process leading to the National QualityFramework for regulating and quality assuring licensed childrens services andthe kick-off of new legislation for in-scope services from Ist January 2012, anew harmonized Work Health and Safety system kicked off throughoutAustralia on the same date.

MCSA had tracked this for many years but did not consult on or advocate orcontribute to policy development.

A reading of the final legislation showed that the new system was an evolutionfrom the old with a better or more refined approach on many matters.

If services maintained their risk management approach, they would be fine.

MCSA informed services through e-letters, discussions with individual servicesand a workshop road show in most MCSA regions and wit individual services.

This will be a continuing and priority issue for many years. MCSA will continueto inform as well as develop and redevelop resources and workshops on keyWH&S practices.

WH&S procedures for premises and the service waiver element of the newNQF legislation will fit hand-in-glove for transitioning to the NQF. Im looking atyou DEEWR!

[vii] Other strategic issues in 2012/2013

The above were the key issues where MCSA informed Mobile Services atlength. Most of these issues also required consultation and some individualadvocacy.

MCSA tracked many other strategic issues and these will be tracked and

actively worked on, if appropriate, in 2012/2013:

DECs non-Preschool funded services under the Early Childhood Projectpot need consideration and perhaps a program review, including timelynotice and provision of annual indexation

A review of Budget Based Funding for Federally funded servicesnotified in late July 2012 This will be a major project for MCSA thatwill feed into the next Federal election including a push for expansionof DEEWR funded Mobile Child Care Services.

COAG is harmonising the regulation of Charities and NFP organisations.This was loosely tracked. 2012/2013 will see the rubber hit the road forcharities at least and the need to keep Mobile Services informed.


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1.1.2 Consultation and representation

See above for the various strategic issues addressed directly or indirectly byMCSA.

This section focuses on the consultation aspect. At some stage, issues

become so important to Mobile Services that they have to be consulted on.

Consultation takes many forms, from individual discussions to groupdiscussions at MCSA meetings, regional meetings and Mobile Meets to formalconsultation papers prior to making submissions.

Consultation is a good alternative to fossicking amongst the entrails ofslaughtered beasts to divine what public policy should be.

MCSA selected the most important issues to consult on:

MCSA provided a consultation paper and submission on the exposure draftof the National Regulation in Term 2, 2011

MCSA provided a January 2011 submission on the ProductivityCommissions ECD Workforce Study and a slight mid-2011 submission ontheir draft study.

MCSA provided a consultation paper and submission on DECs DiscussionPaper on new childrens services legislation for non-NQF services in mid-2011

MCSA provided a consultation paper and submission on the exposure draftof the proposed non-NQF legislation in late 2011

MCSA provided a consultation paper and submission on the statutoryreview of the Childrens [Education and Care Services] Supplementary

Provisions Regulation 2004in Terms 2 and 3, 2012 MCSA provided a consultation paper and submission on the Brennanreview of NSW ECE funding as well as a number of information andBriefing Papers.

MCSA provided these consultation papers and submissions to other agencieswho, as usual, have been very supportive of the mobile model.

2012/2013: MCSA will: Focus on DEEWRs BBF Program review; Focus onthe Brennan NSW ECE funding review results; Focus on public policyassociated with the incorporation of the non-NQF services.

1.1.3 Advocacy

This activity covers the direct support of individual Mobile Services or a groupof them by engaging directly with other stakeholders when the wheels fall offor are in danger of falling off, particularly with regulation & funding bodies.

Broader public policy advocacy is dealt with in 1.1.2 Consultation andRepresentation above.

Often enough, the sticky or contested issues are related to problems in publicpolicy or the interpretation of legislation, contracts and guidelines.


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In 2011/2012, MCSA advocated on:

Expediting payments from DEC to Mobile Preschools transferring fromPreschool Growth Program projects - See 1.1.1 above. This was B.A.D!

Supporting Mobile Preschools through getting the right amount of fundingfor their circumstances after the annual data collection exercise The

formula has difficulty crunching the numbers and they have to beindividually dealt with by DECs funding staff Very good departmentalsupport on this one. This will be supported again in 2012/2013.

Supporting services funded by DEC in the Early Childhood Projects pot toget indexation. It came, but was very late Something for MCSA toadvocate on in 2012/2013.

Individual Mobile Service support on interpretation of the childrens serviceregulation including Nominated Supervisor status, the 50% on-deck rule[Not applicable to Mobiles], cross-over of national and State regulation oncertified supervisor, approved provider and approved service issues anddefinition of Mobile regarding service approval issues

MCSA, for the first time in many years, bought two of these issues to theattention of the Ministers office.

MCSA was successful in DEC agreeing to continue the arrangement of acontact officer in the Directorate who is knowledgeable on Mobile Servicelicensing issues and can deal with the most difficult/complex issues.

The provision of Mobile Childrens Services to communities and their licensingby Assessment and Compliance Officers [ACOs] is a complex matter with adegree of subjectivity and ambiguity. The standards of safety have to benegotiated as perceptions differ. Tensions arise. Licensing Mobile Services is

a difficult task for ACOs. They recognize the tensions between access, safetyand quality in non-standard venues and the challenges in a non-centre basedchildrens services systems of work.

The past year has continued to see few problems arising in the licensing andmonitoring of services as both NSW Education and Communities and thelicensed Mobiles have come to grips with each others needs and the over-riding value to make services accessible to children and families. The Projecthas taken to referring inexperienced CSOs to those more experienced.

2012/2013: MCSA will: Focus on getting public policy right; Acting as go-between on issues arising; Finally, push for the result of a good quality, well

managed Mobile Services; EO to continue with his weeping prophet on astreet corner schtick;

1.2 Work with all stakeholders on Mobile Service, strategic & generalpublic policy issues

The work here covers engagement with other stakeholders who are notdirectly government [See 1.3] and not MCSA public policy partners in theNFP sector [1.4], including researchers addressing public policy.

This has turned out to not be a useful category in the Workplan, at least forthis year as most stakeholders are government or NFP.

MCSA did not engage with researchers on public policy issues other thanthose engaged in government enquiries which are dealt with elsewhere.


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1.3 Work with Government agencies to address Mobile Service,strategic and public policy issues

This activity covers the direct work on public policy with government agencies,mainly NSW DEC on funding and licensing and some connection with DEEWRon mainly funding issues.

The background for many issues, funding and licensing in particular, isdescribed in Section 1.1.1 and Section 6 and 7 later.

[i] The Productivity Commission

Given that staff recruitment and retention is a key issue in Mobile Services,MCSA tracked and contributed to the Productivity Commissions [PC] EarlyChildhood Development Workforce Study, providing a submission in early2011 and comment on the draft study in mid-2011.

As PC studies and reports often do, their ECD Workforce Study will be a keypublic document for MCSA to work with, particularly sections on rural andremote recruitment and retention and sector training and resourcing.

MCSA also tracked but did not contribute to the PCs less recent work on thecontribution of the NFP sector. This, plus various Treasury reports, havecontributed to Federal Government activity on the harmonisation of Charitiesand NFP regulation and charity tax concessions Strategic issues to track in2012/2013.

[ii] Work with the NSW Department of Education and Communities [DEC]

General

See 1.1.1 Information about day to day contact with DEC staff on non-publicpolicy issues.

A lot of DEC staff are on MCSAs General Email Broadcast elist.

DEC attended the DEC Forum at Mobile Meet 2011 addressing the Review ofNSW ECE funding, regulation, the Indigenous Child Care Choice research andother matters. Professor Brennan consulted with Mobile Preschools at the2011 forum.

MCSA worked with regional and head office DEC staff and sometimes theMinisters office.

Regulation

MCSA put a lot of time and effort in working with DEC on Regulation issues:Meetings, discussions and reading. See 1.1.1 Information for an outline ofactivity in 2011/2012 as well as Section 6 for the history.

MCSA attended DECs NQF Reference Group meetings throughout 2011 andinto early 2012 as key aspects of the NQF legislation and ratings andassessment system were developed and finalised.

MCSA was an observer for the most part wrt the NQF, keeping an eye on how& when Mobile Services as non-NQF services would transition in later years.


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MCSA was an active participant in the development of the non-NQFsupplementary provisions legislation.

MCSA provided submissions on DEC Discussion Papers and exposure draftsof legislation.

MCSA provided a submission to the review of the supplementary provisionsregulation 2004 in June 2012. DEC has advised of only minor and agreedamendments to the Regulation which will come into force from 1st September2012.

The NQF Reference Group seemed to transform into the NQF PartnershipGroup in May 2012 as the NQF legislation was bedded down and thereneeded to be a co-ordinated approach to resourcing the sector.

Much of the NQF Partnership Group time has also been spent on the roll-outof the ratings and assessment system. This continues into 2012/2013 and willbe valuable for MCSA as we develop and implement our own resourcingstrategy to assist the transition to the NQF, especially adapting the ratings andassessment system to Mobile circumstances.

There were several discussions about the Mobiles Licensing Policy. Adoptedin 2010 under the old Regulation, but still useful, there will need to be a reviewin 2012/2013 as the definition of Mobile Service has changed due to the NQF[Service waivers here we come!] and hopefully the Brennan Review will belooking at innovative and flexible models of Preschool and licensed MobilePreschools must be in this mix, requiring flexible regulation.

2012/2013: MCSA will: Work directly with DEC to bed down the 2012 review of

the supplementary provisions regulation; Interpret the interface between thealigned aspects of the National and state based legislation; Review theMobiles Licensing Policy; Advocate for transition of non-NQF to NQF.

Funding

MCSA put a lot of time and effort working with DEC on funding issues,particularly Mobile Preschool funding: Meetings, discussions and reading. See1.1.1 Information for an outline of activity in 2011/2012 as well as Section 7 forthe history.

MCSA met with the new Minister for Education and Communities in June

2011, supplying a briefing paper emphasising funding issues.

MCSA subsequently provided a briefing paper [Not so brief really] onadministrative aspects of Preschool funding and the opportunities of a thrivingPreschool service system.

In the meantime, the DEC Minister announced a review of NSW ECE funding.MCSA attended meetings and consultations, held a consultation withProfessor Brennan at Mobile Meet 2011 and provided a submission inNovember 2011.

MCSA met with the Ministers advisor in August 2011, discussing the range of

issues and later sought support on a number of policy [Grant indexation] andpractical issues [Pick-up of Preschool growth program projects by DEC] thatDEC werent delivering on.


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Whilst MCSA resourced services on many funding issues, most weregenerated from policy developed previously, such as the ECT subsidy andapplication of the formula to back-dated and new funding.

MCSA continued to push for better policy on a few issues:

Consideration of the circumstances of urban fringe Mobile Preschools thathave low utilization now but their locale is slotted for urban growth in a fewyears This should be dealt with by the Brennan Review but there is someurgency to the issue.

Consideration of CAMMS services & where they fit in the ECP funding pot Consideration of a review of the entire ECP funding pot Consideration of a dedicated and well resourced professional development

funding program This may be dealt with by the Brennan Review.

2012/2013: Work directly with DEC on modeling the Brennan Reviewrecommendations and implementation of the results; Ensure grant indexationfor DECs Early Childhood Projects funding is timely; Review of ECP funding;Track the roll-out of DECs ECEC Directorates structure, especially regulationand funding support teams.

[iii] Work with the Department of Education, Employment & WorkplaceRelations

The work with DEEWR involved very little on public policy development.

Although the development of the NQF is led by Federal Government/DEEWR,most of the NQF policy work was through DECs NQF Reference group plussubmissions to DEEWR on the exposure draft of the National Regulation.

The opportunity was taken to inform DDEWR staff about MCSAs position onthe NQF and transition when it arose at various meetings See MCSAssupport of the National Association of Mobiles in support of a NQF transition.

MCSA keeps in touch with DEEWRs NSW state office through their being onMCSAs General E-mail Broadcast elist, keeping them in the loop, theirattendance at Mobile Meet and several conversations on policy issues. NSWDEEWR has dropped their industry liaison committee arrangement. Pity, Imiss the broad range of information and the biscuits.

MCSA has tracked DEEWRs work on the ECD Workforce initiative, including

Indigenous employment in ECEC services.

At a national level, MCSA has supported the Mobile Services national peak,NAMS, in their work with the National Childrens Services Forum and otheradvocacy work in Canberra. This has been on an information supply basis.

2012/2013: Work directly with state and national office DEEWR on the recentlyannounced Budget Based Funding Program Review and implementation ofreforms; Support the expansion of Mobile Child Care Services; Supportrealistic funding for DEEWR funded Mobiles; Advocate for further introductionof the National Early Childhood Development Strategy; Discuss the use ofUniversal Access funds by DEC; Develop a policy for the Federal election late

in 2013.


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1.4 Work with non-Government Agencies on public policy issues

The work here involves working in partnership with NFP peaks on the range ofpublic policy issues canvassed above with other peak agencies, serviceproviders and networks. There is a focus on MCSA involvement with severalstrategically important sector-wide peaks.

MCSA has a good relationship with many of these agencies and appreciatesthe work they do to support individual Mobile Services and the mobile model.

[i] General liaison work

MCSA worked with many agencies on public policy issues in 2011/2012:

AECSL Community Connections Solutions Australia Community Child Care Co-op NSW Contact Inc Early Childhood Australia NSW Branch Isolated Childrens and Parents Association KU Childrens Services Local Community Services Association NSW Council of Social Services Occasional Child Care Association of NSW Uniting Care Burnside Calypso Caf on Albion Street Uniting Care Childrens Services

Much activity occurred on the sidelines of the various government reference

groups noted above and involved the sharing of submissions, views andinformation.

MCSA works more closely with some of these agencies on joint day to dayresourcing of Mobile Services leading to discussions and joint positions onvarious public policy issues whether funding, governance, regulation orindustrial relations.

[ii] NSW Childrens Services Forum

The Forum is the peak of peaks for the NFP childrens sector in NSW andincludes many of the agencies listed above. It provides a joint voice on issues,

something which isnt possible as individual agencies attend the variousgovernment working parties and reference groups and voice their ownagencys view.

The Forum acts to co-ordinate the sharing of information and action and meetsevery third Friday, bi-monthly, as well as for various sub-committee meetingsaddressing specific issues.

MCSA attended several meetings in 2011/2012, including sub-committeemeetings about Preschool Service funding.


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[iii] Australian Community Childrens Services

The Australian Community Childrens Services is a national peak of childrensservices, focusing on NFP issues.

MCSA had little involvement with the group in 2011/2012 apart from

attendance at the May 2012 national conference and participation on a panel.MCSA to do better.

[iv] National Association of Mobile Services

The National Association of Mobile Services and is an active and respectedmember of the National Childrens Services Forum, meeting and advocating inCanberra within a formalised lobbying framework.

MCSA works closely with the NAMSs President, Robyn Paterson, sharingviews, submissions & MCSA resources via e-letters, meetings & phone calls.

Issues in 2011/2012 included: The development and implementation of theNQF; Status of non-NQF services in various jurisdictions; Use of UniversalAccess funds in the different jurisdictions, NSWs approach to venuemanagement; Recruitment and retention including the PCs ECD WorkforceStudy; Unmet demand; Survive budgets; Administration of the Budget BasedFunding Program; ACECQA.

MCSA will work closely with NAMS in 2012/2013 on the recently announcedreview of the Budget Based Funding Program.

2012/2013: Federal election lead-up year and most agencies will be putting

forward a platform MCSA will contribute to these; MCSA to work moreclosely with Early Childhood Australia. MCSA to continue to share informationon policy issues including submissions.

2. Connect

Impact: Mobile Children's Services are well connected to each other and theearly childhood development service system

Objective: To provide support that connects Mobile Service stakeholders to

other Mobile Services and the Early Child Development service system

This activity aims to ensure that Mobile Services value networking and areconnected to their local community service system and other Mobile Services.It also connects the different types of Mobiles and staff roles within services aswell promote Mobile Services as a useful model of service delivery.

2.1 Connect Mobile Childrens Services to the wider ECD system

The work here encourages networking as a professional practice, connectingMobile Services to the wider Early Childhood Development system includinglocal networks, other peak agencies and programs.

There was a limited amount of work here, with services kept up to date onvarious programs through e-letters.


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Services need to make a commitment to local networking.

MCSA supported the Contact Inc. mentoring and connecting-up program.

2012/2013: MCSA to develop collations on networking practice based on theNQS; MCSA to keep services up to date on relevant programs.

2.2 Connect Mobile Services through Regional Networks

The work here covers facilitating the operation of Mobile Service RegionalNetworks including supporting the organisation of the Mobile Meet by a region.

This is a key MCSA resourcing strategy. MCSA believes that networking is acritical practice. Connecting Mobile to Mobile, in the regions, is important formutual support and the sharing of practices.

The amount and depth of regional networking varies by region and year and ishighly dependent on the leadership provided by MCSAs RegionalRepresentatives and the value put on networking by individual practitioners.

The EO and the ECPO share this role, being responsible for different regions -These changing from year to year.

The ECPO supports the Regional Network that acts as the Mobile MeetOrganising Committee [MMOC]. Organising Mobile Meet, having a verycomplex and demanding task, is fantastic for strong networking.

Regional meetings may be sharing sessions and/or training/guest speakersessions.

Regional networking establishes relationships that lead to staff supportingeach other outside the networks activities and the often feeds back into whatissues the networks address.

When welcoming new staff to Mobile Services, MCSA also connects them tothe local Mobile Service network.

MCSA welcomed several new regional Representatives in 2011/2012 andsupported them through a very steep learning curve: Stay with us!!

Activity in 2011/2012 was:

Mobile Meets: A specific time is set aside for Regional Meetings Hunter Valley: Met many times as they organised Mobile Meet 2011:

19.7.11; 22.8.11 by teleconference; 22.11.11 Mobile Meet review andcelebration and Kidsafe; 12.3.12 including a MCSA Early Years LearningFramework plus WH&S workshop and Hunter Prelude; 4.6.12 BnevolentSociety on Brighter Futures.

Sydney Region: Meets at Penrith: 23.11.11; 15.2.12; 1.5.12 including anMCSA Early Years Learning Framework plus WH&S workshop. Mainlywestern Sydney services.

Western: Two services at Bourke on 23.3.12 for MCSAs WH&S Workshop Central West: Met at Orange on 22.5.12 for an MCSA WH&S Workshop

and annual goat sacrifice. Northern Region: Met several times at Bingara [28.10.11; 24.2.12; 23.3.12;

26.4.12 teleconference and once at Coffs Harbour [1.6.12] as theyorganised Mobile Meet


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Riverina/Murray did not meet in 2011/2012. MCSA WH&S workshops weredelivered to three individual Mobile Services in this region.

Southern Region did not meet in 2011/2012 This is an awkward region,geographically, to organise. MCSA resources individual services in other ways See next section: Develop.

MCSA endeavours to deliver workshops at regional meetings. The EOdelivered several workshops about the new W&S legislation whilst the ECPOtrialed an introduction to EYLF workshop.

MCSA also encourages other resourcing agencies to provide training to theNetworks and subsidises this training. This works for any two Mobiles meetingand training. Several trainers were referred to Regional Reps.

2012/2013: MCSA to further encourage training at Network meetings providedby other agencies; MCSA to review how to best support Southern Region;MCSA to research possibility of networking inner Sydney services separately;MCSA to continue the WH&S and ECPO transition to NQF road showsthrough regional networks.

2.3 Connect Mobile Service types and roles

The work here is to connect the different types of Mobile Services and theroles within Mobile Services.

Mobiles can be categorised in any number of ways, the most useful being byregion, by service type, by regulation and by funding source.

MCSA has a long history of supporting Community Access Mobile MinderServices [CAMMS], a type of adjunct care service providing supervision in theimmediate vicinity when parents are attending activities or training provided byother community services. These ten services are in Sydney, mainly westernSydney, and are critical service supports for local community service systems.

The major participants in the Sydney Regional Network are CAMMS. MCSA isalso re-developing the Voluntary Code of Practice for CAMMS.

A specific time is set aside at Mobile Meets for Service Type meetings wherecommon issues are discussed.

Mobile Preschools, Mobile Playsession Services, Mobile Toy Library activitiesand Mobile Child Care Services are the major categories of service type.

Specific times are set aside at Mobile Meet where the common issues ofDEEWR funded and DEC funded services are discussed.

MCSA recognises the important role of Administrator/Bookeepers in MobileServices. Directors are usually out in the field and it is often the A/B whocarries out much of the administrative work on complex issues in lonely andsometimes draughty offices. A specific time is set aside at Mobile Meet fornetworking and four A/B relevant workshops are held.

MCSA has also resourced A/Bs through some carryover funding by anAdministrators Network Project Officer [ANPO], from 2008 to late 2011.Unfortunately, the skilled worker resigned and funds werent available tocontinue the ANPO role.


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2012/2013: MCSA to re-institute the work of the ANPO role; MCSA to finishthe CAMMS Voluntary Code of Practice [VCOP]; MCSA to commence work ona VCOP for Mobile Playsession Services.

2.4 Promote Mobile Services and the Mobile Service model

The work here is to promote the mobile model of service delivery and thework of Mobile Services See later for PR about MCSA as an organisation.

[i] General

Everything that MCSA does has an eye on promoting the work of MobileServices and the mobile model.

Promotion is done through public policy work and the engagement ofGovernment, departmental staff and our NFP partners in committees anddelegations.

Promotion is through engaging other agencies to resource Mobiles, throughMobile Meets and through having a web and social media presence.

Electronic newsletters are made directly available to non-Mobile stakeholders.

[ii] Development of resources about Mobiles and the mobile model

There are several key MCSA resources used in promotion: The Introduction to Mobile Childrens Services is updated and distributed

regularly as well as being on the website MCSA maintains a Listing of Mobile Services in NSW which is made

available to select agencies on request. MCSA takes the map of service bases, roads and venues, developed atannual Mobile Meets, to meetings. Showing the map is a key device inillustrating where the services work.

MCSA develops an annual powerpoint of photos for Mobile Meet anddistributes it on request A picture paints a thousand words

MCSA has a Flickr photo-website MCSA Google Mapof non-metro service bases & CEYC base & venues. MCSA uses the website and social media to best get a high listing on

Google when searches are conducted for Mobile Services and MCSA

MCSA had planned to redevelop an ancient document, A Profile of Mobile

Childrens Services, describing many aspects of the work of 115 projects, butran out of time and money. It takes time to survey, collate and report. Toomuch time! Even for a supreme leader.

2012/2013: MCSA to keep the Introand Listingsup to date; MCSA to keepFlickr site up to date; MCSA to rework Google Map, perhaps use GoogleEarth; MCSA to develop a social media engagement strategy to best useFacebook and Twitter; MCSA to redevelop A Profile of Mobile ChildrensServices;


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[iii] Promotion to tertiary institutions

This is a core task in the ECPO role and is underlain by a long term staffrecruitment strategy, to charge the imagination of students with the specialnature of ECEC in Mobile Services.

The EO had several conversations with academic staff of several institutions atconferences.

Although many discussions were held there was only one presentation in2011/2012

University of Newcastle Ourimbah Campus on 16.9.11

2012/2013: MCSA will deliver more presentations

[iv] Facilitating student placements at Mobile Services

This is a core task in the ECPO role. This is done in conjunction with thetertiary presentations and aims to help recruitment in the long term.

Conversations were held with staff about suitable services for placements.

2012/2013: MCSA will continue with this task.

3. Develop

Impact: Mobile Childrens Services are strong organisations and their peoplecapable

Objective: To provide support that builds the capacity of Mobile Servicestakeholders to deliver good quality and well managed services

This activity aims to directly support Mobile Services by a number of strategiesas well as encourage the support of other agencies. The activity also supportscommunities developing new Mobile Services.

Whilst MCSA can count coverage, who we worked with, and frequency, howoften we worked with or did something, we still need to look at the effect the

resourcing had: Did the resourcing lead to an increase in knowledge, skills,motivation, confidence and did these lead to action that made the service orstaff stronger and more capable?

See later for discussion about MCSAs effort in evaluating the effect of theDevelop activity.


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3.1 Provide support, advice, information, referral, mentoring & troubleshooting

The work here involves several resourcing strategies supporting on the rangeof governance, management & service delivery practices in Mobile Services.

[i] Freecall line supporting individual Mobile Service management and staff

This activity covers communication with individual Mobile Servicestakeholders, management and staff. Communication is mainly by 1800freecall and email.

Whilst some issues are dealt with by information, referral and provision ofresources, other issues are more complex and on-going. A crucial enablingfactor for this work is the long-term and trusting relationship MCSA has withmany Mobile Service Projects, allowing for deeper support of services andindividual stakeholders over the long haul.

Conversations are generated by both the services and MCSA staff.Conversations are two-way for knowledge and skill building, where MCSA staffare also kept informed about practice issues.

Conversations lead to activity in other aspects of MCSAs work: Advocacy,public policy, broadcasting information over elist, referral to training, RegionalNetworking, provision of MCSA and other agencys resources and referral.

Conversations may be one-off, job and done, or on-going on particular issues,such as intransigent IR issues, dealing with a regulation issue or finances.

Some topics are more popular than others or emergent, often leading toMCSA applying other strategies to get information and resources to everyone,such as .pdfs and weblinks via elist.

There are 115 Mobile Service Projects sponsored by 73 organisations, someare Mobile Services only while many sponsors are larger organisations doingother things, mainly other types of ECEC services but also including councils.

Some parts of the year are busier than others and some aspects of 1800communication are more frequent: Organising Mobile Meet; Organisingtraining, including MCSA training; Supporting the Regional Network organisingthe Mobile Meet; Working with MCSA Committee members on MCSA

business Also seen as a governance & management modeling exercise. Allthese activities are about knowledge, skill building, confidence and motivation.

Resourcing on Early Childhood practices included: Floods; EmergencyProcedures; Speech pathology; NQF; Regulation; Venue management;qualifications; NQS, EYLF; Service philosophy; Smoking at playsession; Studyleave, Nutrition; Nappy changing, Many health issues, Sun Safety; Contactdetails for various; Reviews; Child Protection; Training; Transition to school;Nominated Supervisor role; Supervisor Certificates; etc.

Resourcing on governance and management practices included: WH&S, IR;Funding administration; Budgeting; Service development; Business planning;

Funding sources; Reviews; Conflict of interest; Training; ECT cost contributionscheme; DEC data collection; Lunch breaks; etc.


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This section is where we capture most of the information on the extent ofMCSAs effort with individual service stakeholders [ie: MCSA broadcasts emailto the 115 projects but not all engage with MCSA]: Coverage and frequency.

Through individual phone calls and email, MCSA worked directly with105 of the 115 projects [At peak] and communicated 1074 times in

2011/2012. This does not include the work of the Regional Representatives inorganising network meeting meetings or workshops or just catching up.

2012/2013: MCSA will: Continue with the 1800 support;

[ii] Fieldwork

Supporting services through fieldwork, visiting services and attending networkmeetings, is highly valued by the services and good training for MCSA staff.

Fieldwork in 2011/2012 was significant:

Hunter Region MMOC for 2011: 19.7.11; 22.8.11; 23.11.11: These meetsinvolved several services: Lower Hunter Mobile Preschool, CessnockMobile Preschool, Upper Hunter Mobile, Singleton Mobile Preschool,Flying Fox Mobile Preschool, Port Stephens Activity van, KU ChildrensServices Mobile, Maitland.

Northern Region MMOC for 2012: at Bingara on 28.10.11; 24.2.12;23.3.12; Coffs Harbour on 1.6.12. These meets involved three days eachof travel to and from MCSAs Hunter Valley base. These meets involvedseveral services: Gubi Gabun, Gwydir Mobile, Tharawonga Mobile,Northern Roads Activity Van, Connect 5, Ooranga Family Services.

Regional Network Meetings: Seven meetings from Penrith to Bourke. See

Section 2.2 above. These meeting involved many services: CommunityAccess Care Pair, Penrith; Holroyd/Parramatta Mobile Minders, YoungMobile, Mountains Mobile Minders, Blue Mountains Occasional Child Care,Hawkesbury Community Outreach Service, Blacktown Bunyip, WOMPS,Blacktown Roving Child Care; Fairfield Roving Child Care, Cowra MobileECEC, Galloping Gumnut, Care West Mobiles, Lachlan Mobile ChildrensServices, Weddin Mobile Preschool,

Cobar Mobile at Cobar venue: 14 & 15.7.11 Bogan Bush Mobile, Nyngan: 16.7.11 Wollondilly Mobile Preschool, Picton: 25 & 29.7.11; 30.4.12 at Wilton

venue Galloping Gumnut: 25.1.12 WH&S training at Katoomba

Community Early Years Childcare, Albury: 30 & 31.1.12 WH&S andmanual handling training

Puggles, Tumbarumba: i.2.12 for WH&S training; 2.2.12 visit to Humulaand Cabramurra venues

Bourke Mobile: 22.3.12 and 23.3.12 WH&S training Paroo Mobile, Wanaaring; At Bourke on 23.2.12 meeting WH&S training Deniliquin Mobile: 4-8.6.12 including WH&S and manual Handling training

and visit to Conargo venue Urana Shire Mobile at Urana venue: 7.6.12 Hawkesbury Community Outreach Services, Kurrajong: 22.6.12

2012/2013: Mobile Meet 2013 organising will be in the Central West [?]; The

WH&S roadshow will go west, New England and Riverina plus individualservices as requested. All Sydney and Hunter Region Network meetings willbe attended. The north coast shall be thoroughly visited by the EO, subject toarthritic constraints.


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[iii] Electronic communication to Mobile Services

Communicating electronically through MCSAs Mobiles on email emaildistribution list [elist] is MCSAs best way of getting a massive amount ofinformation to many service stakeholders on a broad range of policy andpractice issues.

What services do with this information is up to them, however, theeletters/ebulletins generate a lot of responses for MCSA staff to clarify orchase up, including comment on MCSAs requests for information andresponses to consultations on policy issues.

All Mobile Services are on the elist as is any email address provided by aMobile Service stakeholder. Ebulletins are also sent to Regional MobileService Network elists. Updating elists is a bloody nightmare, now ablymaintained by St Lauren.

The strategy is to pepper the services with short, limited scope emails[ebulletins] as well as provide more substantial monthly eletters.

Electronic broadcasts are in the form of 2 to 3 weekly ebulletins provided bythe ECPO, larger monthly Early Childhood Practice eletters and regularebulletins by the EO on public policy issues, especially regulation and funding.The EOs ebulletins were less regular but substantial, mainly coveringinformation & strategy on policy issues.

Most eletters had a document attached or included a reference to a website.

The Administrator Network Project Officer also provided regular bulletins and

monthly eletters, until the role was put on hold in mid-2011.

One hundred and seven [107] ebulletins were provided by the ECPO in2011/2012 and 11 monthly eletters on a broad range of subjects:

Useful resources on practice issues such as EYLF, medical issues,programming, parent role at playsession, WH&S equipment, speechsupport, safe food

Workshops, seminars, conferences and RTO training provided byresourcing partners [See below]

Supporting the work of the Mobile Meet Organising Committee inc.progressive information on the development of the Mobile Meet

Updates on Mobile Meet Jobs in Mobiles Regional network meetings Regional Mobile Service training Requests for information and resources on various practices

Twenty six [26] bulletins were provided by the EO:

Preschool funding inc. data collections, back payments, funding systemchanges, Brennan Review, discussion paper/consultationpaper/submission

Regulation of Mobile Services inc. several regulation reviews [And cycles

of consultation and submission], Nominated Supervisor roles, SupervisorCertificates, the work of co-ordinators, NQF transition strategy, 50% on-deck rule for NSs


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Development of the NQF including discussion paper/Exposuredraft/consultation paper/submission cycles, forwarding DECs NQFBulletins; ACEQA resources, NQF resources and legislation

The roll-out of new WH&S legislation including pdfs on law & Codes ofPractice

General: Floods, emergency procedures, MCSA requests for information

and resources on various practices, Jobs in Mobiles, broadcast of MCSAgovernance and management resources, updates on Mobile Meet,National Wage Case decision, MCSAs AGM and membership material

Monthly ECPO eletters are also on the website.

The Mobiles on Email Elist has 140 email addresses.

2012/2013: MCSA will: Continue with ebulletins and eletters; Put more effortinto admin/governance/management practice resourcing; Encourage moreindividual Mobile Service stakeholders onto the e-list, especially managementcommittee members.

[iv] Electronic newsletters to non-Mobile Service stakeholders

MCSA also has an MCSA General Broadcast Elistof many different types ofstakeholders who are not peppered/spammed with ebulletins, receive monthlyECPO eletters and most of the public policy material of the EO noted above.

The aim is to both keep MCSAs partners up to date about Mobile Services,the day to day practices and public policy, as well as for PR.

Staff from the regions and head offices of various departments including

FACS, DEC and DEEWR. MCSA re-broadcasts their material as well. Mainly executive staff from resourcing and peak agencies interested inMCSAs policy work. MCSA also re-broadcasts their policy andresourcing/training material.

There are 82 email addresses on this list.

2012/2013: MCSA to: Continue with eletters and ebulletins; MCSA toencourage greater use of this strategy by all partners.

[v] Social media

This covers being on as many social media platforms as possible & efficient.

The current aims are to provide information as a supplement toebulletins/eletters, act as PR and drive people to MCSAs website or give us acall. The possibility of using social media for two way communication has notbeen considered yet.

The ECEC sector isnt particularly up to social media.


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Facebook

MCSA uses a Facebook page to provide a flow of information on topicalissues. Facebook pages provide a relatively more lasting and accessiblerecord on peoples streams compared to Twitter.

Pages do not have friends and dont get informed about the four hankyrelationship event on the weekend.

Comment, liking and sharing on the page is currently minimal. MCSA needsto develop a strategy to deal with the time when this becomes a major two-waycommunication vehicle.

MCSAs own Facebook account is used as a news stream, much as wesubscribe to other agencies eletters: MCSA assesses the information and re-transmits.

Mobiles are slowly getting their own pages, something for MCSA to resourceon as, well, younger parents are hip to social media, man.

MCSA has nearly 50 friends on its page and facebooked 102 times in2011/2012. Usage data suggests that generally 35 out of the 50 view everypost and some posts go viral with the record being 127 views in 2011/2012.

Twitter

MCSA uses Twitter [ http://twitter.com/#!/mcsansw ] to also provide a flow ofinformation on topical issues. However, Twitter is a more instantaneous andephemeral form of communication, usually with a huge and fast flow of

information on breaking issues. Staff in the sector usually have children in frontof them so the flow can only be accessed when off the floor and then otherthings are more important. There are no Mobiles on MCSAs Twitter stream.

Fortunately, MCSA doesnt have to do much work on this as we use an appthat loads to both Facebook and Twitter, saving time.

Some data for 11/12: MCSA follows 251 and has 231 followers. We havetweeted 590 times from day 1, including our Retweets [Approx 20%] of othertwits stuff. There, I said it! We have had minimal Retweets of our stuff.

Blogs

MCSA also posts many of the eletters and ebulletins to Posterous [http://mcsa.posterous.com/], a simple blog complementing the blog like frontpage articles of MCSAs website [Where there is no ability to comment onMCSAs articles].

Posterous has been a step too far as MCSAs time for upload andmaintenance is short, let alone the time that would be needed to respond toand moderate comments. Evaluating effect and reach is difficult [Damn youweb-crawlers!]. To be reconsidered.

Some data for 11/12: There are 39 posts and 4597 views so far [From start to

May 2012], although we dont know who viewed and for what purpose.

MCSA has a static page on Blogspot that refers to MCSAs website [http://mcsanswinc.blogspot.com.au/].


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MCSA employed a Communications and Information Management Officer[CIM] with some carryover funds to set-up and manage these platforms andthe website etc. last decade. Unfortunately, these funds ran out and coreMCSA staff have taken up the extra work. Any surplus funds should bringback the CIM or parts thereof.

One of the difficult issues is getting meaningful data about who is usingMCSAs media and for what purpose. There are apps available to track.

Overall, MCSA has dipped its toe into the world of social media, establishing apresence. The EO is not impressed by the evil chimps who invented the damnthings: Why not just focus have telex, telegrams and email subscriptions?

Measuring the effect and reach of these platforms has been difficult. Having apresence is an initial step. MCSA needs to develop a social media strategy.

2012/2013: MCSA to continue a minimalist approach to social media until asocial media strategy is developed and MCSA is able to use the media moreeffectively, measure the value of the work, work out who is accessing themedia and for what purpose and commit staff time to a quality effort andpossible use as two way communication platforms.

[vi] Electronic discussion groups

MCSA developed a web-based discussion platform [Joomla Add-on] throughMCSAs Administrators Network Project in 2010/2011, trialing it and going liveto in early 2011. This Project had developed a devout following of serviceadministrators over a number of years A good prospect for this strategy.

The original idea was to test the discussion group concept for later applicationto a number of MCSAs projects and issues such as supporting theintroduction of the National Quality Framework.

It is crucial that this type of communication platform is well resourced andmoderated as two-way information and communication strategies. It is a majorresourcing, mutual support and communication vehicle and a big effort Seethe NSW Preschool Campaign Groups Yahoo egroup.

Unfortunately, the Projects staff member resigned mid-2011 and funds tocontinue the Project werent available for all 2011/2012. So, the platform neverreally got going.

MCSA also needs to review the web-based nature of the platform and itscomplexity and perhaps institute a simpler discussion group such as Yahooegroup or Google Group or Google+ approach, maybe even Facebook.

2012/2013: MCSA to prioritise the continued development of an egroup; Focusto be admin if funds available and Transition to the NQF as part of the ECPOrole.


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[vii] Website

This work covers the update and maintenance of MCSAs website as acommunication vehicle and as a strategy for disseminating MCSAs resources.

Content is king and fresh content is kingier [Pity about Kate and Tom breaking

up Royal weddings cost a fortune].

Key aspects of the website supplement other MCSA resourcing andcommunication strategies:

Blog like front-page articles, updated on major issues Hosting of ECPO eletters, on-going, EO ebulletins to mid-2011 [Most of

these put on website front page after November 2011] & Admin Networkeletters to mid-2011; These are also emailed

Jobs in Mobiles Phone and email contacts for MCSA Links to MCSAs Flickr site, Facebook page, Twitter and Posterous blog Hosting a large number of MCSAs governance and management

resources and the Admin Network Projects resources from MCSA andother agencies.

Information on Mobile Meet and the operations of regional networks Hosting of MCSAs public policy submissions Hosting of MCSAs governance material including Annual Report excerpts MCSA calendar

The website was set up by the short-term Communication and InformationManagement [CIM] role and has been operated by core staff since early 2011,an issue as time available and skills to update and maintain are problematic.

It was hoped that there would be some funds for the CIM role to continue: Staffprovide copy for the CIM to upload.

MCSA has had trouble with the security of the site making updating complexand time consuming [Involving editing files in cPanel Fraught with problems].As such, updates have been irregular.

The EO reworked the website in 2011/2012 to drop off components thatwerent working or were in development and note receiving attention.

MCSA has also found it difficult working out who is accessing the site, how

often, who is downloading material and how often and for what purpose. Thedata provided on site usage through Joomla Article Manager, cPanel webstatsand DocMan isnt fine enough to judge effect and coverage.

MCSA s website is good enough.


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Following are some indicators of usage:

Month Uniquevisitors

Jobs onMobiles

Front Pagearticles

July 2011 1754 0 0Aug 1625 0 1 x 192

Sept 1156 0 0Oct 0? 0 1 x 996Nov 772 2 x 1025 hits 2 x 2328Dec 959 0 0Jan 2012 1527 0 1 x 1058 hitsFeb 1314 2 x 1385 hits 2x 1522 hitsMar 1282 2 x 156 hits 2 x 2123 hitsApr 1323 0 2 x 390 hitsMay 1503 0 1 x 137 hitsJune 1079 0 0Totals NA 6 Jobs 12 articles

Data on the 158 resources uploaded to the website, word and pdfs, is hard toaccess without going painstakingly through DocMan. Both MCSA and otheragencies resources are uploaded.

A good indicator of usage is the list of the top 50 downloads provided byDocMan. Forty nine of the 50 are MCSA resources.

In the top 50, uploads to date range from 5445, MCSA - Level of Risk and RiskPriority Rating Scale, to 3002, MCSA - Sample New Employee FormChecklist. At 4247 is MCSA Introduction to Mobile Childrens Services.

Other MCSA resources include: A Statement of Duty of Care [5377]; SampleOperational Manual Index [5294]; Office Procedures index [4957]; SampleFiling System [4880]; Formats for various reports to committee [3,000 mark];Bookkeeper Financial Calendar[3020].

Many of these resources are not downloaded but viewed. Of the 158resources, 66 have over 3,000 views and 12 have over 4,000 views up to atop of 5,445 views [MCSA - Level of risk]

This data shows that there is a demand for simple how to and join the dotresources.

Unfortunately, MCSA doesnt know who is downloading these and for whatpurpose.

The medium term plan is for a member log-in and access to MCSA generatedresources, which are currently free on the site [PR strategy].

The long-term plan is a subscription based log-in [ie: Paid subscription] fornon-Mobiles to access resources on the site.

MCSA has been ably supported by TRI Community Exchange on sitemaintenance and trouble shooting.


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2012/2013: MCSA to: Update more regularly Fresh content; Sort securityissues, even changing hosts; Encourage more use of Jobs on Mobiles section;Access better data on usage; Redesign the website for a cleaner look; Plan formember only log-in and access to MCSA generated materials; Exploresubscriptions by non-Mobiles to MCSA generated resources on site; Allocatefunds to the CIM role if available.

[viii] Support of out-of-state Mobiles

This work covers the support MCSA provides to out-of-NSW Mobile Services.MCSA is the only organisation funded in Australia to comprehensivelyresource Mobile Services.

It is an easy matter to:

Broadcast ebulletins and eletters to out-of-state Mobiles on elists Provide places at Mobile Meets [On a full cost recovery basis] Provide MCSAs own resources for free

MCSA also supports by phone and email to a limited extent.

This support is often about public policy development and how NSW Mobilesdeal with it, such as the development and roll-out of the NQF See work withNAMS in previous section.

MCSA supported four out-of-state Mobiles in 2011/2012, one at depth as theservice set up.

The transition of out-of-scope Mobile Services throughout Australia to the NQF

and the current review of DEEWRs Budget Based Funding Programthroughout Australia [20 Mobiles?] may require more MCSA support, however,this would have to be funded. Submissions have been submitted, previously.Build on MCSAs work!

2011/2012: MCSA to maintain support and consider opportunities arising fromthe need to resource Budget Based Funding Mobiles throughout Australia onthe transition to the NQF and roll-out of new WH&S legislation.

[ix] Support of organisations developing Mobile Services

This covers the support of currently non-Mobile organisations as they consider

the concept of mobile or are further along and developing a Mobile.

MCSA supported several organisations on the concept.

MCSA also very actively supported several organisations as they moved todevelop or transition to a Mobile Service, including ones in the NorthernTerritory and North Coast NSW.

The Brennan Review of NSW ECE funding may provide more work in this areaas there may be new Mobile Services and some centre-based services maytransition to Mobile. Some Mobiles may transition to centre-based as well.

2012/2013: MCSA to continue support of developing Mobiles; MCSA tocontribute to public policy to value mobility as a good access strategy.


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3.2 Provide resources developed by other agencies

The work here complements the freecall direct support and distribution ofMCSAs own resources by providing relevant resources and informationdeveloped by other agencies and Mobile Services. This is usually throughattachments or weblink in ebulletins/eletters [144 in 2011/2012!] or sent

separately after an enquiry.

[i] General provision of resources developed by other agencies

MCSA maintains a policy bank of policies sent by other agencies and Mobilesthat is drawn on for distribution. Sometimes MCSA seeks the information fromsources, other times the source asks that the information be distributed.Sources included:

Government Departments/Agencies: DEC; ACECQA; DEEWR; WorkCoverNSW; NCAC; NSW Health; Fair Trading; Hunter New England Health; Officeof Industrial Relations; FWA; Safe Work Australia; SES; NSW Fire Brigade;Victorian Government; Various universities

Resourcing agencies: Childrens Services Central; Community Child CareCo-op NSW; Community Connections Solutions Australia; ARACY;ECTARC; ECA; NSW Cancer Council; Royal Life Saving Society; RaisingChildren Network

Topics included:

EC Practices: Transition to NQF; Numerous health issues, EYLF; NationalQuality Standard; Sunsmart; Supported playgroups; Pool safety, Floodadvice; Emergency procedures; Service Philosophy; Nutrition; Smoking at

play group; Training, extensively; Resources; DEC advice on regulationmatters; Governance & Management practices: IR system, National Wage Case;

Gender Equity Case; Study leave; Parents at Playsessions; Falls; Signlanguage; Infant & vegetables; EC equipment; Childhood obesity; DV;Immunisation; Whooping cough; Medication; Grandparents; Rewardcharts; Preschool funding data collection; Jobs on Mobiles; Incorporation;WH&S Codes of Practice; Model rules of incorporation;

Public policy: Regulation: National and NSW; Transition to NQF; Funding:Mostly NSW; ECT funding; Cluster Management; Funding guidelines;Review Discussion Papers; MCSA Consultation Papers; MCSAsubmissions; Indigenous Child Care Choices; Working Together; NFP

Regulation; Grants administration;

The above is an extensive list of partner agencies as well as resources andinformation on a huge array of issues.

2012/2013: MCSA to: Continue providing a wide range of material; Continueengaging with sources to send their material; Continue to advise Mobiles andnon-Mobiles about the elists; Focus on support of the transition to NQF;


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[ii] Collations: Packages of resources developed by other agencies

Whilst MCSA gathers together and distributes many individual resources on arange of general practices developed by other agencies or Mobiles, there arepractices that are of more concern/interest, so MCSA pulls together acollection of vetted resources, as electronic documents, on these specific

practices: Collations.

MCSA has an enormous library of material, electronic and hard-copy.

Collations are often the precursor of the development of Mobile specificresources developed by MCSA: Critical practices that need a mobile ratherthan generic treatment.

Current collations include: Venue Check Lists; Parent Information Brochures;Conflict of Interest; Funding sources; FWA NES; WH&S Graphics, ManualHandling Policies; Audit Preparation checklists;

Collations developed in 2011/2012: Sample Parent Surveys; WH&SLegislation and Codes of Practice; Funding Sources;

This represents only a small amount of activity. The transition to the NQF willintensify in 2012/2013. MCSA will pull together more collations on specificpractices such as philosophy, hygiene, food handling; medication, toileting,emergency drills.

Cataloguing and collating are time consuming. MCSA has begun work on abetter filing system and a searchable system.

2012/2013: MCSA will: Develop/re-develop collations: Develop EYLF andNQS collations; Develop a National Childrens Services legislation collation;Develop an Emergency Planning collation; Add to WH&S collations; Refineinformation management.

3.3 Develop & distribute Mobile Service specific resources

The work here drills down deeper on the provision of resources by developingMobile specific resources on the more critical practices in Mobile Service work.

[i] Photos

A picture paints a thousand words.

MCSA maintains a photo website [Flickr] that showcases the various aspectsof Mobile Service work: Country, roads, bases, venues, vehicles, storage etc.The work of MCSA and Mobile Meets are also displayed in sets [http://www.flickr.com/].

Most photos are provided by MCSA. MCSA limits the taking and/or uploadingof photos of children and parents as it is difficult to organise the permissionsrequired for the various use and media: Flickr, website, powerpoints etc.

The photos are also used in MCSAs various powerpoints for PR, especially at

the Mobile Meet.


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mcsa - excerpt from annual report 11-12 9 2012

Documents