© ACECQA 2015

Regulatory Authority update

In this issue

• Consistency and Review team at ACECQA

• Accessing the eLearning portal

• elearning modules for AOs

• Assessment and rating data

• Outside School Hours Care documentation

• ACECQA’s National Workshops

• SIDS and safe sleeping practices

• Excellent rating

• Productivity Commission Report

The Consistency and Review team at ACECQAAny of you who contact us about the eLearning portal, online learning, reliability testing or have been involved in any of our national audits would most likely have dealt with our Consistency and Review team. We thought we’d introduce you to the team and their work.

Who we are

The Consistency and Review team is part of the Education, Consistency and Operations group within ACECQA. The team works closely with the regulatory authorities in each state and territory to support authorised officers and promote national consistency.

The team is managed by Perry Campbell and has six members of staff in total, pictured above.

Issue 1: March 2015

Welcome to the first ACECQA RA update for 2015. The RA updates are developed to keep you informed about national issues which may affect your work or be of interest to you. A copy of previous editions can be found on the ACECQA eLearning portal for authorised officers.

Front row left to right: Jamie Yusuf, Morag Milner, Bridget BardonBack row left to right: Perry Campbell, Jonathon Kilpatrick, Ben Martin

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Regulatory Authority update

What we do

ACECQA’s Consistency and Review team is responsible for a range of support and training resources for authorised officers. This increasingly involves the use of online materials and a dedicated eLearning website for authorised officers. ACECQA also delivers Part two AO training to authorised officers across the country.

The team works with jurisdictional representatives on the Training Working Group (one of the working groups of the Quality and Consistency Committee), as well as with lead assessors.

The Consistency and Review team is also responsible for ACECQA’s national audit function. The recent survey seeking your feedback on the OPM is part of the current audit being conducted by the team.

How to contact us

If needed, you can contact the team by sending an email to training@acecqa.gov.au. This inbox is monitored throughout the day by the team so they’ll endeavour to get back to you as soon as possible.

Accessing the eLearning portal

For any new colleagues who need access to the eLearning portal, a copy of the registration form is available by following this link http://training.acecqa.gov.au/resources/32. Once completed, the registration form can be sent to training@acecqa.gov.au.

Where possible the form should be sent through electronically in Word format.

eLearning modules for AOs

ACECQA is currently working on developing a number of new eLearning modules to support you in your role. These are designed to familiarise you with different service types and approaches in early childhood education and care services and support you in your assessment and rating visits. They are also designed to increase your knowledge across different topics and issues that affect education and care services.

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Regulatory Authority update

A new ‘Introduction to Cultural Competence’ eLearning module has recently been launched. The module is available on the ACECQA eLearning portal. This module gives you an introduction to cultural competence and will be followed by two further modules in the coming months, which will focus on assessing service cultural competence and being culturally competent in your role.

Other eLearning modules currently in development and scheduled for publication in the coming months are:

• Assessing Quality Education and Care for 0-2 year olds

• Assessing a Montessori service

• Assessing a Steiner service

• OSHC Familiarisation

We will send you a notification from the eLearning portal when new modules become available.

Assessment and rating data

National assessment and rating data indicates that services are less likely to meet standard 1.2, specifically elements 1.2.1 (on-going cycle of planning, documenting and evaluation) and 1.2.3 (critical reflection). Other challenging elements include 3.3.1 (sustainable practices), and 3.3.2 (environmental responsibility).

There are many resources available to support services in meeting these elements. The Inclusion Professional Support Program (IPSP) Online Library and the Early Childhood Australia Professional Learning Program website include useful, practical resources that are easily accessed. Information and resources are also available on the ACECQA National Education Leader webpage. Authorised officers are encouraged to use these resources to build their own knowledge, and share these links with educators and approved providers.

Outside School Hours Care documentation

The 2014 COAG Consultation Regulatory Impact Statement highlights that there is some uncertainty regarding the amount of documentation required for Outside School Hours Care services to adequately demonstrate the appropriate delivery of educational programs.

When assessing against Quality Area 1 of the National Quality Standard it is important to take account of the service type, the age of the children and amount of time they spend at the service.

Guidance note GN12, Expectations around documentation about each child’s learning and progress in Outside School Hours Care (OSHC), including Vacation Care also provides valuable information about assessing OSHC documentation, for example giving consideration to the period of time that a child is being educated and cared for by the service. This is particularly relevant for school age care, where children may come for short periods and/or irregularly.

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Regulatory Authority update

The following are some examples of resources which may be valuable to share with Outside School Hours Care educators and providers to support them in their understanding:

• Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) Educators Guide to the Framework for School Age Care

• Australian Government Department of Education My Time Our Place website

• Australian Government Department of Education. My Time Our Place Information for Families brochure

• Australian Government Department of Education. My Time Out Place Promoting collaborative partnerships between school aged services and schools

• The Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development publication Planning for children in school age care

• National Outside School Hours Services Association (NOSHA) website

• Child Australia OSHC Road Map: Useful Resources for NQS.

ACECQA’s National Workshops

In supporting services to meet Quality Area 1: Educational Program and Practice, ACECQA’s National Education Leader, Rhonda Livingstone has been working with colleagues from each State and Territory Regulatory Authority and Professional Support Coordination Unit to develop and deliver the ACECQA National Workshops. In 2014, workshops were delivered in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory. The workshops have been well attended and we have received positive feedback from participants. Thank you to the regulatory staff in these jurisdictions who participated in the sessions and contributed to the success.

The Western Australian National Workshops were delivered last week with more than 450 people attending sessions in Perth, Albany and Geraldton. Registrations are now open for the Victorian leg of the National Workshops in March and registration can be made here. Keep an eye on the ACECQA events page for further updates.

The ACECQA website provides access to a video of ‘A discussion with Dr Jennifer Cartmel and Professor Jennifer Sumsion on the development of the My Time, Our Place and Belonging, Being and Becoming learning frameworks’. This resource has been used in the National Workshops and is a useful resource to share with educators and providers.

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Regulatory Authority update

SIDS and safe sleeping practices

A coronial inquest was completed in December last year in response to the sudden and unexpected death of a five month old in 2012. At the time of her death, the baby was attending a family day care education and care service in Queensland. The full findings of the inquest can be found by clicking here.

The Education and Care Services National Law and Regulations do not prescribe the need for specific policies and procedures relating to safe sleep and rest practices. However, all services must have general health and safety policies and procedures. The Guide to the National Law and Regulations provides the following guidance regarding the supervision of sleeping children:

The guidelines, training and advice materials prepared by ACECQA and regulatory authorities help to interpret and apply the National Law, National Regulations, National Quality Standard and Approved Learning Frameworks. It is important to note however that these documents cannot override the responsibilities and requirements set out in the National Law and National Regulations. For further information, please refer to ‘GN20: Consideration of guides and guidelines’ on the ACECQA training portal.

Regulation 81 requires an approved provider, nominated supervisor and family day care educator to “take reasonable steps to ensure that the needs for sleep and rest of children being educated and cared for are met, having regard to the ages, development stages and individual needs of the children”. Element 2.1.2 of the NQS requires that “each child’s comfort is provided for and there are appropriate opportunities to meet each child’s need for sleep, rest and relaxation”.

The Guide to the National Quality Standard notes, as part of assessing element 2.1.2, that assessors may observe “sleep and rest practices that are consistent with contemporary views about children’s health, safety and welfare and that meet children’s individual needs”. The National Law and Regulations do not prescribe the use of any particular guidelines or standards in relation to sleep and rest practices. Authorised officers may however refer approved providers to the SIDS and Kids website to access helpful resources on safe sleeping practices. While these resources may be useful, services are not required to abide by them.

The following recommendation was made as part of the findings of the coronial inquest:

* Relevant governments give consideration to amending the National Regulations and in particular current Regulations 81 and 168 to require Approved Providers to have a written policy and procedure relating to Sleep and Rest under the Education and Care Services National Regulations based on contemporary best practice principles.

This recommendation is being considered by the Early Childhood Policy Group (ECPG) as part of the COAG Review process. Senior officials from each state and territory, as well as the Australian Government, are represented on ECPG.

When considering the supervision requirements of sleeping children, an assessment of each child’s circumstance and needs should be undertaken to determine any risk factors. For example, because a higher risk may be associated with small babies or children with colds or chronic lung disorders, they might require a higher level of supervision while sleeping.

Sleeping children should always be within sight and hearing distance so that educators can assess the child’s breathing and colour of their skin to ensure their safety and wellbeing. Rooms that are very dark and have music playing may not provide adequate supervision of sleeping children. Supervision windows should be kept clear and not painted over or covered with curtains or posters.

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Regulatory Authority update

Excellent rating

Under the Education and Care Services National Law, ACECQA has the responsibility for administering the awarding of the highest rating, the Excellent rating. Any service with an overall Exceeding rating is eligible to apply.

While the criteria for the Excellent rating are separate to the Assessment and Rating process, there is alignment with the continuous improvement focus of the NQF and approved learning frameworks, and with the overarching goal of improving outcomes for children. The purpose and criteria for the Excellent rating are described in the published guidelines, available on the ACECQA website.

Examples of Excellent practice

The distinction between Exceeding and Excellent practice is an important one for services to consider when applying for the Excellent rating. Exceeding practice is a very high achievement and demonstrates the delivery of high quality early childhood education and care. Therefore, to achieve the Excellent rating, a service must demonstrate how it is going above and beyond to provide exceptional education and care, with evidence of improved outcomes for children and families. In other words, what is it that makes the service stand out? Why is what the service is doing exceptional?

Two de-identified examples of Excellent practice that have been included in applications under the theme of ‘Practice and environments that enhance children’s learning and growth’ are explored below. It is important to remember that Excellent practice may look different in each service. In developing the practices and environments detailed below, these services have analysed the strengths, needs and priorities of their children and families, and developed practice and environments that respond to these.

1. Example 1. This service is committed to positioning children as capable and including them in decision making at a service and community level. The service collaborated with the Roads and Maritime Services to support children’s active contribution to the design of a new city bridge. Educators supported the children to put in submissions to the project through children’s drawings and statements, with their ideas used and considered in the design of the bridge. The children’s holistic involvement in this project is an exemplary approach to advocating for children’s rights and capabilities. Changes were made to the running of the service to give children equal participation in decision making about matters that affect them through their involvement in management meetings. The service’s strong belief in children’s capabilities and high level of agency is an exceptional approach to increasing children’s participatory rights. The service has shared this approach with its surrounding community to advocate for children’s rights.

2. Example 2. This service’s approach to developing its outdoor environment to drive children’s learning and understanding of their climate and the region in which they live demonstrated exceptional practices and environments that enhance children’s learning and growth. The service’s involvement in the Growing Green Kids initiative is an example of the exceptional work it does to further children’s understandings of their environment within a play based learning context. As part of the initiative, children and families worked alongside the associated primary school and the neighbouring wildlife park to design and maintain a market produce garden, farm and orchard in the grounds surrounding the service. Children grow produce for use at the wildlife park, and participate in regular incursions and excursions to further their knowledge of sustainability, nutrition and environmental awareness within the context of the region’s seasonal climate.

Productivity Commission Report

The Productivity Commission has recently released its report of the inquiry into future options for early childhood education and care in Australia. Here is a link to the overview and recommendations from the Productivity Commission inquiry report. The findings are a report to Government and will provide key input to the new families’ package.