chc08 community services manage children s services
TRANSCRIPT
CHC08 Community Services Training Package Version 4
CHCIC501B
Manage children’s services workplace practice to address
regulations and quality assurance
Learner guide
Version 2
Training and Education Support
Industry Skills Unit
Meadowbank
Product Code: 5711
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© TAFE NSW (Training & Education Support, Industry Skills Unit Meadowbank) 2012
© TAFE NSW (Training & Education Support, Industry Skills Unit Meadowbank) 2012
CHCIC501B Manage children’s services workplace practice to address regulations and quality assurance
Unit code Unit name Acknowledgments
The TAFE NSW Training and Education Support Industry Skills Unit, Meadowbank
would like to acknowledge the support and assistance of the following people in
the production of this learner resource guide:
Writers:
Tracey Redman and Lisa Wallmeyer
Teacher, Child and Family Services
TAFE NSW
Reviewer:
Jenny Jesson
Teacher, Child and Family Services
TAFE NSW
Project Manager:
Gail Horwood
A/Education Programs Manager
TAFE NSW
Enquiries:
Enquiries about this and other publications can be made to:
Training and Education Support Industry Skills Unit, Meadowbank
Meadowbank TAFE
Level 3, Building J,
See Street,
MEADOWBANK NSW 2114
Tel: 02-9942 3200 Fax: 02-9942 3257
ISBN 978-1-74236-421-6
© The State of New South Wales, Department of Education and
Training, TAFE NSW, Training and Education Support Industry Skills
Unit, Meadowbank, 2012.
Copyright of this material is reserved to TAFE NSW Training and Education
Support Industry Skills Unit, Meadowbank. Reproduction or transmittal in
whole or in part, other than for the purposes of private study or research, and
subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act, is prohibited without the written
authority of, TAFE NSW. Training and Education Support Industry Skills Unit,
Meadowbank.
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© TAFE NSW (Training & Education Support, Industry Skills Unit Meadowbank) 2012
CHCIC501B Manage children’s services workplace practice to address regulations and quality assurance
Unit code Unit name
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© TAFE NSW (Training & Education Support, Industry Skills Unit Meadowbank) 2012
© TAFE NSW (Training & Education Support, Industry Skills Unit Meadowbank) 2012
CHCIC501B Manage children’s services workplace practice to address regulations and quality assurance
Unit code Unit name Table of contents
Introduction .................................................................................. 7
1. General introduction ........................................................................... 7
2. Using this learner guide ...................................................................... 7
3. Prior Knowledge and Experience .......................................................... 9
4. Unit of competency overview ............................................................... 9
5. Assessment ..................................................................................... 14
Section 1: Understanding legal and quality assurance requirements and processes in children’s services ...................... 15
Introduction ........................................................................................... 15
Overview of legal and quality assurance requirements ................................ 16
Terminology .......................................................................................... 23
Who does the National Quality Framework apply to? ................................... 24
Approvals .............................................................................................. 25
How does the quality ratings process work? ............................................... 26
How often does a centre need to go through the assessment and rating
process? ................................................................................................ 35
What happens if a centre doesn‟t meet NQS? ............................................. 35
Spot checks and unannounced visits ......................................................... 36
Common acronyms in education and care services ..................................... 37
Section 2: Managing children’s services to meet legal and quality assurance requirements .............................................................. 39
Interpreting regulations and quality assurance requirements ....................... 40
Maintaining relevant records and documents .............................................. 43
Working with staff to promote understanding and compliance ...................... 45
Ensuring current knowledge ..................................................................... 47
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© TAFE NSW (Training & Education Support, Industry Skills Unit Meadowbank) 2012
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CHCIC501B Manage children’s services workplace practice to address regulations and quality assurance
Unit code Unit name Seeking resources and support ................................................................ 51
Identifying and meeting professional development needs ............................ 53
Section Review ....................................................................................... 55
Section 3: Managing a service self evaluation process.............. 57
Self evaluation and reflection ................................................................... 57
Informing and involving families and gathering feedback ............................. 58
Completing required documentation.......................................................... 60
Collecting evidence ................................................................................. 62
Section Review ....................................................................................... 65
Section 4: Developing and implementing quality improvement plans ………………………………………………………………………..67
Identifying opportunities for service improvement ...................................... 67
Developing and implementing improvement plans and strategies ................. 68
Monitoring progress ................................................................................ 72
Section Review ....................................................................................... 73
Section 5: Managing external evaluations ................................ 75
Preparing for external evaluations ............................................................ 75
Educators and Staff ................................................................................ 77
Section Review ....................................................................................... 78
Answers to Activities ................................................................... 79
Appendix A: Websites for Children’s Services / Education and
Care Regulations for Australian states and territories ................. 87
References List ............................................................................ 89
Resource Evaluation Form ........................................................... 93
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CHCIC501B Manage children’s services workplace practice to address regulations and quality assurance
Unit code Unit name Section 1: Understanding legal and quality
assurance requirements and processes in
children’s services
Elements and performance criteria:
5. Interpret and evaluate regulations and quality assurance
standards relating to children’s services.
5.1 Maintain current knowledge of regulations and quality assurance
standards for the children‟s services industry
5.2 Interpret and meet regulatory requirements in a timely manner and
within the limits of own job role and expertise.
5.3 Seek advice from a higher authority if interpretation in not clear or
possible
5.4 Analyse compliance outcomes and report on suggested strategies
for increasing compliance
5.5 Report on compliance issues in line with regulations, standards,
legislation and organisation requirements
6. Manage legislative and regulatory compliance in children’s services
organisations.
6.1 Demonstrate conduct to show commitment to compliance with
children‟s services regulations and relevant quality assurance
standards
6.2 Provide opportunities and encourage staff to discuss, clarify and
meet regulatory requirements
6.3 Confirm staff understanding of regulatory and standards obligations
and determine needs for professional development
6.4 Undertake risk assessment for non compliance with regulations and
quality assurance standards for the children‟s service industry
6.5 Develop strategies to address risk according to organisation policy
6.6 Create learning opportunities for all staff from situations of
compliance and non compliance without compromising
confidentiality or privacy
Introduction
Legal and Quality Assurance requirements within the Children‟s Services industry
are in a constant state of change. Even as new Acts, regulations and processes
are being introduced and implemented, work has begun to update and improve
them, ready for the next lot of „changes‟.
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CHCIC501B Manage children’s services workplace practice to address regulations and quality assurance
Unit code Unit name So, why are there so many changes? To summarise, changes are necessary
because:
we are continuously researching and updating our knowledge on child
development and „best practice‟,
the need for education and care is constantly increasing, not only as a
result of society becoming more accepting and developing a better
understanding of what it‟s about, but also to cater for the increasing
number of working parents,
the increasing diversity of Australian families mean we have to
continuously monitor and reflect our new understandings in the service we
provide in order to maintain „inclusive‟ and relevant services.
As we will see later in this unit, it is therefore essential that education and care
professionals stay abreast of changes, not only as they occur, but also in their
research and development stages.
While this unit focuses on the National Quality Framework (implemented in
January 2012), references are made to Acts, regulations, standards and
processes that were in force prior to this commencement date. In particular this
unit refers to:
The Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010
Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011
The National Quality Framework (established under the Education and
Care Services National Law Act 2010)
Under the system prior to January 2012, the Child Care Quality Assurance System
(CCQA) operated on a National basis under the control of the National Child Care
Accreditation Council (NCAC) and was therefore consistent across Australia.
However each Australian state and territory had its own regulations for children‟s
services. Under the „new‟ National Quality Framework, all Australian states and
territories will be regulated by a single national regulatory system.
Note: The Children‟s Services industry has many acronyms. To help you out, a list
of frequently used acronyms can be found at the end of this chapter.
Overview of legal and quality assurance requirements
Education and care services are possibly one of the most highly regulated and
monitored industries, and rightly so. It is estimated that in June 2010, 869,770
children were being cared for in an approved education and care setting (Child
Care Update, February 2011, Department of Education, Employment and
Workplace Relations, Office of Early Childhood Education and Child Care). For this
reason alone, regulations and standards are imperative in order to ensure that
children are getting the best possible quality of care and education, in a safe,
secure and caring environment. In the “History of National Childcare Accreditation
Council” document (NCAC 2006), it is stated that:
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CHCIC501B Manage children’s services workplace practice to address regulations and quality assurance
Unit code Unit name “A child can spend up to 12,000 hours in child care before starting school: that’s
only 500 hours less than the child will spend in lessons during the whole 13 years
of schooling”.
This figure is calculated by multiplying five years of early education and care, by
50 hours per week, by 50 weeks per year and while it may not be a true
reflection of the hours spent in education and care by all children, it is certainly a
figure we can‟t overlook when planning to provide quality education and care.
While the debate over whether education and care is a beneficial or detrimental
option for children continues (and probably always will), it is at least accepted
that the care and education provided to a child in the early years, is crucial to
each child‟s overall development, wellbeing and future outcomes, hence the need
for Regulations and a National Quality Standard.
The regulatory environment under which NSW long day care
centres operate
We have stated that in the past Children‟s Services Regulations were specific to
each state or territory. So, too are many legislative Acts, so if you are studying
outside NSW you will need to become familiar with your relevant state‟s Acts.
However, some legislation is at a federal level, applicable to all Australian states
and territories. These are called Commonwealth Acts.
The following are relevant NSW Acts: (at the time of writing)
Child Protection (Prohibited Employment) Act 1998 No 146
Child Protection Legislation Amendment Act 2003 No 90
Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 No 157
Children and Young Persons Legislation (Repeal and Amendment) Act 1998
No158
Children (Education and Care Services) Supplementary Provisions Act
2011
Children (Education and Care Services) Supplementary Provisions
Regulation 2004
Commission for Children and Young People Act- 1998 No 146
Ombudsman Act 1974 No 68
Work Health and Safety Act 2011
Workers Compensation Act 1987
NSW Industrial Relations Act 1996
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CHCIC501B Manage children’s services workplace practice to address regulations and quality assurance
Unit code Unit name NSW Anti-Discrimination Act 1997
NSW Anti-Discrimination Amendments (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004
Local Government Act 1993
Crimes Act 1900
Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979
Food Act 2003
Public Health (General) Act 2002
Vocational Education and Training Act 2005
Smoke-Free Environment Act 2000
Source: NSW Government Cabinet Office: www.legislation.nsw.gov.au
On a national level, the following are the relevant Commonwealth Acts:
Freedom of Information Act 1982
Equal Employment Opportunity Act 1987
Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Amendment Act 1999
National Health Act 2009
Ombudsman Act 2008, and
Ombudsman Amendment Act 1983
2000 Commonwealth Privacy Act
Source: Commonwealth Attorney General‟s Department
www.scaleplus.law.gov.au
In addition to the above, education and care centres must also adhere to a range
of various regulations, standards, recommendations and guidelines, such as:
National Quality Framework (incorporating the Education and Care
National Regulations and the National Quality Standard)
Australian and New Zealand Standard: Playground Surfacing
Standards Association of Australia (includes standards for cots)
Building Code of Australia
Cancer Council of Australia
NSW Cancer Council
Industrial Awards
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Unit code Unit name Play Equipment Standards
Roads and Traffic Authority Guidelines
Workcover Authority Standards (including Workers Compensation and
WHS)
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CHCIC501B Manage children’s services workplace practice to address regulations and quality assurance
Unit code Unit name What a lot of rules to comply with. Fortunately you will have covered many of
these in previous relevant units, and some of the above are more applicable to
someone building a new education and care centre. However it‟s time to refresh
your memory on some of the legislation that you will need to have a thorough
knowledge of on a daily basis.
Activity 1.1
Research the following legislation and write a short summary of the main points
that each Act covers.
Some helpful websites for this activity may include;
NSW Government Cabinet Office: www.legislation.nsw.gov.au
Commonwealth Attorney General‟s Department: www.scaleplus.law.gov.au
Australasian Legal Information Institute: www.austlii.edu.au
1. Child Protection (Prohibited Employment) Act 1998
2. Children (Education and Care Services National Law Application) Act 2010
Continue on the next page
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CHCIC501B Manage children’s services workplace practice to address regulations and quality assurance
Unit code Unit name
Activity 1.1 (cont.)
3. Ombudsman Act 1974 – focus your summary on Part 3A Child Protection
4. Commission for Children and Young People Act 1998
5. Work Health and Safety Act 2011
Continue on the next page.
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Overview of National Quality Framework
The quality assurance process was born out of the realisation that while
regulations provide the structure for education and care services, they do not
necessarily ensure the quality of a service. While regulations look at minimum
standards, the NQS places more focus on outcomes for the children, and staff
practices. The NQS process therefore aims to set standards for every aspect of
education and care, and provide a measuring tool with which to assess the level
of quality being provided.
From January 1, 2012 the National Quality Framework (NQF) was implemented in
order to apply a single national regulatory system to all children‟s services within
Australia. This national system will replace the „jurisdiction‟ specific licensing
arrangements that we have previously been familiar with.
The National Quality Framework has been established under an applied law
system, which means that a host jurisdiction (in this case, Victoria) has passed a
law that other jurisdictions can adopt. This law is the Education and Care Service
National Law Act 2010.
Activity 1.1 (cont.)
6. Equal Employment Opportunity Act 1987
Turn to the end of the learner guide for suggested answers.
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CHCIC501B Manage children’s services workplace practice to address regulations and quality assurance
Unit code Unit name More specifically, the NQF incorporates;
A new National body; the Australian Children‟s Education and Care Quality
Authority (ACECQA), set up to coordinate, guide and monitor the
implementation and running of the framework
A single national regulatory system (the Education and Care Services
National Law and Regulations)
A new national approval process that replaces jurisdiction-specific licensing
arrangements
A new National Quality Standard (NQS) comprising seven quality areas
(formerly implemented as the separate National Accreditation system)
A new National quality assessment and rating system (applicable to the
regulations and National Quality Standards).
In plain English, all of this means that our old accreditation system has now been
incorporated into the Regulations, and National Quality Standard, which will now
be consistent across Australia!
While participation in the old Quality Assurance (QA) system was voluntary, it
was connected to Child Care Benefit (CCB), so in fact, if a service wished to claim
CCB in order to dramatically reduce the fees paid to the service by the individual
families (and therefore making a centre financially viable as it is affordable for
lower income families), they had little option but to participate. Under the new
system, participation in a quality assurance process has been incorporated into
the regulations, therefore making it compulsory for all services covered by the
NQF.
Terminology
Before we start talking about the details of the National Quality Framework, it‟s
probably a good idea to look at some of the terminology. The table below shows
the terminology applicable to the NQF, alongside the „old‟ terminology that you
may still hear some people in the sector talking about for some time to come.
Terminology pertaining to all aspects of the National Quality Framework will be
used this unit.
New’ NQF terminology ‘Old’ accreditation & regulations
terminology
General terminology
Education and Care Service (not
so new terminology but
exclusively used under the NQF)
Centre (as in Child Care Centre)
Educator Teacher, carer, caregiver, child
care worker or staff were often
interchangeably used
Staff Support staff; refers to staff
members in a centre based
service who are not part of the
staff: child ratio. E.g. cook,
cleaner, gardener, administrator
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