NSW Department of Education Early Childhood Education Directorate

NSW Department of Education Early Childhood Education Directorate October 2019 Roadshows

NSW Department of Education Welcome and Acknowledgement of Country

NSW Department of Education Regulatory Update

Your feedback on sector support What we heard from you: • Resources that can be accessed at a time that suits you • Practical guidance and tools that help you put the National Quality Standard and regulatory requirements into practice • Face-to-face events where you can learn and network with other educators • Initiatives that are relevant to your service type, and to your specific role in your service And lots of other ideas for particular resources and initiatives that we are working through to guide our future sector support initiatives.

NSW Department of Education Update on sector support initiatives Current initiatives: • Family Day Care Quality Support Program • Emergency Preparedness • Supporting Children’s Health Recent initiatives: • Aboriginal Quality Support Program • Working Towards Quality Support Program • Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) Quality Development Program 5

NSW Department of Education A&R Sector Development Program Delivered by Community Early Learning Australia • This program provides a professional learning opportunity to enable all education and care services to: • better understand prepare for assessment and rating visits • communicate what assessment and rating involves for staff • communicate assessment and rating to families • access and use available resources on assessment and ratings • NESA endorsed training • workshops began in September and are available to all service types. 6

NSW Department of Education Free resources for all services Check ECExtra for links • Working Towards Quality Support program - “Meeting the NQS” resources available on the ACECQA website: acecqa. gov. au/resources/research/meeting-nqs • - More to come • Aboriginal Quality Support program -culturally-relevant-resources on the NQF - Available on the Department’s website on the “Operating an early childhood education service” page 7

NSW Department of Education QA 2: Children’s health and safety Preventing and responding to health incidents • National Quality Standard • Regulatory requirements • Spotlight on Quality (Issue 5) Reporting responsibilities and how to make a notification (Department's website) • Guide to the National Quality Framework (ACECQA website) 8

NSW Department of Education Consultation session Supporting children’s health

NSW Department of Education Sector support initiative Supporting children’s health – resources and workshops By using the online resources or attending a workshop, you will be able to: • Improve responses to health incidents Topics covered: • Anaphylaxis & Allergy • Asthma Regulations, and Elements 2. 1. 1 and 2. 1. 2 of Quality Area 2 of the National • Infectious Diseases Quality Standard • First Aid • Safe Sleep • Improve understanding of and compliance with health-related National • Make practical improvements to existing policies and procedures on health, injury, illness, infectious diseases and medical conditions • Understand where to seek additional information and assistance • Provide guidance and help parents and families to support children’s health 10

NSW Department of Education Support and information Building knowledge and confidence Your feedback will inform the development of online resources 1. What are the most common health incidents that occur at your service? 2. What types of incidents do you feel most confident dealing with? Why? 3. What health incidents do you feel least confident dealing with? Why? 4. What support and information is needed to assist your service to prevent and/or respond to a health incident? 5. Where do you currently get information on best practice for health-related matters? 11

NSW Department of Education Regulatory Update Assessment and Rating

NSW Department of Education Feedback from last roadshows Frequency of issues raised [CELLRANGE], [PERCENTAGE] [CELLRANGE], A&R Feedback [PERCENTAGE] [CELLRANGE], [PERCENTAGE] [CELLRANGE], [PERCENTAGE] Engagement at the Service Self Assessment / QIP Pre and Post Visit Communication Impact of A&R on staff Promoting Ratings to Families 13 [CELLRANGE], [PERCENTAGE] Scheduling and Notice Periods Consistency Authorised Officer Skills and Attitude Sector Support Separation of Quality and Compliance

NSW Department of Education Sector feedback What you told us • Services want increased engagement and service visits from the RA • Services want Authorised Officers to work with them • Services want to remove the uncertainty and apprehension surrounding the A&R process • Services want increased consistency in A&R • What else we heard • Authorised Officers can sometimes seem too focussed on documenting their visits rather than observing practice and engaging with educators, children and families • Reports received at the conclusion of A&R can be generic • Educators are the experts when it comes to their service 14

NSW Department of Education Department feedback What we have learned • The A&R process can be time consuming. We need to focus our energy in the areas where the greatest benefits can be achieved, and that is in the services • The Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) is one of the tools that the Regulatory Authority uses to assess the quality of the service and we have learned that there are better ways of using tools such as the QIP and self assessment documentation • Increased engagement strengthens the process • What else we know 15 • Authorised Officers look forward to increasing their level of engagement with the services • Authorised Officers can collect on average 400 pieces of evidence from a single A&R visit • Authorised Officers have limited time at the service • Authorised Officers have limited resources. Authorised officers apply a risk-based approach • Authorised Officers want to reaffirm to services that Meeting is an achievement • Authorised officers are human

NSW Department of Education Building self reflective practices into the NSW A&R approach We cannot keep doing the same thing and expect a different result Part 3. 1 Quality Improvement Plans Reg 55 (1) …. A quality improvement plan is prepared for the service that (a) includes an assessment by the provider of the quality of the practices of the service against the National Quality Standards and these Regulations (b) Identifies any areas that the provider considers may require improvement and (c) contains a statement of the philosophy of the service 16 Reg 56 Review and revision of the quality improvement plans

NSW Department of Education Focusing on reflective practices to raise quality practices 17

NSW Department of Education ACECQA Self-Assessment tool 18

NSW Department of Education Reflective practices in NSW Assessment and Rating process • From January 2020 we will introduce a new approach to communicate the details of the upcoming assessment and rating process. • For services scheduled for a visit in November 2019 until January 2020 will have the option to ‘opt in. ’ • Inclusion of reflective practices against the standards ensures a reduction of the duplication of information in our systems 19

NSW Department of Education What support will be provided? The Department will assist in a range of ways 20

NSW Department of Education What outcomes are expected? Positive results are anticipated • Strengthened relationships • Increased visibility • Increased quality outcomes for children • The value and uniqueness of every service is captured as represented by educators within the service • Transparency in our decision making • Reduced uncertainty and apprehension • Improved outcomes for children 21

NSW Department of Education What else do you need to know 22

NSW Department of Education

NSW Department of Education Before and After School Care $120 million to create much needed places across NSW

NSW Department of Education Program update What we’ve done and where we’re heading Last 3 months Next 6 months 2020 and beyond § $50 m Infrastructure Fund opened § Deliver digital solution for parents § Evaluation of pilots § Parent Have Your Say form launched § Piloting and testing § Scale up delivery § Research § Consultation § Measure impacts 25

NSW Department of Education OSHC Census You have until October 28 to complete the Census We need the data to: − Understand what is currently available and where − Better plan how we deliver the commitment to you Information we need: − All OSHC services − Attendance and waitlist − Places and schools − Twice yearly 26

NSW Department of Education Tender and licencing Tenders have reopened, improvements in process and documents • Plain English documentation • Clearer assessment criteria weighted towards quality • Opportunity for longer terms • New contract management provisions • Pre-measurement of unencumbered space to be provided 27

NSW Department of Education We want your parents to have their say The Have Your Say form will be live until the end of 2019 Parent web form – SNSW Have your say survey: https: //www. service. nsw. gov. au/basc Over 4000 responses to date from Have You Say form across 454 post codes. So far, we know: • 52% of respondents are not in BASC • 63% of respondents are looking to enrol their child in more care beyond what they currently attend • 60% of parents/carers are having trouble getting the care they need 28 Download our new infographic from education. nsw. gov. au/basc

NSW Department of Education The first round of grants have been awarded Nearly 100 places will be created in Greater Western Sydney across three services • $83, 000 has been awarded to three services in Greater Western Sydney to upgrade or add infrastructure. • This will create an additional 94 places • You can still apply for up to $30, 000 • Criteria for 2020 is being revised based on what we learn 29

NSW Department of Education Thank you for attending