ACECQA Newsletter Issue 5 2016

NQF Snapshot includes reassessment data and interactive content

The latest Snapshot report shows that more than three-quarters of children’s education and care services have received a quality rating under the National Quality Framework (NQF).

ACECQA Chief Executive Officer Karen Curtis said this was a significant achievement for the national assessment and rating system, with the number of quality rated services increasing by 42% over the past 12 months.

“The National Quality Standard raised the bar on quality and continuous improvement in children’s education and care, with 69% now rated ‘Meeting’ or ‘Exceeding’ the NQS compared with 66% 12 months ago,” Ms Curtis said.

For the first time the NQF Snapshot reports on changes in quality ratings for services which have been assessed more than once.

“I welcome the inclusion of reassessment data and the results that are coming through. Although few services have been reassessed to date, the results of these are overwhelmingly positive with 67% receiving an improved quality rating,” Ms Curtis said.

This is also the first time that an interactive online version of the NQF Snapshot is available for users to sort and search for information.

This Snapshot is the 13th report on the NQF, both the PDF and online version of the Snapshot are available on our website.

New research examines quality in family day care

Family Day Care Australia has released the findings of the ‘Perspectives on quality in Australian family day care’ research that was conducted by the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Social Policy Research Centre.

The research, the first of its kind, examined the factors which influence the quality of a family day care service and explored the attributes that high quality services have in common.

Six family day care services participated in the research, which consisted of interviews with educators and parents, visits to services and analysis of what each had in common and how this could constitute best practice for the sector. Five of these services have been rated Exceeding under the National Quality Standard and the other, Wynnum Family Day Care and Education Service, was rated Excellent.

ACECQA’s Chief Executive Officer, Karen Curtis, spoke at the launch, congratulating FDCA and the services involved in the development of this important publication.

See photos from the launch on the Family Day Care Australia Facebook page.

Read ‘Perspectives on quality in Australian family day care’ on the UNSW Social Policy Research Centre website.

Assessment and rating for family day care service providers

The assessment and rating process can be a nervous time for educators and providers.

To coincide with National Family Day Care Week we chatted to Eugenia Gabbiani, a family day care educator at the City of Casey in Victoria, about her experience and advice for educators.

Read more on We Hear You.

Developing your QIP 

We have now passed the four-year mark since the first Quality Improvement Plans (QIPs) were completed in April 2012. Services might be reviewing and updating their existing QIPs, thinking about developing a new plan or even submitting a QIP for the very first time as part of the assessment and rating process.

Review and reflection

Reviewing and reflecting on your QIP regularly throughout the year allows you to identify the strengths of your service, recognise and address the areas that need improvement against the National Quality Standard (NQS) and check compliance with regulatory requirements. To meet requirements and track quality improvements, a QIP should be reviewed and revised annually (see Regulation 56) and updated to reflect the results of the service’s assessment and rating visit.

Remember, you do not need to address all standards and elements of the NQS in the QIP. While you are encouraged to be as detailed and descriptive as you can about your strengths and improvement goals, the emphasis is on quality not quantity.

Getting started

For new services, your QIP should be prepared within three months of your service approval and ready for submission to your regulatory authority on request.

Remember, there is no minimum or maximum length of the QIP. Information, guides and templates are all available on ACECQA’s website to get you started but there are many resources available, so feel free to explore and research to find the right template for your service. One example is the NSW Early Childhood Education and Care Directorate’s Quality Improvement Plan template developed for NSW services. Adopting a workbook approach, it steps services through their suggested approach for developing a QIP.

A collaborative approach

A QIP is designed to be a dynamic and evolving document. The journey of your service and how you create your QIP are part of the improvement process and provides an opportunity for your collaboration with and input from children, families, educators, staff members and the community. If your QIP is a living document, you will begin to notice that the focus will change and shift with time in response to your ongoing learning and the changing needs of your service. 

Integrating other plans into your QIP

Many service providers also carry out other types of formal planning, for example, developing Inclusion Improvement Plans (IIP) and a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). Developing or revising your QIP is also a good opportunity for you to think about the way you can integrate these plans and others into your service. Each of these planning tools complement one another and assist planning for change and promoting continuous improvement through a reflective planning cycle. Each plan encourages educators to reflect on and enhance their practices in line with approved learning frameworks. Both the IIP and the RAP can assist your service to achieve inclusion related goals from the QIP and inform quality improvement across each of the quality areas. See the below links for further guidance.

The next step

Following the development and revision of your plan, remember to keep the momentum going with regular reviews and updates. Your QIP not only allows you to track your improvements and goals but it is also a plan that tracks your strengths and progress, which should be recognised, shared and celebrated.

Further reading and resources

• ACECQA – Quality Improvement Plans
• Community Child Care Co-operative – Writing a Quality Improvement Plan
• National Quality Standard Professional Learning Program – The quality improvement process
• National Quality Standard Professional Learning Program – Self-assessment, reflective practice and quality improvement processes
• Gowrie South Australia – Continuous cycle of improvement
• ACECQA – National Education Leader: Reflecting on and planning for inclusion
• Reconciliation Australia – Narragunnawali
• KU Children’s Services / Include Me – IIP Information and Resources
• KU Children’s Services / Include Me – The Inclusion Improvement Plan (IIP) Guide
• KU Children’s Services – IIP videos