National Quality Framework
Information on the
National Quality Framework
February 2012
Welcome
Session 1.
Session 2.
Session 3.
Session 4.
Session 5.
Overview of the National Quality
Framework
National Law and National Regulations
Assessment and Rating Process
Operational Requirements including
National Quality Standard
Sector Support and Resources
Session 1
Overview of
the National
Quality
Framework
www.acecqa.gov.au
Objectives of the National
Quality Framework
To ensure the safety, health and wellbeing of
children attending education and care services
To improve the educational and developmental
outcomes for children attending education and
care services
Guiding principles of the
National Quality Framework
 The rights and best interests of the child are paramount
 Children are successful, competent and capable learners
 Equity, inclusion and diversity underpin the Framework
 Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures are
valued
 The role of parents and families is respected and supported
 Best practice is expected in the provision of education and
care services
National Quality Framework
 The National Quality Framework includes:
o a new national legislative framework
o the National Quality Standard
o an assessment and rating system
o a Regulatory Authority in each State and Territory
o the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality
Authority (ACECQA).
Australian Children’s Education
and Care Quality Authority
 The Board appointments are as follows:
o Chief Executive Officer - Karen Curtis
o Chairperson - Rachel Hunter
o Deputy Chairperson - Prof. Collette Tayler
Board members:
Tracey Bradley
Mark Brown
Prof. Allison Elliott
Gayle Ginnane
Tonia Godhard AM
Prof .Pauline Harris
Susan Lines
Michael Manthorpe
June McLoughlin
Amanda Morphett
Anne Reddell
www.acecqa.gov.au
Regulatory Authorities
 Each State and Territory has appointed a Regulatory
Authority.
 The Regulatory Authority:
o provides advice and guidance about the National Quality Framework to
services and the community
o administers the National Quality Framework
o assesses approved education and care services against the National
Quality Standard and the Regulations and determines the ratings of those
services
o monitors and enforces compliance
o receives and investigates notifications of serious incidents and complaints.
The Regulatory Authority
 The Regulatory Authority in Victoria is the Department
of Education and Early Childhood Development
 The newly formed Quality Assessment and Regulation
Division will:
o encompass all previous regional children’s services teams
o coordinate all service approval functions
o monitor the assessment and ratings processes against the
NQF
o implement policy and support Authorised Officers.
Monitoring and enforcement
 Regulatory tools include:
o monitoring compliance
o undertaking assessment and rating visits
o undertaking a schedule of visits, announced,
unannounced, random, and targeted campaigns
o investigating notifications
o compliance action.
Map of the National Quality
Framework and resources
www.acecqa.gov.au
Session 2
National Law and
National Regulations
National legislative framework
National Law
 Education and Care Services National Law Act
2010
National Regulations
 Education and Care Services National
Regulations 2011
 National Quality Standard
Services covered by the
National Law
Any service providing or intending to
provide education and care on a regular
basis to children under the age of 13 years
which INCLUDES:
o preschools (kindergartens)
o long day care
o outside school hours care
o family day care services.
Services excluded by the
National Law
 A school providing full-time education to children, including
children attending in the year before grade 1 but not
including a preschool program delivered in a school or a
preschool that is registered at a school
 Preschool programs delivered in a school if
(i) the program is delivered in a class or classes where a full-time
education program is also being delivered; and
(ii) the program is being delivered to fewer than 6 children in the school
 Personal arrangements
 A service principally conducted to provide instruction is a
particular activity e.g. dance classes, homework clubs
 A service providing education and care to patients in a
hospital or patients of a medical or therapeutic care service
 Care provided under a child protection law
Services excluded by the
National Regulations
 In Victoria this means:
o limited hours or short term licence services
o occasional care services providing ad hoc care
o early childhood intervention services
o mobile services
o some school holiday care programs
o budget-based funded services without CCB.
These services continue to operate under the Victorian
children’s services legislation.
Transition - National Quality
Framework
Licensee
Representative
Primary nominee
• Approved provider
• Person with management or
control
• Nominated supervisor
Approved nominee • Certified supervisor
Licensed service
• Approved service
The national approval system
 The new approval system has replaced the current
licensing system for services operating under the
National Law
 There are three inter-related approval processes:
1.
Provider approval
2.
Service approval
3.
Supervisor Certificate.
Provider approval
 Provider approval is a national ongoing approval to
operate services
 Allows a provider to apply for one or more service
approvals in any jurisdiction
 An individual applicant must meet fit and proper
requirements
 If not an individual, each person in management or
control must meet fit and proper requirements
Responsible persons
centre-based services
Responsible person
At a centre-based service a responsible person must be physically
present at all times
Approved provider or
person in
management and
control
• Assessed and
granted to a legal
entity or person with
management or
control that will
operate the
education and care
service.
Needs to be
either a :
Certified supervisor
Nominated supervisor
•All services must have a
nominated supervisor as
part of the service approval
•A nominated supervisor
must have a supervisor
certificate.
•Makes a person
eligible to be put in
day-to-day charge of
a service in the
absence of the
approved provider or
nominated
supervisor.
Family day care
staffing requirements
 Family day care services must ensure that:
o an approved provider or person with management or
control; or
o a nominated supervisor; or
o a certified supervisor
is available to educators including being contactable by
phone.
Service approval
 There are two types of service approvals:
o
centre-based services includes: long day care,
preschool or kindergarten and outside school hours
care services
o
family day care services.

An annual fee applies

Existing licenses must be displayed whilst awaiting
service approval.
Associated Services

Provisions have been made under the National Law
for associated services

The National Law contains provisions for an
associated service to operate under one Service
Approval

Associated services will continue to comply with the
Victorian children’s services legislation in relation to
the standards that apply
Supervisor Certificates

A person to be put in day-to-day charge of the service
must meet the following:
o be 18 years or over
o satisfy the Regulatory Authority that they are a fit and
proper person to be the supervisor of a service
including mandatory criminal history information
(Working with Children Check)
o the applicant must have –
― adequate knowledge and understanding of the provision of
education and care to children
― the ability to effectively supervise and manage an education and
care service
― the applicant must have either –
― 3 years experience or an approved diploma or early childhood
teaching qualification (not a requirement for OSHC services).
Supervisor Certificates
 The Regulatory Authority may grant a supervisor
certificate to a prescribed class of person, such as:
o
a principal of a school on a school site
o
a person in charge of a campus of a school that
provides an education and care service at that campus.
Nominated Supervisor
 Requires a person to hold a supervisor certificate
 All services must have a nominated supervisor
 The nominated supervisor is responsible with the
approved provider for compliance with the National
Law and National Regulations
Session 3
Assessment and Rating
Process
Assessment and rating
 Promotes continuous quality improvement
 Measures the aspects of quality that contribute to
better outcomes for children
 Places an educational lens on assessment of services
and considers pedagogy
 Is technically valid, robust and a consistent
assessment and rating process across Australia
 Provides meaningful, transparent and reliable
information to parents and families about the quality
of early childhood education and care services
 Ratings publicly available
National Quality Standard
 The new National Quality Standard is divided into 7
quality areas that contribute to the quality of early
childhood education and care
1.
Educational program and practice
2.
Children’s health and safety
3.
Physical environment
4.
Staffing arrangements
5.
Relationships with children
6.
Collaborative partnerships with
families and communities
7.
Leadership and service
management
Rating levels
Key changes from exposure draft
Rating names
Exposure draft
National Regulations
Excellent
Excellent rating
High Quality
Exceeding National Quality Standard
National Quality Standard
Meeting National Quality Standard
Foundation
Working Towards National Quality Standard
Unsatisfactory
Significant Improvement Required
Provisional rating
Until a service is first assessed under the National Law it
will have a rating of Provisional - Not yet assessed
under the National Quality Framework
Earned autonomy system
 Significant Improvement Required – service is not
meeting the National Quality Standard and this
constitutes a risk to the health safety and wellbeing of
a child and the regulator is working with the service
 Working Towards National Quality Standard –
generally every year for a full assessment
 National Quality Standard – generally every two
years for a full assessment
 Exceeds National Quality Standard – generally every
three years for a full assessment
 Excellent – generally every three years for a full
assessment
Quality Improvement Plans
 Services are required to complete a self
assessment against the National Quality
Standard. This includes:
o gathering information from management;
educators; families and others.
 In order to develop a Quality
Improvement Plan services are required
to:
o reflect on and evaluate practice
o identify strengths and areas for
improvement
o develop strategies and timelines to achieve
goals
o outline the statement of philosophy of the
service.
Assessment and rating process
in 2012
 From 30 April 2012 all existing services must have
completed a self-assessment against the National
Quality Standard and have a Quality Improvement Plan
available at the service.
o
New services must submit a Quality Improvement Plan to
the Regulatory Authority within 3 months of the service
approval being granted.
o
Assessment and rating visits will commence in mid June
2012.
Assessment and rating process
 Assessment and rating visits will be announced
 Proposed length of visit (1-5 days)
 Assessors will:
o consider compliance history
o consider the Quality Improvement Plan
o observe the programs provided on the day
o have discussion with educators and providers
o sight documentation.
Assessment and rating process
Steps
Process
1.
Notice to
submit QIP
Advice to providers with request to submit a
Quality Improvement Plan within 6 weeks.
2.
Notice of
visit
Providers will receive advice that QIP has been
received and notifying the date for the site visit.
3.
Site visit
Site visit occurs around week 12.
4.
Draft
assessment
report
Approved provider will be sent a draft of the
assessment report by week 15. The provider will
have an opportunity to provide comment, and
submit evidence of compliance within 10 working
days.
5.
Feedback
considered
Feedback on report considered by Regulatory
Authority (week 18).
6.
Final rating
Report is finalised and final rating determined.
Report is sent to approved provider (week 20).
Session 4
Operational Requirements
including
National Quality Standard
Operational Requirements and
the National Quality Standard
1. Educational program and practice
2. Children’s health and safety
3. Physical environment
4. Staffing arrangements
5. Relationships with children
6. Collaborative partnerships with families and
communities
7. Leadership and service management
Educational program and
practice
Quality Area 1
Educational
program and
practice
 Approved services must provide an educational
program that is:
o delivered based on an approved learning framework
o based on the developmental needs, interests and
experiences of each child
o takes into account the individual differences of each
child.
 Requirements for:
o documenting child assessments or evaluations
o ensure information about the educational program is
available
o providing information about the educational program to
parents on request.
Approved National Frameworks
Quality Area 1
Educational
program and
practice
The Early Years Learning Framework
for Australia
 for educators working with
children aged birth to 5
 5 learning outcomes
 pedagogy, principles and practice
My Time, Our Place
 for educators working in school
aged care
 5 learning outcomes
 Belonging, Being & Becoming
reinforced
Victorian Early Years Learning
and Development Framework
 For all professionals working with
children from birth to 8 years
Children’s health and safety
Quality Area 1
Educational
program and
practice
 The National Law contains important provisions
relating to children’s health and safety, including:
o adequate supervision of children
o protection of children from harm and hazards
o offence to use inappropriate discipline.
Children’s health and safety
 Ensure the safety, health and wellbeing
of children including:
o
o
o
o
o
Quality Area 2
Children’s
health and
safety
incidents, injury, trauma and illness
medical conditions policy and administration of medication
emergencies and communication
collection of children from premises and excursions
Child Protection awareness.
 For children over preschool age:
o recognition of self-administration of medicine by children
over preschool age
o recognition that children may leave premises with written
authorisation.
Excursions
 Ensure the safety, health, and wellbeing of children
on excursions:
o Undertake a risk assessment to identify and assess any
risks including hazards, transport, supervision and activity
o Parental supervision
 Amended regulation:
o Recognises that movement within a service premises is no
longer defined as an excursion
Quality Area 2
Children’s
health and
safety
Physical environment
 Many requirements focus on outcomes.
For example:
Quality Area 3
Physical
environment
o equipment to be safe, clean and good repair
o ensure fencing is of a height and design that children
preschool age and under cannot go through, over or
under
o services which don’t have laundry facilities may meet
the requirement by ensuring the services has other
arrangements in place for dealing with soiled items
o removal of prohibition on swimming pools (existing
bans retained in Tasmania and New South Wales)
o different requirements for outdoor space for older
children.
Physical environment – Family
Day Care
 An existing family day care residence or venue does
not need to meet the fencing requirements of
regulation 104 until the venue or residence is
renovated
 For the purpose of a rating assessment a family day
care service is taken to comply with that regulation
until 31 December 2015
Quality Area 3
Physical
environment
Staffing arrangements
new definitions
 Educational leader
Quality Area 4
Staffing
arrangements
o A suitably qualified and experienced educator, co-ordinator
or other individual is designated in writing as an
educational leader at the service to lead the development
and implementation of educational programs in the service
 Working directly with children
o For the purpose of calculating ratios educators are
physically present with the children and directly engaged in
providing education and care to children
 For teachers in attendance at a centre-based service
o Is present at the service and may include working directly
with children, planning, mentoring, facilitating research,
performing the role of educational leader
Fitness and propriety
prior to engagement
 Family day care educators and educator assistants on
engagement or registration must hold a valid:
o
o
Working with Children Check
Criminal History Record Check
 Educators in centre-based services on engagement
must hold a:
o
Working with Children Check
 Limited exceptions
o Teachers with VIT registration are not required to have
a working with children check
Quality Area 4
o Under 18 years
Staffing
arrangements
Educator to child ratio: Family day care
Family day care service
Quality Area 4
Staffing
arrangements
7 children at a family day care residence or venue at any one time.
No more than 4 children can be preschool age or under (including
the educator’s own children if they are under 13 years of age, and
there is no other adult present and caring for these children).
Children visiting a residence or venue are excluded from the
maximum number of children.
In exceptional circumstances the ratios can be exceeded for example
all children are siblings; if a child needs protection under child
protection law or no alternative care available in a remote or rural
area.
Staffing arrangements: centre-based
services from 1 January 2012
 Children aged less than 36 months
Quality Area 4
Staffing
arrangements
o a ratio of 1 educator to 4 children
o at least 1 of every 3 educators required to meet relevant ratios must
have at least an approved diploma level education and care
qualification.
 Children preschool age or under who are aged 36 months
or over
o a ratio of 1 educator to 15 children
o at least 1 of every 2 required educators required to meet relevant
ratios must have at least an approved diploma level qualification.
 Children over preschool age
o a ratio of 1 educator to 15 children
o at least 50 per cent of educators required to meet the relevant ratio
must have or be enrolled in and studying for at least an approved
diploma level qualification
Staffing arrangements : centre-based
services from 1 January 2014
 Children aged less than 36 months
Quality Area 4
Staffing
arrangements
o a ratio of 1 educator to 4 children
o at least 50 per cent of educators required to meet relevant ratios must
have or be actively working towards at least an approved diploma
level qualification.
 Children preschool age or under who are aged 36 months or
over
o a ratio of 1 educator to 15 children
o at least 50 per cent of educators required to meet relevant ratios must
have or be actively working towards at least an approved diploma
level qualification.
 Children over preschool age
o A ratio of 1 educator to 15 children
o at least 50 percent of educators required to meet relevant ratios must
have or be enrolled and studying for at least an approved diploma
level qualification.
Staffing arrangements : centre-based
services from 1 January 2016
 Children aged less than 36 months
Quality Area 4
Staffing
arrangements
o a ratio of 1 educator to 4 children
o at least 50 percent of educators required to meet relevant ratios have
or are actively working towards at least an approved diploma level
qualification.
 Children preschool age or under who are aged 36 months
o A ratio of 1 educator to 11 children
o At least 50 percent of educators required to meet relevant ratios have
or are actively working towards at least an approved diploma level
qualification.
 Children over preschool age
o a ratio of 1 educator to 15 children
o at least 50 percent of educators are required to have or be enrolled
and studying for at least an approved diploma level qualification.
Early childhood teacher requirements
Date
Children
Teacher in attendance
required attending/approved
places
1 January
2014
1 January
2016
Quality Area 4
Staffing
arrangements
Less than 25 children or
approved places < 25
Access for at least 20% of the time the service
operates
25 to 59 children
For at least 6 hours per day or 60% of the operating
hours of the service
Approved places 25 to 59
Engages a full-time teacher
60 to 80 children
6 hours a day or 60% of the operating hours
Second teacher for 3 hours a day or 30% of the
operating hours
Approved places 60 to 80
Engages a full time teacher and a second half full time
teacher
More than 80 children
Two teachers 6 hours per day of 60% of the operating
hours
Approved places > 80
Engages two full time teachers
Qualified staff: transitional and
savings provisions
 In regard to early childhood teacher requirements a
transitional provision allows a person to be taken to be
an early childhood teacher in the period from 1
January 2014 to 1 January 2016 if they are actively
working towards an early childhood teaching
qualification if they have completed 50 per cent of the
course or hold a diploma level education and care
qualification.
 Please note that Kindergarten Funding and Policy
Guidelines in Victoria would still require a
kindergarten program to be delivered by a qualified
early childhood teacher.
Quality Area 4
Staffing
arrangements
Qualified staff: savings
provisions
 Early childhood teachers
o recognised under former law or for the purposes of
preschool funding
o hold a qualification on list published by ACECQA
o immediately before 1 January 2012 were recognised,
registered, or accredited.
 Diploma and Certificate III level qualifications
o recognised under a former law
o held a qualification on list published by ACECQA.
Quality Area 4
Staffing
arrangements
Certificate III level qualifications
 From 1 January 2014 all centre-based and family day care
educators must have, or be actively working towards at
least an approved certificate III level education and care
qualification.
 Educators at a centre-based service who have been
continuously employed as an educator for 15 years
immediately before 1 January 2012 are not required to
hold (or be actively working towards) a certificate III level
qualification until 31 December 2015.
 The requirements do not apply to educators who have
completed by 31 December 2011 an approved
professional development course.
Quality Area 4
Staffing
arrangements
First aid qualifications
 Services must now ensure at least one educator is in
attendance and immediately available in an
emergency. Services must ensure that they have at
least:
o one holder of a current approved first aid qualification
o one educator that has undertaken approved
anaphylaxis management training
o one educator that has undertaken approved
emergency asthma management training (this is not a
requirement until 2013).
 Family day care educators and educator assistants
must adhere to all three requirements.
Quality Area 4
Staffing
arrangements
Relationships with children
 An approved provider must take reasonable steps to
ensure education and care is provided in a way that:
o encourages children to express themselves and their
opinions
o gives children the opportunity to become self reliant and
develop self-esteem
o maintains at all times the dignity and rights of each child
o gives positive guidance and encourages acceptable
behaviour
o has regard to the family and cultural values, age, physical
and intellectual development and abilities of each child
being educated and cared for by the service.
Quality Area 5
Relationships
with children
Collaborative partnerships with
families and communities
 Parents are permitted to enter the service premises
at any time their child is being educated and cared
for by the service, as long as there is no risk to the
health and safety of children or staff at the service,
no conflict with the duty of the provider, supervisor
or educator under the Law, and no court order
prohibiting contact with the child
 Many other regulations relate to collaboration with
families
Quality Area 6
Collaborative
partnerships with
families and
communities
Quality Area 7
Leadership and
service
management
Leadership and service
management - policies
The approved provider must ensure the service has in place
policies and procedures in relation to the following:
health and safety
dealing with medical
conditions
interactions with
children
delivery and collection
of children
emergency and
evacuation
governance and
management of the
service
excursions
incident, injury trauma
and illness
enrolment and
orientation
refusal of
authorisations for a
child to leave the
service
providing a child safe
environment
payment of fees
dealing with infectious
disease
staffing
dealing with complaints
Leadership and service
management – Family Day Care
 Family Day Care must have additional prescribed
policies and procedures in place, they include:
o the assessment and approval and reassessment of
approved family day care residences and venue
o engagement or registration of family day care educators
o monitoring, support and supervision of family day care
educators
o assessment of educators, assistants and persons residing
on the residence
o information, assistance and training to family day care
educator engagement or registration of assistants.
Quality Area 7
o visitors
Leadership and
service
management
Leadership and service
management
 Notification to the Regulatory Authority
o The Regulatory Authority must be notified within the
prescribed time of any changes in relation to the
approved providers, nominated supervisors and
premises.
 Serious incidents and complaints
o The Regulatory Authority must be notified within 24
hours of a serious incident or complaint.
Quality Area 7
Leadership and
service
management
Leadership and service
management
 Records
o Including assessments of children’s learning, evidence of
public liability insurance, medication, child attendance,
child enrolment, incidents, record of service’s
compliance history, staff records, record of educators
working directly with children, volunteers.
 Display
o A range of matters required to be displayed including
approvals, rating, hours of operation, educational leader,
responsible person, nominated supervisor, complaints
information, details of any waivers.
Quality Area 7
Leadership and
service
management
Session 5
Sector support
and
resources
Map of the National Quality
Framework resources
www.acecqa.gov.au
National sector support and
resources
 Information about the National Quality Framework is
available on the ACECQA website at www.acecqa.gov.au
o National Law and approved National Regulations
o Fact sheets
o Guide to the National Law and Regulations (available
shortly)
o Guide to the National Quality Standard
o Guide to Developing a Quality Improvement Plan
o Application forms and information for providers, services
and certified supervisors
o Qualification, lists and registers
Sector support and resources
for Victorian Services
Facts sheets on the National Quality Framework can be
found at www.education.vic.gov.au/licensedchildservices
Session 6
Questions and Answers