Quality Area 7 – Something in it for everyone

ACECQA’s National Education Leader, Rhonda Livingstone provides insight into National Quality Framework topics of interest.

When we have good governance we free ourselves to perform the important work that we do with children and with our team.– Leanne Gibbs (Waniganayake et. al., 2017, p. 64)

Good governance is essential in any organisation as it supports effective and ethical management and provides leadership and direction to operations. Governance of Australian children’s education and care services can be complex and multifaceted, particularly given the inherent diversity of the sector.

According to the 2016 Early Childhood Education and Care National Workforce Census, the children’s education and care service workforce is diverse in age, qualification level and experience. Numbering nearly 200,000, the workforce is employed in more than 15,700 services with varying provider ownership and management structures. While more than 80% of approved providers only operate one service, nearly a third of approved services are operated by approved providers managing 25 or more services. Varying hours of work – from part-time to full-time and sometimes involving split-shifts – add to the complexity of operations. Effective governance provides a firm foundation for the organisational landscape and supports the operation of quality services.

Standard 7.1 of the National Quality Standard (NQS) focuses on the important issue of governance and articulates three elements that contribute to the standard being achieved. Element 7.1.3 identifies the key influence that clearly defined and understood roles and responsibilities support effective decision-making and operation of a service.

Roles and responsibilities

Typically, you will find role and responsibility statements are part of an organisation’s recruitment, induction and performance appraisal processes. These work best when they clearly define the expectations of the approved provider and are understood by the employee.

This ensures an approved provider is clear about how the role is positioned within their organisational structure and the service’s operation; and an employee has a clear understanding of their work role, the responsibilities the position entails and the expectations for their performance. Roles and expectations are transparent and understood, and there is less opportunity for misalignment.

As many children’s education and care service roles have legislated responsibilities, including those required under the National Law and Regulations, clearly defined roles and responsibility statements can provide clarity for compliance responsibilities. Consider: Do role and responsibility statements include the requirements for a nominated supervisor as stated in Regulation 117A, or the responsibilities in ensuring the policies and procedures as required by Regulation 168? Are they followed by staff as required under Regulation 170?

There are also other obligations to be considered, such as child protection laws or workplace health and safety laws and codes of practice. Remember to likewise be mindful of ethical responsibilities like the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and Early Childhood Australia’s Code of Ethics, which may also be embedded in role and responsibility statements.

The educational leader role

Educational leaders can also be supported by a clearly defined and understood role and statement of responsibilities. The educational leader role was formally introduced with the 2012 NQS and has been further defined in the 2018 NQS. The broad responsibility of the role is to lead “the development and implementation of the educational program and assessment and planning cycle” (Element 7.2.2). However, defining this significant responsibility and how it might be enacted will provide clarity and transparency for the approved provider, the educational leader and the educators they will lead. This detail may include:

• identified outcomes for the education program
• resourcing the role
• reporting responsibilities
• mentoring responsibilities
• professional development opportunities
• the support that will be provided by the approved provider.

Likewise, the role description for an educator could detail the support to be provided by the educational leader. I

nduction process Induction supports an employee to undertake their role and responsibilities. Taking many forms, induction is generally described as the formal training and socialisation process a new employee undertakes when they join an organisation. Importantly, it is much more than a one-off orientation or checklist. Induction designates the transition from beginning at a service to confident and full, professional engagement and belonging in a community of practice. Consistent with our understanding of transition processes for children, transition into a new workplace also has challenges and opportunities, with relationships at its core. Induction is often integrated with mentoring: high quality induction/mentoring has been shown to improve attrition, strengthen skills and knowledge, improve job satisfaction and commitment, and support the wellbeing of early career educators. While induction programs are well-established in the Australian school system – representing the transition from graduate to proficient teacher –less is known about children’s education and care sector experiences. Whatever the context, induction is a process of professional development, at its most effective in settings with a positive learning culture and strong professional relationships. Quality induction and mentoring will build confidence and enable professional growth – they are essential supports for an educator undertaking their role and responsibilities at their professional best.

Reflective questions:

• If you are an approved provider or service leader, have you clearly defined all service roles and responsibilities? How do you know these are understood?
• If you are an employee, do your service roles and the associated responsibilities match your position description? How could you align these?
• Do you understand the role and responsibilities of the educational leader in your service? If not, could this be discussed at a team meeting?
• How is induction conducted at your service? How could mentoring further support induction at your service?
• How are the three Exceeding NQS themes reflected in your practices for Quality Area 7?

Further reading and resources

ACECQA – Information sheet – The role of the educational leader

AITSL – Graduate to Proficient: Australian Guidelines for teacher induction into the profession

Early Childhood Development Agency – Mentoring Matters: A practical guide to learning-focused relationships

Early Childhood Resource Hub – Talking about practice: The role of the educational leader

Waniganayake, M., Cheeseman, S., Fenech, M., Hadley, F., & Shepherd, W. (2017) Leadership: Contexts and complexities in early childhood education, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne.

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