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  2. Guide to the NQF
  3. Section 3: National Quality Standard and Assessment and Rating
  4. Quality Area 4: Staffing arrangements
  5. Standard 4.1: Staffing arrangements
  6. Element 4.1.2: Continuity of staff

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Element 4.1.2: Continuity of staff

Every effort is made for children to experience continuity of educators at the service.

What Element 4.1.2 aims to achieve

Continuity of staff on a day-to-day basis and over time assists educators to build secure relationships with children and plays a significant role in promoting their learning and development. Educators who work closely with children each time they attend the service, understand each child’s interests, strengths, capabilities, curiosities and areas where support may be needed. They are able to provide continuity of experiences to extend children’s learning.

A service that values and proactively supports continuity of staff is better placed to attract and retain educators, which in turn benefits children and families. Consistent and committed educators support quality standards and continuity of care for children. It is important for the service to attract appropriately qualified and experienced staff, and retain staff members who can best meet the needs of children and their families.

See the ACECQA Educational Leader Resource for information for educational leaders.

Assessment guide for meeting Element 4.1.2 (for all services)

Continuity of educators

Assessors may observe:

 

  • children demonstrating their trust and comfort with educators by happily responding to them, having conversations and initiating interactions with them, and seeking their company
  • educators, including relief educators, addressing children and families by name and demonstrating in these interactions that they are familiar with how the service operates.

Assessors may discuss:

 

  • the processes the service has in place to recruit and retain staff
  • how the service helps to build staff cohesion and pride in the service
  • how the service celebrates educators’ commitment to the service over time
  • the educational leader’s, educators’ and co-ordinators’ understanding of the importance of educator continuity for children’s learning, development and wellbeing
  • how the service uses exit data to contribute to the service’s continuous improvement
  • how the nominated supervisor and co-ordinators set individual performance and learning goals for educators and other staff
  • how performance development processes provide educators with targeted feedback that supports continuity
  • any incentives to enhance the retention/continuity of educators

Centre-based services

  • when choice is an option during recruitment, how the service determines the best fit with the existing team when appointing new staff
  • what strategies the service uses to ensure a regular pool of relief educators is available to provide continuity for children
  • how the service considers educators’ experience, qualifications and how long they have been at the service when placing educators in particular rooms and age groups.

Assessors may sight:

 

  • rosters and staffing arrangements that reflect the importance of educator continuity on a day-to-day basis
  • exit data and documentation that provides information about the reasons for educators leaving the service.