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  2. Guide to the NQF
  3. Section 3: National Quality Standard and Assessment and Rating
  4. Quality Area 6: Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
  5. Standard 6.1: Supportive relationships with families
  6. Element 6.1.3: Families are supported

Table of contents

Element 6.1.3: Families are supported

Current information is available to families about the service and relevant community services and resources to support parenting and family wellbeing.

 

National Law and National Regulations underpinning Element 6.1.3

Section 175 Offence relating to requirement to keep enrolment and other documents

What Element 6.1.3 aims to achieve

Services use a variety of methods to support families and keep them informed of the details about their child’s learning, development and wellbeing, as well as the operational aspects of the service. This includes informing families about the service’s ongoing self-assessment in relation to the National Quality Standard, quality improvements being achieved, as well as their participation in, and outcome of, the assessment and rating process.

Educators and co-ordinators are able to support families in their parenting role by being readily available for informal discussions with them at mutually convenient times. Further support is offered by referring families to current information on parenting and family issues displayed in the service, as well as referring them to recognised parenting and child development websites.

Providing easily accessible and reliable information about support networks and local community services helps families to make connections and use resources that support parenting. Improving the wellbeing of families is an important contributing factor in improving children’s overall wellbeing. School age care educators facilitate communication between families and the schools their children attend.

See ACECQA Self-assessment tool for information on conducting self-assessment.

Assessment guide for meeting Element 6.1.3 (for all services)

Providing information about the service and other community services

Assessors may observe:

 

  • educators and families sharing information about:
    • the service’s operations
    • parenting roles and relevant support services and resources
    • community services
  • educators assisting families to identify, locate, contact and/or access local community services.

Assessors may discuss:

 

  • how information is available to families about the service’s operations
  • how families are kept informed about the service’s quality improvement against the National Quality Standard
  • the processes used by the service to maintain current contact details for local support services
  • how families are sensitively supported and encouraged to access local community services and resources that may be relevant to them

Family day care

  • how co-ordinators:
    • keep families informed about the operation of the family day care service
    • advise families about proposed policy changes, encourage input and inform them of any changes
    • support educators’ knowledge of community resources and services that families could be referred to
    • provide guidance and support to educators in discussing sensitive issues with families.

Assessors may sight:

 

  • newsletters, communication books or other methods of communication with families
  • information about the service’s philosophy, operation, policies and procedures being available:
    • in areas of the service regularly accessed by families
    • in service documentation provided to them
    • on noticeboards, charts or posters in areas regularly used by families and/or through appropriate media
  • information about community services and resources available in:
    • areas of the service regularly used by families but where they can be accessed privately
    • service documentation such as the family handbook
  • easy-to-read information about the service in the languages used at the service and in the local community
  • evidence that policy changes are explained in detail and communicated to families prior to implementation.