Early Edition Winter 2018

EarlyEdition WINTER 2018

Supporting new educators in the sector Understanding changes to Playground Standards Conference 2018 wrap up - It takes a village Celebrate Early Childhood Educators Day

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EarlyEdition

Early Childhood Educators Day provides a wonderful opportunity to say thank you to Australia’s early childhood educators.

ACA Queensland Location: 11/6 Vanessa Boulevard, Springwood Mailing: PO Box 137, Springwood QLD 4127 Telephone: (07) 3808 2366 Fax: (07) 3808 2466 Toll Free: 1300 365 325 (outside Brisbane) Web: www.qld.childcarealliance.org.au Email: qld@childcarealliance.org.au Disclaimer: Articles published in this magazine are published as a service to readers and should not be substituted for specific advice in relation to any issue.

While advertising in this magazine is encouraged, ACA Queensland accepts no responsibility for the contents of the advertisements. Advertisements are accepted in good faith and liability for advertising content, goods or services supplied is the responsibility of the advertiser.

WINTER 2018

Contents ACA Queensland President’s Report

2

ACA President’s Report

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Supporting new educators in the sector

4

Understanding the changes to Playground Standards

6

Together We Grow - It takes a village

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Casual bookings found to increase a centre’s bottom line by over 30%

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Awards for Excellence

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Smart saving could make your dream a reality

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Drowning, leading cause of accidental death

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How Yoga can promote a healthy lifestyle for Early Childhood Educators

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Educator in Profile

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25 years of Bright Beginnings

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Celebrate Early Childhood Educators Day

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How to ensure children in your centre are sleeping safely

25

Understanding Social Media Risks

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Organisational culture and leadership in early childhood education

27

Supporter Member Directory

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MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE Executive

Committee Members

ACA Queensland Office

President - Majella Fitzsimmons

Linda Davies

Louise Thomas

General Manager - Brent Stokes

Vice President - Jae Fraser

Kerrie Lada

Brent Stokes

Office Manager - Jen Smyth

Treasurer - Doug Burns

Rosa McDonald

Secretary - Debra North

Office Admin Assistant - Letitia Murphy Project Officer - Claudette Cabilan

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ACA Queensland President’s Report Welcome to Early Edition Winter 2018!

A lot has happened in the last three months here at ACA Qld: another round of Members’ Meetings held across Queensland; our Vice President Jae Fraser, General Manager Brent Stokes and I, attended the quarterly ACA National meeting in Melbourne; we held a workshop on our Child Care Subsidy Flexible Affordable Modelling Tool (FAMT); we held our inaugural Approved Providers Panel Discussion & Lunch; and of course, our annual Conference.

2018 Conference Every year, we say that this conference is going to be better than the last, and of course it was! Despite the conclusion of the LDCPDP, our conference attracted over 1000 attendees. We were treated to incredibly inspiring presentations by Dr Justin Coulson, Teacher Tom, Chris Phoenix and many more. We hope to see you all again in 2019.

New Child Care Subsidy (CCS) By now, the new Child Care Subsidy has been implemented. I hope that the support and resources that we provided to our members has helped in making the transition a little easier and smoother.

If you know of any families who are adversely affected by the new CCS, we would like to talk to them; especially families who have had to reduce or remove children from early learning, primarily due to the Activity Test.

Member Survey Thank you to everyone who completed our Member Survey.

Your feedback is vital as it helps us understand your needs and also helps us improve the services that we are offering.

Thank you to our Supporter Members, MTA and Bright Spark, for donating gift

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vouchers for our survey participants.

Please know that you can always contact our office on 07 3808 2366 or qld@childcarealliance.org.au National Partnership on the National Quality Agenda for Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) As you know, the Federal Budget indicated that the National Partnership on the National Quality Agenda for Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), which is due to expire on 31 December 2018, will not be renewed.

As an alternative, the Federal Government has directed $14.9 million to directly fund ACECQA, which was previously funded by the state governments through funding received as part of the National Partnership Agreement.

This has created a period of uncertainty for relevant state government departments and the early learning sector. ACA and its state bodies are still determining the impact of this new arrangement on early learning services.

We are continuing to engage with key personnel in state department offices and will keep you posted as any updates on this issue come to hand.

Industrial Relations ACA continues to work on behalf of members in relation to the Equal Remuneration Order (ERO) case and the four-year review of the Children’s Services Award, and the Educational Services (Teachers’) Award. The submission by ABLA on behalf of ACA has now been lodged, responding to the IEU claim.

We thank the members who have volunteered to be witnesses and have spent a considerable number of hours, writing statements and gathering evidence. It may not seem like much

is going on in this space - and that it is taking an extraordinary amount of time to have an outcome - but please rest assured, the team working on the ERO are working hard, day and night.

We anticipate that a decision should be issued by July 2019.

Early Childhood Educators Day If you haven’t already, I urge you to start planning your Early Childhood Educators Day celebrations. ACA Qld launched Early Childhood Educators Day seven years ago to celebrate educators across Australia and it has grown so much in the last couple of years.

Let’s show our educators how much we appreciate their tireless work of educating and caring for our future leaders.

Visit www.earlychildhoodeducatorsday. org.au for celebration ideas and fun resources.

On behalf of the ACA Qld family, I would like to wish ACA Qld’s office manager and conference coordinator, Jen Smyth, a happy 50th birthday!

Jen is a dedicated member of the ACA Qld team and has been with us for six years.

We continue to advocate and inform government and media about our members’ position on issues. Jae, Brent and I will be attending the quarterly ACA National meeting in Perth in September to make sure that your voice is heard. As always, we will keep you updated on any new developments.

Majella Fitzsimmons President ACA Qld

ACA President’s Report During the months leading up to the 2 July implementation date for the new Child Care Subsidy (CCS), Australian Childcare Alliance and its state bodies have made an enormous effort to help our members get ready for the new system, both from an operational perspective as well as in terms of educating staff and families. .

This has been ACA’s key priority for this year, given that the changes to the new regime would impact more than 17,000 early learning service providers across Australia and over 1.2 million families using early learning services.

We produced a raft of educational materials for early learning service providers as well as for families, which aimed to complement the Department of Education and Training (DET) resources and frame this information in a way that our audiences could easily digest.

During the month of May, over 7,800 people from every state visited the ACA website and accessed the CCS-related information. This was a significant increase in our website traffic, as a direct result of our guidance about the new Child Care Subsidy and the need for this information in the sector.

Our state bodies held a number of face to face information sessions and webinars for members to assist them in their operational transition to the new CCS regime.

This included ACA Qld’s session at Springwood Towers in April, which was heavily attended and included a step-by-step walk through of ACA’s Flexible Affordable Modelling Tool (FAMT).

We received positive feedback from members about using the tool to help inform their important decisions around how to structure pricing and sessions under the new CCS.

ACA’s regular engagement with members provided us with an enormously valuable set of member experiences to relay back to relevant government departments with suggested improvements.

This included our recommendations: • to delay the Child Care Subsidy System (CCSS) requirement for attendance times on a daily basis - the government has since postponed this requirement for six months until January 2019.

• to decrease the applicable withholding rate in relation to the CCS from 10% to 5%, to allow struggling families more access to the immediate subsidy – the government has since made this adjustment.

We will continue to engage with relevant government departments and provide our feedback during the months after 2 July as early learning services adjust to the new regime.

We encourage you to contact ACA Qld with your feedback on any issues you have had adjusting to the new CCS. Many thanks to those members who completed our National Childcare Barometer survey. Your responses will assist ACA in its continued engagement with government and sector stakeholders regarding the state of the early learning sector.

on the Approved Providers Panel Discussion. It’s really important to have the opportunity to meet with our members directly and understand their position on the range of important issues we continue to advocate for. As you can imagine, the new Child Care Subsidy was the hottest topic of discussion.

The conference attracted over 1,000 guests and it was great to have so many early learning service providers, educators and suppliers from across Australia in one place to discuss current issues and participate in extensive professional development activities and networking.

On a final note, we look forward to Early Childhood Educators Day on Wednesday 5th September.

We’re in the process of developing some fun resources for this year’s event, and we look forward to celebrating with you.

Paul Mondo President ACA National

I enjoyed the opportunity to meet and chat with many providers at ACA Qld’s recent annual conference on the Gold Coast, where I sat

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Supporting new educators in the sector Lainie Randell > Trainer & Assessor, CAECE

As a Certificate III student in 1998, I recall my teacher standing in front of the class telling us the statistics for Educators getting “burnt out”. At that time, she told us that half of us would be out of the industry within five years due to injury or stress.

The demands on educators have grown since that time and working as a Trainer & Assessor myself, I see the pressure educators feel very early on. Often new educators don’t feel comfortable or confident in talking to their colleagues about the pressure they are feeling and think it is expected that they get on with the job.

As someone that visits their workplace regularly and who develops a relationship with them, I am often the only other person they feel they can seek some support from. This may involve reassurance that they are doing well within their job role, giving guidance about how to handle a situation or it may be that they need more formal support to continue successfully in the sector.

With the rise in diagnosis of mental illness amongst our population, there has not been a more important time than now to consider how we support those entering our sector.

The work roles within early childhood are demanding on time, energy and emotions. To be able to provide high quality care to children, we need to have educators that are confident, self-motivated and inspired to achieve quality outcomes for children.

So, what can we do to ensure our educators feel supported within our services?

Working with educators across a variety of services within Townsville, I have experienced a range of support systems in place. From those with no systems in place where educators feel lost and unsure about their role, to those that provide mentors for each educator and the students share their new-found skills confidently each time I visit.

The most effective support structures are those that ensure each educator has someone else they feel comfortable speaking openly with, and the discussion comes without judgement.

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When I’m speaking with educators about options for handling difficult situations, the most common response is that they don’t feel confident speaking with the Director/Supervisor.

If this is the only support they are offered, then it leaves them feeling like there is no solution.

Once we discuss who they do feel confident speaking with and other options for support, then they often find their own solution. The support in place in each service needs to be as unique and evolving as the service. How could this look within your service?

As part of my role, I offer multiple avenues of support to my students.

They have a variety of methods of contact to suit them and unrestricted contact times. I have been running a Study Group in the area and more recently, I have noticed the younger students that attend have been spending time networking with students from other services, that they have not previously met. This changes the dynamic of the group and has made me consider the opportunities young educators have to network and learn from each other.

Most of these educators have worked in only one service and are all still

studying. They spend time discussing how and why they have differing practices, and it gives insight for each student and forces them to reflect. Each time this has happened, the students’ passion for their role is evident as they share what they do within their workplace. They are not only learning from each other but also having the opportunity to share their knowledge and skills with educators that understand them.

This is empowering, reassuring and builds confidence.

In order for the early childhood sector to retain the dedicated and passionate educators we create, we need to ensure they feel supported, valued and heard. We need to check in on them regularly and not just assume that because they haven’t said anything, that they are feeling OK. The support each service provides, should be as individual as your educators are. In a sector as demanding as early childhood, we need to make sure we are looking after each other so we can retain the enthusiasm our educators bring when they first enter the sector. www.caece.com.au

We can’t give you peace and quiet but we can give you peace of mind For over 45 years Guild Insurance has been protecting early learning and childcare centres across Australia; that’s why Australian Childcare Alliance Queensland continues to believe that Guild Insurance represents the best value for their members.

Call us now on 1800 810 213 and we’ll put you in touch with an account manager who can help bring you just a little more peace of mind.

1800 810 213 guildinsurance.com.au Better through experience.

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Understanding the changes to Playground Standards The team at Surface Pro

Most operators and owners of playground environments are aware of the requirement to provide a softfall surface to play equipment where a critical fall height risk exists, however the most frequent question we are asked in the child care environment is “is my playground or softfall compliant?”

The answer is not always straightforward, and the consequences of non-compliance can be significant.

Playground Standards have been in place and unchanged for many years in Australia and until the recent update it has been 20 years since significant change has occurred.

Compliance for both playground equipment and playground surfacing in general are regulated throughout Australia via: AS4685.0:2017 Playground Equipment and Surfacing (series) AS4422:2016 Playground Surfacing- Specifications requirements and Test Method In simple terms, the objective of both standards is “to minimise the risk of injury to playground users” and address specific areas of compliance as follows: AS4685.0:2017 -Playground Equipment and Surfacing This standard provides requirements for siting, designing and developing playgrounds, for the selection of

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appropriate equipment and other design elements, for product information requirements, instructions and operating procedures and for the minimalisation of operational hazards.

The standard is intended for use by designers and installers of playground equipment as well as operators of playgrounds.

The standard applies to all playground equipment (excluding equipment only used for domestic purposes) and is intended to be read in conjunction with AS4422. This also includes equipment that may have been produced by a commercial manufacturer, a voluntary group or parent group and a single individual.

The standard states that “Operation of playgrounds shall include the establishment of a safety management system” and that “the safety management system shall comprise systematic documentation and record keeping processes, the establishment of risk assessment and reporting procedures, the relevant training of staff, incident

and emergency procedures and the carrying out of timely inspections and maintenance and repairs”.

Whilst the process outlined above may appear to be complex (once implemented it requires staff input of less than five minutes per day and minimal annual cost to owners and operators) – the implementation of such an approach undoubtedly reduces injury to the playground users and also provides a documented framework of risk management and risk mitigation to owners and operators should an incident occur that may result in potential legal action.

AS4422:2016 Playground Surfacing- Specifications requirements and Test Method The AS4422 standard deals specifically with the playground surfacing specifications and softfall testing methods.

This standard outlines the requirements to provide compliant surfacing to playground equipment and details the specific laboratory and on-site test methodology and equipment required to undertake accurate evaluation of a Softfall surface.

The standard is intended to be used in conjunction with the AS4685 Series and “is intended to be used as a surface impact attenuation test method where no specific standard exists”.

The standard defines many of the terms you may hear in relation to playground surfacing such as: • Drop Height • Drop Test • gmax • HIC Duration • Loose Fill Surface • Unitary Surface

• Critical Fall Height (hc) • Free Height of Fall (hf) • Head Injury Criteria (HIC) • Impact attenuation Surfacing (IAS) • Measured Fall Height (hm)

These terms form the basis and control methods to allow for a clear and defined measurement of impact attenuation and will appear in all impact attenuation test reports – put simply your surface will be measured to the criteria set out in the standard and will either pass or fail when measured against these values.

5 STEPS TO COMPLIANCE 1. Develop a risk matrix specific to your playground area to identify the specific risk factors in your playground environment 2. Develop a simple daily visual/tick and flick check sheet - this is looking for issues that may have arisen overnight or during short closedown periods 3. Develop a quarterly inspection check sheet – this is a more comprehensive inspection to look for items such as wear on play equipment and general maintenance issues of the playground environment.

4. Implement an Independent Annual Comprehensive Playground inspection program – this will provide a detailed report in relation to compliance with the Standards and provides a safety net for operators and owners as the inspection will capture any of the changes that may have occurred to the standards since the last inspection and measure compliance against the most up to date requirements.

5. On Site Surface Impact Attenuation Testing of Softfall surfaces – as best practice this is recommended to be undertaken in conjunction with the Annual Comprehensive Inspection and when done so provides a cost effective and comprehensive inspection program.

The standard also specifies the required reporting criteria when undertaking both laboratory and on-site testing and defines what is required to appear in the test report, the specific equipment required to undertake the testing including calibration of the equipment and locations of drop points for specific equipment and areas.

The implementation of an inspection and Surface Impact Testing Program provides reassurance to installers, owners and operators that compliance is being achieved or exceeded and as world wide statistics prove, it results in a reduction of injuries to users and reduced litigation.

For more information or to enquire about implementation of a program of Inspection and Testing for your organisation, please contact admin@surfacepro.net.au or visit www.surfacepro.net.au Surface Pro Group is a leading provider of Compliant Playground Surfacing solutions, operating throughout Qld and NSW. Surface Pro Group provide full installation, repairs/maintenance and testing services to the industry for all your playground surfacing requirements.

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Together We Grow - It takes a village ACA Qld Conference Committee

Another successful conference done and dusted! Over 1000 attendees descended on the beautiful Gold Coast for a weekend of learning new things and meeting new (and old) friends.

This year, our annual conference was held from 1 – 3 June at The Star, Gold Coast.

ACA Qld conferences are famous for being the ‘happy’ conference. We are also known for bringing together incredible speakers and presenters.

We kicked off our conference with our inaugural Approved Providers Panel Discussion & Lunch. We have received overwhelmingly positive feedback and we plan to hold another one soon; details will be released in the coming months.

We formally welcomed attendees at our Welcome Event on Friday night.

Despite the cold weather (for us Queenslanders) we had a great night with great food, great music and great company.

We were all treated to a very informative keynote by Dr Justin Coulson, hypnotised by Chris Phoenix and inspired by Teacher Tom. We had a great line up of speakers this year and we will take on the challenge of gathering the best early childhood experts again next year.

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Our ‘Through the Decades’ Gala Dinner was another memorable night. We are always pleasantly surprised by the creativity and thought that everyone puts into their costumes. This year’s winners dressed as Barbie dolls!

We also had a David Bowie, Great Gatsby, and an 80s bridal party to name just a few.

This year, we invited charitable organisations that our members supported in 2017: Zephyr Education (www.zephyreducation.com.au) & Super Max and Bryce (www. supermaxandbryce.org). They spoke about what they do and why they do it. As always, we were blown away by everyone’s generosity and support of these two worthy causes. The quote “It takes a big heart to shape little minds” comes to mind.

We are grateful to our sponsors and exhibitors, who year after year, support our conference: Guild Insurance, Child Care Super, Modern Teaching Aids, QK Technologies, HESTA and many more!

Finally, thank you to all our

delegates. We do what we do because of you.

See you all in 2019! www.childcareconference.com.au

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Casual bookings found to increase a centre’s bottom line by over 30% Sean Moynihan > General Manager, KindyNow

Recent research has found that casual bookings at long day care centres increases EBIT (Earnings Before Income Tax) by an estimated 32%.

This research, conducted by KindyNow, analysed a dataset of over one million bookings made in 2017 at over one hundred Australian long day care centres. The analysis found that long day care centres received an average of 21 casual bookings per week. These findings also indicated that long day care centres are now putting more focus on casual bookings to overcome decreases in occupancy that are trending across the industry.

Casual bookings are traditionally known as an extra booking that’s not permanent. These are often made at the last minute due to a family’s change in work commitments or childcare arrangements. Casual bookings provide much needed flexibility for families, as well as a solution for long day care centres to help with the issue of underutilisation.

KindyNow believes that every childcare centre in Australia is underutilised on an almost daily basis. This is mostly due to children being absent but can also be as a result of the centre’s permanent bookings not being optimal for staff ratios. KindyNow’s modelling estimates that on average a long day care centre has upwards of 760 places unutilised every year. An easy way to estimate how many places are unutilised is to compare the centre’s attendance records against the centre’s utilisation. For example, there may be 63 children booked in on a specific date, but due to absences, only 58 children attend leaving five places unutilised. Most Child Care Management Systems(CCMS) should report attendances and utilisation.

KindyNow believes that casual bookings are the only solution available to fill places which would otherwise go unutilised. To reduce underutilisation, KindyNow recommends that long day care centres actively promote casual bookings to families.

How can centres get more casual bookings?

Centres should first generate awareness among families to educate them about making casual bookings on top of their permanent bookings. This requires ongoing communication through emails, newsletters, posters, flyers and Facebook.

In addition, the Centre Director should personally tell each family during induction and after the family has been at the centre for a few weeks that they can book casually.

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Once families are aware that they can book casually at their centre, the next step for centres is to communicate their weekly vacancies. This not only provides a reminder to families that they can book casually, but also a level of certainty that their need for last minute childcare will be met. This can be done in the Centre Director’s weekly email to families or on a poster on the centre’s notice board.

However, determining which days the centre has vacancies for can be time consuming and add to the Centre Director’s already full schedule. A highly efficient way for centres to communicate their vacancies to families is to use a CCMS integrated childcare booking App. CCMS integrated childcare booking Apps, such as KindyNow, enable families to see their centre’s current vacancies.

These Apps also provide a convenient and easy way for families to make a casual booking. In under 10 seconds a family can see what vacancies exist and complete a casual booking. The booking is confirmed instantly and the roll in the CCMS is automatically updated with the new booking.

Shanel Lines is the Centre Director of Community Kids Shepparton and has found that the addition of a childcare booking App at her centre has provided considerable value.

“KindyNow is easy to use and allows families another avenue to communicate their needs with us [the centre management]. The convenience to log in and check availability is a great asset and something we share with potential families. Our families love that they can make on the spot decisions relating to their work schedule simply by looking at their phone”.

An opportunity exists for long day care centres to increase their EBIT by effectively promoting casual bookings and providing families with a convenient way to book. Childcare booking Apps, such as KindyNow assist with this and is something every centre should consider.

Since 2014 more than 100,000 families have downloaded the KindyNow App with the value of childcare bookings made with KindyNow in 2017 alone exceeding $20 million.

KindyNow is based in Melbourne and works closely with some of the biggest childcare centres and CCMS’s in Australia. www.kindynow.com

Rachael Sydir Early Childhood Educator Explore & Develop NSW

do you know someone like Rachael?

Mum. Early childhood educator.

Lifelong learner. Passionate about Indigenous culture and educating others. Embraces diversity.

Keen cook. 2016 Outstanding Graduate winner.

Nominate an early childhood professional with a story worth celebrating. Nominations close 29 June 2018.

Presented in partnership with:

Proudly sponsored by:

hestaawards.com.au

Issued by H.E.S.T. Australia Ltd ABN 66 006 818 695 AFSL 235249, the Trustee of Health Employees Superannuation Trust Australia (HESTA) ABN 64 971 749 321. Terms and conditions apply.

Awards for Excellence

Every year, HESTA Super Fund offers scholarships to outstanding students of College for Australian Early Childhood Educators (CAECE) through the Awards for Excellence scholarship program.

The intent of the Awards for Excellence is to promote commitment to professional development and community spirit. HESTA, CAECE and ACA Qld aim to support the advancement of talented early childhood educators who are seeking to pursue a leadership role in the early learning sector.

This year, the HESTA scholarships were increased. Three separate scholarships of $1000, $750 and $500 were awarded to CAECE students.

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We received a record number of nominations - a testament to the quality of students that we have at CAECE and of course, our hard-working trainers and assessors.

Choosing the three finalists was a tough job. We received nominations from some of the most inspiring and passionate educators. The early learning sector is very lucky to have these educators, and we are so proud that they are a part of the CAECE family.

Congratulations to Shannon McCarthy (2nd runner up), Brunna Cashmere (1st runner up) and Marissa Reynecke (Winner) for exemplifying Passion, Dedication and Professionalism - the three Pillars of Excellence.

The awards were presented at the ACA Qld 2018 National Conference Gala Dinner on Saturday, 2 June 2018.

The 2019 Awards for Excellence nominations will open later in the year. Go to www.caece.com.au/about/ awards-for-excellence/ for more information.

CCARTHY SHANNONRM UNNER UP SECOND

HMERE BRUNNA UCNANSER -UP FIRST R

YNECKE MARISSA REER WINN

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Smart saving could make your dream a reality

If you’re looking at owning your first home, the First Home Super Saver Scheme can help you save smart for your big dream! As long as you’re an Australian Citizen you can save for your deposit within your super account. Child Care Super can help you get there.

To find out more 1800 060 215 childcaresuper.com.au This document contains general advice only and doesn’t take into account what you currently have, want and need for your personal circumstances. It is important for you to consider these matters and read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) before you make a decision about a superannuation product. You can get a copy of Child Care Super PDS by calling 1800 060 215 or by visiting childcaresuper.com.au. You may also wish to consult a licensed or appropriately authorised financial planner. Guild Trustee Services Pty Limited ABN 84 068 826 728 AFS Licence No. 233815 RSE Licence No. L0000611 as Trustee of the Guild Retirement Fund ABN 22 599 554 834 (which includes GuildSuper and Child Care Super) MySuper Authorisation No. 22599554834526. 04/18

Smart saving could make your dream a reality The team at Child Care Super

If you’re looking at owning your first home, the First Home Super Saver Scheme can help you save smart for your big dream! As long as you’re an Australian Citizen you can save for your deposit within your super account.

How does it work?

You simply make extra contributions into your super and then withdraw them, plus the earnings, to put towards your deposit. The maximum amount you can contribute towards your deposit each year is $15,000. And the maximum amount you can contribute towards your deposit in total is $30,000. (It’s important to note that there are limits to the amount of money that can be paid into your super overall each financial year – for more information on this visit childcaresuper.com.au/boost/learn) What’s so good about it?

It could increase the savings you put towards a deposit by around 30%, compared to saving through a standard bank account*.

• have not withdrawn an amount under this scheme before • either live or intend to live in the premises

It’s all about the tax

• you are buying as soon as practicable

You see, if you were to use a standard bank account to save for your deposit, the money you’d put in would be after you’ve paid tax.

• intend to live in the property for at least six months of the first 12 months you own it, after it is practical to move in.

However, if you put the money into your super account as a pre-tax contribution then you would only pay 15% contributions tax, which is a lot lower than what you’re probably paying in income tax.

When can I start?

And because the money is taken straight out of your pay, you may not even notice the impact on your pay each week/fortnight.

Who can use the scheme?

To qualify to use the scheme you must: • have not previously owned property in Australia (or the Commissioner of Taxation has determined you have suffered a financial hardship as specified by regulations)

Any personal contributions made since 1 July 2017 can be withdrawn from 1 July 2018 onwards.

When you’ve found the place you want to buy, you can withdraw your savings by applying to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

The ATO will calculate the amount you can withdraw and any tax payable on withdrawal.

If you’re interested in the scheme and would like more information, then Child Care Super have superannuation specialists ready to answer your questions. Just give us a call on 1800 060 215. If you would like to read more information about the scheme, visit the ATO website.

*Guild Trustee Services Pty Limited ABN 84 068 826 728 AFS Licence No. 233815 RSE Licence No. L0000611 is the Trustee of the Guild Retirement Fund ABN 22 599 554 834 (which includes Child Care Super). This document contains general information and advice only. It does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Before you make a decision about the appropriateness of Child Care Super to your needs, you should read the Child Care Super Product Disclosure Statement (PDS). You may also find it helpful to consult a person licensed or authorised to provide personal financial advice and / or tax advice. You can get a copy of the Child Care Super PDS by calling 1800 060 215.

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Drowning, leading cause of accidental death The team at Kids Alive – Do the Five

Did you know that drowning is a leading cause of accidental death in children under 5 in Australia?

According to the national drowning report by Royal Life Saving, 29 children under 5 drowned between 1 July 2016 and 30 June 2017. Each year hundreds more suffer a nonfatal drowning and many children are left with lifelong disabilities. Backyard swimming pools pose the greatest dangers for children under 5. However, there are many dangers that exist around the home, farm or beach.

As early childhood educators you can make a difference.

Start water safety planning now Now is a great time to start planning water safety lessons for your centre. From a very early age we want to teach children to love, but importantly respect the water. The

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team at Kids Alive – Do the five have some fantastic resources for early childhood educators to use to make learning fun.

Most centres will have already received the water safety pack for early learners. This pack includes a music CD, DVD and 4 books that look at pool, home, beach and farm water safety. To help enhance the learning experience, the Kids Alive team also has costume characters and large-scale books that educators can use. The children love having a meet and greet with the mascots and the large-scale books are perfect to use during group reading sessions. All the resources are provided free, thanks to the Australian Government.

Professional development opportunity Thanks to the Early Childhood Teachers at Bright Buttons Currumbin, the Kids Alive team has also been working on an online professional development series to showcase how the resources can be used. With the help of producer Jed Cahil from Media HD, Kids Alive has filmed real life lessons being delivered in the early learning setting.

The lesson plans developed by the Bright Buttons Team, give Educators activity ideas, room set up inspirations and also show clear links to the Early Years Learning Framework and National Quality Standards.

This soon to be released professional development opportunity will provide great suggestions, but of course Educators can contextualize the lessons to meet their centres needs.

Get parents involved Engaging with parents is also vital in water safety education. For this reason, the Kids Alive team has also developed a new water safety app that is available for free in Google Play and Apple Store. The water safety app includes Kids TV, Parents TV, and music. Centres can also obtain additional copies of the Kids Alive materials including books, DVDs, and CDs which they can distribute directly to parents. Having take-home copies are ideal to enhance children’s learning and bring in home school links so that parents can be informed and involved.

Contact Kids Alive The Kids Alive team would love to build a library of resources to help Educators make the most of the Kids Alive materials. If your centre can showcase how they have been incorporating water safety into children’s learning the Kids Alive team would love to hear from you. You can make contact via the website www.kidsalive.com.au or visit the Kids Alive - Do The Five social media pages.

EARLY EDITION > WINTER 2018

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How Yoga can promote a healthy lifestyle for Early Childhood Educators The team at Early Start Programs

Early Start Programs’ yoga has helped many children around Australia learn valuable new skills, from balance and focus to managing emotions through breathing exercises and developing self-confidence and body awareness. This Early Childhood Educators’ Day, we are changing the focus to show educators how they too can benefit from the mind-body-soul balance Yoga provides.

As educators we know the importance of giving each child the best start to life with care and education. The key to this fundamental need are the educators themselves and their relationships and connections with children. Early Start Programs would like to demonstrate our gratitude to those who dedicate their lives to supporting children’s learning journeys. Coming around only once a year, Early Childhood Educators’ Day gives us the opportunity to do just that – it’s the perfect time to focus on the health and wellbeing of those who provide enriching learning experiences that support children’s physical, cognitive, emotional and social development every day.

Children learn from watching, imitating and repeating, following the role models that surround them. A career in early education and care, while rewarding, can also be stressful and draining for educators, who are responsible for nurturing, educating and encouraging children and who need to make sure to set positive examples for the little ones to follow.

We all know we can’t run on an empty tank, so by focusing on the physical and mental wellbeing of early childhood educators, we can ensure Australian children are presented with a great foundation for a healthy life.

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Why Yoga?

Yoga programs are increasingly common at early education and care services around the country as the benefits for children are plenty and clear. For adults, the trend has been around for much longer and yoga studios can be found in almost every Australian suburb, so it’s no surprise that early childhood educators are turning to the ancient practice to support and grow their mental, emotional and physical health.

Meaning ‘to join or yoke together’, yoga is an inclusive practice that encourages effort, intelligence, accuracy, commitment and dedication. Built on the three main elements of exercise, breathing and meditation, it is also a renowned antidote for stress, making it an appealing activity for those working in early education, who need to be calm and cheerful every day.

For early childhood educators, yoga can provide the perspective and headspace to find and create alternative means of handling whatever the day may bring. Yoga also facilitates the integration of healthy activities into learning programs, which encourage children to become engaged and involved learners. Furthermore, yoga provides an

environment and time for educators to reflect on the power and responsibility that comes with their role of educating tomorrow’s leaders. So here’s to all of the wonderful early educators, we encourage you to take a moment in your busy day for yourself!

How to begin?

For those interested in starting their own practice, take 10 minutes to yourself either early in the morning or after you get home from work and try the poses below. We have hand-picked these with early childhood educators’ busy days in mind and we explain the benefits they bring to your body, mind and soul.

1. Warrior Pose Educators are on their feet all day, always moving, reaching up and bending down to grab resources, utensils and to communicate with and comfort children, so you need to ensure your lower body is strong and your mind is grounded.

This pose stretches the hips and thighs, all while adding strength to the core, shoulders and arms.

Instructions: • Start in a neutral, standing position. Inhale deeply as you step sideways with your right foot.

• Exhaling, rotate your left foot to face left and rotate your torso to the left. Make sure your right foot stays in position.

• Bend the left knee so your thigh is parallel to the floor, keep your right leg straight with the knee locked. Avoid extending the left knee (bent) past the ankle.

• Make sure your head, torso, left knee and foot are all aligned and facing forward.

• Stretch your arms out to shoulder height, keeping your shoulders relaxed and your gaze on the second finger of your left hand.

• Hold this pose for three full breaths then repeat on the other side.

2. Cobra Pose This is a fantastic pose for those experiencing back pain – a common complaint amongst educators who are always bending down to pick the little ones up when they need a cuddle. It also helps strengthen the muscles on your back to avoid future issues.

Instructions: • Start on the ground, laying on your stomach.

• Place both palms under the shoulders and draw your elbows towards the sides of your body.

• Keep your gaze down to maintain a neutral neck position.

3. Wide-legged Forward Fold Pose This is another great pose for those suffering from back pain or for days when you spend a long time sitting in traffic, commuting or programming. It sends an increased flow of blood to the brain, it is a powerful tool to help de-stress the mind at night or get your brain in tip top condition for the day ahead in the morning.

Instructions: • Start in a neutral, standing position. Bring your hands to your hips. Step your feet wide apart and turn your toes slightly in and your heels slightly out. Make sure your heels are aligned.

• Inhale and lengthen your torso. As you exhale, fold forward at the hips. Keep your torso long and drop your gaze behind you.

• Bring your hands to rest on the floor.

• As you inhale, lengthen your spine even further, and as you exhale, fold deeper. Take three or four full rounds of breaths.

• When you are ready to release, bring your hands to your hips, press firmly through your feet and lift your torso as you inhale. Remember to keep a flat back.

Our Present to Your Team To help you celebrate your team of educators and support them in taking time to focus on their emotional and physical wellbeing, Early Start Programs is offering three free yoga sessions and five yoga resource gifts for some very special centres in Queensland*.

All you have to do is send an email to benefits@ earlystartprograms.com.au, explaining why your team stands out and why you should win one of our prizes. We want to know what makes your educators special – tell us your story, share an anecdote or gloat about your achievements so far this year; we want to celebrate you!

The winning services will win not only a yoga session for their educators, but also a free trial of our yoga program for children*.

To learn more about our programs, go to www.earlystartprograms.com.au

• Inhale and push down through the palms to lift your chest, engaging the core and quads.

• Lift your knees off the ground while keeping the tops of your feet pressed into the ground.

• Hold the pose for up to four full breaths.

*Conditions apply, whilst we have many providers in both urban and regional locations, where one of our many yoga providers are not available in your area, a resource kit will be substituted.

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a n e l E Educator in Profile Staff writer > Early Edition

Meet Elena Maria Rabbito, Assistant Educator at Taigum Child Edu-Care Centre’s Kindergarten Room.

What/who inspired you to forge a career in early childhood education and care?

My family. I come from a family of teachers who have inspired me, to say the least. To be honest, I think it’s also my fun-loving attitude and being a big kid at heart that set my path on this career as an early childhood educator.

It wasn’t my first choice. I always wanted to become a pre-school teacher. Unfortunately, my OP score had a different idea, and so to build up my ranking, I started a course in Children’s Services and gained a position working in an early learning service. It was my goal to stay for at least a year before moving on to my uni degree.

17 years later I’m still in the sector and couldn’t be happier.

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What do you find rewarding about working in the early learning sector?

There are so many rewarding aspects about working in the early learning sector. My biggest reward and accomplishment is seeing the children grow into positive, nurturing individuals with the potential to become life-long learners.

Being in the industry for such a long time and working and living in the area have given me the opportunity to see children go off into the next big step in their lives whether it’s school or uni. It always gives me goose bumps when I hear my name being called out at the shops and listen to them talk about their first day of prep or how they’ve just finished and graduated high school. A part of me likes to believe that I played a small part in helping them prepare for their future.

But it doesn’t stop there. For the first five years of a child’s life, we, as educators, are there for many milestones. The laughter, the tears, first words, their funny conversations – to me this is a reward I get to experience and share with them and their families.

How would you describe your early childhood philosophy?

My philosophy is to make sure each and every child is treated with respect and compassion. I feel that children have a right to play and learn in a safe environment where their potential can grow.

Children should be able to experience play in all settings and environments where they can bring their own ideas and creative expressions. Through play, I believe children are able to form

positive and healthy relationships with their peers, which they can continue to carry on for years to come.

What is your biggest challenge as an educator and what strategies do you put in place to manage these challenges?

My biggest challenge as an educator is making sure that at the end of the day, each of my children go home feeling more knowledgeable, happy and content learners ready for the next day ahead.

To help each child, I feel it is important to get down to their eye level. Communication is a big key with children and getting down to their level is a big aspect. Children love to involve you in their play and there is no better way to immerse yourself in their world than by being present.

Listening to them is another aspect. They all want to be heard and it’s important that their opinion is able to be freely heard. I must admit that it is hard when you have a class of 21 and everyone wants to talk to you. We have a system in place for our children that if you are in conversation with someone else and they want to talk to you, they will place their hand on your arm or hold your hand until you finish the conversation with the other person. Our children love this idea as they know they won’t miss out on an opportunity to have a chat with you.

How have the challenges you faced helped you to grow as an educator?

You can never be prepared for a day in the life of an early childhood educator. Having years of experience can go out the window in a second, no matter what strategy you’ve put in place. I am the sort of person who likes to be organised and perhaps a little OCD sometimes, but working with children, there are so many challenges you can be faced with, good and bad. I’ve learnt to just go with the flow. As an educator you need to be flexible; trust me, it’s hard sometimes, but you soon see that once you’ve let go, everything seems to fall into place and you’ll be amazed at where the children can take you.

at the service. The smile on children’s faces when they see their loved ones come in and be a part of their day is so fulfilling.

What is the most important skill you hope to develop in the children you care for?

The most important skills I hope to develop in the children I care for are empathy and care and respect for one another.

In this day and age, children are so immersed in today’s news through technology; they can see, hear and sense what’s going on in the world around them. I want my children to be positive role models for one another. To be able to teach them how to care, respect and show empathy will hopefully encourage them to continue this positive attitude into the world they will be a part of.

What advice would you give to someone who wishes to start a career in early learning?

If you’re someone who loves to be a big kid, sing songs, play, run, giggle, give out hugs, dress up and have a genuine passion for children, then this career is definitely for you!

You will find not only are you an educator but the children you meet will also influence and educate your life, too.

You will find this career so rewarding in the long run and the memories you create with each and every child are everlasting.

To be honest, there is no other career as rewarding as being a part of the lives of our future leaders.

What role do families play within the program you deliver?

How do you engage them?

Our families play an integral role in the program we provide at our early learning service. They are just as important as the children we look after, and we always seek their input. It is great to have them in partnership with our program as we both need to work together for their child’s valued learning.

Families are always encouraged to offer input into the program whether it be verbally through discussions and meetings, phone calls or via emails. We understand that most parents are quite busy in their day to day lives, so we offer them various ways to provide their input.

Partnership with families is very important and to have them on board makes it a great success in the overall running of the service as one whole big family unit.

Throughout the year, families are invited to different occasions including celebrating Easter, Grandparents Day and Christmas just to name a few. We also encourage family involvement through parent participation in the different rooms. Some families love to take part in a group time experience or plan an art or cooking class with the children.

By working together with families, our children are reaping the rewards of having that home-like experience, right here

EARLY EDITION > WINTER 2018

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25 years of Bright Beginnings Janine Schokman > Founder of Bright Beginnings Childcare Centre

In 1992, a very young and inexperienced kindy teacher and her business minded mother, Daphne, set off on an adventure… building an early learning centre.

Previously, childcare assistance was only available to the community sector which dominated childcare in Queensland. Under previous governments, childcare was not a priority, so Queensland was very limited in childcare availability. When the benefit was opened to the private sector, there was an explosion of childcare centres in the early nineties.

The local councils at this time were very, very strict and the availability of land that fit the criteria was scarce.

My mother and I searched high and low and were prepared to build or buy.

We were offered brand new centres for sale, but in our crazy minds, we

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believed that we could build our dream centre.

overlooked by another developer due to the cost to build.

The building industry was very quiet in 1992, and my business-minded mum managed to convince one of Brisbane’s most reputable architects, PeddleThorpe, to design our dream at minimal cost. David, the senior architect, had previously designed the new Mater Hospital and the thought of childcare and hospitals being similar excited them.

The council in 1992 regarded Hamilton Road to be a major arterial that would prove too noisy for children. After a lengthy wait, the council asked for a double brick wall to be erected around the playground – like a jail! Another requirement was for the building to be cut in below the road and a vegetation buffer built to reduce noise.

Just by chance, three quarters of an acre of land became available in Chermside, located near a school. It was an old farm house! It had been

We managed to fight the requirement regarding the jail-like brick wall, and it was reduced to only one section of the playground. The sunken building was non-negotiable.

As a new childcare centre, pre-internet, the only way I could promote our centre was is person!

Once we had an open date, the sign was erected, and our home phone (other than face-to-face) was our only point of contact.

I would meet new families in their homes, a park, workplaces – wherever they wanted. I left flyers on cars and put up posters everywhere!

We had a twenty-five-dollar enrolment fee, and a requirement to supply tissues, sunscreen and toothpaste for the centre pool of supplies. I interviewed potential educators in a coffee shop and trained them on Sundays.

In those days, all administration was completed manually. No computers, just a calculator. Admin was a full-time job, and everyone paid by cash or cheque.

One of our families who worked at the new army childcare service graciously taught my mum how to work out the fees and documentation.

All community centres were very positive and welcoming. We visited Sonya at the new TAFE childcare at Logan and the very fancy QUT Carseldine and Kelvin Grove with Jenny, one of my ex lecturers.

Bright Beginnings was one of the first centres to have two licences. This meant the centre required two separate entrances and two of everything. As an over 100 place centre, the childcare community was appalled that we would think to have so many children in one service.

When we opened on 19 July 1993, we were at 80 per cent occupancy. The need for childcare was overwhelming and my lack of knowledge of running a business such as ours was evident.

For the first ten years, my mum and I worked six to seven days per week, from open to close. Mum did all the finances and admin, and I was the jack of all trades, bumbling and learning as I went along.

My beautiful mum and I were very, very lucky to have found an opportunity and a wonderful profession that we still adore and work in today.

Some of my first enrolments are now parents at the centre and that makes me very proud.

To work in childcare is such a gift, I have met so many wonderful people and yes, the challenges have been overwhelming but we have managed to enjoy every minute.

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Celebrate Early Childhood Educators Day Australian Childcare Alliance Queensland launched Early Childhood Educators Day seven years ago to recognise and celebrate the work of educators in long day care, kindergarten/preschool services, family day care and occasional care, for their wonderful contribution to the wellbeing and healthy development of the young children in their care.

The event is held every year on the first Wednesday in September, and this year’s Early Childhood Educators Day will be held throughout the nation on Wednesday, 5 September 2018.

Early Childhood Educators Day provides a wonderful opportunity to say thank you to Australia’s early childhood educators on a very personal level, as well as collectively at the national level.

During the week of Wednesday, 5 September we encourage you to celebrate the event in your own special way.

This could include: • letting families know about Early Childhood Educators Day in the lead up to the event by displaying the posters, giving parents a hard copy poster or invitation, sending them an email or posting updates on social media or on their website • organising a morning/afternoon tea with the children and their families • inviting educators and children to come in fancy dress of their choice • creating an early childhood educator ‘thank you wall’ or ‘thank you tree’ • creating a giant ‘thank you’ card for display in the reception area of the centre/kindergarten • presenting each early childhood educator with a Certificate of Appreciation We know that a lot of ACA Qld members already have their very own Early Childhood Educators Day traditions and we encourage everyone 24

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to have their very own tradition, too!

Families are encouraged to say thank you to their early childhood educators with a personal touch, such as giving a ‘thank you’ card, a hand-made gift, a painting or drawing, a bunch of flowers or even a delicious home-made treat.

You know how much we love hearing about your celebration. Make sure to share your photos on Facebook and

send us your stories for publication in our Early Edition Spring 2018 magazine.

Send your stories and photos to qld@ childcarealliance.org.au.

For more information for some fun ideas and useful resources go to earlychildhoodeducatorsday.org.au

How to ensure children in your centre are sleeping safely Cindy Davenport > Co-Director, Safe Sleep Space and Sleep Smart

We all know that meeting a child’s sleep needs are crucial in supporting their development. As an early childhood educator, you play a very important and vital role helping children and their parents develop safe practices to support quality sleep.

Sadly, each year, SIDS and fatal sleeping accidents claim the lives of many infants as a result of unsafe sleeping environments. It is therefore essential that child care services ensure that children in their care sleep safely at all times and that the centre’s service policy and practice is based on current research and reflects evidence-based principals.

With further changes to the National Quality Standards, effective 1 February 2018, Cindy Davenport, Co-Director of Safe Sleep Space and Sleep Smart outlines some essential safe sleeping practices for babies and toddlers in childcare centres.

Sometimes parents will request sleep practices that are contradictory to what you know to be safe.

Always discuss your safe sleeping policy at orientation and enrolment.

Acknowledge and respect the family’s beliefs, values and practices, but explain why the practice may be unsafe and that you cannot accept the risk or potential consequences of using an unsafe and risky practice.

Finally remember all children are different and your childcare service should consider the risk for each individual child and tailor your Sleep and Rest Policies to reflect the levels of risk identified.

Developed specifically for Early Childhood Educators, Sleep Smart is a comprehensive online training course which arms participants with stepby-step strategies for creating an emotional and physical safe sleep space. The course also equips participants with the essential information to help comply with ACECQA’s mandatory sleep and settling policies and procedures.

For more information visit www.sleepsmart.education

11 safe sleeping practices to consider 1. Always sleep babies on their back on a firm flat surface. Tummy sleeping reduces a baby’s arousal level and ability to swallow and increases risk of SIDS by 3-14 times when compared to sleeping on the back.

2. If you wrap a baby, always take into account their stage of development. It is so important to leave their arms out or free once the startle reflex disappears which is often around 3 months. You should also stop using a wrap once the baby shows signs of

attempting to roll.

3. If blankets are used rather than sleeping bags, make sure that the baby’s feet are touching the bottom of the cot to prevent them from wriggling under the blankets.

Blankets should also be tucked in securely.

4. Remove clothes with hoods, drawstring or ties, as they can become wrapped around an infant or young child’s neck.

5. It is not recommended that a baby/child has anything around their neck for sleeping, for

example a necklace or amber beads, which could tighten during sleep and make breathing difficult.

6. Products such as pillows, bumpers or soft toys should never be placed in a cot; as they can increase the risk of an accident by suffocation and they can also be used as a step to climb up and over the side of the cot.

7. Bean bags, sofas, large cushions and air mattresses are not recommended as a safe surface for young children to sleep.

8. Check and inspect sleeping children at regular intervals and an assessment of each child’s circumstance and needs should be undertaken to determine any risk factors.

9. Sleeping children should always be within sight and hearing distance.

10. Supervision windows should be kept clear and not painted over or covered.

11. Cots should be arranged so all sleeping children are visible through the observation window.

EARLY EDITION > WINTER 2018 25

Understanding Social Media Risks The team at Guild Insurance

Social media is an increasingly pervasive form of communication for many people, in both their personal and professional lives. It presents people with many benefits in allowing them to communicate with great speed and efficiency. However, those benefits need to be balanced with the many risks social media presents.

Poorly considered social media posts can, and do, affect the personal and professional reputation and image of individuals as well as businesses; even if the post isn’t directly related to a business.

The following tips will assist individuals and businesses manage their risks when using social media: Have a business plan for how and why social media is to be used When deciding whether to create a business social media presence, it’s very easy to think ‘if everyone else is doing it, so should I’. The decision to use social media should be based on a company’s needs and business plans; the benefits and risks need to be considered.

Business social media should be based on business requirements, not personal views Business owners and managers need to be sure that when they decide on whether to use social media for their business, this decision is based on the needs of the organisation, not the owner’s/manager’s personal views of social media. Engagement through personal accounts can blur professional boundaries.

Create clear business guidelines and processes regarding who can post on social media and how this is to be done Due to the risks associated with social media interactions, it’s important that

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businesses have a clear process for who is responsible for posting on social media. The person undertaking this role needs to understand when social media is an appropriate form of communication and what sort of messages are to be shared using social media.

Consider training for those staff responsible for social media It’s often assumed that young people are well versed in social media use, however this isn’t always the case. Therefore, it’s worth considering training in social media communications and its risks for the responsible staff members.

Consider what messages should be shared using social media Social media is generally designed for short sharp messages, yet not all information suits this style of communication. When businesses are communicating with their customers, they need to carefully consider how that message should be shared.

Understand that you can no longer separate personal and professional use Unfortunately, many people hold a view that what they write within a personal social media account in their own time will have no impact on them professionally. Whether fair or not, professionals are always representing their profession and professional

self; personal social media posts can be considered to be representing a professional view. Therefore, the professional impact needs to be considered before any personal post is made.

Don’t believe that any post is ever private Too often people post information on social media which they intended to remain private and not be seen widely.

However social media can never truly be private. Professionals need to remember that if they don’t want their colleagues, clients or competitors seeing a social media post, it should never be posted on either personal or business accounts.

Never post in haste, all posts need to be carefully considered As mentioned earlier, social media is designed for quick short messages to be shared widely. This means social media can encourage messages to be shared with little thought or planning which on occasions leads to poorly worded messages which are easily misinterpreted. It’s important to pause and think through a message before it’s shared. www.guildinsurance.com.au

Organisational culture and leadership in early childhood education organisations The team at Change2020

Organisational culture is essential to the success of any business. In the early childhood education sector, it is particularly important, as parents know that their children will benefit from a positive culture.

Often, we think of culture and leadership from an internal, human resources perspective, but given the way it influences service provision, customers often take organisational culture into account when selecting a business.

Once centres get culture right, they usually see their business grow, either through the development of new units or acquisition of existing centres. As childcare groups expand, it is essential to maintain their culture – as it is also part of their brand identity.

Culture affects employees – both positively and negatively, and when deciding what centre to choose for their family, the most important factor influencing parents is the quality of educators, which means focusing on organisational culture in childcare is the basis of being customer-centric.

A growing childcare group should have a strong enough culture that no matter where one of their centres is located, parents recognise their brand and values and know exactly what they stand for and what to expect.

But once a group starts developing and acquiring new centres, it can get much harder to maintain a cohesive organisational culture during the expansion period.

Why strong workplace culture is important For individual centres and small groups, achieving a positive culture by maintaining consistent and clear twoway communication between staff and management can create a more inclusive workplace.

In smaller businesses, it’s easier to ensure every member of the team knows the business’ mission and vision and is actively involved in reaching organisational goals. As educators feel involved, supported and empowered, they are advocates for the business.

Recently, CEO of Influence & Co John Hall discussed the importance of employee support in an article for Forbes. He said that “employees who feel supported by leaders are more likely to go above and beyond for the company and deliver a better result.”

How to maintain positive workplace culture in times of growth When developing a new centre, it is vital to communicate the existing mission, vision, and code of conduct effectively to new employees, who should be selected after going through a rigorous recruitment process.

Developing leaders, ensuring they fully understand and engage with the culture, and are able to effectively implement it in the new unit is also absolutely crucial to success.

In order to sustain a positive culture as a business grows larger, it is important to be true to it – hire and fire according to your philosophy, make sure the people who will be the face of your business are a good fit for the organisation. Maintain intimacy by keeping an open-door policy and

encourage and invest in personal and professional growth among employees.

While expanding can be very challenging, doing so through the acquisition of an existing centre and adapting their established culture to suit your business’ can seem insurmountable.

Existing negative workplace culture can be difficult to shift, but not impossible. Directors should ensure they include key team members in decision making wherever possible, as it increases levels of trust, motivation and dedication towards achieving the business goals for new management.

Regular team meetings allow clientfacing employees to better understand the business and feel included and accountable, which also works to strengthen the business culture.

Childcare groups experiencing a high growth phase need to pay special attention to organisational culture, as it can be the difference between a new centre succeeding and strengthening their brand image or suffering from low occupancy rates and damaging word of mouth.

Reaching out to leadership and culture specialists, like our team at Change2020 can prove to be a wise investment, as we help leaders navigate through times of change and disruption. If your team needs help to embrace change to propel your business forward, talk to us today. change2020.com

EARLY EDITION > WINTER 2018 27

Supporter Member Directory Service

Contact

Area

Phone

Web

Accounts Advantage

Wanda Reynolds

Beenleigh

07 3209 8266

www.accountsadvantage.com.au

Bronze Business Services Pty Ltd

Tracey Jory

Thuringowa Central

0422 112 777

www.bronzebusiness.com.au

Peter Price & Associates

Peter Price

Mt Ommaney

07 3376 3411

www.peterprice.com.au

ANZ Business Bank

Lyn Lange

Brisbane

0401 992 583

www.anz.com

Commonwealth Bank of Australia

Stephanie Kovacevic

Brisbane

07 3014 0714

www.commbank.com.au

Childcare Concepts

Hilary Knights

Fortitude Valley

0407 572 725

www.childcareconcepts.com.au

Graeme Pettit

Graeme Pettit

Benowa

0421 289 818

www.harcourts.com.au

Mathiou Services Team

Burleigh Heads

1300 363 423

www.mathiouservices.com.au

Absolute Support Training & Resources

Darlene Wadham

Wynnum

0488 666 455

www.absolutesupport.com.au

Early Learning Management

Naomi Freney

Bundall

07 5592 5800

www.elm.net.au

Elite Childcare Management

Debbie Thompson

Cannon Hill

0435 743 212

www.elitechildcaremanagement.com.au

G8 Education

G8 Education Team

Varsity Lakes

07 5581 5336

www.g8education.edu.au

Giggletree

Samantha Ahearn

North Lakes

07 3482 2490

www.giggletree.com.au

Guardian Early Learning Group

Helen Baker

Kelvin Grove

07 3832 7933

www.guardian.edu.au

Kids and Adults Learning

Annette Cunado

Northgate

1300 783 880

www.kal.net.au

QLECS (Qld Lutheran Early Childhood Services)

Maryann Sword

Milton

07 3511 4079

www.qlecs.org.au

Ready Now Resources

Louise Thomas

Helensvale Town

0410 456 607

www.readynowresources.com.au

Shilus

Stephanie Smith

Oxenford

0402 252 762

www.shilus.com.au

Mark Elliott

Balmain

02 9235 2807

www.careforkids.com.au

Compliance Auditing & Training Australasia

Jerome Cramer

Brisbane

0412 024 258

www.cataptyltd.com

Kids Dig Food

Deb Blakley

North Lakes

0413 433 144

www.kidsdigfood.com.au

Yummies for Little Tummies

Darlene Clark

Sumner

07 3161 8063

www.yummiesforlittletummies.com.au

Peter Jarrett

West End

07 3230 8501

www.guildgroup.com.au

Giovanni Porta

Geebung

07 3265 3888

www.portalawyers.com.au

Ausplay Playscapes

Barry Healey

Wacol

07 3879 4444

www.ausplay.net.au

Surface Pro

Janet Osborne

Nerang

0418 741 507

www.surfacepro.net.au

Timberplay

Sally Alderton

Gold Coast

07 5563 3755

www.timberplay.com.au

Cyber Drafting & Design

Jodie Mark

Tingalpa

07 3393 9159

www.cyberservicesgroup.com.au

Jardine Architects

Greg Jardine

Brisbane

07 3229 9322

www.jardinearchitects.com.au

Accounting / Bookkeeping

Banking Services

Brokers

Building Maintenance Mathiou Services Consultancy / Management

Directories / Marketing Care For Kids Food & Nutrition

Insurance Services Guild Insurance Legal Porta Lawyers Playground Equipment / Surfacing

Property Services

28

EARLY EDITION > WINTER 2018

Service

Contact

Area

Phone

Web

Kidsoft

Kidsoft Team

Broadbeach

1800 827 234

www.kidsoft.com.auÂ

Kindy Now

Sean Maynihon

Cremorne

1800 154 639

www.kindynow.com

MiCare Global

Sharyn Fewster

Brisbane

1300 393 359

www.micareglobal.com

Penelope QIP

Steve Collier

Toowoomba

1300 435 962

www.penelope.com.au

QK Technologies - QikKids

Sean Murphy

Morningside

1300 367 770

www.qikkids.com.au

Future Champs

Nathan Riddle

Tallai

0421 043 511

www.futurechamps.net.au

Physi Kids

Kayleen Tolley

Cannon Hill

0414 559 997

www.physikids.com.au

Silva Everaers

Brisbane

07 3337 5230

www.randstadeducation.com.au

Child Care Super

Julie West

West End

0498 001 193

www.childcaresuper.com.au

HESTA Super Fund

Joanne Fenton

Brisbane

07 3223 4906

www.hesta.com.au

QIEC Super

Pam Abrey

Brisbane

0417 260 825

www.qiec.com.au

ABC School Supplies

Graham Bone

Capalaba

07 3823 2999

www.abcschoolsupplies.com.au

Bellbird Kid-z Educational Resources

Chris Carson

Dandenong

03 8795 6999

www.bellbirdkidz.com.au

Bright Spark Enterprises

Keith Garrett

Samford Valley

07 3289 2800

www.brightsparkenterprises.com.au

Educational Experience

Andrew Williams

Brisbane

0407 693 391

www.edex.com.au

iSandBox

Joseph Golubinsky

Gold Coast

1300 748 989

www.iSandBox.com.au

Modern Teaching Aids

Marco DeGeus

Frenchs Forest

02 9938 0411

www.teaching.com.au

Pre-School Equipment

Karen Clark

Elsternwick

1300 555 972

www.preschoolequipment.com.au

The Book Warehouse

Sean Berkeley

Albion

07 3862 6177

www.thebookwarehouse.com.au

ACE Community College

Robyn Keenan

Burleigh Waters

07 5520 3026

www.acecolleges.edu.au

Astute Early Years Specialists

Mel Comerfood

Chapel Hill

1300 928 228

www.weareastute.com.au

Australian Child Care Career Options (ACCCO)

Narelle Cossettini

Fortitude Valley

07 3257 1972

www.accco.com.au

College for Australian Early Childhood Educators (CAECE)

Pauline Aitchison

Brisbane

07 3299 5784

www.caece.com.au

EVAC-YOU-8

Chantelle Frew

Warringah

02 9939 2596

www.evacyoueight.com.au

Fluid First Aid

Ben Cleaver

North Lakes

1300 976 276

www.fluidfirstaid.com.au

In Safe Hands Educators in Safety

Michael Pecic

Arana Hills

1300 794 644

www.insafehands.net.au

Inspire Education

Kirsten George

Brisbane

1800 506 509

www.inspireeducation.net.au

Sasha Goodwin

Sasha Goodwin

Gold Coast

0411 751 442

Herron Todd White

Simon Fox

Brisbane

07 3002 0900

www.htw.com.au

Trivett Property Group

Darren Trivett

Fortitude Valley

07 3216 1011

www.trivett.net.au

Software / IT Support

Sports and Fitness

Staff Recruitment Randstad Education Superannuation

Toys / Resources

Training Providers

Valuers

EARLY EDITION > WINTER 2018 29

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