Rattler Magazine Issue 122, 2017

Rattler COMMUNITY EARLY LEARNING AUSTRALIA QUARTERLY JOURNAL

ISSUE 1 22 WINTER 2017

welcome to CELA CELA leads the way into the future • New-look NQF Spotlight on leadership • Managing change + MORE

CELA IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY COMMUNITY CHILD CARE CO-OPERATIVE

FROM YOUR CEO

W

elcome to your new-look Rattler magazine.

I have now had the honour of being CEO of Community Child Care Co-operative for one year, and what a challenging and exciting year it has been. As often happens in new positions, we compare and contrast with previous experiences and I have observed that while many in the sector take a collegiate approach to each other, the sector as a whole seems notable for its divisions rather than its unity.

This troubles me because we are a sector with big ambitions for children and families and, as such, I believe we need to pull together and collaborate. We need to move beyond what could be termed tribal behaviours when it comes to providing the best possible outcomes for children, families and educators.

Some tensions I have observed include: Do sessional preschools have more value than preschool programs in long day care? Are outside school hours care educators, as Doreen Blyth recently wrote on our Amplify! blog, the ‘neglected middle child’ of the sector? Do all private providers put large profits ahead of children’s needs? Does every communitybased service operate at a higher quality, purely by being not-for-profit, or do some struggle?

I am concerned that such positions can expose us to ‘divide and conquer’ approaches, and I believe strengthened collaboration is a powerful foil against tightfisted or confused government officials and free market commentators that may limit our ambitions for children, families, educators and services.

As you will have seen from our recent announcements, we are bravely taking a stand and turning that divisiveness

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on its head. Instead of focusing on our differences we will, within reason, seek out and extend our shared values. I am sorry if we have stretched your patience while building and launching our vision for the sector and your much-loved organisation.

We are becoming Community Early Learning Australia (CELA) and we will actively seek to unite the educators, providers, trainers, consultants, academics, administrators and policy makers in the sector who share a common vision for high quality early and middle years education for all children.

You can read more about our new vision and trademark on page 6. As you do so, I ask you to remember that CCCC has been, in effect, a national organisation with a sizeable number of both private and community members, across all service types, for many years.

While we are one of the largest member-based organisations for early childhood education and care in Australia, we must grow our reach and impact to thrive without the generous flow of sector development public funding. We are lucky to be able to build on our strong 40-year foundation of tradition and excellence.

Australian educators are ready for an active, inclusive, values-driven advocacy and support organisation, with a broad base and an open vision to the future. I am looking forward to meeting with as many of you as I can to share our vision and excitement for the future.

Welcome to CELA. Diane Lawson CEO, Community Early Learning Australia

CEO, COMMUNITY EARLY LEARNING AUSTRALIA Diane Lawson EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Lucy Brown, Marie Deverill, Nathalie Dupavillon, Camille Howard, Eddy Jokovich, Diane Lawson, Gerard Moon.

MANAGING EDITOR Eddy Jokovich (02) 9310 4955 JOURNALIST/ASSISTANT EDITOR Camille Howard ART DIRECTOR Madeleine Preston PRODUCTION ARMEDIA PRINTING Pegasus Print Group CONTRIBUTORS Jenny Green, Camille Howard, Diane Lawson, Emma Pierce CONTRIBUTIONS By publishing a range of opinions, Community Early Learning Australia (CELA) hopes to stimulate professional development and discussion.

You can contact the CEO or managing editor to discuss your ideas or send in an outline of your article. Copyright is normally held jointly by the publisher and the author. We reserve the right to edit submitted material.

THIS ISSUE RATTLER 122 WINTER 2017

THE LOWDOWN

COPYING Please email for permission to copy or reproduce any article or part thereof.

Your guide to what’s on, what's up, who’s where, and why.

SUBSCRIPTIONS (02) 8922 6444 Annual subscription to Rattler $200.00 (4 issues).

LEADING THE WAY

THANKS Community Early Learning Australia gratefully acknowledges the support of Microsoft Corporation in providing CELA with free software under their Community Assistance Initiative.

Registered by Australia Post Print Post Publication No 100001554 ISSN 0819-9132 ©2017 Community Early Learning Australia.

DISCLAIMER The opinions expressed in Rattler are those of the authors and not necessarily those of CELA. OFFICE AND POSTAL ADDRESS Addison Road Community Centre, Building 21, 142 Addison Road, Marrickville NSW 2204 PHONE (02) 8922 6444 FAX (02) 8922 6445 EMAIL info@cela.org.au WEB www.cela.org.au FACEBOOK @communityearlylearning australia TWITTER @CELAust INSTAGRAM @communityearlylearning ABN 81 174 903 921

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A new name and a new direction: introducing the next stage in your much-loved organisation's future.

CHANGING DIRECTION

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Blackfriars Children's Centre is successfully managing change as it expands its inner-city offering.

NEW-LOOK NQF

18

We outline key changes to the National Quality Framework, and what it means for services.

NQS SPOTLIGHT: QA 7

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Gumnut Gardens is leading from the front in its approach to collaboration, reflective practice and a shared vision.

YES, MINISTER!

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NSW Early Childhood Education Minister Sarah Mitchell brings some valuable insight to her new role.

WORKING TOGETHER

30

A new agreement for the sector is providing a working solution for early intervention under the NDIS.

BOOK WORM

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Our review of what's new on the shelves.

MEET ACECQA’S NEW CEO 22

MEET THE MEMBER

Gabrielle Sinclair is the new CEO at ACECQA, supporting the sector in its quest for quality.

In this new section, we ask members how they are using their CELA membership to improve practice.

PLUS: BROADSIDE

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Political news: Implementation of the Jobs for Families Package; plus the changes in store for family day care.

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Jul Aug 14–16 July

2–3 August

Reggio Emilia Australia Information Exchange Conference International Convention Centre, Sydney www.reaie2017.com

ACEL Early Childhood Conference Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Queensland www.acel.org.au

PLUS: Pre-conference event 13 July

What’s on this Winter The lowdown

Cooking With Rob Rees Vive Cooking School, Rosebery, NSW www.reaie2017.com/ cooking-with-rob-rees

Director’s Retreat QLD (Gold Coast) CELA’s three-day learning and development retreat for directors.

Program TBC

26 August AEU Early Childhood Conference Australian Education Union Building, Southbank, Victoria; and also online. www.tln.org.au/ecconf

Start Strong funding extended

Mental health and the early years

The NSW Government has announced it will extend Start Strong funding until 2021. While CELA understands the funding will not expand the scope of the current program, it does give greater certainty to eligible community preschools and long day care centres.

The Australian Government is set to invest almost $53 million in a new mental health program to ensure all Australian children—from preschool through to high school—receive mental health support during their school years.

From 1 July, Beyond Blue will begin developing the ground-breaking initiative, which will be rolled out in 2018 in partnership with Headspace and Early Childhood Australia. “[The program] will deal with the gamut of issues, from educating staff about mental health and how to protect themselves, to supporting schools to implement their own strategies for mental health, wellbeing, suicide prevention and crisis support,” says Beyond Blue CEO Georgie Harman.

Advocate honoured Congratulations to long-time sector advocate Gwynneth Bridge, of Kindyland Kids, Queensland, who was named in the Queens Birthday honours list.

The former president of the Australian Childcare Alliance has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the General Division: “For significant service to the community through leadership in the early childhood care and education sector.”

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21–23 August

Sep & more…

27–29 September

Calling all leaders!

New regional sessions now added

Early Start Conference University of Wollongong, NSW www.earlystart.uow.edu.au/conference

Have you seen our new nationallyaccredited leadership program?

Aligned to the Diploma of Leadership & Management course, this program addresses key challenges identified by directors, including recruitment, communication, business strategy, risk management, succession planning and more.

Child Protection workshops

Practical Service Leadership: Ballina 14 July WH&S in Practice: Ballina 27 July Identifying & Managing Service Risk: Ballina 27July Succession Planning for Committees: Ballina 2 Aug Marketing your Service: Schofields 17 Aug Communicate positively: Schofields 13 Sep

CELA continues to offer ‘Identify and respond to children and young people at risk’ (CHCPRT001) sessions throughout the remainder of 2017.

Plus many more.

Visit our website www.cela.org.au/events to book in today.

17 November CELA Inspire Conference Sydney South Program TBC

Aussie children missing out?

A landmark study from University of Melbourne and Queensland University of Technology finds just one per cent of children receive high quality intentional teaching in the early years.

Professor Collette Tayler, lead researcher, says the study shows that children are not getting high quality “instructional engagement” to meet their cognitive development needs.

Tayler urges governments to be more “directive” in planning, which she says is largely left to the market.

“The most disadvantaged children live in areas where the market fails them—it doesn’t provide them with the better quality education and care that they need.”

The study tracked 2,500 children across service types over five years.

Read more at www.tinyurl.com/E4Kids RATTLER 122 AUTUMN 2017 | 5

Leading THE WAY RATTLER 122 AUTUMN 2017 | 6

You don’t call your work ‘child care’ any more, and nor should we. Diane Lawson and our Board introduce the next stage in the organisation’s future—an essential step in ensuring the values of community-based quality and advocacy survive and thrive.

S

ome members of Community Child Care Co-operative NSW (CCCC) only know the organisation as it exists today, but it has evolved considerably over the past 40 years. And it must continue to change to ensure we can support you into the future.

This issue of Rattler, now in its 30th year, brings news of a very necessary and deeply-considered next step for our organisation. But no major decision exists in isolation, so I’ll take you first on a short history of CCCC in the context of an ever-changing sector.

The Child Care Act 1972 provided funding ($6.5 million for the first year) only to not-for-profit organisations to operate ‘day care facilities for children of working and sick parents’.

In 1974, the Australian Government extended funding to support all children and not just children from families under financial or medical stress. In 1978, CCCC was created as an initiative of the NSW Council of Social Services using NSW Government funding.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the Commonwealth extended funding to outside school hours care (OSHC) and, particularly, family day care (FDC) as those sectors established themselves and grew. In the 1990s, successive Labor and Liberal governments opened the doors to private sector involvement in early childhood services, and an element of quality accreditation was introduced.

The Childcare Cash Rebate (CCR) was created in 1994 and paid directly to families as another way of encouraging a supply and demand market and encouraging them to

choose where to enrol their children.

In the late 1980s and 1990s, debate about public funding for private services was particularly fierce.

During these decades, CCCC continued to grow in experience and influence, but it remained heavily dependent on public money. Its funding was often threatened and it teetered at times between short and longer-term grants and project payments from the state or federal governments and it moved offices on several occasions.

The 1990s and early 2000s saw increasing government investment in family rebates of varying levels, and continued growth in the number of private providers. These providers ranged from the unsustainable giant, ABC Learning, to the still-strong notfor-profit sector, to small businesses created by ‘mum-and-dad’ owners, often experienced early childhood teachers who left community-based organisations to set up their own services.

The collapse of ABC Learning in 2008 and the introduction of the National Quality Framework (NQF) in 2012 are perhaps the low and the high points for the sector so far this century. In particular, the educationally driven quality standards applying to all services under the NQF made it a priority for every credible operator to invest in and be accountable for the quality of ECEC they deliver.

THE DECADE OF PLENTY During these years, CCCC experienced something of a golden era. In 2005 we became a Registered Training

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When organisations make major changes, it inspires those who work in the early childhood sector to also be brave, to think outside the box, to challenge themselves as leaders.

—Ariane Simon Organisation and in 2006 we won (and retained for the life of the program) Commonwealth funding to be the Professional Support Co-ordinator (PSC) for Children’s Services in NSW. Our first PSC contract was worth $12 million over three years, allowing us to deliver heavily subsidised training across NSW. With this level of funding we were also able to grow the organisation and extend its reach in a way we had never done before. There were significant payments each and every year and our healthy financial position grew. With the wider skills base in the organisation and the constant federally-funded training activity, we were also well placed to win important NSW Government contracts and to develop important resources for the implementation of the NQF. By the end of June 2016, however, we faced radically different financial circumstances. Last year, as it had advised us a year or more before, the Australian Government cancelled the Inclusion and Professional Support Program, and with it our role as Professional Support Co-ordinator for NSW. The impact was a loss of 60 per cent of our base funding and the inability to offer the extreme training discounts of the past. This led to a massive decline in training registrations, a major source of revenue. The Board Chair, Wendy Lindgren, and I shared with you the

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significant issues this created in our 2016 Annual Report.

Put simply, it was not a matter of reducing our operations to 40 per cent of the previous activity and carrying on. Our revenue was slashed and without a revolutionary response it was only going to keep falling.

SILVER LININGS When faced with a dire situation you can give up gracefully or tackle it with vigour and innovation.

Your Board did not want to give up.

They saw that the sector was changing, that you are changing, and so, they said, must we.

NSW community-based members may not be aware that for many years CCCC has had a significant number of private sector members, our ‘associates’. NSW members may also be unaware that we have long had members in Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and the ACT. As a member-based organisation, we believe we offer a set of values and benefits that can be recognised across Australia, and that appeals particularly to both community-based members and the ‘purpose-before-profit’ small private provider.

“Under the NQF, many quality-driven small private providers have more in common with community-based child care providers than they do with the big corporates,” Wendy Lindgren explains.

Many of your concerns in NSW are of equal importance nationally: extending

universal access to funding for threeyear-olds; supporting rural and remote educators and those working with disadvantaged families; maintaining BBF and mobile funding; developing advocacy and leadership skills for educators of all ages; improving respect for early and middle years education as a profession, and monitoring the looming threat of oversupply through corporate expansion and the danger that poses to all small providers who put a high value on quality.

Our home is in NSW and your particular issues, such as preschool funding and the implementation of Start Strong, will always be a high priority and managed by experienced staff and with skilled negotiation with the state government.

However, we are already one of the largest and broadest-based member organisations in this state with around 2,000 individual and organisational memberships: to be sustainable we must expand our reach and impact.

So we are now publicly embracing our national presence and actively seeking to unite like-minded educators and providers across Australia for the greater benefit of children.

INTRODUCING CELA A first step is launching our new trademark, Community Early Learning Australia (CELA—pronounced “seela”).

This does not change our legal name, but we will be asking you about that soon. The vision for Community Early Learning Australia is built on the 40year tradition of Community Child Care Co-operative, and we are prepared to lead a united sector based on shared values.

We are revising member benefits and fees, introducing new management products for your needs, updating governance and legal status, and providing more modern and accessible communication.

In April we launched a new blog

Amplify! to an Australia-wide audience, and thousands of educators, trainers, administrators and policy-makers are responding enthusiastically each week. On 13 June we said goodbye to an outdated website and connected the new one to a modern member database that will radically improve the way your information is managed.

By the end of August we will have held meetings with every education policy department in Australia, conducted a series of networking meetings with our members and be inviting you, through a postal ballot, to consider a new constitution and official change of name.

The constitution will more clearly describe the improved member offer for private providers than our current ‘associate’ category. Not-for-profit members will retain a control of

It’s good to open a new chapter; we’re on the right track.

—Maria Pender voting and the Board, but we will give a fairer member offer to private sector members than in the past, provided they sign up to our shared values and purpose-before-profit statement.

The history of Australia’s early childhood sector is one of division rather than unity, but in recent political campaigns the powerful lobbyists at Goodstart Early Learning and Early Childhood Australia have led groups of both not-for-profit and for-profit providers during issues with shared benefit to children.

With CELA, we are building on the newer spirit of cooperation and

aiming to create the most influential organisation the sector has seen.

As Wendy says, “There’s a growing gap in interests between the biggest and the smallest early childhood service providers across Australia— there are people waiting for us to represent them at a national level.

“We are the organisation best suited to drive this cooperation as we are accustomed to representing a range of organisations and individuals across the spectrum of early and middle education and care.

“Being values-driven ourselves, we recognise it in others.”

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NEW NAME AND WIDER SCOPE Why CELA? You no longer call your work ‘child care’, and nor should we. This is more than just a new name and logo. It’s about effectively communicating who we are, what we do and driving the future of the sector.

Our new trademark carries forward CCCC’s 40-year history, while making clear that we are prepared to lead a united sector based on shared values.

Community Early Learning Australia is built on the 40-year tradition of Community Child Care Co-operative—a tradition of supporting evidence-based research, grassroots consultation, common sense action and, above all, championing our belief that all children deserve quality early education and care.

Community Early Learning Australia reflects the sector’s priority to deliver quality early education and care. The trademark demonstrates the respect we have for educators and the work they do, and our commitment to leading change in the sector.

Finally, our trademark reflects the organisation's expanded scope and national focus. Although based in NSW, we have had members in other states and territories for many years. They share our community values and advocacy commitment and we have much to gain through closer collaboration and engagement. The business changes we are making will enable us to form closer links and better leverage these relationships in the interests of achieving our mission to amplify the value of quality early education for all children.

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Under the NQF, quality-driven small private providers have more in common with smaller communitybased child care providers than they do with the big corporates.

—Wendy Lindgren We have not taken these steps lightly or without research. Our confidence in our direction is partly because you have been guiding us through your feedback at workshops, in surveys, and in direct responses to questions we have posed in Shortside or social media.

We know you are asking for more face-to-face regional professional development sessions, more webinars, more networking and peer support opportunities, and even more practical resources. These, too, are part of the vision under CELA. A broader member base and a more engaging professional development agenda will work hand-inhand to support you.

NEXT STEPS Financial imperatives have required urgency to act swiftly regarding some of the necessary changes, for example, launching the new trademark, branding, website, reviewing all of our existing policies, and developing new products and services. Coinciding with this, but at a (legally driven) slower pace, we are undertaking a thorough constitutional review. The key in this constitutional review will be seeking your support through a postal ballot to transition to a new business identity and structure.

One of our longest serving Board members, Maria Pender (who was director of community-based Clovelly Child Care Centre for over 25 years),

reminds us about the need for all organisations to change, in step with new policy and funding directions.

“As you look back over the years, funding changes every time you get a new government; they keep taking money away from early childhood,” Maria says.

Equally important for Maria is that our organisation remains relevant and capable of helping members strive through changing times.

“As funding changes and priorities change at the government level, the organisation needs to be able to make those changes happen in the field, and can guide people who work in services to know what’s happening,” she says.

“It’s good to open a new chapter; we’re on the right track," Maria says.

“Community Child Care works very hard to meet the needs of all the people out in the field. And early childhood, to me, helps families equip their children with everything they need as they move to school.”

Ariane Simon, our newest Board member and director of St Stephen’s Preschool, says change is not only necessary, it inspires.

“When organisations like this one make major changes, it shows courage and leadership,” Ariane says.

“It inspires those who work in the early childhood sector to also be brave, to think outside the box, to challenge themselves as leaders.

“CELA is positioning itself to be a brave organisation, underpinned by history while forging a new future.”

MODERN, ACCESSIBLE COMMUNICATIONS Moving forward, you can expect to see more modern and accessible communication, training, consulting and advocacy from us.

Communication with you will be via our new trademark, CELA. In advance of the constitution restructure, CELA will spearhead a range of other exciting initiatives to ensure we better meet your needs.

Some have already rolled out and some are yet to come, including: ⊲ A new website: with fresh content and a raft of resources to make your lives easier, including new publications to support your financial management and marketing. ⊲ Recently launched blog Amplify!: providing accurate, up-to-the-minute news and information already regularly reaching 20,000 viewers across Australia. ⊲ The Champions network: created to better engage the grassroots in our advocacy. ⊲ A new online human resource management platform, EarlyEdHR: supporting centre directors and the management of services.

“The change that I am really excited about is the soon-to-be-launched new HR platform,” Ariane says. “It will be an

Diane Lawson

enormous help to centre managers, especially in standalone services that manage all HR matters from contracts, letters of employment, entitlements and so on.

“There is so much scope with this new platform, I’m excited to start using it myself as a preschool director.”

MOVING AHEAD Just as CCCC has done since the mid1970s, CELA will continue to amplify quality education and care. Support for our members, quality education and care for children, and sector advocacy remains at the heart of everything we do. We will continue to inform families, influence policy-makers, and inspire educators.

We look forward to the next chapter in the Community Child Care Co-operative story with excitement.

Driven by our new vision, we bring you an organisation better able to meet its members’ needs, champion the voice of the sector, and lead the change to ensure all children have access to quality early education and care.

Remember, you are part of this change, just as you continue to be part of our tradition. Above all, we look forward to working with you through these changing times, towards a more professional and sustainable future, delivering Australian children the very best early education and care.

Diane Lawson is CEO of Community Early Learning Australia.

TIMELINE OF CHANGES

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AT THE COALFACE

Change of

direction

It may have been some time in the planning, but work has finally begun on a new, state-of-the-art home for Blackfriars Children’s Centre. Camille Howard takes a tour to uncover the secrets of managing change in a growing inner-city service.

R

ather than grimacing, when Debra Clarke hears the cacophony of construction noise coming from the other side of the Blackfriars Children’s Centre fence, she is all smiles. So, too, are the children from the inner-city Sydney service. The sweet sound of hammers hammering and diggers digging symbolises a new home for Blackfriars, and the construction noise has been a long time coming.

“It was many years in the planning process,” says Clarke, CEO of UTS Child Care Inc (UTSCC).

Planning began around 2013, when

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the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) closed its Kuring-gai campus on Sydney’s north shore. At that time, UTSCC operated a 68-place early childhood education service at Kuringgai, along with Blackfriars and a third service, Magic Pudding, which were all run as an Incorporated Association which is a separate legal entity affiliated with UTS and located on or near UTS campuses.

When the Kuring-gai campus closed, the early childhood centre onsite closed too, and UTSCC recognised an opportunity to not only address the financial shortfall but

also the increasing demand at its inner city services (Magic Pudding had already increased capacity from 40 to 61 places). “We really knew that for the organisation to remain at a similar size, we needed to look at replacing those places we lost over at Kuringgai, as well as the significant unmet demand,” Clarke explains.

Relocating to a new centre, built right next to the existing Blackfriars building, became the obvious solution, expanding capacity from 50 licenced places to 84. “We saw it as an amazing investment by UTS into providing more places for their

working and studying staff and students,” Clarke says.

And in February this year, construction finally began on the new Blackfriars Children’s Centre.

MEETING THE CHALLENGES While Clarke acknowledges that the planning phase took considerable time, she stresses the importance of this preparation for any rebuild or renovation, especially on a challenging site.

“We’re operating on a heritagelisted campus, we’re operating in a residential area, we’re operating in the inner city where parking is limited, streets are busy and other university functions are continuing, and the existing childcare centre had to continue to function. So it was

really important that we got it right.”

Funding the project was a major hurdle in the beginning, as with any build, but the planning around finding a suitable location was a particular challenge for the service. “We really needed to look at [it] creatively.

The cost of land in the inner city is obviously significantly higher than in other areas, with such a high population density. But as a primarily work-based centre, we needed to be close to where parents worked and studied.”

The key to overcoming these challenges? “Patience and commitment,” Clarke says. “I’m not always patient so I had to learn commitment! But in the back of my head I always knew it was a popular project, we just had to work through

the funding and the site issues. And we had to do that while being mindful that UTS and UTS Child Care are two separate entities, with all the complexities that brings.”

Developing and communicating the strong business case for growth was Clarke’s first step. “We had to highlight the unmet demand that had existed over many, many years and reassure [our community] that we weren’t building a white elephant,” she says, “that there was a need in this area, and for our particular business model.”

This involved many surveys of users, waiting list applicants and potential future users to develop that business case and get the issue on the radar at the university.

Then, in putting the business

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case together, Clarke had to really understand who the target audience was, and then write with that audience’s needs and interests in mind. “I learned a lot along the way about that!”

These lessons included aligning the development with the strategic goals of the university. “If I was going to go to them and say ‘You need to spend money on us’, then I needed to develop the reason for them to do so.”

The university is known for its commitment to attracting and retaining staff and students, Clarke says, and its strong commitment to equity and inclusion. “They have programs around increasing the number of, in particular, female staff into STEM areas,” she adds. “So it was important to not just say we need childcare for childcare’s sake, but how additional places will help the university meet their strategic goals.

Once we started doing that, we started to have a lot more success.”

PERFECT PARTNERS Clarke is quick to acknowledge how lucky Blackfriars has been in having a skilful and experienced project team managing the development. “It’s being managed by the university’s Facilities Management Team. That has been absolutely critical,” she says. “This is not something I believe that I, as somebody with a teaching degree and a management degree, would have the expertise to do. But we’ve been really lucky to have some amazing people on our project team.”

Surrounding themselves with the right people means they can draw on the knowledge and experience of a team of experts to help predict and plan for all eventualities.

“We have been so lucky to have the support and services of UTS Facilities Management Team behind us on this project. I can’t say that enough. Their skill and expertise in

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managing a complex building project and knowledge of building and construction has been critical.”

And this is a key piece of advice Clarke offers to other services looking to renovate or rebuild. “Engage experts in this area. You’re not going to have UTS Facilities Management Team, but you can engage experts in this area. We realised fairly quickly our expertise is educating young children.

We know about Bob the Builder and his escapades, but we have people on the team who are Bob the Builder, and who know about planning and construction to get the job done.

We are a critical part of that project management team but we don’t have to do this in isolation.”

Another critical piece of advice is to select an architect to align with your service’s vision and philosophy. “We were very lucky to have a great team of architects to work with who came up with really good design ideas, and they were also skilled in turning our thoughts into practical solutions.”

This relationship goes both ways, of course, and it’s also important to remember to stay focused on the

functionality of an early years service.

“We work in them every day and we know what works and what doesn’t,” Clarke explains.

To that end, Clarke reminds services to seek advice from others who have already gone through the renovation process, to learn from their triumphs and mistakes. She recalls conversations with another service director about hurdles to avoid, or times when something looked good on paper but turned out to be impractical when built. “Just having those conversations really helped,” she says.

OPENING LINES OF COMMUNICATION Throughout this process, Clarke has been sharpening her change management, negotiation and, particularly, her communication skills in dealings with stakeholders, which she says has been vital as the build progresses.

Because the site includes heritage-listed buildings, having a pre-development approval meeting with the local council helped iron out any issues. “Opening up those lines

of communication really early in the project was useful.”

And because the new centre is in a high-density residential area, they also hosted a community meeting at the beginning of the project, to allow people to hear the plans, raise any concerns, express their excitement and bust any myths. This gave the community more of a chance to buy into the project.

Keeping those communications channels open throughout the process is critical, Clarke adds.

“Being mindful and flexible and engaging in ongoing risk management and communication at each new stage of development has been absolutely vital. You don’t set your communications and then nothing changes. As we move into each new phase and the nature of the work has changed, it’s been essential

that we communicate that again.

“We’ve been really lucky to have the UTS campus development communication team work with us, and they’ve been invaluable at all points to assist in getting our messages across to multiple stakeholders. They’ve been able to reach out a lot more to the neighbours, and definitely to the UTS community, than we have.”

They also set up a dedicated email address for feedback and raising issues, which was sent to each member of the project team. “That was really useful because the most appropriate person could quickly jump in and deal with it.”

Addressing families’ frustrations as the build progresses is another key role for Clarke. At times, this just means hearing them out, even if she can’t alleviate the problem.

“These works have impacted on the very limited parking that we have, and parents have raised concerns that parking is a nightmare. And I say, ‘Yeah, it’s bad. I’m really sorry about that. It must be frustrating for you. Let’s hope we move through this phase soon…’ It doesn’t mean I can change it but I don’t want to discount their frustrations either.”

This comes back to the preconstruction planning work completed before they even lodged the development approval.

“Because of our location, parking is a consideration. So we did a transport management plan and surveyed our families about how they get here. We found most of them were coming by public transport anyway. Had we not done that pre-work we might not have been in such a strong position to get them on side.”

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For now, it’s business as usual, with Blackfriars continuing to operate with 50 children a day. And all the hullabaloo from the construction site is turning out to be a great learning tool for the children. “The fact that we’re located within sight and sound of the new build means that the children are very actively engaged and interested in the construction process. They can certainly tell you a lot about diggers, dump trucks and a myriad of machinery!”

Children have also been using the

dedicated email address to ask the project team questions around the construction process. And a time lapse camera has been installed to capture the build, one photo at a time. “Once we’ve got something a bit more to show, we will use that with the children to show the whole construction process. The images I have seen on that are amazing.

The camera is positioned a little bit higher, looking at the site from an aerial perspective, so that’s going to be great.”

There are also ongoing discussions with the children about moving to the new centre, to ensure a smooth transition process when they do move (Clarke is expecting to have settled in by the start of 2018, if not sooner).

“We’re really cognisant of not losing the history of our existing centre,” Clarke says. “To reiterate that yes, the bricks and mortar are moving, but the community of Blackfriars Children’s Centre will be coming with us, which has a shared history that we don’t want to lose.”

A REFLECTION OF HISTORY Incorporating the long and proud history of Blackfriars Children’s Centre into the new building has been an important consideration for Debra Clarke and the UTS Child Care Inc team. The history of the site dates back to 1884, when Blackfriars Public School was built, with the first kindergarten built onsite in 1906, along with Blackfriars Training College for teachers (as part of the University of Sydney), and the introduction of Montessori teaching methods to Australia.

Those original, heritage-listed buildings remain today and are the backbone of the campus, Clarke says. In fact, the old headmaster’s house will form part of the new building. “That’s where the staff lunch room, programming room and the offices of UTS Child Care will be held.”

Photographic murals will be used to help weave this history into the new build. “We’ve got a beautiful cut-out—that’s going to be larger than life-sized—of an educator interacting and greeting

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Artist impression: Courtesy DJRD Architects

young children onto the site from the early 1900s.”

Incorporating the history of ‘community’ is important, too, and Clarke says this has been reflected in the architectural design of the new building. “Many houses come together to form a community, and a community of learners forms the childcare centre, so the pitch of the roof in the new design looks like many houses joined together.”

This concept will be evidenced in the layout of the playrooms, Clarke says, and marries with the existing features of the heritage buildings.

It will all be finished off with natural furnishings and lighting, and will demonstrate Blackfriars’ longstanding commitment to a playbased curriculum. “So that certainly weaves through our philosophy but it also weaves through the heritage of this site,” Clarke says.

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Reframing

QUALITY

In February this year, all education ministers agreed to significant revisions of the National Quality Framework.

Here’s a look at what the changes mean for services.

RATTLER 122 AUTUMN 2017 | 18

W

hen announcing the changes to the National Quality Framework (NQF) earlier this year, the Australian, state and territory education ministers agreed to recommendations aimed at strengthening quality outcomes for children, while reducing red tape for service providers and educators. These recommendations included changes to the National Law and National Regulations, as well as a revised National Quality Standard (NQS).

Changes to the National Law come into effect from October this year (October 2018 in Western Australia), and include improved oversight and support of the family day care sector, removal of supervisor certificate requirements, and the introduction of 1:15 educator-to-child ratios in NSW out of school hours care services (other states and territories already comply with this ratio, or higher). The changes to the NQS are intended to streamline the standards, reduce overlap and duplication between elements and standards, and simplify the language used. The revised NQS will be introduced from 1 February 2018, and reduces the number of standards from 18 to 15, and the number of elements from 58 to 40.

WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN FOR YOUR SERVICE? From October, services will need to update their policies and procedures to reflect the new regulations.

Michael Petrie, ACECQA’s general manager, Strategy, Communications and Consistency, outlines the following areas for services to review before October: 1. Sleep and rest policy: The amended regulations introduce a national requirement for sleep and rest policies and procedures for children and infants.

2. OSHC staffing: OSHC services in NSW may need to update staffing policies/ procedures—there will be a 12-month

transitional period to allow sufficient time for services to prepare.

3. Medical conditions policy: Additional guidance for services is being developed about the existing obligation to have a medical conditions policy, including noting that a medical management plan is only required where a child has a medical condition diagnosed by a registered practitioner.

Petrie also suggests services review their internal policies to reflect the changes, for example, recruitment and induction policies/procedures that determine the responsible person at the service. “Governments will publish guidance materials to support approved providers to select persons in line with the requirements,” he adds.

Procedures should also be amended around who can administer first aid. “A staff member (not only an educator) or nominated supervisor can be the person immediately available who holds an approved first aid, anaphylaxis and emergency asthma management qualification,” Petrie says.

ACECQA has produced an information sheet, ‘Changes to the National Quality Framework’, that outlines the changes services need to make, as well as a summary of the proposals and final decisions made by the education ministers. Head to acecqa.gov.au for more information.

REVISED NQS In the revised NQS, the number of standards has been reduced from 18 to 15, and the elements from 58 to 40. The language used is intended to be clearer, and each standard and element now describes a single concept.

While most of the changes involve combining and consolidating elements, Quality Area 7 has also been renamed to Governance and Leadership, and elements regarding specific regulations have been removed if they duplicated minimum legislated RATTLER 122 AUTUMN 2017 | 19

contact their regulatory authority to answer specific questions about monitoring compliance with the law and regulations.

WHERE TO GET HELP To support the sector transition, ACECQA is producing fact sheets and updated national guidance and templates, as well as upgrading IT systems to align with the changes. “This is a collaborative effort, in partnership with each of the governments, who each also have their own communication and support services to education and care providers,” says Petrie.

Support will be a staged process, Petrie says. “The rollout started with national level overview material, and states and territories are following up with ‘on the ground’ sector engagement.”

The next phase includes release of facts sheets and upgrades to the requirements. (See the information sheet ‘Revised National Quality Standard and other changes’ on www.acecqa.gov.au/decisionris for more detail.)

Other significant changes include removing the fee for services applying for the Excellent rating. To be eligible, however, services must be rated Exceeding in all quality areas.

Additionally, for services to receive the Exceeding rating in a quality area, they must be rated Exceeding in all standards of that quality rating.

Education and care services will be assessed and rated against the revised NQS from 1 February 2018, allowing services time to adjust. Any assessment and rating visits conducted before then will be completed against the current NQS, as will any review of a rating.

Regulatory authorities will provide additional training to authorised officers to prepare for the revised NQS.

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Petrie says ACECQA will work with the states and territories to provide national training and support.

“To ensure authorised officers are supported in responding to the changes to the National Law, National Regulations and the revised National Quality Standard, we are collaborating with the states and territories to revise and update existing resources, support and training for authorised officers,” he says.

“As always we’ll continue to look for opportunities to revise and develop training and support materials that can be used by the education and care sector as well as regulatory authorities and authorised officers,” Petrie adds.

“ACECQA and regulatory authorities are updating guidance and information to help the sector implement the changes, and more detailed information will be published ahead of 1 October 2017,” says Petrie.

Services are encouraged to

National Quality Agenda IT System (NQA ITS) to coincide with the legislation changes from October 2017. “Around this time, we would also expect to see updated operational policy and guidance being published,” Petrie adds.

ACECQA has produced the following resources to help service providers understand the changes to the NQF:

⊲ an information sheet explaining the changes to the NQF

⊲ an information sheet explaining the revised NQS and other changes

⊲ a copy of the revised NQS ⊲ a comparison of the current and revised NQS, to highlight the changes

⊲ a PowerPoint presentation outlining the key changes—used by state and territory regulators—may be also useful for staff training purposes.

All of ACECQA’s resources are available for download from www.acecqa.gov.au/decisionris

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RATTLER 122 AUTUMN 2017 | 21

Meet

ACECQA’s

new CEO Gabrielle Sinclair brings a wealth of knowledge and experience of the sector, and a drive to improve children’s educational outcomes. Rattler catches up with the new CEO to find out how she will get the job done.

RATTLER 122 AUTUMN 2017 | 22

How has your previous career prepared you for the role of Chief Executive Officer?

In many ways, and for a variety of reasons, I feel my entire career has prepared me for this role. I started my career as a year one teacher. At that time, in Queensland, infant school teachers had few expectations of children’s readiness for school. We knew children would come with a diverse range of skills, from the early readers to children who had never held scissors or a book. What was important was that all children were welcomed and excited to be with their peers in an encouraging and dynamic setting.

Throughout my career, I have been interested in early childhood development and the way environments, families and educators can nurture children’s natural love of learning. I also believe that a just society gives a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves, and I hope I do that for children.

What are the biggest challenges you see for your new role?

As the deputy director-general of Early Childhood and Community Engagement in the Queensland Department of Education and Training, I worked closely with peak bodies, associations and educational leaders in Queensland. During that time, I learnt a great deal about the diversity of circumstances in which services operate and families live. As ACECQA is a national authority, my aim is to make new connections as well as build on existing ones so I can understand national and state contexts, and be at my most effective in supporting quality in our large and growing sector.

And for the sector, as it embarks on some significant changes from October this year?

State, territory and Australian governments were mindful of the impact on the sector when they commenced the review of the National Quality Framework (NQF) in 2014.

The time given to prepare for changes is important, as is the willingness by everyone to work together to address the challenges—and acknowledge the advantages—as they arise.

What do you see as ACECQA’s most important role, as the new changes are rolled out and into the future?

Supporting education and care services to understand the changes to the NQF from 1 October 2017, as well as their unique needs during this process, is crucial. We are working with state, territory and Australian governments and sector associations to provide the best support and resources.

In a practical way, this involves updating guidance and communication materials; preparing new bridging and training courses for authorised officers; updating the

National Quality Agenda IT System; and delivering Quality Practice Workshops to help educators prepare for the new National Quality Standard. Now, and in the longer term, we have a shared goal in raising awareness of the critical role educators have in the education and care of children, and their professional status in the sector should reflect this.

‘Childcare’ is a hot button issue for politicians, and for families. What role do you have in ensuring the focus remains on ensuring children have access to quality early childhood education and care?

My role is to support the objectives of the NQF, which includes helping families, communities and the general public to understand the fundamental significance of children’s experiences in the early years. ‘Starting Blocks’, our free, family-focused resource, is helpful and important because it acknowledges parents’ and carers’ crucial role in their children’s learning and development as well as providing support for their education and care needs.

Research has been clear for many decades about the impact quality early education and care has on children’s life chances, particularly children in vulnerable circumstances. Having worked for more than a decade in corrective services, I have seen the pathways taken when young people have had poor educational experiences and few social supports. Education and care in the early years and a sense of belonging for young people can change these life trajectories. When a community or nation understands this, access for all young children becomes a public good and a priority. I feel this is also reinforced by outside school hours care, which places an important emphasis on safety, play and leisure in children’s wellbeing and development.

What do you want your legacy to be from your tenure as CEO? ACECQA is an important part of the commitment the Council of Australian Governments made in 2008–2009 to ensure ‘All children have the best start in life to create a better future for themselves and for the nation’.

With the implementation stage of the NQF now over, it is a credit to the sector that so much has been achieved.

The next five years will be our opportunity to gauge the effect of this commitment: Are we improving educational and developmental outcomes for children? Are we still promoting continuous improvement? Are we supporting families, parents and carers as confident and informed consumers? These are the compelling goals for ACECQA and, when my tenure is over, I hope that I have made a lasting contribution.

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NQS SPOTLIGHT – QA 7: LEADERSHIP

Follow THE LEADER

Coming into a leadership role with a new team is challenging enough, but when notice of an assessment and rating visit follows soon after, it takes a strong leader to land on their feet. Jenny Green shares her experiences just a few months into a new leadership role.

M

y experience in the early childhood education and care sector has been over many decades working for small to large sized organisations.

In February this year, I made the move to a standalone 46-place long day program, Gumnut Gardens, in Sydney’s Paddington. What follows is a discussion of my experience of moving into a leadership role with a new team, just three short months into my new role…

RATTLER 122 AUTUMN 2017 | 24

Any person new to a team or group of staff will bring fresh eyes to the workplace. I define fresh eyes as the perspective, view or lens the individual applies to the operation of the centre.

An individual’s perspective is formed by their experience and knowledge in and of the sector. When new to a centre, the individual tends to apply their perspective to the existing operation of the setting, resulting in forming an image or impression of the current practices and procedures.

As well as the application of ‘fresh eyes’ to a setting, I was mindful of Rodd’s (2006) commentary around team development. The stages identified in team development are described as: forming, storming and norming, performing and adjourning.

In addition to a team working through the developmental stages, a new staff member to any role in a centre has the potential to change the dynamic of a team. The impact of this change to the team will vary and may be

beneficial to the operation of the centre or, conversely, detrimental. Hence, in the early stages I was mindful of my actions and words and the impact on the team, as well as wanting to be respectful of current staff practices.

For the first few weeks, I observed and reflected on the practices and procedures. Regardless of the context of the setting, I am always curious as to ‘what informs practice’, which provided a basis from which to discuss and ponder how and why specific practices and aspects of the day occurred as they did. In addition to my curiosity, I was enormously inspired and excited about many aspects of the program and provision of learning environments, including the strong music program and

the centre’s welcoming atmosphere.

The centre embraces an ‘outof-the-gate’ philosophy, and the preschool-aged children participate in a ‘bush kindy’ program. On Tuesday and Thursday the children walk to Centennial Park, which is on our doorstep, where they explore, run, and engage their learning dispositions against the backdrop of this wonderful environment. The educator’s documentation of the bush kindy is a skilful presentation of children’s learning and understanding, while reflecting the children’s wonder and enjoyment of this natural setting.

WHERE TO START? In my consideration of a relevant and appropriate starting point, I wrote

some reflections, listened to staff and gradually introduced a process to support staff’s thinking and discussion around the National Quality Standard (NQS) QA 1: Educational program and practice. In my previous centre, I had established a weekly pedagogical room meeting as a forum to discuss curriculum and the provision and implementation of the learning program.

Our pedagogical meetings became established and gradually we were working through QA 1. I had been at the centre for nine weeks when we received notice of our assessment and rating visit in May. The intended calm and measured process of reflecting on practice against the NQS standards

RATTLER 122 AUTUMN 2017 | 25

My intention as a leader is to empower staff in their advocacy for children and their learning, embed a learning community, and grow the pedagogical practice.

took a different turn. The impending assessment and rating visit would influence and impact on a leisurely consideration of the NQS. Since receiving the notification of the assessment and rating visit (about five weeks), we have managed the following as a team:

⊲ reviewed and rewritten the QIP ⊲ developed a number of

⊲ ⊲ ⊲ ⊲

improvement plans commenced work on the improvement plans reviewed the centre philosophy established a leadership group established a work, health and safety group.

LEADING FROM THE FRONT In the NQS document, leadership is addressed in QA 7. The specific standards identify and prioritise elements or aspects of a centre’s operation and management that are influenced by leadership. For example, Standard 7.1: “Effective leadership promotes a positive organisational culture and builds a professional learning community.”

How has my leadership promoted a positive organisational culture?

Deal and Kennedy (1982) identify organisational culture as “the way we do things around here”. Organisational culture states what the team values and believes. As a new leader to the centre, it is expected the culture (what we believe and value) is changing as we work though the NQS, as well as moving through the different stages of team development.

As for the learning community, this has commenced with the introduction of the pedagogical meetings. In addition, a reading program has been planned and will be introduced as a means of strengthening and building the learning community. The reading program will have different prompts and guides to support and assist staff in being successful. A culture

RATTLER 122 AUTUMN 2017 | 26

and practice of reflective writing has commenced. The reflective writing is intended to support and guide educators in developing analytical thinking and associated skills.

From a leadership perspective, the assessment and rating visit has occurred at a beneficial time.

Although the process of evaluating current practices against the NQS has been hastened—and could not be undertaken at the intended leisurely pace—it has identified and shown the team to: ⊲ be knowledgeable and informed regarding children’s learning and the provision of learning environments ⊲ be keen and enthusiastic in working towards the assessment and rating visit ⊲ enthusiastically position and showcase the centre and its unique qualities

⊲ to work collaboratively and cohesively in the interest of the centre and children to be open to suggestions and make change accordingly to reflect the NQS to be supportive of a new leader.

⊲

⊲

For now, we sit and wait for our visit.

The resulting assessment and rating report will identify, assist and guide the team in our future endeavours.

From a leadership viewpoint, I will plan to integrate the report findings to reaffirm the vision for the centre.

The vision is intended to capture all aspects of the centre’s operation but, as the leader, I need to consider the following: prioritising the different operational aspects; supporting, guiding and assisting my colleagues in this process; and ensuring all educators contribute to the vision so their input is acknowledged and respected.

The introduction of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) encouraged educators to think about ‘intention’. I have applied this concept to my role as a leader, which makes me reflect on the authenticity of my position.

The introduction of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) encouraged educators to think about ‘intention’. I have applied this concept to my role as a leader, which makes me reflect on the authenticity of my position.

In a previous issue of Rattler (issue 100), Manjula Waniganayake and Anthony Semann wrote about challenging leaders to identify the characteristics they bring to the leadership role and how these qualities will influence, impact and support your leadership, as well as questioning what your is leadership for. These questions act as a great prompt for reflections at different times and stages in my leadership journey.

For now, my intention as a leader in the context at Gumnut Gardens is to:

children and their learning ⊲ embed a learning community ⊲ grow the pedagogical practice.

⊲ empower staff in their advocacy for

As the team progresses through these tasks, it will also provide us with the opportunity to be working through the different stages of team development.

The organisational culture and what we value and believe as a group will also become apparent as we address these tasks.

To sum up my experience as a leader thus far in this setting: interesting, challenging, rewarding and enjoyable. It is a great opportunity to work with new colleagues and reflect on my own leadership within this context.

Jenny Green is director of Gumnut Gardens long day care centre.

REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING: Bolman, L., & Deal, T. (2008). Reframing Organisations: Artistry, Choice and Leadership.

San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass.

Rodd, J., (2006). Leadership in Early Childhood.

(3rd Ed.) Sydney: Allen & Unwin.

Waniganayake, M., & Semann, A. (2011). 'Being and becoming leaders'. Rattler, 100 (4), 22–24.

LEADERSHIP UNDER THE REVISED NQS In light of the revision to the National Quality Standards, Rattler asked Jenny Green, director of Gumnut Gardens long day care centre, to comment on how she plans on approaching the changes…

“My initial impression of the revision is great. The change to the presentation of the document with the introduction of the concept and descriptor columns allows a setting to identify the specific components that contribute to each area. In QA 1, the educational program is broken into the concepts: program, practice, assessment and planning.

The concepts assist in aligning and focusing an educator’s practice in the provision of a learning program.

“Because of the introduction of specific concepts for each Quality Area, this has the opportunity to assist with introducing the change to staff. Although change can be introduced in different ways,

and needs to reflect the context of the setting, I could envisage introducing the Revised National Quality Standards in the following way (with a timeframe/schedule to be developed that shows the period of time to address the different Quality Areas):

⊲ T ASK Distribute document and a response sheet.

⊲S UPPORTING DOCUMENTATION A prompt sheet or a guide that identifies specific learning points to assist staff in their documentation of the response sheet.

⊲ A CTIVITY Staff bring response sheet to staff meeting. The writing of the response sheet by individual staff, or collaboratively, allows staff to contribute and participate in the meeting.

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FACE2FACE

Yes, Minister!

With experience as a both a committee member and a parent user of early childhood education services, Sarah Mitchell has some valuable experience to bring to her role as NSW Early Childhood Education Minister How has your background prepared you for your roles as Minister for Early Childhood Education and Aboriginal Affairs?

Early Childhood Education is a current, lived experience for me and my husband. As a mother of a three-yearold, I want our daughter to get the best out of her early childhood education experience, and as Minister I want this for every single child in NSW. Prior to becoming Minister I was on the committee of the local service our daughter attends, which offered great insight into the intricacies of the sector. It may look simple to a casual observer, but it’s actually incredibly complicated, and the knowledge I gained from my time on the committee has prepared me for

RATTLER 122 AUTUMN 2017 | 28

the role I am in today. It also made me appreciate the importance of a quality early childhood education and how it truly sets a child up for life.

As a regional Member of Parliament, I have worked all over Western NSW, where there is a high Aboriginal population. This has given me a great understanding and grassroots perspective of what those communities need and deserve and, as Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, that perspective is invaluable.

their kids going forward and the earlier we can provide support and invest positively in their lives, the better.

In NSW, we provide significant levels of funding for Aboriginal children to ensure they have the opportunity to participate in early childhood education—we are seeing great results already and if we can continue to build on this momentum then we are successfully investing in the future of our next generation of Aboriginal kids.

How do the portfolios overlap, if at all?

You have experience as a parent user of both not-for-profit long day care and community preschool services. What were the biggest differences between the service types? And the similarities?

As I travel around the state, education is one of the biggest issues raised with me by Aboriginal elders, parents and communities. I am constantly reminded how education is the key for

Our daughter has been in long day

care since she was six months old.

It is a space she is comfortable in, she knows the environment and the educators and really enjoys her days there. The joy of living in a country town means I also know the educators and the children she is with three days a week—I went to school with many parents of the children she is with at day care. My nephew also attends the same service, so there is a real sense of community. And the staff really do an amazing job, it’s a wonderful service.

She has only started preschool for one day a week this year and it, too, is a fantastic service—we’re really lucky with the quality we have in Gunnedah.

The way the preschool is structured is a bit more ’school like’, from the way the children address the educators, to the way they have to be a little more self-sufficient.

Both services bring out the best in our daughter; we’ve really seen her personal skills develop since she has been attending. As parents, it makes us really happy as we can see how the different services are helping her growth and development.

How do those experiences affect your role?

It has made me realise the importance of diversity in the sector and supporting family choice to ensure the children benefit. Whether it’s long day care, family day care, community preschool or mobile preschool, each service type plays an important role in the lives of many families across the state.

As Minister, visiting many different services has provided me with a clearer understanding of why certain service types suit families at different times of their lives. I know parents want choice and the most important thing is we have a range of services supported and valued across NSW, because our kids deserve it and our parents expect it.

I want the work of our educators and teachers to be valued and the services they provide to be recognised.

What is your key priority (or priorities) as Minister for Early Childhood Education?

I want NSW to hit the target of 95 per cent of children enrolled in 600 hours of quality early childhood education in the year before school. That’s a key priority. As Minister, I want to explore every possible option to ensure more kids get more support at an earlier age.

I also intend to be a very strong advocate for the sector, and to make it clear to my Parliamentary colleagues and the wider community how important early childhood education is for our children but also the benefits to our society by investing in the future of children.

It might be ’childcare’ or ’day care’ but it is so much more than babysitting. It is vital for a child’s development. I want the work of our educators and teachers to be valued and the services they provide to be recognised. I think, historically, the sector hasn’t been given the credit it deserves. We know the best way to determine how a child finishes their school career is how they start it, and when we have the conversation about education in this state I want early childhood education to be part of discussion more than it has been.

As only the second minister for the early education portfolio, what do you want your legacy to be?

I want to see a better-informed

community around the importance of early childhood education as the building blocks for our children’s future.

I want the investment our Government makes, whether it is through Start Strong or Capital Work Grants or other funding programs, to be not just an investment in bricks and mortar, but an investment in kids and families and their future. The social investment is worth more than anything money can buy.

What are you currently reading?

As a Minister, I read a lot of briefs and have a lot of information to absorb on a daily basis, so when I read for fun, I tend to pick something a bit lighter. I am in a book club with a few girlfriends at home in Gunnedah and we get together regularly—someone picks a book and hosts us all at their place.

It’s a good chance to catch up over a nice meal and a glass of wine, and we even occasionally talk about the book!

The last one we read was Big Little Lies

by Liane Moriarty, a great Australian author. I loved it.

Is there a little-known fact or quirk you can share with readers?

Since becoming a Member of Parliament in 2011, I haven’t had a single cup of coffee! I stopped drinking coffee about 10 years ago and rely on a good strong cup of tea to get me through the late sitting nights.

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Working Together for inclusion Thanks to the NDIS, the sector is seeing a growing number of early childhood intervention practitioners entering the scene, with varying degrees of sector knowledge. A new agreement, set up in consultation with the sector, is providing a workable solution. By Emma Pierce.

T

he way in which early childhood intervention (ECI) is provided to children with developmental delay or disability is changing dramatically, as ECI services previously receiving block government funding move to the new National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Two priorities of the NDIS are choice and control for parents and promoting inclusion in mainstream contexts. In turn, parents are frequently asking for early childhood intervention in early childhood settings, where children spend significant amounts of their time (in natural environments).

The NDIS rollout across NSW has brought massive growth in the

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ECI industry, leading to a range of specialist practitioners visiting early childhood education and care settings who may have varying knowledge and experience of inclusive practices, the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and the National Quality Standard (NQS). While early childhood education services are committed to supporting children and families by working with specialists, the variability of practices and the sudden increase in numbers of visiting practitioners has led to some challenges. Collaborative practice is important to all services (particularly Quality Area 6: Collaborative partnerships with families and communities) but collaboration isn’t

always easy, especially when everyone has differing perspectives.

A COLLABORATIVE SOLUTION In an effort to tackle these challenges, Early Childhood Intervention Australia (NSW/ACT) set up a working group of key stakeholders who worked together during 2016. Members of this working group included representatives from the Department of Education, the Department of Ageing, Home Care, ACECQA, Community Early Learning Australia, Community Connections Solutions Australia, Early Childhood Australia (NSW), KU Children’s Services, SDN Children’s Services, EarlyEd, Firstchance, Hunter Prelude, and Family Advocacy.

The working group recognised a need to help everyone involved to understand the priorities for families and objectives of each sector, and to have a universal means of clarifying what the focus and approach to early childhood intervention in inclusive settings would be. Following much consultation, ECIA NSW/ACT developed a draft Working Together Agreement resource which was piloted in a number of services across NSW. The final package was launched in February this year, and is available for free at www.ecia-nsw.org.au/projects/ working-together-agreement

WHAT IS THE WORKING TOGETHER AGREEMENT? The Working Together Agreement is a package of practical resources, including the agreement itself, a wall poster, an outline of the relevant standards and guidelines for ECI practitioners and early childhood

educators, sample letters, and a meeting agenda template. It is designed to bring together the family of a child with developmental delay or disability, early childhood education staff and ECI practitioners to establish the ways the team will work collaboratively in the early childhood setting. The Working Together Agreement aims to facilitate

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respectful relationships, promote effective communication about expectations, philosophies and provide opportunities for capacity building and professional learning.

The emphasis of current evidence is on intervention being provided within the environments and through the people with whom young children spend the most time. When educators share their knowledge of a child in the group context with ECI practitioners, this can allow inclusive strategies and practices to be tailored to the child and setting. Learning can then be embedded within routines and activities in the early childhood setting.

There can be many benefits for all involved in terms of outcomes for all children and professional learning for educators. (Read about the Working Together Agreement in practice on page 28.)

Emma Pierce is Inclusion Coordinator at ECIA (NSW/ACT).

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Working Together Agreement: in practice Vanna Lockwood, early childhood teacher at St Peters Community Preschool, talks about how her service is using the Working Together Agreement.

When we were asked to participate in a pilot of the Working Together Agreement, we thought it would be helpful to us as we have noticed that more children with identified disabilities have been enrolling in our service. As a result, there have been more ECI practitioners visiting our setting.

Sometimes, families were asking for their specialists to make visits. Other times, we weren’t sure who else was actually involved in a child’s team and it wasn’t always clear who was playing which role.

Did using this resource change your practice at all?

Working collaboratively with families and their teams has always been important to us at St Peters Community Preschool, but the Working Together Agreement has helped us formalise this process. Using the Agreement has reinforced and given us a lovely structure to support the way we communicate with families and ECI practitioners around including children with developmental delay or disability. It feels more professional and when we use this document to set up a meeting with a family, it is a nice way to say: ‘We value working together with you so much that we would like to talk with you, work out the priorities and write it down.’

We have found it has been a great way to help us communicate our play-based philosophy and highlight the inclusive way we work with children. This Agreement has

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helped us to initiate conversations and bring together the people in a child’s team. A broader outcome of this work, has been that as a team we have been formalising our approach to inclusion more generally as part of our Quality Improvement Plan.

How does this resource support families and children?

The process of using this resource has reminded me that, for every family, this is a new experience. We can’t presume that all families will want to communicate in the same way or that they have had previous experiences with what might happen in meetings about their child. The Working Together Agreement has provided a way to advocate for the children in our care, and to communicate that we are all here together working for the best interests of the child. Using the Agreement also gave us an opportunity to talk about how learning is embedded in everything we do.

What elements of the Working Together Agreement package did you fine most useful?

I really like the sample meeting agenda, having suggested items to discuss was helpful to make sure we talk about all the most important things. Writing down priorities and signing off on these in the Agreement document as a team, also helped to improve consistency.

Download the free Working Together Agreement at www.ecia-nsw.org.au/projects/working-together-agreement

Photography: Courtesy ECIA (NSW/ACT)

Why did you first use the Working Together Agreement?

BOOKWORM

I’M AUSTRALIAN TOO MEM FOX AND RONOJOY GOSH OMNIBUS BOOKS RRP: $19.99 People have come from near and far to live in Australia, sharing it with the original inhabitants. And to celebrate our multicultural heritage, Mem Fox has created a delightful book—gorgeously illustrated by Ronojoy Ghosh—that explores our rich legacy, and reminds us that whether we were born here or somewhere else, we’re all Australian too. How about you? A great book for reading to a group, for ages four and up.

Rattler’s literary round-up of what’s new on the shelves…

THE STRENGTH SWITCH DR LEA WATERS EBURY PRESS RRP: $34.99 Using practical techniques and real-life examples, Dr Lea Waters highlights how to identify and develop each child’s strengths and talents.

She also highlights ways we can retrain our attention, which is generally predisposed to focus on the negative, so we more readily focus on children’s strengths. There are also tips for how to encourage ‘attention training’ for children themselves, to help them build resilience and optimism and reach their full potential.

Although this book is targeted towards parents, the information presented by psychologist Waters—based on the science of positive psychology—is relevant to educators and teachers as well.

ENGAGING CHILDREN IN PLAY NICOLA SCADE & NICOLE HALTON TEACHING SOLUTIONS RRP: $44.95 Engaging Children in Play aims to challenge and inspire educators to provide creative and exciting play spaces for children that are linked to key learning outcomes in the Early Years Learning Framework.

Each chapter provides practical experiences for specific play areas that are designed to follow children’s interests, while encouraging educators to draw from existing equipment and resources. The easy-to-follow layout shows educators how to create outstanding provision, rather than telling them how to do it, and includes a challenge section with questions and ideas on how to extend the activity and reflect on the needs of the child across all areas of learning.

The resource is aimed at students studying for Certificate III or Diploma of Children’s services.

EDDIE FROGBERT SUE DEGENNARO SCHOLASTIC PRESS RRP: $24.99 While all the other frogs were hippity hopping around the pond, a not-so-brave Eddie Frogbert kept his webbed feet firmly on the ground. But after seeing all his friends practising for the diving competition, a daring Eddie decided that maybe there was a little leap inside of him after all.

With engaging illustrations, this story explores concepts around facing our fears, planning and practising to overcome them, and picking ourselves up when we fail. For children aged three years and up.

RATTLER 122 AUTUMN 2017 | 33

MEET THE MEMBER

FOUNDATION Early Learning, Queensland Can you tell us a bit about the Foundation Early Learning story?

Foundation Early Learning’s vision is to provide exceptional care for inquiring minds. We aim to do this through continuous development of our team and applying best practices to all relationships with children, educators and their families.

RATTLER 122 AUTUMN 2017 | 34

We currently have 30 services across Australia, with acquisition growth occurring.

Foundation Early Learning’s structure consists of area managers who mentor and coach each nominated supervisor and their team, and are supported by the national manager for quality education, Fiona Alston.

Photography: Courtesy Foundation Early Learning

In this brand new section, we turn the spotlight on one of our members, to see how they are using their membership to improve practice…

Foundation Early Learning is going through a growth and development stage that is preparing the organisation for future growth and we look towards CELA to support us in document development and resources.

How are you using CELA’s publications within Foundation Early Learning services?

Foundation Early Learning holds an annual director and educational leader conference, and as a gift to our directors last year, we purchased several copies of A Director's Manual to assist our service directors in having a complete guide to run their service. It was instrumental for experienced and new directors, providing them a onestop resource when they had queries and concerns regarding the running of their service.

The manual was used to inspire and guide them when making decisions for best practices in their service when it came to governance and centre management. There are so many practical guidelines and ideas: form templates and policy templates, a guideline of responsibilities for directors, overviews of the National Quality Framework and Standards, and staffing, recruitment and hiring, and everything in between.

How important is staff development and training to your services?

Foundation Early Learning takes staff development and training personally.

We have invested heavily in developing an Educational Programming Manual for our educators that provides a foundation to the educational programs delivered in the services, and this living document is consistently and constantly added to by the centre directors, educational leaders and the educators themselves.

Educators are encouraged to research and critically evaluate current practices and continually develop themselves, as well as attend professional development sessions

Our membership with CELA provides us with a place to ask questions of trained and experienced fellow educators. run by the company. Our management team are Circle of Security facilitators and deliver this training to each team member at each service.

We are currently developing other exciting professional development opportunities to make staff development and training meaningful and sustainable, now and in the future. We aim to have each of our team members fully aware of the importance of relationships with children, as we view this as the most important foundation to quality care and education of children and infants.

What creative tools do you use to help design training for your team?

As previously mentioned, Foundation Early Learning hold yearly conferences for training and development of the services we own, and we also train our management team to be able to deliver a variety of professional development short courses. The FEL management team has many years combined industry knowledge and experience, as well as diverse qualifications to

contribute to the development of the people who work at an FEL service.

How does your membership to CELA benefit your organisation?

Our membership with CELA provides us with a place to ask questions of trained and experienced fellow educators who have many years of combined experience, and to have a second opinion when developing policy or procedures in our services.

What does the future hold?

Foundation Early Learning is a growing company and we are looking forward to extending our reach within the early childhood community throughout Australia. We have strategic plans in place for growth and development of our existing services as well as adding to our portfolio.

Dee Farquharson is Service Integration Manager at Foundation Early Learning.

Pictured opposite: Back row (L-R): Anne Maree Coe, Cherie Clark, Fiona Alston.

Front: Donna Bush and Dee Farquharson.

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