For Educators responsible for the developmental program of children it is mandatory that you are entitled to 2 hours per week of non-contact time to complete your documentation.
Clause 21.5 - Non Contact Time - of the Children’s Services Award states:
For Educators
(a) An employee responsible for the preparation, implementation and/or evaluation of a developmental program for an individual child or group of children will be entitled to a minimum of two hours per week, during which the employee is not required to supervise children or perform other duties directed by the employer, for the purpose of planning, preparing, evaluating and programming activities. These 2 hours count as part of your ordinary hours.
How the 2 hours is split up across the week to accommodate programming time, is up to the Director. It can be 2 hours at a time or 1 hour for 2 days, it depends on the staff and ratio of the service. Wherever possible non-contact time should be rostered in advance.
For Educational Leaders
(a) An employee appointed as the Educational Leader will be entitled to a minimum of two hours non-contact time per week. During non-contact time, an employee will not be required to supervise children or perform other duties as directed by the employer.
(b) An Educational Leader who also has programming responsibilities for an individual child or group of children will be entitled to a minimum of four hours non-contact time per week.
(c) Wherever possible non-contact time should be rostered in advance.
For Educators and Educational Leaders not receiving their programming time during the week, you should make a formal request to your Director/Management, forwarding Clause 21.5 of the Children's Services Award 2010, to ensure that you receive it.
By law, it's a requirement for educators and educational leaders to receive programming time as stated in the Children's Services Award.
Reference:
Clause 21.5 - Non-Contact Time, Children's Services Award 2010
Note: This article has been updated on 14th May 2021
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