Quality Area 6 has two standards that support building collaborative partnerships with families and communities to enhance children’s inclusion, learning and wellbeing as they transition through the early years into school and/or attend outside school hours care services.
There are three Exceeding themes that services will need to demonstrate for a standard to be rated Exceeding NQS. A rating of Exceeding NQS means going above and beyond what is expected at the Meeting NQS level for a standard.
The following three themes must be demonstrated in service practice for a standard to be rated as Exceeding NQS:
Theme 1: Practice is embedded in service operations
Theme 2: Practice is informed by critical reflection
Theme 3: Practice is shaped by meaningful engagement with families and/or the community
The following guidance is provided to assist services and assessors to consider if practice demonstrates the Exceeding themes at the level required for a rating of Exceeding NQS. The indicators provided are not exhaustive, and services may demonstrate Exceeding level practice for Quality Area 6 in a variety of ways that suit their particular operating environment and approach to practice.
Standard 6.1 Supportive Relationships With Families
Exceeding theme 1: Practice is embedded in service operations
• Educators, the educational leader, and the co-ordinator demonstrate a deep understanding of the requirements of the standard, concepts and the component elements, and a commitment to high-quality practice at all times.
• Educators, coordinators and the educational leader, engage collaboratively and respectfully with families from enrolment and orientation to learn about their expertise, culture, values and beliefs and priorities for their child’s learning and well-being consistently support families to participate in the service.
• Educators make meaningful contributions to service decisions, and share in decision-making about their child’s learning and wellbeing, regularly provide families with comprehensive, current and accessible information about the service, relevant community services, and resourcing to support parenting and family wellbeing, recognise the leading role of families in their children’s well-being and development.
• Across the service, the observed and discussed approach to building respectful and supportive relationships with families demonstrates a strong commitment to the principles and practices of the approved learning framework/s, and aligns with the educational program, the service’s statement of philosophy, and the enrolment and orientation process.
Exceeding theme 2: Practice is informed by critical reflection
• The service’s approach to supporting relationships with families reflects robust debate, discussion, and opportunities for input by all educators, and is informed by critical reflection and past incidents is informed by current recognised guidance on supporting relationships with families.
• Any change to the service’s approach to supportive relationships with families is understood by all and implemented appropriately.
• Educators, coordinators and the educational leader, Intentionally consider alternate ways of engaging with families and supporting their participation at the service and make changes where opportunities to further enhance children’s and families’ outcomes are identified, are able to explain how ongoing engagement with families influences the design and delivery of the educational program.
• Educators are aware of and able to discuss how the approach to engaging with families and supporting their participation at the service aligns with practice theory, the approved learning framework/s and the service’s philosophy, policies and procedures, are aware of how families’ perceptions of their role influences how they participate in the service.
• Educators consider and discuss social justice and equity implications of their approach to engaging with and supporting each family’s participation in the service, including self-awareness of their own biases and how these may impact on building respectful relationships with families.
• As a team, educators, coordinators and the educational leader engage in robust debate and discussion about the service’s approach to engaging with families and supporting their participation at the service. As part of this debate and discussion, personal, professional and organisational values that influence practice are identified, discussed and challenged.
Exceeding theme 3: Practice is shaped by meaningful engagement with families and/or the community
• Relationships with families reflect the unique geographical, cultural and community context of the service, welcome, reflect and draw on the voices, priorities and strengths of the children and families at the service
• Educators, coordinators and the educational leader, actively support families to build relationships with other families and with relevant community services to strengthen child, parenting and family outcomes consistently tailor their approaches to communicating with and engaging with each family in recognition of individual families’ circumstances and ways of connection, and seek out families’ views on their preferred means of communication and participation from enrolment
• Educators draw on their knowledge of each family to provide thoughtful and tailored opportunities for each family to participate in the service, for example building a sense of belonging for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.
• Educators explore opportunities to build trust and support families to contribute to the educational program in ways that celebrate and share their strengths, beliefs and culture with children, families and the service team.
• Educators build and maintain community partnerships that support and promote parenting and family wellbeing and proactively and respectfully engage with families to support heir parenting and family wellbeing circumstances and priorities.
Standard 6.2 Collaborative Partnerships
Exceeding theme 1: Practice is embedded in service operations
Educators, the educational leader, and the co-ordinator demonstrate a deep understanding of the requirements of the standard, concepts and the component elements, and a commitment to high-quality practice at all times.
• Educators, coordinators and the educational leader establish and maintain ongoing collaborative partnerships with the community and link with community and support agencies to enhance children’s learning, wellbeing and participation
consistently facilitate inclusion and support assistance to ensure that the educational program enables each child to fully participate.
• Educators systematically promote continuity of learning and transitions for each child by sharing relevant information, clarifying responsibilities, and building collaborative strategies with relevant stakeholders.
• Across the service, the observed and discussed approach to building collaborative partnerships with the community displays a strong commitment to the principles and practices of the approved learning framework/s, and aligns with the educational program and with resources that support community engagement and inclusion.
Exceeding theme 2: Practice is informed by critical reflection
• The service’s approach to collaborative partnerships reflects robust debate, discussion, and opportunities for input by all educators, and is informed by critical reflection and past incidents is informed by current recognised guidance on collaborative partnerships.
• Any change to the service’s approach to collaborative partnerships is understood by all and implemented appropriately Educators, coordinators and the educational leader.
• Educators purposefully consider and create opportunities to strengthen the service’s approach to enhancing children’s inclusion, learning and wellbeing, and seek out new links and partnerships where opportunities to further enhance children’s and families’ outcomes are identified.
• Educators are able to explain how ongoing community engagement influences the design and delivery of the educational program and supports children’s learning, wellbeing and enables full participation in the program for every child.
• Educators are aware of and able to discuss how the service’s approach to inclusion support and supporting transitions between learning environments aligns with practice theory, the approved learning framework/s and the service’s policies and procedures.
• Educators consider and discuss social justice and equity implications of their approach to inclusion support and supporting transitions for all children, including self-awareness of their own biases and how these may impact on child and family outcomes, challenging stereotypes, raising awareness of, and cultivating a deep respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures.
• As a team, educators, coordinators and the educational leader engage in robust debate and discussion about the service’s approach to building community partnerships and supporting inclusion and transitions. As part of this debate and discussion, personal, professional and organisational values that influence practice are identified, discussed and challenged.
Exceeding theme 3: Practice is shaped by meaningful engagement with families and/or the community
• The service’s collaborative partnerships reflect the unique geographical, cultural and community context of the service, welcome, reflect and draw on the voices, priorities and strengths of the children and families at the service.
• Educators, coordinators and the educational leader support families to build relationships with relevant community services and agencies that enhance children’s well-being, learning and participation in the educational program.
• Educators seek out and build new community partnerships in response to the perspectives, priorities and strengths of the children and families at the service, including the changing support and transition needs of children and including at the direct request of families if appropriate.
• Community partnerships contribute to a culture of inclusiveness and sense of belonging to the service.
• The service demonstrates a commitment to building and sustaining reciprocal relationships with community groups, including mutually beneficial partnerships that make connections with local Elders and give back to the community.
Reference:
New Guide To The National Quality Framework, Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority