CHC30113 - Information Sheet On Law Making In Early Childhood
Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2015 1:13 pm
Hi,
I just want to know if I'm on track with the following. The question is as so:
Activity 4: Australia’s system of governance
This workplace assessment task requires you to prepare a one-page information sheet for inclusion in the service’s staff orientation and induction kit. The information sheet is to provide information to newly employed educators about:
• the three levels of law-making in Australia’s system of governance (the three levels of government)
• the types of laws that govern Australian early childhood education and care services, including relevant standards and codes of practice
• three legal responsibilities educators have to comply with in their work
• three common legal issues relevant to the service (and the early childhood education and care sector)
• three examples of what educators can do to ensure they comply with the duty of care responsibilities in their work
• why it is critical that confidentiality is maintained in all dealings with children and their families.
Include a copy of your information sheet in your Assessment Portfolio.
Answer:
Early Childhood Educators and the Law
As an Early Childhood Educator and important part of your job is understanding and working within the legal Framework which the sector is regulated by.
There are three levels of government in Australia which are responsible for making law. These are Federal, state and & local government.
The legislative framework which Early childhood services operate within is called The National Quality Framework. The National Quality Framework has adopted the ‘ Education and Care Services National Law (‘National Law’) and Education and Care Services National Regulations (‘National Regulations’).
All centres which are covered by the National Quality Framework are assessed against the National Quality standard. The National Quality Standard was developed by ACECQA (Australian Childrens Education and Care Quality Authority) to help centres provide a high Quality of Care for young children.
There are also other codes of practice relevant to an educators work role including the ‘United Nations Convention on the rights of a Child’ & the Early childhood Australias Code of Ethics.
Three important legal responsibilities Educators have in their work role are:
• Duty of care- ensuring all possible steps are taken to protect children from harm
• Mandatory reporting- if an educator has grounds to suspect a child has been abused in any way, they are required to report this to the relevant authorities
• Maintain confidentiality. This is required under the Privacy Act 1988
Common legal issues in the early childhood sector are
• Determining who is allowed to collect children from care. Enrolment forms should detail who is allowed to collect a child from care and the child should be released to this person only.
• Dealing with suspected child abuse
• Managing and guiding childrens behaviour while upholding their rights
What are some steps that Educators can take to ensure they comply with duty of care?
• Follow all workplace procedures and policies, seeking clarification when unsure
• Take adequate steps to identify and remove and reduce hazards in the learning environment
• Effectively supervise children, seeking help from other staff members if required
Confidentiality in the Workplace
There are many reasons why confidentiality is important when working with families and young people. First and foremost is legal. Information children and families share with educators is protected by the Privacy Act 1988. There are also ethical reasons. To develop trusting relationships with children and families educators must show them they are capable of keeping their information confidential. The only time it is appropriate to disclose information is when there is suspected abuse
I just want to know if I'm on track with the following. The question is as so:
Activity 4: Australia’s system of governance
This workplace assessment task requires you to prepare a one-page information sheet for inclusion in the service’s staff orientation and induction kit. The information sheet is to provide information to newly employed educators about:
• the three levels of law-making in Australia’s system of governance (the three levels of government)
• the types of laws that govern Australian early childhood education and care services, including relevant standards and codes of practice
• three legal responsibilities educators have to comply with in their work
• three common legal issues relevant to the service (and the early childhood education and care sector)
• three examples of what educators can do to ensure they comply with the duty of care responsibilities in their work
• why it is critical that confidentiality is maintained in all dealings with children and their families.
Include a copy of your information sheet in your Assessment Portfolio.
Answer:
Early Childhood Educators and the Law
As an Early Childhood Educator and important part of your job is understanding and working within the legal Framework which the sector is regulated by.
There are three levels of government in Australia which are responsible for making law. These are Federal, state and & local government.
The legislative framework which Early childhood services operate within is called The National Quality Framework. The National Quality Framework has adopted the ‘ Education and Care Services National Law (‘National Law’) and Education and Care Services National Regulations (‘National Regulations’).
All centres which are covered by the National Quality Framework are assessed against the National Quality standard. The National Quality Standard was developed by ACECQA (Australian Childrens Education and Care Quality Authority) to help centres provide a high Quality of Care for young children.
There are also other codes of practice relevant to an educators work role including the ‘United Nations Convention on the rights of a Child’ & the Early childhood Australias Code of Ethics.
Three important legal responsibilities Educators have in their work role are:
• Duty of care- ensuring all possible steps are taken to protect children from harm
• Mandatory reporting- if an educator has grounds to suspect a child has been abused in any way, they are required to report this to the relevant authorities
• Maintain confidentiality. This is required under the Privacy Act 1988
Common legal issues in the early childhood sector are
• Determining who is allowed to collect children from care. Enrolment forms should detail who is allowed to collect a child from care and the child should be released to this person only.
• Dealing with suspected child abuse
• Managing and guiding childrens behaviour while upholding their rights
What are some steps that Educators can take to ensure they comply with duty of care?
• Follow all workplace procedures and policies, seeking clarification when unsure
• Take adequate steps to identify and remove and reduce hazards in the learning environment
• Effectively supervise children, seeking help from other staff members if required
Confidentiality in the Workplace
There are many reasons why confidentiality is important when working with families and young people. First and foremost is legal. Information children and families share with educators is protected by the Privacy Act 1988. There are also ethical reasons. To develop trusting relationships with children and families educators must show them they are capable of keeping their information confidential. The only time it is appropriate to disclose information is when there is suspected abuse
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