Guidance on possibly dobbing a centre in

[NeedingGuidance]

Hi,

I am an educator with a cert 3 who has been in the industry for a few years. I left my job a little while ago that I had been working at for roughly 2.5 years. I left on decent terms with my colleagues except the director and office staff who were very cold when i came to collect my things and my last contact with the director was not very nice.

The centre has had multiple issues and a pattern of knowing about maintenance and other issues (including ones that jeopardise safety) for long periods of time and allowing it to continue. I feel like I want to report them because some of the things I fear could result in a child being injured. My issue that is making me nervous to do so is that I am in between jobs right now and my area is a small one if they figure out I dobbed them in they could jeopardise my ability to get a job elsewhere in the district and since moving isn't an option it could mean being blacklisted from the entire industry and I've never worked in any other industry hence I'd be screwed. I have also waited because I wanted to ensure I was not reporting simply due to being upset at how I was treated but for good reason and after some time I feel I would have good reasons. Not all my issues are necessarily violations that ACECQA would find fault with but I don't know all of the hundreds of regulations set out by ACECQA for management and owners of centres. I have a huge list of issues - some of which ACECQA might see as violation, some of which they might not care about. I won't bore you with all of them but some are related to doors being broken to an extent where children very easily could end up unsupervised in areas even ones not suitable for children, pointed edges to outdoor furniture that could cause injury (i..e striking to the face if a child was to fall into it), high platforms (for lack of a better word) with potential falls straight onto concrete that would have the potential to cause serious injury, supervision blind spots added there due to management's poor risk assessments for yards and other areas, at least one accessible powerpoint, consistent situations in which children have access to chemicals, one yard where the water is turned off so if educators have forgotten the water jug or put it inside to stop children playing with it a child could end up with no access to drinking water which has happened a few times before, a few times where they have used one educator for 2 children's ISS (not sure if this is legal), during sleep time in toddler area some children could go up to 4 hours without a nappy change when they could at least check and change them right before patting them to sleep, inconsistent behaviour management from the higher ups resulting in children not getting help, educators being assaulted and unable to deal with behaviours successfully, unable to do their best in regards to program and practice and unable to appropriately supervise other children (which results in those children's emotional needs and sense of safety being jeopardised) and day sheets often being in areas where a non-staff member i.e. other parent can gain access to private information about another child (i..e full name, parents name/s, phone numbers and birthdate) and finally I was told by a staff member way back that this centre does not have a Quality Improvement Plan. Of course the director or another higher up was not the one to tell me this as far as I remember (I don't remember exactly who it was but I do remember being told this). This person could have just been plain wrong, maybe they just couldn't be bothered directing it to me so lied or maybe they were being facetious and it went over my head. In any case I don't remember ever seeing any folder anywhere saying QIP or Quality Improvement Plan and i was under the impression that all centres had to have it on premises.

There are some other issues too but I think those are the ones that are most concerning for children's health, safety and learning and the ones I could most see causing a child serious injury. Some of those also put my former co-workers at risk. The educators there are good and they are doing the best they can with what they've got but some of these issues I feel put them emotionally and professionally at risk and in some cases even puts them physically at risk. I know if anything happened to one of the children due to these issues they would be beside themselves and if I heard it on the grapevine so would I. I still adore those children and having to leave them was extremely difficult so the thought of them being harmed because of all of this is upsetting to me.

I have spoken with some loved ones about this - ensuring that I'm carefuly about any info that could be traced to an individual child or worker and I have been told (note these people have my best interests at heart and although one works in a similar industry she doesn't work in this one) that I should wait until I have more experience (note I have a few years and a qualification) and that I should focus on myself. They also advised I join a union. So I have some questions for you all who may have been in such a position

1. Can I report anonymously? I would love to know results but I am afraid of what could happen if they know I dobbed them in. Perhaps i have no reason to fear but I have diagnosed anxiety so that is impacting me I guess.
2. Even though I am technically in-between jobs and not officially at a centre could I still join a union? If so do you have any recommendations?
3. Does my level of experience mean I should leave things alone and take more time to learn instead of reporting or is that irrelevant? (I feel it is but perhaps that family member was right)

Sorry about the long winded stuff. There is a lot to get off my chest. A part of me worries if I wait too long the risk of a child being injured or a staff member being injured rises and that has been sitting heavy with me for a little while now. I need guidance from others in the field particualrly those who have had to report a centre themselves and/or those with more experience hence the name.

[Lorina]

Hi!

You’re not being “silly” or overreacting. The issues you listed, broken doors, unsafe furniture, chemicals accessible to children, lack of water, privacy breaches, are all serious and fall under health, safety, and supervision requirements. Reporting them is about protecting children and supporting your colleagues, not about personal grievances.

Here is some guidance towards your questions:

Can you report anonymously?
Yes you can make an anonymous complaint to your state or territory regulatory authority.

When you lodge a complaint, you can choose not to provide your name. However, if you remain anonymous, you won’t receive updates about the outcome.

If you do provide your details, regulators are bound by confidentiality and generally will not disclose your identity to the service.

The key is to focus your report on specific risks to children’s health, safety, and wellbeing, regulators prioritise these above all else.

Joining a union while between jobs

You can join a union even if you’re not currently employed. Membership is based on your profession/industry, not your current job status.

For early childhood educators, the main unions are:

United Workers Union (UWU)—represents many ECEC workers nationally.

Independent Education Union (IEU)—covers some early childhood staff, especially in non‑government centres.

Being a union member can give you advice, advocacy, and reassurance if you’re worried about repercussions.

Does experience level matter for reporting?

Your level of experience is not relevant to whether you should report. The regulations exist to protect children and staff, and anyone who witnesses serious risks has the right and arguably the responsibility to raise them.

Regulators don’t expect educators to know every clause of the National Law and Regulations. They expect you to report when you see risks that could harm children or staff.

In fact, your 2.5 years of experience and Cert III give you a solid foundation to recognise unsafe practice. Waiting for “more experience” isn’t necessary if you already see clear hazards.

Practical next steps

Document what you’ve seen: Write down dates, incidents, and specific risks (without naming individual children).

Decide on anonymity: If your anxiety is heightened by fear of backlash, anonymous reporting may be the best option.

Contact your regulator: In Queensland, that’s the Office for Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) within the Department of Education. Each state has its own authority.

I hope this provides you with enough information, feel free to reach out for anything!

,
Lorina

[NeedingGuidance]

Hi Lorina,

Thanks for the advice. I'm afraid in practically all cases i don't have particular dates as many of these are simply ongoing things in which there really isn't one date it's just every minute a child happens to be in that area if you get my drift. I can think of one or two incidents though just not dates. I assume that is not an issue. I have found my state's reporting board and simply have to choose between sending an email and making a phone call. Do you have an advice on whether a call or email is better in this situation?

[Lorina]

Hey,

How is it going with this?

Have you made the report?

,
Lorina

[NeedingGuidance]

Hey,

I did make a report. An online one and listed absolutely everything that I had seen that I had concerns about. I haven't heard anything but I hear it can take several weeks. I searched the current compliance action page and the ACECQA website to see if their rating had changed about a week after making the report. I saw no signs of anything so I guess it was just too soon.

I hope they do something or I think I'm going to lose faith.

[Tanzi]

Hi needing guidance,
I too am about to report about staff conduct and child safe issues, bullying tactics and supervision (lack of).
Am I doing the right thing

[Lorina]

Yes—you are doing the right thing. Reporting concerns about staff conduct, child safety, bullying, and supervision is not only appropriate, it’s part of your professional responsibility. The child safe standards place the wellbeing of children above everything else, and raising issues ensures that risks are addressed before harm occurs.

A few things to keep in mind:
- Document clearly: Write down what you’ve observed factually (dates, times, what was said or done) without adding personal opinion.
- Follow procedure: Use your centre’s policies or the organisation’s reporting channels so your concerns are formally acknowledged.
- Protect yourself: Keep a copy of your report for your own records.
- Stay professional: Frame it around child safety and staff conduct, not personal conflict, so the focus stays on the children’s wellbeing.

It can feel daunting, but speaking up is part of safeguarding children and maintaining professional standards. You’re not alone—many educators have faced similar situations, and reporting is the right step to ensure accountability and change.

,
Lorina