pay rate levels

[uieqlo]

Hi,
im just needing clarification about my pay rate. I have my Cert 3 and currently studying my diploma and working part-time and have completed the 11 core units so i am under level 3.4 when i finish my diploma will i move to level 4.1 or stay on level 3.4?

[Lorina]

Hi,

It depends on your position. If you are an assistant you will remain on Level 3.4 even when you complete your Diploma.

If you are a room leader, once you complete your Diploma you will start at Level 4.1.

Hope this helps!

,
Lorina

[uieqlo]

Thank you! makes sense
will my pay increase or level up every 12 months if i stay as an assistant?

[SarahB01]

Hi Lorina,
I am new to the childcare industry and I am studying towards a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education at uni. I just began working as a part time educator. I do have my teaching placement coming up in November for 15 days. Will I be able to apply for unpaid leave for 15 days, and come back to work after?
Thanks.

[Lorina]

Thank you! makes sense
will my pay increase or level up every 12 months if i stay as an assistant?

If you're a Diploma assistant already on Level 3.4, your pay level will stay the same even if you work in the industry as a Diploma assistant for years.

Your level will only increase if you're a room leader starting at Level 4.1 for example, until you reach level 4.3.

Once you reach the maximum level then you're on that level until you get a higher job position.

Hope this helps!

,
Lorina

[Lorina]

Hi Lorina,
I am new to the childcare industry and I am studying towards a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education at uni. I just began working as a part time educator. I do have my teaching placement coming up in November for 15 days. Will I be able to apply for unpaid leave for 15 days, and come back to work after?
Thanks.

Hi Sarah,

Yeah I don't see why not... I would recommend to organise it as early as possible and put in your leave early too.

,
Lorina

[nithyaarunprasad]

Hi Lorina

I have 2 years of experience in childcare, within this period, I worked as a pre-kinder teacher and room leader for 1 year in 3-4 years age group. I was getting $35 and some cents in the professional childcare services award. I was offered $36 and some cents in another LDC for the pre-kinder teacher position in a regional city. I have a grad dip in ECE and also have obtained my full registration from VIT this year. Now, I am looking for ECT positions for 4-5 years, but I am either rejected for my lack of experience in 4 years kinder and or offered lower pay or job-sharing with another ECT.

I feel like my qualification and VIT registration have very little value. Can you please advise me, the rate of pay I should negotiate, should I get an offer for a full-time 4 year ECT position?

Thanks

[Lorina]

Hi!

Have you been offered any job offers as yet?

Do you still need assistance with this question?

,
Lorina

[SarahB01]

Hi Lorina,
I NEED YOUR HELP!!!!!! OR ANYONE ELSE!!!!
I am an assistant educator in a preschool room. There is a boy in the room who is physically abusive and violent in all ways. Today, he bit my knee and spat at my face because I had to stop him from punching other children in the face and kicking them. This sort of thing happens very consistently, and it is starting to affect my mental health as well. He is 5 years old, very abusive towards other children, both physically and mentally. He throw things, he spits at people, he blows raspberries, he scratch, he bit and he always uses swearing words (e.g. the f word, shut up, go to hell, I will kill you with a chainsaw until your head melts).

There are times throughout the day he suddenly goes up to other kids and punches them. When i or the other educators stop him, he spits, threatens and gets feral.

- He doesn’t understand why he needs to say sorry when he hurts others, but just keeps saying he will kill them and he also said he feels happy when he punches other kids.

I love my job. I love working with kids and seeing them grow. But with him in the room, I get extra scared and nervous, because he just loses his (crap) out of nowhere, and this affects other children's wellbeing as well. He punches and bullies other kids as if it is nothing serious.

PLEASE HELP ME.

THANKS IN ADVANCE

[Butterflyblue]

Hi Sarah BO1,

You need to chat to your director, manager someone who is in charge ASAP and relay to them all of your concerns. The other educators who have witnessed this should do the same before this escalates any further. There could also be a HR internal department you can speak with in addition to management.


It's not okay to have a child whose behaviour is harmful towards themselves, other children or adults.


ECEC services like schools can arrange to meet with parents/guardians and discuss childrens behaviour. Depending on the situation they can agree with parents on a behaviour management plan and strategies as well the outcomes if plans fail including withdrawing the child from care.

Children's behaviour is complex, but what you described sounds dangerous and is also disturbing, eg references to kill, possibly modelled behaviour, perhaps there is something going on at home?

There may also be support available, through either local council, state/territory Goverment or approved out reach services that can help this child. This is something management together with parents can look into.

If you haven't already start recording everything that happens at work in a diary including what the child does, what you did, others did, how you feel etc

Consider communicating via email etc so you can prove that you have taken action.

I can ask lots of questions but I don't know how much you want to/should share so I hope that's helpful, let me know if it makes sense and how you go.

[SarahB01]

Hello,
I have called the director and she said she was going to talk to his mum. Thank you so much for your reply. Since this is my new role, and I never had any child who bit, spat and used physics force on me, this one is beyond challenging. Other educators are also feeling the burden and the stress because they have been dealing with him more than I have. With this child, he constantly spats on people’s face, and always uses the “f” word in most of his sentences or “shut up” whenever educators try to engage in a thoughtful and meaningful conversation with him. Can you imagine getting bitten in the knee and spat on the face by a 5 year old child, because you stopped him from throwing things or kicking his friends constantly? All sorts of emotions go through your mind, and you have no choice but to go to work tomorrow, and the management team just says “I will talk to his parents”. In my life, i have never been spat at my anyone, or been punched or kicked by a child. Yes, he does smile and get all positive when we praise him, and that’s why me and the other educator put out activities for him that reflects his interest. It is obviously pointless making a deal with him (e.g. if i fold you this airplane, can you be good to your friends today?). I am at the stage where I am getting concerned about my own safety and other children’s safety in the room, because he keeps picking his victim who are doing quiet things. There were several parents who have stopped coming to the centre(i.e. removed their child from the centre), or made a formal complaint to the educators, but to no success. Other educators are also getting tired of him, because they need to hold him still until he is calm, but every time he gets “released”, that’s when he puts revenge on all the people he harmed.

[Butterflyblue]

You're welcome!

Have the educators passed on parent complaints to management?

Did management say what their immediate plan for everyone's safety is?

[SarahB01]

I haven't heard anything back. Couple of parents have removed their children from the centre, and even talked to educators about it. It has been happening forever, but nothing has changed. One time, they called his parents to pick him up because he was just losing it, but they never called back.

[Butterflyblue]

Do you know if your centre has a family information book, does it mention complaints/grievances. All services should have a policy on this, and it should detail parents rights to contact the DET and you would be within your rights to inform them of that next time.


Services are also legally required to tell the Department within 24 hours if a complaint alleges that:
• A child's health, safety or wellbeing has been compromised
• The relevant legislation has been contravened.


Parents are encouraged to talk with services but they can contact the state or territory regulatory authority (department of education) if they are concerned about an education, care or licensed children's service and can do so anonymously.

Make sure you pass on parents comments to management so they are aware, preferably through email etc so there is a record.

Another suggestion is to get a communication book, educators can use to write about the day and any issues, reminders etc to document things going forward including parent complaints. You might have access to software that can do this.

[SarahB01]

This is so good, thank you so much.

[MPlace]

nominated supervisor childcare pay rate, is it higher then your normal pay even if only classified as nominated supervisor for like 2 hrs? Sorry don't know how to make own post