CHCIC501B

[ryan]

Your Assignment Module Number and Heading: Manage children’s services workplace practice to address regulations and quality assurance
Your Assignment Type: Standard Question
Currently Working in Childcare? Yes
Your knowledge: Basic Knowledge

Your Question?
1. What information is available from the websites listed below that would assist you in continuing to develop a sound knowledge of best practice principles and emerging trends in service delivery and professional knowledge of the children’s services industry?
Reference the following websites when answering this question.
www.deewr.gov.au/EarlyChildhood

What is your answer so far or What have you done so far as an attempt to solve this question?
National Quality Framework
The National Quality Framework aims to raise quality and drive continuous improvement and consistency in education and care services through:
• a national legislative framework
• a National Quality Standard
• a national quality rating and assessment process
• a new national body called the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority.
The National Quality Framework will take effect on 1 January 2012 with key requirements being phased in overtime. Requirements such as qualification, educator-to-child ratios and other key staffing arrangements will be phased in between 2012 and 2020.
National legislative framework
The national legislative framework is established through an applied laws system and consists of:
• the Education and Care Services National Law
• the Education and Care Services National Regulations.
It creates a jointly governed uniform national approach to the regulation and quality assessment of education and care services and replaces existing separate licensing and quality assurance processes. For many services this integrated approach means less red tape.
A Regulatory Authority in each state and territory will be primarily responsible for administering the National Quality Framework, including approving, monitoring and quality assessing services. It will be the first point of contact for services.
A new national body—the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority—will oversee the National Quality Framework and ensure the consistent and effective implementation of the new system.
National Quality Standard
The National Quality Standard sets a new national benchmark for the quality of education and care services. The National Quality Standard is divided into seven Quality Areas:
1. Educational program and practice
2. Children’s health and safety
3. Physical environment
4. Staffing arrangements
5. Relationships with children
6. Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
7. Leadership and service management.
The National Quality Standard aims to promote:
• the safety, health and wellbeing of children
• a focus on achieving outcomes for children through high-quality educational programs
• families’ understanding of what distinguishes a quality service.
National quality rating and assessment process
Approved Services will be assessed and rated against each of the seven Quality Areas of the National Quality Standard and the National Regulations. They will also be given an overall rating. The rating and assessment process aims to drive continuous quality improvement at services and provide families with better information for making choices about their children’s education and care.
Assessments for existing services will commence from mid-2012.
The National Quality Framework will replace the National Childcare Accreditation Council.
Refer to The Assessment and Rating Process Information Sheet for further information.
Why do we need a National Quality Framework?
The National Quality Framework is an important reform which will deliver a higher standard of care for children in the critical areas of education, health and safety and will provide clearer and comprehensive information for families so they can choose the best services for their child.
We know that the first five years of a child’s life shapes their future – their health, learning and social development – and we want to make sure that their future is bright.
Early childhood experts and professionals maintain that quality is critical when it comes to early childhood education and care.
At the moment quality standards across early childhood education and care services vary across Australia and there is often limited information available to help families choose the best service for their children.
The National Quality Framework will require all providers to improve services in the areas that impact on a child’s development and safety and to provide families with quality information to help them make informed choices about services.
www.acecqa.gov.au
The National Quality Standard (NQS) is a key aspect of the NQF and sets a national benchmark for early childhood education and care, and outside school hours care services in Australia.
As the NQF progresses, every service in the country will be assessed to make sure it meets the new quality standard. In the meantime, as safety is paramount all day and every day, every service must comply with rigorous health and safety requirements.
To ensure children enjoy the best possible conditions in their early educational and developmental years, the NQS promotes continuous improvement in quality.
The major benefits for parents and children include:
• improved educator to child ratios
• greater individual care and attention for children
• educators with increased skills and qualifications
• better support for children’s learning and development
• a national register to help parents assess the quality of education and care services in their area.
Informed by extensive research
The National Quality Standard is linked to national learning frameworks that recognise children learn from birth. It outlines practices that support and promote children’s learning. These are:
• Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (‘Early Years Learning Framework’)
• My Time, Our Place: Framework for School Age Care in Australia (‘Framework for School Age Care’).
New and consistent ratings
The NQS introduces ratings for children's education and care services. The ratings cover Australian long day care, family day care, outside school hours care and some preschools/kindergartens.
Each service receives a rating for:
• seven quality areas, and
• an overall rating.
There are five rating levels within the national quality rating and assessment process:
• Excellent rating – awarded by ACECQA
• Exceeding National Quality Standard
• Meeting National Quality Standard
• Working Towards National Quality Standard
• Significant Improvement Required
- See more at: http://www.acecqa.gov.au/families/the-n ... lzHCM.dpuf

www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au

Description and Message:
I am not sure about this question. can anyone give me suggestion and little help so I can understand the question?
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