Staffing Arrangements Policy (QA4) ✅

Woodlands - Staffing Arrangements Policy

 Woodlands aims to provide Educators and Nominated Supervisors who have the qualifications and experience to develop warm, nurturing, and respectful relationships with children. We are committed to ensuring that children’s health, safety, and wellbeing is protected at all times through providing appropriate and effective supervision according to legislated ratios and best practice. Our Educators, in collaboration with our Educational Leader, design and implement programs that support children’s engagement, interests, learning, and development

National Quality Standard (NQS)

Quality Area 4: Staffing Arrangements
4.1	Staffing arrangements	Staffing arrangements enhance children’s learning and development.
4.1.1	Organisation of Educators	The organisation of Educators across the Service supports children's learning and development.
4.1.2	Continuity of staff	Every effort is made for children to experience continuity of Educators at the Service.
4.2	Professionalism	Management, Educators and staff are collaborative, respectful and ethical.
4.2.1	Professional collaboration	Management, Educators and staff work with mutual respect and collaboratively, and challenge and learn from each other, recognising each other’s strengths and skills.
4.2.2	Professional Standards	Professional standards guide practice, interactions and relationships.

Education and Care Services National Regulations

Children (Education and Care Services) National Law NSW
115	Premises designed to facilitate supervision
122	Educators must be working directly with children to be included in ratios
123	Educator to child ratios – Centre based services
123A	Family Day Care coordinator to educator ratios – family day care service
124	Number of children who can be educated and cared for – family day care educator
126	Centre-based services – general educator qualifications
127	Family day care educator qualifications
128	Family day care coordinator qualifications
130	Requirement for early childhood teachers – Centre based services – 25 or more approved places but fewer than 25 children
131	Requirement for early childhood teacher—Centre-based services—25 or more approved places but fewer than 25 children
132	Requirement for early childhood teacher—Centre-based services—25 to 59 children
133	Requirement for early childhood teacher—Centre-based services—60 to 80 children
134	Requirement for early childhood teacher—Centre-based services—more than 80 children
135	Early childhood teacher illness or absence
136	First Aid qualifications
145	Staff Record
146	Nominated Supervisor
147	Staff Members
148	Educational Leader
149	Volunteers and Students
150	Responsible Person
151	Record of Educators working directly with children
152	Record of access to early childhood teachers
173	Prescribed information to be displayed
240	Centre based services in remote and very remote areas – qualifications for educators
241	Persons taken to hold an approved early childhood teaching qualification
242	Persons taken to be early childhood teachers
243	Persons taken to hold an approved diploma level education and care qualification
244	Persons taken to hold an approved certificate III level education and care qualification
372	Educator to child ratio—pre-kindergarten program or kindergarten program provided by a school
373	Early childhood teachers—pre-kindergarten program or kindergarten program provided by a school
379	Educators required to be early childhood teachers

Related Policies 

• Code of Conduct Policy 
• Child Protection Policy 
• Supervision Policy 
• In-Service and Staff Development Policy
• Responsible Person Policy 
• Student and Volunteers Policy 

Purpose

To ensure Woodlands adheres to the National Education and Care Service Regulation as we maintain compliance with qualifications and ratio requirements.

Scope

This policy applies to staff, management, students, and volunteers at the Service.

Implementation

Woodlands will endorse the appropriate number of educators to children, taking into consideration qualification requirements and experience, which meet National Regulations and Standards. 

Qualifications for Centre based Services with children preschool age or under 

• Woodlands will comply with the National Quality Framework and ensure 50 per cent of Educators meet the relevant Diploma qualification requirement or be actively working towards an approved diploma level education and care qualification. 
• All other Educators are required to have at least an approved certificate III level education and care qualification or be actively working towards their qualification. 

Actively working towards: 

Definition: An Educator who is enrolled in a course for an approved Early Childhood qualification. 

• The Educator is required to provide documentary evidence of their course, training plan and progress towards completion of the course. 
• Individuals actively working towards an approved qualification may be counted towards qualification requirements. 
• Woodlands will ensure we communicate with the Educator’s RTO to ensure the Educator successfully completes their qualification. 
• We will support the Educator in completing their qualification through mentoring and assistance. 

Early Childhood Teacher 

An Early Childhood Teacher Is a person with an approved early childhood teaching qualification in accordance with ACECQA. A record must be kept containing the period the early childhood teacher is working directly with children. 

• Woodlands will comply and will engage and have access to an Early Childhood Teacher based on the number and age of children at the Service. 

Educational Leader

The Educational Leader has an influential role in inspiring, motivating, affirming and challenging or extending the practice and pedagogy of Educators. It is a joint endeavour involving inquiry and reflection, which can significantly impact the important work Educators do with children and families.

• The Approved Provider will nominate a qualified and experienced Educator to take on the Educational Leader role and responsibilities. 
• The Educational Leader will keep a record about how they mentor and guide Educators of the Service to ensure continuous improvement. The Educational Leader will guide Educators to provide a compliant program.

Nominated Supervisor 

The Nominated Supervisor is a suitable person appointed by the Approved Provider who is placed in the day-to-day management of an approved Service. Nominated Supervisors have a range of responsibilities under the National Law and Regulations including programming, supervision and safety of children, entry to and exit from the premises, food and beverage, administration of medication, excursions, staffing, sleep and rest.

• The Nominated Supervisor is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Service, ensuring compliance with the National Law, Regulations and National Standards. 
• The Nominated Supervisor will accept the role in writing, to ensure they have a clear understanding of their role and responsibilities. 
• The Nominated Supervisor will ensure the Service program is reflective of the approved learning framework, incorporate the children’s developmental needs, interests and experiences and consider the individual differences of each child. 
• The Nominated Supervisor will adhere to Service policies ensuring a safe and healthy environment is provided.

Responsible Person

A Responsible Person is required to be physically present at the Service at all times that children are being educated and cared for. The Responsible Person will be the Approved Provider or a person with management or control placed in day-to-day charge of the Service. The Responsible Person must be at least 18 years old and have adequate knowledge and understanding of the provision of education and care to children.

• Woodlands will ensure there is always a Nominated Supervisor or Responsible Person on the premises when children are being educated and cared for. 
• Woodlands will clearly communicate the Responsible Person on duty, which will be displayed in the foyer area for families, educators, staff and visitors. 
• The Responsible Person will adhere to Service policies and procedures and maintain a safe and healthy environment for children. 
• The Responsible Person will always act with professionalism when dealing with children, educators, visitors and families. 

Approved First Aid Qualifications 

• Educators and Management are required to have an ACECQA approved first aid qualification, anaphylaxis management, and emergency asthma management training. Approved qualifications are published on the ACECQA website.
• It is the Staff and Educators responsibilities to ensure they maintain up to date First Aid, Asthma, and Anaphylaxis Training, providing the Service with the certificate of completion.

Working with Children Check 

 A Working With Children Check is a requirement for people who work or volunteer in child-related work. It involves a national criminal history check and a review of findings of workplace misconduct. The result of a Working With Children Check is either a clearance to work with children for five years (NSW & Vic.), three years (WA, SA, QLD, TAS, & ACT), or two years (NT), or a bar against working with children. Cleared applicants are subject to ongoing monitoring and relevant new records may lead to the clearance being revoked.

• To comply with National Regulations for those undertaking paid, or voluntary child-related work will acquire a Working with Children Check, which will be verified by the Service to protect the safety of children. 
• Management will verify all Working With Children Checks to ensure the children are protected.
• Management will keep a record of the expiry date of the Working With Children Check for all staff. 

Staff Record

• Approved Services must keep information about the Nominated Supervisor, Educational Leader, Staff, Volunteers, Students and the Responsible Person at the Service. 
• Details must include evidence of staff working directly with children, qualifications, training and Working with Children Check. 
• All Staff, Educators, Students, Volunteers and Visitors are required to sign in and out each day.

Supervision

Definition: Supervision refers to the action of supervising someone or something.

• Educators, who are supervising children, should ensure they are positioned where they can see as much of the environment as possible. Where there are water activities or high-risk experiences, close supervision is required. 
• Infants and toddlers who are sleeping in cot rooms will be monitored and checked every 10 minutes.
• Older children will be supervised whilst sleeping or resting.
• Children will be supervised when hand washing and during toileting/nappy change times. 
• Educators are required to adhere to the Service’s Supervision Policy and floor plan to maintain effective supervision.
• Educators will interact with children where pedagogically appropriate whilst supervising. 
• Supervising Educators will give their complete attention to the children and not perform other duties or tasks.

Adequate Supervision: 

Adequate supervision is a consideration for any part of the Service premises where children are educated and cared for and is part of every educator’s Duty of Care. Educators are required to ensure that children are insight and/or hearing at all times, demonstrating the best interest of children is being provided. This includes toileting, sleep, rest, nappy changing and transition routines. 

• Woodlands will comply with the educator to child ratios outlined in National Legislation and National Quality Standard.
• Educators will always be able to observe each child, respond to individual needs and attend to children as necessary. 
• Educators will adjust their level of supervision depending on the area of the Service and the skills, age, dynamics and size of the group of children being supervised. 
• Educators will communicate with other Staff and Educators about their supervision points, offer advice and aid to ensure children’s safety is upheld at all times. 
• When supervising outdoors Educators will position themselves so as to be able to see as much of the play area as possible.
• Unless discussing child or Service concerns, educators will not congregate together either inside or outside.

Working directly with children

National Regulations state that an Educator cannot be included in calculating the Educator to child ratio of a Centre based Service unless the Educator is working directly with children. A record must be kept of Educators working directly with children which includes the name of each Educator and hours each Educator works directly with children being educated and cared for by the Service.  

• To ensure compliance with regulations, we will only include Educators in the educator to child ratio who are working directly with the children. 

Rosters

• Woodlands will ensure the roster and routine provides adequate supervision of children at all times. 
• Rosters will be created to ensure the children receive continuity of care.
• Where possible, casual staff will be chosen from a pool of regular Educators with whom the children are familiar. 

Volunteers and Students 

• At no time will volunteers and students be left alone with a child or group of children, or be included in the educator to child ratio.
• All Volunteers and Students will be inducted into the Service to ensure they adhere to the Service policies and procedures. 

Privacy

• Educators will adhere to Woodlands’s privacy and confidentiality policy and Privacy Law in relation to children or matters relating to the Service and will at no time take part in inappropriate or unlawful conversations or discussions. 
• The Nominated Supervisor will ensure that students and volunteers are made aware of the Services privacy and confidentiality policy and Privacy Law during their initial induction.

Educator to Child Ratios

Our service will meet the minimum child ratio requirements as stated below

Long Day Care & Kindergarten

State	Age	Educator to Child Ratio
VIC	Birth to 24 months	1 Educator to 4 Children
	Over 24 months and less than 36 months	1 Educator to 4 Children
	Over 36 months of age or over (not including children over pre-school age)	1 Educator to 11 Children

Outside Hours Care

Age	State	Educator to Child Ratio
Over Pre-School Age	NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC	1 Educator to 15 Children
	NSW (applies from 1 October 2018)	1 Educator to 15 Children
	ACT	1 Educator to 11 Children
	WA	1 Educator to 13 Children (or 1:10 if kindergarten children are in attendance)

Source

• Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. 
• Guide to the Education and Care Services National Law and the Education and Care Services National Regulations
• ECA Code of Ethics.
• National Quality Framework 
• Office of the Children’s Guardian 
• https://www.kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au/child-safe-organisations/working-with-children-check

Review

Policy Reviewed	Modifications/Updates
February 2018	New Policy Created
January 2024	Branding and formatting updated Policy links added\ Service-specific information amended not affecting the delivery of policy