March 19, 2024 • 42 mins
Episode 2: Voice and Choice in the National Quality Framework PART 1
Having children as active participants in their learning is as easy as ABC! In this episode host Katey Street sits down with Rhonda Livingstone, the National Educational Leader for a chat about the updates to the National Quality Framework.
About this podcast:
This episode is part of a short series produced by the Office of the Children's Guardian and funded by the NSW Department of Education, the NSW regulatory authority for early education and care as part of their Safety and Quality Practice program.
Katey and Rhonda discuss the background of how and why the Frameworks for Early Education and Care; Being, Belonging and Becoming and My Time, Our Place, were updated and how voice and choice were promoted to ensure that children are supported to become active participants in their learning.
About our speaker:
Rhonda Livingstone is ACECQA's National Educational Leader. She also leads the teams responsible for promoting and recognising quality educational programs, practices and policies and supporting the sector and authorised officers to build a shared understanding of commitment to implementing and administering the National Quality Framework (NQF); and continuous quality improvement.
Rhonda's extensive involvement in the National Quality Agenda reforms saw her contribute to the development of the National Quality Standard and its guide, assessment and rating tools and processes, the training and testing program for authorised officers and the refresh of the national approved learning frameworks.
This episode was recorded and edited on Gadigal land. The NSW Department of Education and the NSW Office of the Children’s Guardian recognise that the land we work and live on always was and always will be Aboriginal land, and we pay our respects to Elders past and present.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
OCG resource page - https://ocg.nsw.gov.au/our-resources
OCG SAFE Series Protective Behaviours program - https://ocg.nsw.gov.au/resources?combine=&field_published_date_value=&field_topic_target_id%5B173%5D=173
OCG Child Safe Self Assessment - https://cssa.ocg.nsw.gov.au/
Australian Human Rights Commission - https://humanrights.gov.au/
Be You - https://beyou.edu.au/
Emerging Minds - https://emergingminds.com.au/
Australian Institute of Famiy Studies - https://aifs.gov.au/
Alannah and Madeline Foundation - https://www.alannahandmadeline.org.au/
Guide to the National Quality Framework - https://www.acecqa.gov.au/nqf/about/guide
eSafety Commissioner's website - https://www.esafety.gov.au/
Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child - https://www.digitalchild.org.au/
ACECQA info sheets - https://www.acecqa.gov.au/resources/supporting-materials/infosheet
ACECQA Kahoot! quiz instructions - https://www.acecqa.gov.au/media/27341
ACECQA Starting Blocks for Families - https://www.startingblocks.gov.au/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:03):
Hello and welcome to this podcast from the office of the Children's Guardian,
funded by the New South Wales Department of
Education under its safety and Quality practice program.
The name of this episode is Voice and Choice,
The Importance of Empowerment in Early Childhood and school-aged Care Settings,
and we split it into two parts.
This first part explores how both national learning frameworks that cover
(00:25):
quality program delivery in early childhood and school aged care settings,
being,
belonging and becoming,
and my time Our Place,
have recently been updated to promote
empowerment opportunities through Voice and Choice
and how this links to the New South Wales Child Safe scheme.
The second part released separately focuses on how the changes in
the frameworks will directly affect early education and care policy and practice
(00:48):
to promote voice and choice in early education and care settings.
Since 2012,
there have been two national approved learning frameworks available under the
National Quality Framework for Early Education and school aged care,
and both of these were refreshed in 2023 following a partnership and
assessment process with Macquarie University on
behalf of all Australian governments.
(01:10):
The New South Wales government introduced the Child Safe scheme and the 10 Child
Safe Standards in February 2022 as a
framework for organizations to keep children safer.
Standard two places a particular importance on empowering children,
which fits well with the pedagogy of child-centered learning in
the national quality framework and the values of modern educators.
(01:31):
My guest is the perfect person to explain the updates in the frameworks
and what these mean for the practice of early education and care professionals.
Rhonda Livingstone is the national educational leader with
the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority,
or a SEA,
the name you're probably more familiar with.
Rhonda was a key player in the update of the early years learning framework.
She also leads the teams responsible for
(01:52):
promoting and recognizing quality educational programs,
practices and policies
and supports the sector and authorized officers to
build a shared understanding of and commitment to
implementing and administering the national quality.
Framework and continuous quality improvement.
Rhonda's extensive involvement in the National
Quality Agenda reform saw her contribute
to the development of the National Quality Standard and its guide,
(02:14):
assessment and rating tools and processes,
the training and testing program for authorized officers,
and the refresh of the National Approved Learning framework.
So Rhonda,
let's kick off with a very big question.
um,
can you give me some background on how the curriculum update was developed?
Firstly,
I'd like to thank you,
Katie,
(02:34):
and the team from the office,
the Children's Guardian for inviting me to speak with you today.
I'm really excited to have the opportunity
to talk about the approved learning frameworks,
and in particular,
the importance of giving children a voice and choice
in decisions that affect them.
And in relation to
the background to the curriculum updates,
(02:57):
as you know,
we have two nationally approved
Learning frameworks,
belonging,
being,
becoming the early years learning framework and my time,
our Place framework for school aged care.
And both frameworks outline principles and practices and learning outcomes
that guide educational leaders and educators
(03:18):
in their curriculum decision making.
And in 2021,
Australia's 9 education
Ministers commissioned an update of the frameworks,
and we know that the 2012 frameworks still held relevance as
they proved integral to the success of the National Quality Framework
(03:41):
for close to a decade.
And throughout the stakeholder consultation,
it was determined
that we needed to bring current and contemporary practices
and research in line with the frameworks.
So these documents just required an update.
So when you say contemporary practices,
(04:02):
what kinds of things are you referring to here?
Just thinking about how the sector has grown and developed
in the,
um,
the time since
the NQF implementation in 2012,
we just recognized that the approved learning frameworks needed a refresh to
bring them in line with what we were seeing in the sector.
(04:23):
And a good example of that,
I think,
is embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives.
And it's just so refreshing to see
services and children,
uh,
you know,
acknowledging in genuine and authentic ways,
the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditional custodians of the land.
And that is one of the areas that the,
(04:43):
the frameworks were strengthened in.
Mm.
Now,
obviously,
everybody in early years is very passionate about
bringing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives,
cultures,
um,
experiences into learning experiences for the children of Australia.
So,
obviously,
there was a lot of consultation in terms
of bringing that to life within the curriculum.
How did the consultation process work there?
(05:04):
There was lots of consultation and national
consortium.
Led by a partnership between Macquarie University,
Queensland University of Technology,
and Edith Cowan,
they were engaged by a SEQA on behalf of the nine governments
to deliver the 2021 National Quality Framework
(05:24):
update,
and the project was delivered over three stages.
So stages 1 and 2 included a literature review,
surveys,
and stakeholder feedback on the discussion paper.
And these stages highlighted the strengths of the original
um
learning frameworks and identified areas where they could be improved.
(05:48):
So potential areas for improving the original
frameworks were explored in the discussion paper,
and they aimed at
strengthening the connection between the frameworks
and the national quality standard.
In areas such as transitions,
sustainability,
theoretical approaches,
(06:09):
critical reflection,
inclusion,
and the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of being,
knowing,
and doing,
as I mentioned earlier.
And the third stage was a pilot of the framework,
and that
Happened across 16
really diverse services,
and the rich feedback gathered
(06:32):
from the involved services informed the final version of both frameworks.
And the,
um,
original national learning frameworks have remained
in operation alongside the updated frameworks,
and the updated frameworks will be mandated from the 1st of February 2024.
(06:52):
And so this is really um enabled
approved providers,
educational leaders,
service leaders and educators
a a whole year to transition to the new frameworks.
Mm,
OK.
So,
when we think of voice and choice in the curriculum,
um,
in
early years daily practice,
from my experience,
(07:13):
I know the experience of a lot of people listening to this,
voice and choice is something that early years educators,
uh,
really value.
We do very well.
We try and get the children involved as
much as possible in their learning opportunities.
So,
between the original
Learning framework and a new one,
what were kind of the aims in terms of pushing
the envelope on the voice and choice aspects there?
(07:34):
I think a strength of the national quality framework for me
is that it,
the view of children as capable and competent
agents of change,
decision makers,
educators and children were consulted in
The 1st and 2nd stage of the project,
and there were
(07:55):
Almost 3500 responses to the online survey,
65 responses to written submissions,
and children and young people's voices.
So children aged between 2 and 12 years were,
um,
were presented.
Through drawings and written responses,
(08:16):
and we received
almost 160 responses as part of that process to ensure
that we had children's voices
in that process and,
and young people's as well.
Fantastic.
Were there any submissions from children that surprised you?
Um,
there were some amazing
(08:36):
examples of practice that really,
um,
I,
I guess not so much surprised me,
but
inspired me.
There was one example of,
um,
some children
in a service,
and they had made a relationship with a,
a neighbor who was,
um,
elderly,
and she was unable to
pick the fruit from her plum tree in the backyard,
(08:59):
and the children.
Um,
nurtured that relationship,
and they would go down and collect the plums,
came back to the service,
made plum jam,
and gave,
um,
Ruby back
some plum jam.
So,
uh,
a great example of sustainability,
and as you know,
in the approved learning frameworks,
(09:19):
the refreshed
version.
Um,
they look at the broadened view of sustainability,
so not just environmental,
but also social and economic.
So that was a great example,
I thought,
of,
um,
children
being active citizens in their community,
but also giving back to their community.
That is really wonderful.
(09:40):
What a gorgeous example.
Now,
what about when you spoke to the educators,
the people on the ground,
what were they looking for from an updated framework?
There was a lot of support for the framework.
It was still considered to be fit for purpose,
and still,
um,
considered to be a flexible guideline
to empower them to use their professional judgment in terms of,
(10:04):
um,
curriculum decision making.
But I think also,
I think there's a valuing
of the frameworks because they acknowledge that educators and services.
Leaders
know their children and their families and their communities
better probably than anyone else,
and they're empowered to
meet the standards and implement the frameworks in a way that's
(10:26):
genuine,
authentic,
and relevant for those,
um,
stakeholders.
Beautiful.
I can tell that really inspires you,
hearing from our nation's educators and being able
to see what they value in their practice.
I think it is amazing,
um,
across the early childhood sector,
and just recently,
I've had a couple of opportunities,
(10:48):
um,
to showcase the work of educators and service leaders.
One was in Portugal for the European Early Childhood Research Association,
where,
um,
some members of Consortium,
and my colleague Craig and I,
um,
talked about the refresh of the Early Years learning framework.
And,
um,
we had such positive feedback
(11:11):
from our international colleagues around the work
that's happening in Australia.
And it's,
and,
you know,
I
want to call out and acknowledge the hard work of
educators,
service leaders,
educational leaders,
and approved providers.
I think
Um,
they have done an amazing job,
and I know it's been a tough year,
(11:32):
tough couple of years with COVID,
but what we saw
during those difficult times was an amazing commitment,
not only to children and families,
but also to communities as well.
Fantastic.
Now you mentioned a bit of a travel there,
over to Portugal.
Did you take inspiration from any,
um,
learning frameworks from across the world at all in terms of updating our one?
(11:56):
Certainly in the literature review,
there was a review of,
um,
many international curriculums.
And,
um,
I've talked with colleagues across the world,
and of course it's all contextual.
It needs to be relevant for
the,
um,
for the children and the families and the communities and the culture and,
um,
(12:17):
Uh,
every
service is different,
but we have certainly drawn from a lot of those,
um,
those different learning frameworks.
And,
um,
I know in the,
when we were developing the National Quality Standard,
I
had the,
the privilege.
To,
um,
(12:37):
to visit Reggio Emilia,
for example,
and,
um,
you know,
just looking at the,
the,
the approved learning frameworks and the National Quality Standard,
you can see elements of,
of that curriculum,
um,
framework.
And,
you know,
for example,
educational leaders reflect that sort of pedagogistic approach in,
uh,
Reggio Emilia.
(12:59):
So certainly,
the frameworks have been informed by
the exciting work that's happening,
um,
Internationally as well.
Yeah,
beautiful.
Now in mainstream education,
we've also just had an update of the,
um,
K to 12 curriculum there.
Um,
how does our new,
uh,
early learning framework,
(13:19):
is there any crossover with the mainstream curriculum at all?
That was one of the terms of reference of the,
the,
um,
consortium when they
led the review process to look at the alignment with the Australian curriculum.
The
version 9.
And so a lot of work was undertaken to ensure
consistency of language,
(13:39):
and
that early childhood was seen
as,
um,
you know,
part of the education
continuum and contributing significantly,
uh,
in terms of supporting children during their critical year,
years of life,
but also
Acknowledging the importance of the transition,
um,
to the schooling sector.
(14:00):
Absolutely.
So maybe if we just go back to,
um,
consultations that you had on your global travels,
um,
what kind of feedback did you have from educators overseas about our own,
uh,
practices,
our own frameworks?
So the anecdotal feedback that we received,
um,
at the European Early Childhood Research Association conference in Lisbon
(14:23):
was that Australia was a world leader in many aspects
of the work,
not just the approved learning frameworks,
but also recognized.
the work that is happening across the sector and across governments and with
approved providers in terms of the workforce strategy and planning
for a high quality,
(14:44):
sustainable workforce as well.
That must make you very proud.
I think,
um,
again,
it is down to the work of educators and service leaders
and educational leaders and the
commitments of governments and peak organizations
and organizations like ASSEQA that
have,
um,
demonstrated a commitment to quality early childhood education and care.
(15:08):
And,
um,
and it's exciting to see that that commitment has lasted over more than a decade
and seems to be getting stronger.
Would it be accurate to say that we're in the middle of
some active social change around developing the early years sector and,
um,
I guess increasing the level of professionalism as
as other people see it?
(15:29):
I guess the number of reviews that are currently
underway suggests that there's a lot of interest in
early childhood education and care and thinking about,
um,
quality,
accessibility
and affordability for families as well.
So we It's really exciting that I know it's been
hard work for the sector in terms of lots of work
(15:50):
responding to these reviews,
but I think it's a really positive thing that,
um,
governments
and others are showing their commitment to
the early years.
And there,
and school aged care,
and also
developing a really strong evidence base to inform decisions which
will impact on the sector for decades to come.
(16:13):
Mm.
And in terms of that impact for the children that are living that and going
through and being part of the reviews and being part of this updated curriculum,
what do you hope is going to be the impact on them?
I think it's really empowering for children,
and,
you know,
I think that,
um,
Children are our future,
and if we
listen to them,
they have such insightful,
(16:35):
wise,
um,
offerings in terms of
what early childhood will look like into the future,
and school aged care.
I think it's really important
to,
um,
to listen to their voices.
And
as I mentioned,
they were captured in the drawings,
and they,
Identified through that process
(16:56):
the importance of play and relationships
on the overall engagement with the service.
And close to 80 children identified that activities in the program
was the most important thing for them.
So I think,
again,
I call out to the
educators and service leaders,
um,
for the work that they do in making those
(17:18):
programs so engaging and interesting.
But also supporting children's learning and development.
I think that's a really important point.
We know that play is very important in terms of,
um,
developing learning and understanding of the world in early years.
And we also know that relationships with children
are important in terms of empowering them.
But how do play and relationships actually
(17:38):
work together to benefit children's empowerment?
I guess it's really important for educators to have strong,
respectful,
genuine partnership relationships with children.
It's not a one way.
It's a,
you know,
I see them as co-constructors of,
um,
knowledge and learning,
and also,
you know,
recognizing that,
(17:59):
um,
the guidance and direction and
planning that educators and service leaders do.
To ensure that play is meaningful and
every learning opportunity,
whether it be through a play or a,
uh,
you know,
a routine
experience for a child,
the learning opportunities are maximized in that process.
(18:22):
My next question is about,
um,
is about getting into detail of the framework.
So what are some of the ways in which the updated
framework supports children to be active participants in their learning?
I guess the practices of learning through play
and intentional teaching.
Combined to reflect the modern understandings of the child and the educator,
(18:44):
and how they work together to intentionally,
um support play and learning and development.
And during the 3rd phase of the um update,
the consortium piloted
the potential updates.
In 16 early childhood education and care and
(19:05):
outside school hours care services across Australia.
And they were really diverse,
um,
service,
services,
and
they engaged with educators and children and young people
to gather their feedback on the proposed changes.
And that feedback was used to inform the recommendations to government.
(19:26):
And a sequel on areas of improvement
and how the changes would be best implemented.
And throughout that stage,
3,
16 approved providers,
106 educators,
and
approximately 160 children
and young people were involved
(19:46):
in providing feedback in that process.
And one example of,
um,
the rich feedback was shared by
a family daycare leader.
And,
um,
they expressed the need for children to be actively
involved in assessing and documenting their own learning.
And that was reinforced by the children's feedback,
(20:08):
which stated that they really enjoyed being able to share
what they liked,
and,
um,
what they wanted to have included in the learning program.
Fantastic.
And that's a really great lived example of how
we're involving children in decisions that affect them,
right?
Why is that so important for educators to do that?
I think it's really important because capturing the voices of children
(20:32):
has ensured a genuine respect,
recognition.
An acknowledgement of children's views on decisions that have
a direct impact on them.
Fantastic.
Now,
in the original framework,
and now in our update of the framework,
um,
we've got the phrase capable and competent learners.
(20:52):
What does that actually look like in our early years spaces?
To me,
that's one of the most exciting things about the National Quality Framework.
Um,
when I did my initial training many,
many,
many,
many,
many years ago,
um,
there was a,
a,
a,
you know,
a fairly deficit model of the view of the child,
looking at
their needs,
(21:13):
developmental needs,
um,
and planning around that.
And to me,
this is a much more strength-based,
positive way
of looking at children and acknowledging
their The,
um,
their rights,
but also
their capacities to be agents for change.
And we've seen that in many,
(21:33):
many examples.
Um,
I catch the ferry into Circular Quay
every morning and I look up and see the
Aboriginal flag flying on the Sydney Harbor Bridge,
and I think about the children who,
um,
you know,
many people advocated for that,
but some children in,
in a preschool
service wrote to,
um,
(21:53):
the Premier and,
um,
Uh,
acknowledge the importance of flying the flag,
and so there are many,
many examples I think of,
in our communities where children's voices have been
taken seriously and they have
made significant improvements,
um,
to,
Communities,
(22:14):
which I think,
um,
it's
great to celebrate those.
And that's one of the things that I really
enjoy in my work is that we get to tell those stories and to acknowledge that
incredible contribution that they're making as active
citizens in their communities,
but also agents for change.
Oh,
what a lovely story.
I got goosebumps when you were telling that.
(22:36):
That's amazing.
And what a fantastic thing for children to be a part of and to be able to
see their thoughts and views reflected in their world,
in their community.
Fantastic.
Um,
that's amazing.
Um,
now,
I just want to pop over to learning outcome 3,
specifically,
um,
because it
(22:57):
interests me,
not just in terms of
involving children as being active participants in their learning,
but also
in the well-being space.
There's been a lot of focus put on trauma informed.
Practice in the early years,
in recent years,
um,
and in school aged care and understanding it
and encouraging it to help children who have
been affected by trauma access learning better.
(23:17):
So what does that,
what does trauma informed practice look like in the National Quality Framework?
I guess,
um,
well-being has been a focus of the frameworks since
they were developed,
um,
and implemented way back in
Um,
2012,
and
the frameworks continue to draw on
the robust Australian and international evidence
(23:40):
that confirms that early childhood is a vital period
in children's continuing learning development and well-being.
And of course keeping children
safe and secure
is at the forefront of our work in the education and care sector,
and it's reflected in the National Quality framework,
and it's reflected in the legislation,
(24:02):
and the best practice
framework as well
in terms of the NQS.
Um,
in the recent National Quality Framework review,
governments decided to introduce some additional specific measures
to improve child safety and com
and meet community expectations in terms of the well-being of children.
(24:26):
And these changes ensure the NQF remains current,
and that approved providers and services embed the child safe principles
into their organizations and into their service operations as well.
And along with the refresh,
there's a recognition that some children who attend services
(24:47):
may not have experienced
safe and supportive family environments.
And in response to this,
educators enact trauma informed practices
to enhance and support children's learning and development.
And I guess when we talk about trauma informed practice,
it's been,
it's a responsive approach
(25:09):
that's made possible by
awareness of the impact of trauma
on children's learning development and well-being.
And it also includes recognizing the signs and symptoms of trauma in children.
And responding by making places and
relationships feel safe and supportive to children
(25:30):
and helping children to develop their capacity
for emotional regulation.
It might feel to some educators like a big responsibility to,
um,
upskill in that area.
So for educators that feel they do need a bit more support,
where can they find some professional development to help with that?
Um,
there's lots of organizations that provide,
(25:51):
um,
professional development,
and also,
um,
I think having
networks of,
um,
services and educators and service leaders
to share
information with other
professionals,
I think,
um,
promotes that holistic and consistent approach
to enhancing.
Children's wellbeing.
(26:11):
We know the importance of,
um,
well-being for educators as well as children and families.
And,
um,
there are lots of examples of
organizations that provide training.
For example,
the Office of the Children's Guardian,
the Human Rights,
Australian Human Rights Commission has information on their website.
(26:33):
Um,
a big shout out to the BU program at the Emerging Minds program.
The Australian Institute of Family Studies also has some really
useful information,
and I know the,
um,
Alanna and Madeleine Foundation are also looking into,
um,
trauma informed practices and
supporting educators in the important role that they play.
(26:56):
Fantastic.
I like that you mentioned the Office of the Children's Guardian Resources there.
Fantastic.
And of course,
we've got the inclusion for the first time in the early
years framework of personal safety strategies being taught to children.
What are your thoughts on the OCG Safe Se program?
How do you think that fits in with teaching those strategies?
I think it's a great professional development opportunity,
(27:17):
and I would really encourage educators and service leaders to
reach out to the um enormous amount of um supports available,
and even regulatory authorities,
state and territory regulatory authorities um have information on
their website to support this important role that,
Educators and service leaders play in children and families' lives.
(27:40):
The office of the Children's Guardian's Safe Se Protective Behaviors
program is a great example of a resource to support,
Educators and service leaders,
particularly in
the learning outcome 3.
I just wanted to share a recent example of a,
of trauma informed practice in action that's demonstrated in Warrawee
(28:03):
Care Center,
and their implementation of their WIAD,
and WIA stands for well-being,
inclusion,
resilience,
equity,
development.
The wired plans at the service represent a significant shift
in the approach to supporting children with mental health concerns.
(28:24):
The senior staff,
in collaboration with families,
psychologists and professionals from the Child Youth
Mental Health Service at Hornsby Hospital,
devised an approach focusing on applying
self-regulation processes.
And these plans.
Created safe environments
(28:44):
which fostered understanding,
nurturing and support for children,
and I think through this example the service demonstrates their responsiveness
to children's trauma,
mental health and wellbeing.
And the plans developed through the WIEd program support children to feel safe
and emotionally secure
(29:06):
and further develop their capacity for self-regulation.
Fantastic.
So it's a beautiful example there of extending
children's understanding and self-awareness in terms of well-being.
Um,
how do you develop self-awareness for children,
you know,
very young children.
We have children from 6 weeks old in some,
uh,
long day cares.
Um,
how do you develop that in younger children?
(29:28):
I guess just,
um,
working closely with the families and being aware of the,
um,
undertaking those professional development plans and
will help build awareness of,
um,
signs and symptoms to look for in terms of supporting children.
But having those rich,
meaningful,
respectful
relationships with,
um,
with children and with their,
(29:50):
their families as well,
I think,
um,
really supports educators to
Be aware of the symptoms and also be aware of the supports available to,
um,
to support children.
Fantastic.
And that awareness and support can come
from many different professional development avenues,
as we've mentioned.
Thank you.
(30:11):
So how do we know that the new version of the National Quality Frameworks
will have a positive effect on early years education and outside school hours care?
We are seeing the impacts of the
implementation of the approved learning frameworks.
When you think about the assessment and rating data,
we now have 90% of services meeting or exceeding the national quality standard.
(30:37):
And as you know,
the approved learning frameworks fall under Quality Area 1,
which has always been the most challenging for services to meet.
And to see that now,
um,
90% of services are meeting or exceeding
gives me reassurance that
educators and service leaders are committed to implementing the frameworks.
(31:01):
And whilst we don't have,
Specific measures for children,
we know that,
um,
children,
from all of the research,
we know that children are benefiting from,
Rich
programs and,
um,
curriculum decisions being made by
highly
skilled and trained
(31:23):
teachers,
educators,
and service leaders.
Fantastic.
And will the assessment and ratings process be impacted
at all by the update in the frameworks?
As I mentioned,
from the 1st of February
2024,
the approved learning frameworks will be part
of the assessment and rating process.
(31:43):
So I imagine that authorized officers,
when they're doing the undertaking assessment and rating
visits,
will have
lots of conversations with educators and service leaders about
Um,
how they're strengthening
their documentation,
how they're embedding that cycle of planning,
how they've,
um,
identified the changes that need to occur
(32:06):
as a,
as part of implementing the updated frameworks.
Fantastic.
So we should be expecting educators to understand the new
frameworks and be able to demonstrate how they're implementing them.
So in terms of evidence,
what kind of evidence are you looking for as our national educational leader and
what kind of evidence will the assessment and ratings officers be looking for?
(32:28):
I think the guide to the National Quality Framework
is a great resource for educators and service leaders,
because
the NQF is such a transparent process.
There's no hidden agendas.
And,
um,
in the guide,
there's lots of examples of what an authorized officer might
want to observe,
(32:49):
what they might
want to discuss,
and what they might want to cite in terms of documentation.
And having been involved in,
um,
developing that,
that
guide many,
many years ago,
we were
focused on ensuring that it wasn't seen as a checklist,
and that's why we used words like,
(33:09):
um,
might,
because
it is about
empowering educators and service leaders to be able to
articulate
what they,
Uh,
doing in their services and showcase the great work
that happens every day for children and families.
And just being confident to talk about that,
(33:30):
and we particularly put it in that order,
observe,
because,
um,
quality practice you'll observe in,
um,
In services,
but there are lots of things you
won't necessarily observe like leadership and governance,
and so having those rich conversations,
and then,
um,
backing that up with the documentation.
(33:52):
So,
for example,
when authorized officers collect information
against the observed,
discuss,
and site.
They will triangulate that information
because for example you might have the best policies in the world,
but if they're not being implemented or not understood by educators
and not resulting in positive outcomes for children,
(34:13):
then they're not having that desired effect.
So it is important,
I think,
for
Educators and service leaders to think about how they'll
demonstrate it in a genuine and authentic way,
drawing on their professional knowledge,
but also their,
their knowledge of the children,
the families,
the community,
and the context
(34:34):
to,
um,
to think about examples.
To share with authorized officers.
I think that's really important.
Yeah.
And I like the way that you highlighted observations there
because not all staff members in early years or,
um,
outside our school care situations are responsible for documentation,
but everyone could be responsible for child safe practice and,
um,
empowerment practices.
(34:55):
So,
in terms of observations,
what would you like to see going into,
um,
an early years setting or an outside out school
setting in terms of empowerment opportunities for children?
I think that,
um,
yeah,
as I mentioned,
one of the key changes
is strengthening Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives.
And I see that when I visit services.
(35:18):
I see children leading acknowledgement
of country.
I,
I've had children.
Explain to me the colors of the Aboriginal flag.
Um,
I've seen children
sharing information with their families
about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of,
um,
knowing and doing and being.
And,
(35:38):
um,
I also,
um,
see children
leading learning and taking leadership roles in their services
and reflecting some of those,
um,
those changes that we see in the frameworks.
So are you expecting a significant change in
educator behavior from the updates and the frameworks?
(36:00):
I think that,
um,
the fact that
it was just a refresh and,
um,
it's building on
what's already happening in the services,
I think it is,
um,
empowering for educators to have
access to contemporary,
up to-date.
to inform their practices
(36:22):
and,
um,
and their programs.
And I think that's exciting.
I've been really inspired to see the level of engagement from
educators,
educational leaders,
and service leaders over the last 12 months in embedding.
The,
um,
the changes that have occurred in the approved learning frameworks,
(36:43):
looking at,
you know,
what that means in terms of their practice and programs,
and the,
the level of engagement and positive feedback,
I think,
too,
has been,
um,
inspiring.
And if there's any educators listening that are a bit nervous about the updates,
not sure where to start,
do you have a message for them?
I just think,
(37:04):
give it a go,
have confidence in your knowledge and your skill and your wisdom.
Reach out to others,
maybe in your organization,
it might be your educational leader or director or coordinator.
Um,
but also have a look on
the uh SQL website and other websites,
because there is lots of rich information to
(37:26):
help you on this journey and help.
You build your knowledge and skills.
But I do think
it is important for educators to reflect on the amazing achievements
of the previous 12 months and to be courageous in embracing these changes,
which are,
in the scheme of things,
pretty minimal and build on the great work
(37:49):
that's already happening in services across Australia.
Just to finish off our conversation then around empowerment
and voice and choice within the national quality frameworks and
the updates that have been applied and ready to get going in February 2024.
What is next for educators and providers?
Um,
where can they find that support?
(38:10):
Where can they expect to go in the next 12 months?
At a SQL,
we've developed a whole series of resources.
We've got some information sheets that unpack
the principles and practices and the learning outcomes for both the early years
learning framework and the my time Our Place framework for school aged care.
(38:31):
Um,
but we've also developed
a cahoot game
and um a matching game to raise awareness of the changes
with the approved learning frameworks,
um,
but also state and territory regulatory authorities have some,
Resources,
as do other peak organizations.
So there's lots of,
um,
freely available resources to support educators and service leaders
(38:55):
in this important journey.
Fantastic.
Can you tell me a bit more about the,
uh,
suite of resources that Sequel have available?
Absolutely.
We've,
um,
worked on a number of different resources to support
educators and service leaders understand and implement the changes
to the approved learning frameworks,
and they're all accessible from the SSQL website.
(39:17):
They include information sheets on the vision,
the practice and principles and learning outcomes,
as well as a really helpful summary table on the changes
that occurred as part of the National Quality Framework review.
And we've developed um a set of information sheets on
other topics related to each of the seven quality areas,
(39:40):
as well as educational games,
case studies and some videos.
And we'd really encourage everyone to,
uh,
if they haven't already done so,
subscribe to the ASEA newsletter.
It's a great opportunity to share stories of educators and service
leaders who are doing amazing things in the sector.
(40:01):
And we'd encourage people to follow our Facebook page
to make sure that they're receiving the most up to-date
information on the resources that we have to offer.
And can I also suggest you
um check your state and territory regulatory Authority website,
because that's another great source of information.
(40:21):
And as the regulators for quality and compliance,
they will be able to provide state and territory
specific information to support services.
And finally,
we always welcome and encourage educators,
educational leaders,
providers,
service leaders,
children and families
(40:42):
to reach out to ASEA for information,
guidance,
and resources under the National Quality Framework.
We've also got a starting blocks website
for families,
and that's a great source of information for,
um,
educators and service leaders in supporting families as well.
(41:03):
Fantastic.
And we'll put all of the links to all the ways that,
um,
educators can find professional development,
support,
and all the ways that people can contact us equer in the show notes for this.
Thank you again for the invitation to speak,
Katie.
I just love talking about the approved learning frameworks,
but also,
it's a great opportunity to acknowledge the,
um,
the work that happens every day in services.
(41:27):
Uh across Australia and the commitment of
educators,
educational leaders,
service leaders,
and approved providers.
Thank you.
A real pleasure,
Rhonda.
Thank you.
Thank you to Rhonda Livingston.
You can go online anytime to the Office of the Children's Guardian's
website and access free tools and resources to help children be safe.
(41:49):
Just click the Training and Resources tab.
Do you want to know how well you're doing with applying the standards?
Why not try the Child Safe self-assessment?
Managers and leaders,
as well as employees or volunteers can spend 30 minutes answering a few basic
questions and then be sent a tailored response showing what they're doing well,
any areas of improvement,
and how they can access resources to help them.
(42:12):
Don't forget that the child safe self
assessment and all the OCG's training resources,
including the Safe Set protective Behaviors program for
2 to 6 year olds are completely free.
All the resources we've discussed in this episode are in the show notes.
My name's Casey Street,
thank you for listening.
Hello and welcome to this podcast from the office of the Children's Guardian,
funded by the New South Wales Department of
Education under its safety and Quality practice program.
The name of this episode is Voice and Choice,
The Importance of Empowerment in Early Childhood and school-aged Care Settings,
and we split it into two parts.
This first part explores how both national learning frameworks that cover
(00:25):
quality program delivery in early childhood and school aged care settings,
being,
belonging and becoming,
and my time Our Place,
have recently been updated to promote
empowerment opportunities through Voice and Choice
and how this links to the New South Wales Child Safe scheme.
The second part released separately focuses on how the changes in
the frameworks will directly affect early education and care policy and practice
(00:48):
to promote voice and choice in early education and care settings.
Since 2012,
there have been two national approved learning frameworks available under the
National Quality Framework for Early Education and school aged care,
and both of these were refreshed in 2023 following a partnership and
assessment process with Macquarie University on
behalf of all Australian governments.
(01:10):
The New South Wales government introduced the Child Safe scheme and the 10 Child
Safe Standards in February 2022 as a
framework for organizations to keep children safer.
Standard two places a particular importance on empowering children,
which fits well with the pedagogy of child-centered learning in
the national quality framework and the values of modern educators.
(01:31):
My guest is the perfect person to explain the updates in the frameworks
and what these mean for the practice of early education and care professionals.
Rhonda Livingstone is the national educational leader with
the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority,
or a SEA,
the name you're probably more familiar with.
Rhonda was a key player in the update of the early years learning framework.
She also leads the teams responsible for
(01:52):
promoting and recognizing quality educational programs,
practices and policies
and supports the sector and authorized officers to
build a shared understanding of and commitment to
implementing and administering the national quality.
Framework and continuous quality improvement.
Rhonda's extensive involvement in the National
Quality Agenda reform saw her contribute
to the development of the National Quality Standard and its guide,
(02:14):
assessment and rating tools and processes,
the training and testing program for authorized officers,
and the refresh of the National Approved Learning framework.
So Rhonda,
let's kick off with a very big question.
um,
can you give me some background on how the curriculum update was developed?
Firstly,
I'd like to thank you,
Katie,
(02:34):
and the team from the office,
the Children's Guardian for inviting me to speak with you today.
I'm really excited to have the opportunity
to talk about the approved learning frameworks,
and in particular,
the importance of giving children a voice and choice
in decisions that affect them.
And in relation to
the background to the curriculum updates,
(02:57):
as you know,
we have two nationally approved
Learning frameworks,
belonging,
being,
becoming the early years learning framework and my time,
our Place framework for school aged care.
And both frameworks outline principles and practices and learning outcomes
that guide educational leaders and educators
(03:18):
in their curriculum decision making.
And in 2021,
Australia's 9 education
Ministers commissioned an update of the frameworks,
and we know that the 2012 frameworks still held relevance as
they proved integral to the success of the National Quality Framework
(03:41):
for close to a decade.
And throughout the stakeholder consultation,
it was determined
that we needed to bring current and contemporary practices
and research in line with the frameworks.
So these documents just required an update.
So when you say contemporary practices,
(04:02):
what kinds of things are you referring to here?
Just thinking about how the sector has grown and developed
in the,
um,
the time since
the NQF implementation in 2012,
we just recognized that the approved learning frameworks needed a refresh to
bring them in line with what we were seeing in the sector.
(04:23):
And a good example of that,
I think,
is embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives.
And it's just so refreshing to see
services and children,
uh,
you know,
acknowledging in genuine and authentic ways,
the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditional custodians of the land.
And that is one of the areas that the,
(04:43):
the frameworks were strengthened in.
Mm.
Now,
obviously,
everybody in early years is very passionate about
bringing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives,
cultures,
um,
experiences into learning experiences for the children of Australia.
So,
obviously,
there was a lot of consultation in terms
of bringing that to life within the curriculum.
How did the consultation process work there?
(05:04):
There was lots of consultation and national
consortium.
Led by a partnership between Macquarie University,
Queensland University of Technology,
and Edith Cowan,
they were engaged by a SEQA on behalf of the nine governments
to deliver the 2021 National Quality Framework
(05:24):
update,
and the project was delivered over three stages.
So stages 1 and 2 included a literature review,
surveys,
and stakeholder feedback on the discussion paper.
And these stages highlighted the strengths of the original
um
learning frameworks and identified areas where they could be improved.
(05:48):
So potential areas for improving the original
frameworks were explored in the discussion paper,
and they aimed at
strengthening the connection between the frameworks
and the national quality standard.
In areas such as transitions,
sustainability,
theoretical approaches,
(06:09):
critical reflection,
inclusion,
and the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of being,
knowing,
and doing,
as I mentioned earlier.
And the third stage was a pilot of the framework,
and that
Happened across 16
really diverse services,
and the rich feedback gathered
(06:32):
from the involved services informed the final version of both frameworks.
And the,
um,
original national learning frameworks have remained
in operation alongside the updated frameworks,
and the updated frameworks will be mandated from the 1st of February 2024.
(06:52):
And so this is really um enabled
approved providers,
educational leaders,
service leaders and educators
a a whole year to transition to the new frameworks.
Mm,
OK.
So,
when we think of voice and choice in the curriculum,
um,
in
early years daily practice,
from my experience,
(07:13):
I know the experience of a lot of people listening to this,
voice and choice is something that early years educators,
uh,
really value.
We do very well.
We try and get the children involved as
much as possible in their learning opportunities.
So,
between the original
Learning framework and a new one,
what were kind of the aims in terms of pushing
the envelope on the voice and choice aspects there?
(07:34):
I think a strength of the national quality framework for me
is that it,
the view of children as capable and competent
agents of change,
decision makers,
educators and children were consulted in
The 1st and 2nd stage of the project,
and there were
(07:55):
Almost 3500 responses to the online survey,
65 responses to written submissions,
and children and young people's voices.
So children aged between 2 and 12 years were,
um,
were presented.
Through drawings and written responses,
(08:16):
and we received
almost 160 responses as part of that process to ensure
that we had children's voices
in that process and,
and young people's as well.
Fantastic.
Were there any submissions from children that surprised you?
Um,
there were some amazing
(08:36):
examples of practice that really,
um,
I,
I guess not so much surprised me,
but
inspired me.
There was one example of,
um,
some children
in a service,
and they had made a relationship with a,
a neighbor who was,
um,
elderly,
and she was unable to
pick the fruit from her plum tree in the backyard,
(08:59):
and the children.
Um,
nurtured that relationship,
and they would go down and collect the plums,
came back to the service,
made plum jam,
and gave,
um,
Ruby back
some plum jam.
So,
uh,
a great example of sustainability,
and as you know,
in the approved learning frameworks,
(09:19):
the refreshed
version.
Um,
they look at the broadened view of sustainability,
so not just environmental,
but also social and economic.
So that was a great example,
I thought,
of,
um,
children
being active citizens in their community,
but also giving back to their community.
That is really wonderful.
(09:40):
What a gorgeous example.
Now,
what about when you spoke to the educators,
the people on the ground,
what were they looking for from an updated framework?
There was a lot of support for the framework.
It was still considered to be fit for purpose,
and still,
um,
considered to be a flexible guideline
to empower them to use their professional judgment in terms of,
(10:04):
um,
curriculum decision making.
But I think also,
I think there's a valuing
of the frameworks because they acknowledge that educators and services.
Leaders
know their children and their families and their communities
better probably than anyone else,
and they're empowered to
meet the standards and implement the frameworks in a way that's
(10:26):
genuine,
authentic,
and relevant for those,
um,
stakeholders.
Beautiful.
I can tell that really inspires you,
hearing from our nation's educators and being able
to see what they value in their practice.
I think it is amazing,
um,
across the early childhood sector,
and just recently,
I've had a couple of opportunities,
(10:48):
um,
to showcase the work of educators and service leaders.
One was in Portugal for the European Early Childhood Research Association,
where,
um,
some members of Consortium,
and my colleague Craig and I,
um,
talked about the refresh of the Early Years learning framework.
And,
um,
we had such positive feedback
(11:11):
from our international colleagues around the work
that's happening in Australia.
And it's,
and,
you know,
I
want to call out and acknowledge the hard work of
educators,
service leaders,
educational leaders,
and approved providers.
I think
Um,
they have done an amazing job,
and I know it's been a tough year,
(11:32):
tough couple of years with COVID,
but what we saw
during those difficult times was an amazing commitment,
not only to children and families,
but also to communities as well.
Fantastic.
Now you mentioned a bit of a travel there,
over to Portugal.
Did you take inspiration from any,
um,
learning frameworks from across the world at all in terms of updating our one?
(11:56):
Certainly in the literature review,
there was a review of,
um,
many international curriculums.
And,
um,
I've talked with colleagues across the world,
and of course it's all contextual.
It needs to be relevant for
the,
um,
for the children and the families and the communities and the culture and,
um,
(12:17):
Uh,
every
service is different,
but we have certainly drawn from a lot of those,
um,
those different learning frameworks.
And,
um,
I know in the,
when we were developing the National Quality Standard,
I
had the,
the privilege.
To,
um,
(12:37):
to visit Reggio Emilia,
for example,
and,
um,
you know,
just looking at the,
the,
the approved learning frameworks and the National Quality Standard,
you can see elements of,
of that curriculum,
um,
framework.
And,
you know,
for example,
educational leaders reflect that sort of pedagogistic approach in,
uh,
Reggio Emilia.
(12:59):
So certainly,
the frameworks have been informed by
the exciting work that's happening,
um,
Internationally as well.
Yeah,
beautiful.
Now in mainstream education,
we've also just had an update of the,
um,
K to 12 curriculum there.
Um,
how does our new,
uh,
early learning framework,
(13:19):
is there any crossover with the mainstream curriculum at all?
That was one of the terms of reference of the,
the,
um,
consortium when they
led the review process to look at the alignment with the Australian curriculum.
The
version 9.
And so a lot of work was undertaken to ensure
consistency of language,
(13:39):
and
that early childhood was seen
as,
um,
you know,
part of the education
continuum and contributing significantly,
uh,
in terms of supporting children during their critical year,
years of life,
but also
Acknowledging the importance of the transition,
um,
to the schooling sector.
(14:00):
Absolutely.
So maybe if we just go back to,
um,
consultations that you had on your global travels,
um,
what kind of feedback did you have from educators overseas about our own,
uh,
practices,
our own frameworks?
So the anecdotal feedback that we received,
um,
at the European Early Childhood Research Association conference in Lisbon
(14:23):
was that Australia was a world leader in many aspects
of the work,
not just the approved learning frameworks,
but also recognized.
the work that is happening across the sector and across governments and with
approved providers in terms of the workforce strategy and planning
for a high quality,
(14:44):
sustainable workforce as well.
That must make you very proud.
I think,
um,
again,
it is down to the work of educators and service leaders
and educational leaders and the
commitments of governments and peak organizations
and organizations like ASSEQA that
have,
um,
demonstrated a commitment to quality early childhood education and care.
(15:08):
And,
um,
and it's exciting to see that that commitment has lasted over more than a decade
and seems to be getting stronger.
Would it be accurate to say that we're in the middle of
some active social change around developing the early years sector and,
um,
I guess increasing the level of professionalism as
as other people see it?
(15:29):
I guess the number of reviews that are currently
underway suggests that there's a lot of interest in
early childhood education and care and thinking about,
um,
quality,
accessibility
and affordability for families as well.
So we It's really exciting that I know it's been
hard work for the sector in terms of lots of work
(15:50):
responding to these reviews,
but I think it's a really positive thing that,
um,
governments
and others are showing their commitment to
the early years.
And there,
and school aged care,
and also
developing a really strong evidence base to inform decisions which
will impact on the sector for decades to come.
(16:13):
Mm.
And in terms of that impact for the children that are living that and going
through and being part of the reviews and being part of this updated curriculum,
what do you hope is going to be the impact on them?
I think it's really empowering for children,
and,
you know,
I think that,
um,
Children are our future,
and if we
listen to them,
they have such insightful,
(16:35):
wise,
um,
offerings in terms of
what early childhood will look like into the future,
and school aged care.
I think it's really important
to,
um,
to listen to their voices.
And
as I mentioned,
they were captured in the drawings,
and they,
Identified through that process
(16:56):
the importance of play and relationships
on the overall engagement with the service.
And close to 80 children identified that activities in the program
was the most important thing for them.
So I think,
again,
I call out to the
educators and service leaders,
um,
for the work that they do in making those
(17:18):
programs so engaging and interesting.
But also supporting children's learning and development.
I think that's a really important point.
We know that play is very important in terms of,
um,
developing learning and understanding of the world in early years.
And we also know that relationships with children
are important in terms of empowering them.
But how do play and relationships actually
(17:38):
work together to benefit children's empowerment?
I guess it's really important for educators to have strong,
respectful,
genuine partnership relationships with children.
It's not a one way.
It's a,
you know,
I see them as co-constructors of,
um,
knowledge and learning,
and also,
you know,
recognizing that,
(17:59):
um,
the guidance and direction and
planning that educators and service leaders do.
To ensure that play is meaningful and
every learning opportunity,
whether it be through a play or a,
uh,
you know,
a routine
experience for a child,
the learning opportunities are maximized in that process.
(18:22):
My next question is about,
um,
is about getting into detail of the framework.
So what are some of the ways in which the updated
framework supports children to be active participants in their learning?
I guess the practices of learning through play
and intentional teaching.
Combined to reflect the modern understandings of the child and the educator,
(18:44):
and how they work together to intentionally,
um support play and learning and development.
And during the 3rd phase of the um update,
the consortium piloted
the potential updates.
In 16 early childhood education and care and
(19:05):
outside school hours care services across Australia.
And they were really diverse,
um,
service,
services,
and
they engaged with educators and children and young people
to gather their feedback on the proposed changes.
And that feedback was used to inform the recommendations to government.
(19:26):
And a sequel on areas of improvement
and how the changes would be best implemented.
And throughout that stage,
3,
16 approved providers,
106 educators,
and
approximately 160 children
and young people were involved
(19:46):
in providing feedback in that process.
And one example of,
um,
the rich feedback was shared by
a family daycare leader.
And,
um,
they expressed the need for children to be actively
involved in assessing and documenting their own learning.
And that was reinforced by the children's feedback,
(20:08):
which stated that they really enjoyed being able to share
what they liked,
and,
um,
what they wanted to have included in the learning program.
Fantastic.
And that's a really great lived example of how
we're involving children in decisions that affect them,
right?
Why is that so important for educators to do that?
I think it's really important because capturing the voices of children
(20:32):
has ensured a genuine respect,
recognition.
An acknowledgement of children's views on decisions that have
a direct impact on them.
Fantastic.
Now,
in the original framework,
and now in our update of the framework,
um,
we've got the phrase capable and competent learners.
(20:52):
What does that actually look like in our early years spaces?
To me,
that's one of the most exciting things about the National Quality Framework.
Um,
when I did my initial training many,
many,
many,
many,
many years ago,
um,
there was a,
a,
a,
you know,
a fairly deficit model of the view of the child,
looking at
their needs,
(21:13):
developmental needs,
um,
and planning around that.
And to me,
this is a much more strength-based,
positive way
of looking at children and acknowledging
their The,
um,
their rights,
but also
their capacities to be agents for change.
And we've seen that in many,
(21:33):
many examples.
Um,
I catch the ferry into Circular Quay
every morning and I look up and see the
Aboriginal flag flying on the Sydney Harbor Bridge,
and I think about the children who,
um,
you know,
many people advocated for that,
but some children in,
in a preschool
service wrote to,
um,
(21:53):
the Premier and,
um,
Uh,
acknowledge the importance of flying the flag,
and so there are many,
many examples I think of,
in our communities where children's voices have been
taken seriously and they have
made significant improvements,
um,
to,
Communities,
(22:14):
which I think,
um,
it's
great to celebrate those.
And that's one of the things that I really
enjoy in my work is that we get to tell those stories and to acknowledge that
incredible contribution that they're making as active
citizens in their communities,
but also agents for change.
Oh,
what a lovely story.
I got goosebumps when you were telling that.
(22:36):
That's amazing.
And what a fantastic thing for children to be a part of and to be able to
see their thoughts and views reflected in their world,
in their community.
Fantastic.
Um,
that's amazing.
Um,
now,
I just want to pop over to learning outcome 3,
specifically,
um,
because it
(22:57):
interests me,
not just in terms of
involving children as being active participants in their learning,
but also
in the well-being space.
There's been a lot of focus put on trauma informed.
Practice in the early years,
in recent years,
um,
and in school aged care and understanding it
and encouraging it to help children who have
been affected by trauma access learning better.
(23:17):
So what does that,
what does trauma informed practice look like in the National Quality Framework?
I guess,
um,
well-being has been a focus of the frameworks since
they were developed,
um,
and implemented way back in
Um,
2012,
and
the frameworks continue to draw on
the robust Australian and international evidence
(23:40):
that confirms that early childhood is a vital period
in children's continuing learning development and well-being.
And of course keeping children
safe and secure
is at the forefront of our work in the education and care sector,
and it's reflected in the National Quality framework,
and it's reflected in the legislation,
(24:02):
and the best practice
framework as well
in terms of the NQS.
Um,
in the recent National Quality Framework review,
governments decided to introduce some additional specific measures
to improve child safety and com
and meet community expectations in terms of the well-being of children.
(24:26):
And these changes ensure the NQF remains current,
and that approved providers and services embed the child safe principles
into their organizations and into their service operations as well.
And along with the refresh,
there's a recognition that some children who attend services
(24:47):
may not have experienced
safe and supportive family environments.
And in response to this,
educators enact trauma informed practices
to enhance and support children's learning and development.
And I guess when we talk about trauma informed practice,
it's been,
it's a responsive approach
(25:09):
that's made possible by
awareness of the impact of trauma
on children's learning development and well-being.
And it also includes recognizing the signs and symptoms of trauma in children.
And responding by making places and
relationships feel safe and supportive to children
(25:30):
and helping children to develop their capacity
for emotional regulation.
It might feel to some educators like a big responsibility to,
um,
upskill in that area.
So for educators that feel they do need a bit more support,
where can they find some professional development to help with that?
Um,
there's lots of organizations that provide,
(25:51):
um,
professional development,
and also,
um,
I think having
networks of,
um,
services and educators and service leaders
to share
information with other
professionals,
I think,
um,
promotes that holistic and consistent approach
to enhancing.
Children's wellbeing.
(26:11):
We know the importance of,
um,
well-being for educators as well as children and families.
And,
um,
there are lots of examples of
organizations that provide training.
For example,
the Office of the Children's Guardian,
the Human Rights,
Australian Human Rights Commission has information on their website.
(26:33):
Um,
a big shout out to the BU program at the Emerging Minds program.
The Australian Institute of Family Studies also has some really
useful information,
and I know the,
um,
Alanna and Madeleine Foundation are also looking into,
um,
trauma informed practices and
supporting educators in the important role that they play.
(26:56):
Fantastic.
I like that you mentioned the Office of the Children's Guardian Resources there.
Fantastic.
And of course,
we've got the inclusion for the first time in the early
years framework of personal safety strategies being taught to children.
What are your thoughts on the OCG Safe Se program?
How do you think that fits in with teaching those strategies?
I think it's a great professional development opportunity,
(27:17):
and I would really encourage educators and service leaders to
reach out to the um enormous amount of um supports available,
and even regulatory authorities,
state and territory regulatory authorities um have information on
their website to support this important role that,
Educators and service leaders play in children and families' lives.
(27:40):
The office of the Children's Guardian's Safe Se Protective Behaviors
program is a great example of a resource to support,
Educators and service leaders,
particularly in
the learning outcome 3.
I just wanted to share a recent example of a,
of trauma informed practice in action that's demonstrated in Warrawee
(28:03):
Care Center,
and their implementation of their WIAD,
and WIA stands for well-being,
inclusion,
resilience,
equity,
development.
The wired plans at the service represent a significant shift
in the approach to supporting children with mental health concerns.
(28:24):
The senior staff,
in collaboration with families,
psychologists and professionals from the Child Youth
Mental Health Service at Hornsby Hospital,
devised an approach focusing on applying
self-regulation processes.
And these plans.
Created safe environments
(28:44):
which fostered understanding,
nurturing and support for children,
and I think through this example the service demonstrates their responsiveness
to children's trauma,
mental health and wellbeing.
And the plans developed through the WIEd program support children to feel safe
and emotionally secure
(29:06):
and further develop their capacity for self-regulation.
Fantastic.
So it's a beautiful example there of extending
children's understanding and self-awareness in terms of well-being.
Um,
how do you develop self-awareness for children,
you know,
very young children.
We have children from 6 weeks old in some,
uh,
long day cares.
Um,
how do you develop that in younger children?
(29:28):
I guess just,
um,
working closely with the families and being aware of the,
um,
undertaking those professional development plans and
will help build awareness of,
um,
signs and symptoms to look for in terms of supporting children.
But having those rich,
meaningful,
respectful
relationships with,
um,
with children and with their,
(29:50):
their families as well,
I think,
um,
really supports educators to
Be aware of the symptoms and also be aware of the supports available to,
um,
to support children.
Fantastic.
And that awareness and support can come
from many different professional development avenues,
as we've mentioned.
Thank you.
(30:11):
So how do we know that the new version of the National Quality Frameworks
will have a positive effect on early years education and outside school hours care?
We are seeing the impacts of the
implementation of the approved learning frameworks.
When you think about the assessment and rating data,
we now have 90% of services meeting or exceeding the national quality standard.
(30:37):
And as you know,
the approved learning frameworks fall under Quality Area 1,
which has always been the most challenging for services to meet.
And to see that now,
um,
90% of services are meeting or exceeding
gives me reassurance that
educators and service leaders are committed to implementing the frameworks.
(31:01):
And whilst we don't have,
Specific measures for children,
we know that,
um,
children,
from all of the research,
we know that children are benefiting from,
Rich
programs and,
um,
curriculum decisions being made by
highly
skilled and trained
(31:23):
teachers,
educators,
and service leaders.
Fantastic.
And will the assessment and ratings process be impacted
at all by the update in the frameworks?
As I mentioned,
from the 1st of February
2024,
the approved learning frameworks will be part
of the assessment and rating process.
(31:43):
So I imagine that authorized officers,
when they're doing the undertaking assessment and rating
visits,
will have
lots of conversations with educators and service leaders about
Um,
how they're strengthening
their documentation,
how they're embedding that cycle of planning,
how they've,
um,
identified the changes that need to occur
(32:06):
as a,
as part of implementing the updated frameworks.
Fantastic.
So we should be expecting educators to understand the new
frameworks and be able to demonstrate how they're implementing them.
So in terms of evidence,
what kind of evidence are you looking for as our national educational leader and
what kind of evidence will the assessment and ratings officers be looking for?
(32:28):
I think the guide to the National Quality Framework
is a great resource for educators and service leaders,
because
the NQF is such a transparent process.
There's no hidden agendas.
And,
um,
in the guide,
there's lots of examples of what an authorized officer might
want to observe,
(32:49):
what they might
want to discuss,
and what they might want to cite in terms of documentation.
And having been involved in,
um,
developing that,
that
guide many,
many years ago,
we were
focused on ensuring that it wasn't seen as a checklist,
and that's why we used words like,
(33:09):
um,
might,
because
it is about
empowering educators and service leaders to be able to
articulate
what they,
Uh,
doing in their services and showcase the great work
that happens every day for children and families.
And just being confident to talk about that,
(33:30):
and we particularly put it in that order,
observe,
because,
um,
quality practice you'll observe in,
um,
In services,
but there are lots of things you
won't necessarily observe like leadership and governance,
and so having those rich conversations,
and then,
um,
backing that up with the documentation.
(33:52):
So,
for example,
when authorized officers collect information
against the observed,
discuss,
and site.
They will triangulate that information
because for example you might have the best policies in the world,
but if they're not being implemented or not understood by educators
and not resulting in positive outcomes for children,
(34:13):
then they're not having that desired effect.
So it is important,
I think,
for
Educators and service leaders to think about how they'll
demonstrate it in a genuine and authentic way,
drawing on their professional knowledge,
but also their,
their knowledge of the children,
the families,
the community,
and the context
(34:34):
to,
um,
to think about examples.
To share with authorized officers.
I think that's really important.
Yeah.
And I like the way that you highlighted observations there
because not all staff members in early years or,
um,
outside our school care situations are responsible for documentation,
but everyone could be responsible for child safe practice and,
um,
empowerment practices.
(34:55):
So,
in terms of observations,
what would you like to see going into,
um,
an early years setting or an outside out school
setting in terms of empowerment opportunities for children?
I think that,
um,
yeah,
as I mentioned,
one of the key changes
is strengthening Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives.
And I see that when I visit services.
(35:18):
I see children leading acknowledgement
of country.
I,
I've had children.
Explain to me the colors of the Aboriginal flag.
Um,
I've seen children
sharing information with their families
about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of,
um,
knowing and doing and being.
And,
(35:38):
um,
I also,
um,
see children
leading learning and taking leadership roles in their services
and reflecting some of those,
um,
those changes that we see in the frameworks.
So are you expecting a significant change in
educator behavior from the updates and the frameworks?
(36:00):
I think that,
um,
the fact that
it was just a refresh and,
um,
it's building on
what's already happening in the services,
I think it is,
um,
empowering for educators to have
access to contemporary,
up to-date.
to inform their practices
(36:22):
and,
um,
and their programs.
And I think that's exciting.
I've been really inspired to see the level of engagement from
educators,
educational leaders,
and service leaders over the last 12 months in embedding.
The,
um,
the changes that have occurred in the approved learning frameworks,
(36:43):
looking at,
you know,
what that means in terms of their practice and programs,
and the,
the level of engagement and positive feedback,
I think,
too,
has been,
um,
inspiring.
And if there's any educators listening that are a bit nervous about the updates,
not sure where to start,
do you have a message for them?
I just think,
(37:04):
give it a go,
have confidence in your knowledge and your skill and your wisdom.
Reach out to others,
maybe in your organization,
it might be your educational leader or director or coordinator.
Um,
but also have a look on
the uh SQL website and other websites,
because there is lots of rich information to
(37:26):
help you on this journey and help.
You build your knowledge and skills.
But I do think
it is important for educators to reflect on the amazing achievements
of the previous 12 months and to be courageous in embracing these changes,
which are,
in the scheme of things,
pretty minimal and build on the great work
(37:49):
that's already happening in services across Australia.
Just to finish off our conversation then around empowerment
and voice and choice within the national quality frameworks and
the updates that have been applied and ready to get going in February 2024.
What is next for educators and providers?
Um,
where can they find that support?
(38:10):
Where can they expect to go in the next 12 months?
At a SQL,
we've developed a whole series of resources.
We've got some information sheets that unpack
the principles and practices and the learning outcomes for both the early years
learning framework and the my time Our Place framework for school aged care.
(38:31):
Um,
but we've also developed
a cahoot game
and um a matching game to raise awareness of the changes
with the approved learning frameworks,
um,
but also state and territory regulatory authorities have some,
Resources,
as do other peak organizations.
So there's lots of,
um,
freely available resources to support educators and service leaders
(38:55):
in this important journey.
Fantastic.
Can you tell me a bit more about the,
uh,
suite of resources that Sequel have available?
Absolutely.
We've,
um,
worked on a number of different resources to support
educators and service leaders understand and implement the changes
to the approved learning frameworks,
and they're all accessible from the SSQL website.
(39:17):
They include information sheets on the vision,
the practice and principles and learning outcomes,
as well as a really helpful summary table on the changes
that occurred as part of the National Quality Framework review.
And we've developed um a set of information sheets on
other topics related to each of the seven quality areas,
(39:40):
as well as educational games,
case studies and some videos.
And we'd really encourage everyone to,
uh,
if they haven't already done so,
subscribe to the ASEA newsletter.
It's a great opportunity to share stories of educators and service
leaders who are doing amazing things in the sector.
(40:01):
And we'd encourage people to follow our Facebook page
to make sure that they're receiving the most up to-date
information on the resources that we have to offer.
And can I also suggest you
um check your state and territory regulatory Authority website,
because that's another great source of information.
(40:21):
And as the regulators for quality and compliance,
they will be able to provide state and territory
specific information to support services.
And finally,
we always welcome and encourage educators,
educational leaders,
providers,
service leaders,
children and families
(40:42):
to reach out to ASEA for information,
guidance,
and resources under the National Quality Framework.
We've also got a starting blocks website
for families,
and that's a great source of information for,
um,
educators and service leaders in supporting families as well.
(41:03):
Fantastic.
And we'll put all of the links to all the ways that,
um,
educators can find professional development,
support,
and all the ways that people can contact us equer in the show notes for this.
Thank you again for the invitation to speak,
Katie.
I just love talking about the approved learning frameworks,
but also,
it's a great opportunity to acknowledge the,
um,
the work that happens every day in services.
(41:27):
Uh across Australia and the commitment of
educators,
educational leaders,
service leaders,
and approved providers.
Thank you.
A real pleasure,
Rhonda.
Thank you.
Thank you to Rhonda Livingston.
You can go online anytime to the Office of the Children's Guardian's
website and access free tools and resources to help children be safe.
(41:49):
Just click the Training and Resources tab.
Do you want to know how well you're doing with applying the standards?
Why not try the Child Safe self-assessment?
Managers and leaders,
as well as employees or volunteers can spend 30 minutes answering a few basic
questions and then be sent a tailored response showing what they're doing well,
any areas of improvement,
and how they can access resources to help them.
(42:12):
Don't forget that the child safe self
assessment and all the OCG's training resources,
including the Safe Set protective Behaviors program for
2 to 6 year olds are completely free.
All the resources we've discussed in this episode are in the show notes.
My name's Casey Street,
thank you for listening.
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