Early Edition Winter 2013 by Australian Childcare Alliance Queensland

CHILDCARE QUEENSLAND NEWS - WINTER 2013

Bringing the World into your Space through Incursions CHILDREN DON'T NEED TRICKERY TO EAT WELL Supporting young children on the Autism Spectrum Things to Think About Before you Recruit National Quality Framework hits Milestones How AEDI can Benefit your Centre

Marketing & Communicating with Technology 2013 CQ NATIONAL ConferencE Integrating Early Childhood Teachers into Long Day Care Sustainability Across Your service How efficient are you? Right of Entry

CHILDCARE QUEENSLAND NEWS - WINTER 2013

CHILDCARE QUEENSLAND NEWS - winter 2013

Execu ve

Commi ee Members

President Peter Price

Brent Stokes

Vice President John Keast

Majella Fitzsimmons Fiona Haber

Message from Childcare Queensland President

Treasurer Graham Sagar

Chris ne Mayer

Message from Childcare Queensland CEO

Katy Paton

Secretary Debra North

Bringing the World Into Your Space Through Incursions

Kerrie Lada

Children Don’t Need Trickery to Eat Well

Suppor ng Young Children on the Au sm Spectrum

Things to Think About Before You Recruit

CEO Gwynn Bridge

Jae Fraser

Queensland

Na onal Quality Framework Hits Milestones

How AEDI Can Benefit Your Centre

Telephone: (07) 3808 2366

Marke ng & Communica ng With Technology

Fax: (07) 3808 2466

2013 CQ Na onal Conference

Integra ng Early Childhood Teachers Into Long Day Care

Email: info@childcarequeensland.com.au

Sustainability Across Your Service

CEO: Gwynn Bridge

How Eﬃcient Are You?

General Manager: James Blake

Right of Entry

Associate Member Directory

Loca on: 11/6 Vanessa Boulevard, Springwood Mailing: PO Box 137, Springwood QLD 4127

Toll Free: 1300 365 325 (outside Brisbane) Web: www.childcareqld.org.au

Senior Oﬃce Administrator: Jen Smyth

Editorial Editor: Mija Kovacic Contributors: Peter Price, Gwynn Bridge Disclaimer: Ar cles published in this magazine are published as a service to readers and should not be subs tuted for specific advice in rela on to any issue. While adver sing in this magazine is encouraged, Childcare Queensland accepts no responsibility for the contents of the adver sements. Adver sements are accepted in good faith and liability for adver sing content, goods or services supplied is the responsibility of the adver ser.

mESSAGE FROM

childcare queensland president, Peter Price

hildcare Queensland (CQ) has had an extremely busy start to 2013. We would like to thank all of our members who have renewed for the 2013-14 associa on year. A unified sector in Queensland is vital as we approach important milestones such as the extension of the Na onal Partnership on Early Childhood Educa on (NP ECE) and the Federal Elec on in September. CQ held Member Mee ngs in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Cairns, Ipswich and Toowoomba between March and May to discuss current occupancy rates, the release of Staying Healthy in Childcare, changes to inclusion support payments, assessment and ra ng experiences, release of the Australian Early Development Index and the controversial Early Years Quality Fund.

• Establishing nine informal teacher networks across Queensland to provide local peer support for teachers in long day care; and

I want to thank those members who shared their experiences during their recent assessment and ra ngs visits. This first hand intelligence is not only vital to prepare our colleagues for their own visits, but is also important for CQ to iden fy inconsistencies or flaws in the assessment and ra ng process and report these back to the Queensland Government and ACECQA.

• ‘Deadly Ears’ Indigenous Ear Health Seminar (July 2013)

I also want to thank our team for the release of ‘ Teachers and Long Day Care – A guide to be er human resources prac ces’. I believe this guide is a rich resource that will support Members reflec ng on their current human resources and industrial rela ons prac ces and save you considerable me when accessing informa on about the modern award for teachers. The Kindergarten Advisory Support Service (KASS), operated by Childcare Queensland and funded by the Queensland and Australian Governments under the NP ECE, is due to conclude on 30 June 2013. CQ has received in-principle agreement from the Queensland Government for a further 18-month contract extension to con nue this valued service. Highlights during the first 18-months have included: • Conduc ng more than 425 ‘in-service’ consulta ons with long day care centres to support their funding applica on to the Queensland Kindergarten Funding Scheme (QKFS); • Delivering nine workshops (Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Gladstone, Ipswich and Toowoomba) delivered by the Queensland University of Technology to discuss the challenges of integra ng teachers into LDC;

• Launching of the KASS Buddy Project to support new or transi oning teachers into long day care by providing an experienced early childhood teacher as a mentor. Upcoming events and milestones include: • Release of Making Kindergarten Count - A guide to inspira onal learning experiences (June 2013) • CQ Annual General Mee ng (17 June 2013) • 2013 CQ Na onal Conference. Registra ons are now open (20-22 September 2013). • Early Childhood Educators Day (4 September 2013) CQ is proud of the value it provides for Members and we hope to keep up the good work as we head towards Conference 2013. See you on the Gold Coast! Best wishes,

Peter Price President – Childcare Queensland

mESSAGE FROM

childcare queensland ceo and australIAN CHILDCARE ALLIANCE PRESIDENT, gwynn bridge

o-body wins unless everybody wins. A member has sent through this tle in rela on to the Early Years Quality Fund (EYQF) Grant.

As we all know, the Australian Government Treasurer and Deputy PM, Wayne Swan MP is a dedicated Bruce Springsteen follower; these words are the lead-in to his famous song “Born to run”. Very apt, if only he would take note! The primary topic throughout the past few months has been the Australian Government’s announcement of the $300 million grant through the EYQF. We thank the many members, educators and families for their communica on with CQ advising us of their opinions on this grant. These views are overwhelmingly in support of a “fair go” for all, and passionately against the grant policy. We cannot understand the government commitment to a policy intended for a minority of educators. CQ does not believe this grant will increase professionalism and quality in the sector yet DEEWR in their Senate Es mates replies (5/06/2013) confirm this funding is focused on raising professionalism. We believe this is an unjus fied statement. There is no evidence to show that services receiving this fund alloca on will be providing children with higher outcomes than a service who does not receive the grant. Neither does it target struggling services who need assistance to increase professionalism in their workforce. The policy just does not appear to have a recipient target other than “first in first served” – or does it and will this be in the wording in the micro policy? Our members have reported Union ac vity in their services that is confron ng and overpowering. At a me when we are steadfastly working on the implementa on of the NQF, this diversion is divisive, unproduc ve and absolutely unfair. A lodgement date for the applica on for the grants has not yet been determined but DEEWR personnel are insistent that payments will commence on 1/7/2013. Childcare Queensland and ACA have been extremely ac ve on your behalf organising: • White shirt day in Protest of the policy; • Simultaneous rallies at electorate oﬃces of Prime Minister (Vic), Treasurer (Qld), Minister Garre (NSW), Minister Ellis (SA) and Melissa Parke MP (WA); • Mee ngs with several MPs; • Wri en le ers explaining our concerns to MPs; • Regular updates to members; • General mee ngs;

• • • •

Phone and email support to members; Employer Services support to members (Industrial); Submissions (and urged members to do the same); Regular discussions with Members of both the House of Representa ves and Senate; • Engagement of a solicitor and Barrister for an opinion and direc on; and • Assistance with informa on to enquiries in House of Reps and Senate. Obviously because of our opposi on to the Bill we have been “overlooked” for membership of the Advisory Board of the EYQF. As Queenslanders we have confidence in Rachel Hunter from ACECQA (Appointed as Chair of the EYQF). Rachel was previously Director-General of the Department of Jus ce and A orney General and also Director-General of Educa on in the Queensland State Government. I have personally been harassed by the Union when a union organiser posted a photo of my home on their Facebook page together with false and denigra ng comments. We can only trust those elected to government will see the inequity and divisiveness of this policy and return it for further discussion with all stakeholders. To end on a posi ve note – the Conference 2013 brochure is now released and we look forward to seeing you there for another valuable weekend of learning and networking. There is great news for families as the Opposi on has stated that if they a ain Government, they will not means test the Child Care Rebate. The ACA has been advoca ng for this for many years and are also s ll working to have the freeze li ed as families are feeling the impact of the cap and the freeze. ACA’s “What Parents Want Survey” is available on our website. ACA conducts this survey Australia-wide each year and it provides us with an enormous amount of informa on to use in submissions and to understand the plight of our families. Best wishes,

Gwynn Bridge CEO - Childcare Queensland

CHILDCARE QUEENSLAND NEWS - WINTER 2013

BRINGING THE WORLD INTO YOUR SPACE THROUGH INCURSIONS By JJ Stranan and Charlo e AF Farley www.GlobalKidsOz.com.au

hen working with children, you can some mes find yourself being overwhelmed with all the things you want to introduce your children to, and the li le me you have with them to do it. You want to teach them geography, history, language, science, and technology, and you want to teach them about personal development – all while having fun along the way, of course. • Invite parents or local chefs from ethnic restaurants to do a food demonstra on and let the kids sample the goodies. Learn how to use chops cks with the older children. • Ask musicians to do a talk on a style of music or type of instrument, and give the children a li le concert. How can I get parents and community involved?

This becomes even trickier when you want to get parents more involved in the learning process; working together to achieve the same goal. This is even more desirable when you have ESL (English as a Second Language) students in your room; however, don’t know how to go about it. So, how can you do all of this for free, in a highly educa onal way that’s both entertaining and useful? The answer is incursions. They are the perfect way to engage varie es of families into your classroom, while also promo ng diversity and respect. The possibili es are endless and provide as many benefits as having guest speakers and workshops for your children. Who should you include? Ideally, the parents of your students, especially those who can oﬀer something unique from their background to your classroom experience. Other than that, consider the people within your community who might appreciate the chance to come in and interact with the kids, sharing a piece of their culture with them. What kinds of things can we do within our learning space? Holiday celebra ons are a fantas c way to bring people together; think tradi onal dress, playing instruments, sharing special foods, stories, or customs. Each season oﬀers chances for making merriment in new ways. • Arrange a demonstra on for children’s games from around the world.

Building rela onships is key. You can start off by sending a le er home, cha ng at pick up/drop off me, or making a personal phone call. The key here is to know the parents and ensure that your centre is run like a community and extension of the family. “It is about the rela onships we have with our families. We have a lot of parent interac on…from invites on Facebook, mum’s hub etc… It’s about offering many events, being invi ng and encouraging. It’s also about celebra ons for all; we s ll send Chinese New Year gi s to a family that had twins and are now at school…they love the follow-up…We show everyone that we respect and support all cultures, language and religions,” shares Queensland Director of the year (2010, 2013) of Li le Legends ELC, Lynn Afotey.

dĞĂĐŚĞƌƐ ĂŶĚ >ŽŶŐ ĂǇ ĂƌĞ Ͳ 'ƵŝĚĞ ƚŽ ĞƩĞƌ ,ƵŵĂŶ ZĞƐŽƵƌĐĞ WƌĂĐƟĐĞƐ Members can now access information to support the integration of teachers into long day care services on the Childcare Queensland website. This valuable reference tool is designed to encourage all members to reflect on their current human resource and industrial relations practices as educators and teachers build new culture in our services. The guide covers four main areas: t Award and Conditions of Employment t Recruitment, Selection and Employment t Induction, Performance and Conduct t Probation, Underperformance and Workplace Relations The guide is now available to download from the members-only area of the CQ website. For more information please contact the Childcare Queensland office on (07) 3808 2366. Visit www.childcareqld.org.au/members-area/hr

CHILDCARE QUEENSLAND NEWS - WINTER 2013

Children Don’t Need Trickery to Eat Well By Yummies for Li le Tummies www.y4lt.com.au

odern day, highly processed, and chemical laden foods are having adverse eﬀects on our most valuable people; our children. It is now well known, scien fically studied, and proven, that chemicals in our food directly relate to childhood adverse food reac ons, allergies, developmental delays, and behavioural problems. What people don’t realise is that children can be happily taught to eat and appreciate healthy, natural food, without the addi ves, colourings and flavourings, and preserva ves.

Sugars and salts don’t need to be unnecessarily added to children’s food. Tag lines like, ‘no added sugar’, or ‘fat free’ make it seem like the item will be healthy or beneficial; however, this is not always the case. So drinks with ‘no added sugar’ o en contain an ar ficial sweetener 951, called aspartame. What are some other nas es to avoid? • 282 (calcium propionate) • 150b (caramel II) • 150c (caramel III) • 627 (disodium 5’-guanylate) • 631 (disodium 5’-inosinate) • 407 (carrageenan) So, how do you get children to eat healthy food? Easy; children do not need trickery with added sugars and nasty ar ficial addi ves to eat properly, especially in childcare centres, where group environments have a posi ve eﬀect during meal mes. All children want to join in and eat the same food, regardless if the bread is wholemeal instead of white bread. Educators have enormous influence over the children in encouraging them to make great food choices. Children will eat what they are oﬀered, as long as there are no unhealthy alterna ves at hand. The best way to make sure there are no unhealthy and damaging food alterna ves in your childcare centre is to check the labels, advises Yummies for Li le Tummies’ Kim Williams and Layla Magill. “Shorter ingredient lis ngs o en mean less chemicals/addi ves, and the more natural the food will be,” she says. It is important to check the nutri on informa on panel, looking most importantly at fat, saturated fat, sugar, and sodium content. Magill breaks this down for us: • Choose products with less than 20g of total fat per 100g. • Saturated fat should be less than 5g per 100g. • 5g or less of total sugar per 100g is ideal.

• Products with less than 120mg sodium per 100g are excellent choices. What are the best things to fill your trolley with? Fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, whole grains, dairy, lean meat, fish, and poultry. Avoid heat-up meals and sauces, and switch up your op ons when you shop. Praise children when they ask for strawberries or watermelon and oﬀer nutri onal food like real oats and fruit or wholegrain toast with eggs. While the first few shopping trips for natural and healthy food may take a bit longer than usual, the benefits of it for your centre outweigh that. If you don’t want to make the trip alone, consider an excursion with the li le ones in your centre and educate them along the way. Contact Yummies for Li le Tummies for further informa on. Ph: 07 3161 81063

SUPPORTING YOUNG CHILDREN ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM By Dr Beth Saggers (QUT) and Dr Wendi Beamish (Griﬃth University)

ith one in every 100 children diagnosed with Au sm Spectrum Disorder (ASD), it is highly likely that you may have a child with this diagnosis in your group from year to year. Young children with ASD typically experience diﬃculty in shi ing a en on from one task to another, and struggle to accept change in daily rou nes. In turn, they have a greater need for predictability, and can become anxious when they do not understand what is happening next. Transi ons are a key ac vity in every childcare program (25 per cent of any day can be spent transi oning between ac vi es). These transi on mes need to be pre-planned for children with ASD, with direct guidance being provided during the actual transi on. Examples of this are: • Using a visual support and verbal prompts to warn of upcoming changes. • Giving one and five minute reminders of finishing me.

Children on the spectrum experience difficul es with socialising with others, communica ng their needs, and o en display behaviours of concern. These difficul es make it challenging for them to ac vely engage with other children and adults in the home, at childcare, and within the community. Two core prac ces can be implemented to create more suppor ve learning environments, and encourage posi ve and effec ve par cipa on in everyday ac vi es. They involve (a) making available visual supports and (b) explicitly planning and guiding transi ons from one ac vity to another. These prac ces benefit not only children with ASD, but all young learners in your care.

• Crea ng explicit transi on rituals (music, specific chime, or auditory cues). • Providing a me limit for the transi on by employing a mer or visual countdown app, • Having a peer assist or accompany the child through transi on. Doing things a li le diﬀerently to be er support children with ASD may make a big diﬀerence in your day, and will definitely help theirs.

A young child with ASD understands and responds be er when informa on is supplemented with visual support. Presen ng informa on visually is eﬀec ve because it is: • Long las ng, allowing for longer processing me. • Easier for the child to filter out irrelevant informa on. • Readily created by staﬀ. • Adjustable to suit individual needs. A picture or photo can be used to provide extra informa on about classroom arrangements (ac vi es, tasks, and me frames). This can also guide the child to the ac vi es they need to par cipate in, or guide them with their next move. In this way, the visual support increases the child’s a en on to the most relevant aspects of the task.

CHILDCARE QUEENSLAND NEWS - WINTER 2013

Things to think about before you recruit By Lili Tran, HR Consultant

here is no legislated process that dictates how employers must recruit and select candidates for posi ons in the long day care sector; however, implemen ng a best prac ce approach to recruitment and selec on may enhance your opportunity to recruit the ‘best person’ for the job. The consequences of taking a lesser approach can o en be higher rates of turnover, poor or reduced performance, lowered job sa sfac on, and reduced mo va on to contribute in the workplace.

Cornerstones of Recruitment It is important that employers understand and apply the cornerstones of recruitment and selec on. They go to the heart of your organisa on, the way you operate, and the outcomes you achieve. Applying these principles should not cost your organisa on anything, but it has the poten al to send a clear message about who you are and where you stand in the marketplace. The cornerstones are: 1. Impar ality, fairness and equity for all par cipants - It is important that your organisa on maintains the highest standard of integrity in designing your recruitment process. Providing every candidate with an equitable opportunity to demonstrate his or her skills and capabili es is cri cal. 2. Accountability and transparency - All par es in a recruitment and selec on process should be accountable and transparent. It is unlikely you would accept a future employee being anything but, so as the employer you must also follow this principle. 3. Compe ve, challenging and reflec ve of your service Recruitment processes should be compe ve at all mes. For most employers, this is o en the only opportunity to test the skills, dedica on and poten al of candidates. 4. Clear and open decision making - It is important that all candidates, exis ng staﬀ and panel members are clear on the success factors in any recruitment and selec on process. You should always communicate the success factors you are seeking openly and clearly so that candidates can demonstrate their value to you and your organisa on. To be an employer of choice you should also be able and willing to provide real and genuine feedback to those candidates who are unsuccessful. Iden fying your hiring need Prior to commencing recruitment, you should conduct a review of the need for the posi on. A common mistake in many

organisa ons is recrui ng in haste, without first considering broader environmental factors. It is not always possible to have a ‘crystal ball’ but it is worth taking some me to consider factors that may influence recruitment decisions. These could include funding sources (such as grant programs), roles and responsibilies of all educators and occupancy levels. A good prac ce is to consider your current organisa onal structure. This could include asking ques ons like: • Who will perform the role of educa onal leader? • How can our service apply ra os more eﬃciently? • How are rooms structured and is there any scope for change? • How can I maximise the number of children a ending a kindergarten program? • How can I improve the viability of our service? Another common mistake made by employers is not considering the poten al of exis ng educators for future development. It is logical that if you have already invested the me and energy in employing quality educators in your service that you ac vely work to retain them for the long term. For example, you may have a talented and long serving Director/Nominated Supervisor who could be a future early childhood teacher in your service. Turnover can be detrimental to the quality of educa on and care you deliver. The way you approach recruitment and selec on is important in dealing with this core challenge in long day care. On 16 May 2013, Childcare Queensland released ‘Teachers and Long Day Care – a guide to be er human resource prac ces’. It is an extensive pack of informa on regarding teachers in childcare services, including award and condi ons of employment, recruitment and selec on, induc on, proba on and conduct. Please visit the members’ area of the CQ website, or purchase a hardcopy of the pack by contac ng the CQ oﬃce.

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Diploma of Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Services (Early childhood education and care) CHC50908

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CHILDCARE QUEENSLAND NEWS - WINTER 2013

National Quality Framework Hits Milestones By Department of Educa on Training and Employment www.deta.qld.gov.au/earlychildhood

he proclama on of the final components of the Na onal Law has enabled key milestones in the na onal quality reforms to be achieved.

Publica on of quality ra ngs The first round of ra ngs describing the quality of Australian early childhood educa on and care services are now available on the Australian Children’s Educa on and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) website at www.acecqa.gov.au and MyChild website at www.mychild.gov.au. The public availability of ra ngs will promote transparency and accountability in the sector and help families make an informed decision about their child’s educa on and care. To support Queensland services, the department has produced an informa on kit which includes helpful resources on the NQF and the new ra ng process. The kit was distributed to services and approved providers in May. Addi onal copies can also be ordered via the department’s website at www.dete.qld.gov.au/ earlychildhood. Legisla ve changes Services that have been assessed and rated against the Na onal Quality Standard (NQS) are now required to display their no ce of ra ngs at their premises. Services not yet assessed are considered Provisional-Not Yet Assessed under the Na onal Quality Framework and are required to display this ra ng. Services that were accredited by the Na onal Child Care Accredita on Council (NCAC) before the NQF was introduced on 1 January 2012, must also display the NCAC accredita on un l they are assessed and rated against the NQS. Services with an overall ra ng of Exceeding Na onal Quality Standard can apply for the Excellent ra ng from ACECQA. Publica on of na onal registers The na onal registers of approved providers, services and cer fied supervisors are also now available on the ACECQA website. While ACECQA and the department have taken steps to ensure details in the registers are accurate, it is important approved providers and services regularly check their informa on.

Approved providers and services can update their details including email, phone number and postal addresses on ACECQA’s Na onal Quality Agenda IT system. To update some items such as the number of approved places at your service or the condi ons on your approval you must submit an applica on to the department to amend your service approval. For informa on on how to apply to amend your service approval, please visit ACECQA’s website at www.acecqa.gov.au.

How AEDI Can Benefit Your Centre By Department of Educa on Training and Employment www.deta.qld.gov.au/earlychildhood

he results of the 2012 Australian Early Development Index (AEDI) collec on were released by the Australian Government on 4 April 2013. The AEDI is a na onal collec on of informa on about children in their prep year across five domains linked to predictors of good adult health, educa on and social outcomes.

The 2012 results show there have been significant improvements in early childhood development outcomes for Queensland children since the first na onal collec on in 2009. The percentage of children assessed as developmentally vulnerable on one or more AEDI domains in Queensland has decreased from 29.6 per cent in 2009 to 26.2 per cent in 2012. The biggest improvement in the Queensland AEDI results has been in the Language and Cogni ve Skills domain. On this domain, there has been a decrease in the propor on of children who are developmentally vulnerable from 15.6 per cent in 2009 to 9.1 per cent in 2012. How it helps AEDI data can be a powerful tool for early childhood services to raise community awareness of the importance of early childhood development and lead ac on towards improving outcomes for children in their area. Services can also use the data for their planning and suppor ng children’s smooth transi ons to school. The data is an eﬀec ve guide for early childhood educa on services to reflect on their support services to iden fy areas of strength and areas for improvement. AEDI supports early childhood educa on services to address Quality Area 1, element 1.1.1 (curriculum decision making contributes to each child's learning and developmental outcomes in rela on to their iden ty, connec on with community, wellbeing, confidence as learners and eﬀec veness as communicators) by providing insights into the needs of children within the community.

Developmental area

The EYLF and NQS

AEDI domains

Physical

EYLF Outcome 3. (p.32).

Physical Health and Wellbeing

NQS Areas: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6. Social

EYLF Outcome 1. (p.24).

Social Competence

NQS Areas: 1, 5, 6. Emo onal

EYLF Outcome 2. (p.27).

Emo onal Maturity

NQS Areas: 1, 2, 5, 6. Cogni ve

EYLF Outcome 5. (p.42). NQS Areas: 1, 5.

Language

EYLF Outcome 5. (p.44). NQS Areas: 1, 5, 6, 7.

Language and Cogni ve Skills (School-based)

Communica on skills and general knowledge.

In planning to improve Quality Area 6, early childhood educators can use the AEDI results for their community as a pla orm to start a conversa on and form respec ul collabora ve partnerships with stakeholders. For more informa on on the Australian Early Development Index please visit h p://www.rch.org.au/aedi/ Access the user guide h p://userguide.aedi.org.au

In addi on, AEDI can support standard 6.1 (developing respec ul suppor ve rela onships with families), standard 6.2 (suppor ng families in their paren ng role and respec ng parent's value and beliefs on child rearing) and standard 6.3 (linking with other organisa ons and service providers).

CHILDCARE QUEENSLAND NEWS - WINTER 2013

2013 CQ National Conference By CQ Conference Commi ee www.childcareqld.org.au

ustralian Childcare Alliance (ACA) and Childcare Queensland (CQ) are once again collabora ng to host the 2013 Na onal Conference.

The theme of this year’s conference is Hands up for Wellbeing. Organisers are confident in its an cipated success and encourage members to dip into their crea vity for the conference’s An Arabian Night gala dinner. 2012’s Hands up for the Future boasted a confirmed guest list of 650 par cipants and featured 70 trade displays, making it one of the largest conferences held by the organisa ons. ACA and CQ are confident that this year’s event will be even larger. The yearly conferences provide an important forum for all educators, owners and industry experts na onally, to network and reflect on thinking and prac ce. Following suit from previous years, the conference will be held across the weekend, featuring workshops, mo va onal speakers, golfing, and the most an cipated by guests, the gala dinner and welcome drinks.

Speakers

Hands up for Wellbeing focuses on the contribu on childcare organisa ons can make to provide children and employees with a wellbeing that is maintained beyond their me in centres.

Timothy Hyde is described as one of Australia’s top MCs and will be hos ng the three-day event. Having previously worked conference events for ANZ, Nestle, and ASIC, Hyde is guaranteed to ensure guests have an unforge able weekend.

The weekend-long event will feature speeches and workshops with established industry professionals such as Debbie MayoSmith, Bruce Sullivan, and Heather Barnes. While the conference is set to provide much entertainment and community-bonding events, it is also proven to provide great benefits to a endees. “We aim to provide informa on, resources and networking opportuni es in one place to owners & educators of privately owned long day care centres, to build a be er industry,” says CQ CEO and ACA President, Gwynn Bridge.

A professional MC, Writer & Speaker, he also has a strong interest in Corporate Crea vity. He has self-published a number of books including ‘Sleight of Mind – Kick-Start your Crea vity’, and has been published in a Penguin Australia compila on. As an MC and Brainstorming Facilitator, Timothy is in great demand. He has recently returned from Cape Town South Africa, where he facilitated the giant IBNA/AustBrokers conference. With a background in entertainment as well as his broad experience in many diﬀerent industries, Timothy is guaranteed to keep our conference on track and inject some fun when needed.

The event will cover a range of topics relevant to childcare members across Australia. This year’s presenta ons will feature topics such as dealing with challenging conversa ons, speech pathology, and story-telling.

Frequent contributor to Early Edi on and established mo va onal speaker, Debbie Mayo-Smith will be speaking about what it means to create your own wellbeing and using social media to benefit your business.

“The primary goal in this is educa on for our members,” says Bridge.

An author of sixteen published books, and a mother to six children (including a set of twins and triplets), Mayo-Smith will provide the most prac cal and sought-a er advice about the life changes you can make to improve the wellbeing of yourself, and your centre.

“We are focusing on physical, social, economic, and psychological wellbeing for them and the children and parents of our centres”.

needs and finances, with all necessary informa on and forms featured in the oﬃcial brochure,” explains Bush Kidz Childcare Centres’ Brent Stokes. The packages include two-day packs, with two separate earlybird specials, and one-day packages that can be applied to either of the conference days. Being an introductory community-based event, the golf day is not compulsory and is not included in the packages. 2013’s Na onal Conference is sponsored by many regulars, including Guild Insurance, Child Care Super, Hesta Super Fund, and EziDebit. The CQ Commi ee and staﬀ have a photo op in their costumes at 2012’s conference.

Bruce Sulllivan is a rela onship specialist and a proven performer in achieving results through people for over 24 years. Awarded the 2007 Keynote Speaker of the Year, Sullivan will be providing a special keynote presenta on at this year’s conference.

The event will run between 20th (Friday) and 22nd (Sunday) of September. “Lock the weekend in,” laughs Bridge.

Hos ng a workshop on Engaging Dads in the Early Childhood Sector, Simon Santosha is a clinical counsellor with more than 15 years of experience in the field. Simon specialises in engaging and working with men and families. He regularly presents at state and na onal conferences and delivers professional development training to government, private sector and community welfare agencies throughout Australia. Bonkers Beat’s Galina Zenin will be hos ng a crea ve whirlwind in her workshop, promo ng music, theatre, arts, and stories. Wri ng her own music within the program, Zenin brings a combina on of experience from Australian and European culture to her sessions. The combina on of prac cal and mo va onal approaches by this year’s speakers is guaranteed to be exceedingly beneficial to all guests, as well as their colleagues and clients. Specific details of their session dates and mes are included in the 2013 Conference Registra on Brochure. Registra on and A endance While the event runs for two days, guests are given the flexibility to match their a ending days to their availability. “They are provided with various conference packages to suit their

CHILDCARE QUEENSLAND NEWS - WINTER 2013

MARKETING & COMMUNICATING WITH TECHNOLOGY By Graham Witherspoon, Media Specialist

echnology oﬀers your business the opportunity to communicate with poten al parentcustomers and exis ng parent-customers right in the palm of their hands. You can keep them directly informed of what is happening at your centre, and through YouTube and Facebook, oﬀer a direct line of communica on with the parents that use your centre. Let’s review two ways you can a ract poten al parents to use your centre, and then keep in touch with exis ng users. A rac ng parents

a Facebook page. This oﬀers you an opportunity to update your communica on from the tradi onal note-in-the-bag to remind parents of upcoming events.

When choosing a long day care centre for their child, a parent will look at certain criteria including:

Encouraging your parents to join your Facebook page will allow you to:

• Word of mouth recommenda ons;

• Remind them of future events and significant days;

• Loca on in rela on to home/work; • A tude and professionalism of staﬀ; and • Presenta on of centre. These are not the only criteria but are definitely high on the list for parents when they are trying to decide, primarily for their first born, as most will send future children to the same centre. A way to encapsulate all the above criteria into one is to create a short, quality video about your centre that parents can access on your website, Facebook and YouTube. The video would contain the following: • Exis ng parents providing tes monials; • A map showing where the centre is and its parking facili es; • Staﬀ playing and suppor ng children in their learning; • An introduc on to the Director; and • A look at what facili es are onsite.

• Remind them of public holiday closures; • Alert them to changes at the centre such as staﬀ, maintenance and renova ons; • Alert them to re-enrolment deadlines; • Advise them on emergency issues such as flooding closures or road closures around the centre that may impede access; and • Pass on industry informa on that may impact them. When crea ng a Facebook page, give the job of managing it to one person and ensure the director is across everything that is being posted. If you ever have posts on your page you are not comfortable with, message the person asking for their contact details and take the issue oﬄine. Ul mately, Facebook has become the best way to maintain consistent communica on with your parent-customers, with a pla orm that is open to you 24/7. If you haven’t go en on board already, it certainly is me to.

The video would run for no longer than 1.5 minutes and be produced either professionally or by someone who has the ability to shoot quality images, follow a shoot list, and have the ability to edit. A bad video may damage your centre’s reputa on if not produced well. When parents search for your centre on the internet, a quality video will help influence their decision and encourage them to contact your centre. Facebook Facebook oﬀers you the opportunity to engage with your parents beyond the morning drop-oﬀ and a ernoon pickup. Facebook has well over one billion users and chances are that well over 60 per cent of the parents using your centre will have

CHILDCARE QUEENSLAND NEWS - WINTER 2013

Integrating Early Childhood Teachers into Long Day Care – Building Respectful Relationships by Megan Gibson, Lecturer, School of Early Childhood, QUT

mongst the current reforms in early childhood in Australia is the requirement for four year university degree-qualified teachers to be employed to provide a kindergarten program for four-year-old children in the year prior to school entry. The possibility for long day care to provide a funded kindergarten program, with an early childhood teacher (ECT) presents a change for the field. With this change come challenges, though also opportuni es, to think in new and different ways about what long day care and working in long day care might look like. A valuable place to start to think about the reform is what some of the challenges about integra ng ECT in long day care are. For example, there may be tensions around staff rosters; staff salaries; programming; or documenta on. For some centres there may be specific aspects of an ECT working in a long day care centre that they are struggling with. Perhaps a rac ng a retaining the ‘right’ person who has the required qualifica on, though also makes a good ‘fit’ with the centre culture or ways of working. The early childhood reforms see a clear focus on the integra on of educa on and care, with long day care required to provide educa onal programs. This presents benefits for children and for families, who in the past may have been inclined to access the educa on component of a program outside of a long day care centre. Under the new arrangement, families may no longer feel that they are ‘missing out’ on a kindergarten program. Whilst there are challenges that come with kindergarten in long day care, and ECT working in long day care, there are also possibili es that come with change. Important ques ons to consider include: • What opportuni es might come offering a kindergarten program in long day care? • How might this impact on the experiences for children, families and for staff? For example, educators may look closely at collabora ng about programming/documenta on. An ECT may take on a key leadership role, possibly as the appointed educa onal leader, to guide and support the team of staff through a process of rethinking how, and why, documenta on is done. It is important to consider that all people within the team of staff, through their qualifica ons and their professional experiences,

have much to contribute to op mal opera on of the centre. Consider a carer who may have worked in the field for 20 years, and is currently studying towards a Cer ficate III. Another staﬀ member may have recently graduated from university, with the required four year teaching qualifica on, though have limited experience of working in long day care. If these staﬀ worked together, and come into the rela onship with an openness and respect for one another’s experiences and qualifica ons, with neither being ‘be er’ or ‘right’, there would be immense possibili es that would enable a rich early childhood program for the children in that room. The requirement for long day care centres to have ECTs presents a key change. Jillan Rodd (2013) reminds us that “change is a natural and necessary phenomenon and one of the few certain es in all aspects of human life” (p. 182). Given the changes afoot in early childhood, and in par cular in long day care centres, it is valuable to look at what change is, how people may react to it, and some of the ways through which change is able to be supported. One way through which to understand change is to consider change as an ongoing process. As such, it is important to have plans in place to implement change.

contribute to this, there come possibili es to work posi vely and proac vely with the changes that the early childhood field is encountering. Working together, with a focus on strong and respec ul rela onships, is one way through which to integrate early childhood teachers to work op mally in long day care. References Barkus, B. (2004). Execu ve Commentary. Academy of Management Execu ve, 18(1), 58-59. Fullan, M. (2003). The moral impera ve of school leadership. California: Ontario Principals' Council/Corwin Press. Rodd, J. (2013). Leadership in early childhood: Pathways to professionalism (4th ed.). Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin

At the same me, it is valuable to work in a way so that these plans are open to revision, or tweaking, as the change unfolds. Part of this may be to ‘slow’ the change process, so that people have the opportunity to feel a sense of ownership and ‘having a say’ in how the change unfolds. Rela onships and building rela onships can be one of the most challenging aspects of working in any organisa on. Change exacerbates the complexi es and challenges within rela onships – it becomes impera ve to have strong, respec ul rela onships in order to work posi vely with change. Unpacking the roles and responsibili es in a long day centre can illuminate both how individual staﬀ and the centre management are able to work together collabora vely so as to embrace change. When there is openness to new ways of working and understanding how each person within the centre is able to

CHILDCARE QUEENSLAND NEWS - WINTER 2013

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Sustainability Across Your SERVICE By Department of Educa on Training and Employment www.deta.qld.gov.au/earlychildhood

he Na onal Quality Standard asks services to embed sustainable prac ces in service opera ons and support all children to become environmentally responsible. This can pose a challenge for some services when dealing with a range of age groups, par cularly babies and toddlers.

Embedding sustainability is about ensuring that prac ces become part of daily rou nes and are adapted so children of all ages can be involved at some level. Prac ces may be simplified for younger children. Developing sustainable ac vi es and resources that genuinely support and include all children is key to mee ng the Na onal Quality Standard. To ensure sustainability is embedded across the service it should be visible in planning and documenta on. Some services choose to keep a policy which is regularly reviewed and ar culates how sustainability will be addressed with all age groups. Other services choose to include sustainable prac ces in children’s learning documenta on and as part of the feedback provided to families. During recent assessment visits, authorised oﬃcers have viewed a wide range of ac vi es that encourage children and their families to be environmentally responsible. Examples include: • Ac vi es with children o Green trays set up in each cra paper

area to reuse one-sided

o Children involved in emptying the compost bin, feeding animals and watering gardens o Old shoes, boots and plas c bo les used as pot plant holders o Toys and furniture made of recyclable material o Water conserva on and electricity-saving devices used at the service o Collages made with natural materials o Nature explora on table/learning areas o Waste-sor ng games o Excursions involving bush tucker plan ng or water sources with local Indigenous experts • Ac vi es to involve families o Herbs and vegetables grown at the service and used by families

o Parents collec ng food le overs from home to feed animals at the service o Buckets of food le overs from the service made available for parents to take home to pets o Parents dona ng second-hand materials for ac vi es o Tips provided to families on how to be environmentally friendly at home i.e. informa on on recycling services in the local area or recommended books to read to children on sustainability. It is important to involve children of all ages in sustainable ac vi es. Some steps to engaging younger children include: • Helping babies and younger children to see or watch their peers and educators engage in ac vi es such as watering gardens, feeding animals and recycling materials. Behaviour is modelled by the educator and encouraged in children of all ages. Educators hold younger children as they help older children par cipate in sustainable ac vi es. • Using self-talk to explain sustainable ac vi es, such as “let’s turn off the lights, we are going outside”. Educators share informa on with all age groups on why lights are turned off and why they need to save water and use small amounts when hand washing etc. • Helping babies and toddlers to enjoy grassy areas, the shade of trees and gardening. • Ensuring the aesthe cs of the service promote sustainability – animals are cared for, there are resources made from recyclable materials, plants are maintained and visual aids such as posters promote sustainable behaviour. During an assessment visit, it is important for the service to ac vely show authorised officers how they address sustainable prac ces with children of all ages. If certain ac vi es are not on display during the visit, talk to the assessor about how these are used and show examples of how educators work together to embed sustainability across the service.

o Families recycling products at the service, such as ink cartridges and mobile phones

CHILDCARE QUEENSLAND NEWS - WINTER 2013

How Efficient Are You? Lauren Welk, Associate Director, Bentleys Chartered Accountants www.bentleys.com.au

he Australian childcare sector is undergoing significant reform on a number of levels, not least due to the introduc on of Government regula ons manda ng higher staffto-child ra os and requirements for higher standards of staff qualifica ons under the Na onal Quality Framework. are you a premium offering with extra services that others don’t provide? Do you differen ate on curriculum offerings? To make this decision, you need to have an understanding of the cost of the care and services that you are going to provide, and you then need to price your service accordingly to recover costs and achieve a profit margin. Ge ng the mix right and understanding the cost of your service provision is an important first step. 2. Measures that ma er The old adage “if you don’t measure it, you can’t manage it” is as true in the childcare sector as in any other industry. You need to capture meaningful informa on about your business in order to make informed decisions (financial and non-financial) and to track your progress against your business goals. Key measures that are rela vely straight forward to track include key ac vity drivers such as: • Employment costs as a percentage of income. • Property costs as a percentage of income. • Debtors - as a driver of cash flow. These changes, while increasing the quality and standard of childcare across the board, mean that childcare providers are facing some tough decisions regarding their opera ons – par cularly in light of increasing wage costs.

With the industry predicted to grow over the next five years, it is cri cal that providers are proac ve in the management of their opera ons and look at opportuni es to gain efficiencies. This can be done through measures such as streamlining rosters and staff hours, using new technologies to save me and resources, and reducing administra on costs. Tips on how to gain efficiencies in childcare and improve your business’s performance include: 1. Define your service offerings Understand where you fit within the market and strive to excel in this area. For example, are you a low cost, no frills service? Or

• Occupancy percentage. • Customer sa sfac on. • Staﬀ sa sfac on. Benchmarking your numbers against average industry figures is one of the quickest ways to ini ally iden fy areas for improvements within your business. By comparing your results to leading industry providers, you can measure your performance and realign your goals. A balanced scorecard approach is one way to assess nonfinancial leading and lagging indicators (including employee training, organisa onal learning and development and customer sa sfac on). This repor ng will help you to understand what elements of your business are driving your income - such as your service oﬀering or government payments.

processes. These so ware programs can reduce overheads and administra on costs and allow quicker turnaround on repor ng measures each month. By deploying dynamic rostering so ware, you can instantly analyse where changes to shi alloca on or staffing mix may reduce employment costs. For example, if a large number of children are picked up from one room at the same me each day, by shortening the staff hours (s ll ensuring you meet Government regula ons) in this room, you may be able to shave one or two hours of staff me from your roster. Reducing one $19/hour staff member each day in one room from 4pm – 6pm will create a total saving of $9,120 per year. 3. Ge ng your team onboard Workforce sa sfac on and reten on is amongst the key challenges for the childcare sector. By aligning your team’s goals with your business goals you can increase employee engagement and, subsequently, the performance (and bo om line) of your business. Linking employees and performance through ini a ves – such as bonus schemes, or KPIs for Centre Directors based around employment costs vs. income ra os, is how some of the top performers are crea ng a more engaging workplace.

Understanding the drivers and influencers of the financial performance of your business is essen al to ensure that your business is posi oned to survive the reforms, adapt to industry and economic change, and meet Australia’s future care demands. Our experience from working with private and not-for-profit childcare providers is that the small eﬃciency gains can make an enormous diﬀerence to the overall performance of a service. Contact us today if you would like to discuss how to implement some of these changes in your business.

4. Look to the future By preparing a three-way financial forecast (projected profit and loss, balance sheet, and cash flow) you can understand, plan, and manage your long term financial viability. Make sure your forecast includes provision for capital regenera on costs for the future. As the industry develops over me, your service will need to adapt to the current trends in technology, demographics, government regula ons etc. Stress-test your forecasts to get an idea of how robust your business model is if faced with fluctua ons in occupancy, income and expense growth rates, or as a result of changing government regula ons and funding. Outstanding debtors can be a significant risk to your opera ons – so consider debtor and cashflow strategies to ensure your debtors are reasonably controlled and unexpected challenges can be overcome. 5. Deploy enabling technology Online pla orms are steadily reducing costs and speeding up

CHILDCARE QUEENSLAND NEWS - WINTER 2013

Right of entry By Employer Services www.employerservices.com.au

ight of entry refers to the workplace laws, which regulate the rights of organisa on oﬃcials (such as a trade union) to enter premises. These Laws are currently top of mind for many Approved Providers and Nominated Supervisors.

Workplace laws seek to balance: • The right of organisa ons to represent their members in the workplace, hold discussions with poten al members, and inves gate suspected contraven ons of workplace laws and instruments, including occupa onal health and safety laws; and • The right of occupiers of premises and employers to go about their business without undue inconvenience.

• The union has given wri en no ce during working hours at least 24 hours but no more than 14 days before entering the premises (unless the Fair Work Commission allows otherwise). When a union oﬃcial enters the workplace to look into a suspected breach they can: • Inspect any work, process or object that directly relates to the suspected breach; • Talk to any person about the suspected breach:

Right of Entry Permits

– who agrees to be interviewed

For an oﬃcial to enter the workplace, they must have a valid and current right-of-entry permit from the Fair Work Commission. They must show this permit when asked by the person who occupies the premises or the employer. They must also show this permit when they require access to documents rela ng to a suspected breach.

– who's en tled to be represented by the union

If the official has a valid permit and has complied with the relevant rules, an employer must not stop them from entering the workplace. If they do stop the official, they may be breaching federal workplace rela ons laws related to right of entry. Union entry to a workplace For a union official with a permit to enter a workplace to inves gate a suspected breach of federal workplace laws or an award or agreement: • The suspected breach must relate to or affect at least 1 member of the union; • The member must work on the premises and be en tled to be represented by the union; • The union must give wri en no ce during working hours at least 24 hours but no more than 14 days before entering the workplace (unless the Fair Work Commission allows otherwise); • The union official may only enter the workplace within work hours and must follow any reasonable direc ons from the employer, including health and safety rules. A union official with a permit is en tled to enter a workplace to hold discussions with employees if: • They work on the premises, want to par cipate in discussions, and are en tled to be represented by the union;

• Ask the person who occupies the premises or employer to let them look at/copy any record or document that directly relates to the suspected breach (it must be on the premises in hardcopy or on computer). • A union official can't ask to see the records of a non-union member (unless the non-union member gives their permission, or the union official is allowed to under an order from the Fair Work Commission). • A union official can't hold discussions with employees during paid work me. Discussions must take place during meal mes or other breaks. An employer must not: • Refuse or unduly delay entry to a permit holder who is en tled to enter the premises; • Refuse or fail to comply with a permit holder’s request to produce or provide access to records or documents; • Inten onally hinder or obstruct a permit holder who is exercising their right of entry powers; and • Misrepresent themselves by inten onally or recklessly giving the impression they are authorised to do things they are not authorised to do.

Find out how we’re helping child care services around Australia Whether it’s helping to increase the proﬁle of child care services as part of Child Care Week or providing our free rollover service through our service visits, Child Care Super has been helping early years services around Australia for over 15 years. As industry specialists, we can also help make sure your business’s super complies with the requirements of Fair Work Australia and the Tax Ofﬁce (ATO).

Super, yo ur Fair Work business, and Mode rn Award guide to s make sure

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you’re read y

Your def ault

fund

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Get your copy of our free ‘how to’ kit by calling 1300 365 899.

Existing employee s FAQs

Contact us for more information Freecall 1300 365 899 childcaresuper.com.au childcaresuper@guildgroup.com.au Guild Trustee Services Pty Limited ABN 84 068 826 728. AFS Licence No. 233815. RSE Licence No. L0000611 as trustee for Child Care Super. Fund Registration No. R1000030. ABN 22 599 554 834.

CHILDCARE QUEENSLAND NEWS - WINTER 2013

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