Childcare Insight Inside this issue: Message from Executive Officer CAWA AGM Code of Conduct for Parents? Early Education Awards - National Winner Engaging Families in Children’s Learning Consider the Children NAIDOC Week World Cultural Celebrations Child Protection - Who is watching the kids?
Childcare Association of WA Inc News 1
Childcare Insight
Childcare Insight Third Edition 2014
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Childcare Insight
Childcare Insight Contents Message from Executive Officer
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CAWA AGM
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Code of Conduct for Parents?
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Early Education Awards - National Winner
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Childcare Association of WA Inc
Engaging Families in Children’s Learning
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Consider the Children
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NAIDOC Week
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Location: Level 1/9 Bowman Street South Perth
World Cultural Celebrations
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Mailing: PO Box 196 South Perth WA 6951
Child Protection - Who is watching the kids?
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Telephone: 1300 062 645
Executive Officer: Rachelle Tucker
Web: www.childcarewa.com
Management Committee President: Lisa Godwin Vice President: Anne Chemello Secretary: Sarah Lovegrove Treasurer: Allan Mullet Committee: Frits Grader, Fadi Dorkhom, Karen Stackpole, David Lyons, Natalie Green Associate Committee: Coral Callan & Jennifer Kenyon
Email: info@childcarewa.com Disclaimer: Articles published in this magazine are published as a service to readers and should not be substituted for specific advice in relation to any issue. While advertising in this magazine is encouraged, Childcare Association of WA Inc accepts no responsibility for the contents of the advertisements. Advertisements are accepted in good faith and liability for advertising content, goods or services supplied are the responsibility of the advertiser.
Childcare Association of WA Inc News - Childcare Insight Third Edition 2014
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Message from the
Executive Officer Welcome to another edition of the Childcare Insight Productivity Commission: Wow this year has not slowed down at all for the sector. The Productivity Commission Draft Report into Early Childhood Education & Care was released in July. This 900+ page large document has certainly got a great deal of media response. It has definitely raised the many challenges that our sector faces, in particular affordability. We must remember that these are only recommendations put forth and may never see the light of day but we as a sector, through CAWA and ACA, can lobby for the changes we know are of vital importance to our many families that rely on us each day to provide their children with high quality care & education. We must be very cautious in how we look at this report and respond, as much can be read in-between the lines, and we do not want to see any family worse off. As a sector there is a great deal of work still to be done before the final report. Through ACA we have sent members and their 67 M= 56 Y= 52 families surveys to complete, to assist us with our C= feedback R= 81 G= 85 B= 88 to the report that is due by the 5th September. We have also encouraged our members to direct their concerns directly to the PC. You can see all submissions and transcripts from the Public Hearings on the PC website; http://pc.gov.au/projects/inquiry/childcare
Over the coming months you will notice the new ACA logo and our State Logo being used simultaneously, with a complete transition once all new State websites have been announced and launched.
Australian Child Care Week: Congratulations to Smileys Child Care Centre on being the only WA finalists in Child Care Week, good luck Smileys at the National Awards night on September 13th. Child-Led Learning Finalists - This award will recognise and reward services that have demonstrated excellence in conducting and documenting child-led learning projects. K= 30 C= 0 M= 18 Y= 100 K= 15 TheR=service 220 G= 179will B= 9 have considered the relationships, routines, resources, learning environments, sensory experiences and so on, that contribute to child-led learning projects. Services may also wish to highlight any innovative ways of extending a project that they have found successful throughout the year.
Launch of ACA and Sate Logos: We are very excited to announce to our members that the start of the re-branding process of our State Associations, coming under the one National Umbrella of ACA, was launched at the Childcare QLD Conference. This was launched by the Hon Sussan Ley & QLD Minister John-Paul Langbroek, with Con Kalavritinos from Guild Insurance and all State Presidents (L:R Kerry Mahoney SA, Peter Price QLD, Nesha O’Neil NSW, Paul Mondo VIC, Gwynn Bridge ACA, Lisa Godwin WA, Sandra Hill NT, Min Sussan Ley.
Smileys Child Care Centre, WA Healthy Lifestyles Finalists - This award will recognise and reward services that embrace the concept of ‘healthy lifestyles’ for children, educators and parents at the service. The service may offer educational programs focused on healthy eating, exercise and nutrition; may host or promote educational programs or activities to encourage families to become more active; or may have changed the way that their meal programs are developed. The service may wish to host an event during Australian Child Care Week to demonstrate their commitment to healthy lifestyles. Smileys Child Care Centre, WA Membership: It’s not too late to join the Peak WA Child Care Body, contact Rachelle Tucker on 1300 062 645 or email info@childcarewa. com , and don’t miss out anymore. Kind regards
Rachelle Tucker Executive Officer
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Childcare Insight
CAWA AGM Dear Members,
The annual general meeting for the Childcare Association of WA Inc is Tuesday October 21st at Burswood on Swan. Catering will be provided and this will be a great day for networking. Bookings will be vital. All owners and Managers are encouraged to attend the AGM. When: Tuesday 21st October 2014 Where: Burswood on Swan, Burswood https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/ Camfield+Dr,+Burswood+WA+6100/@-31.9656996,115.9026909,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x2a32bb0f1fee05 39:0xb6c4843bea4b437 Time: 8.30am Registration, 9am Start - 1pm Finish Cost: CAWA Members price: $60.00 Non-members price: $120.00 RSVP: by Friday October 3rd to: info@childcarewa.com Proposed agenda for the day: (Please note changes may occur, and members will be notified ASAP) • Special guest: Gwynn Bridge - President of the Australian Childcare Alliance • CAWA AGM • Long Day Care Professional Development Program (dependent on funding release) • Keynote Presentation: Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders Today – Alicia Curtis Inspiring the best from your young staff members is one of the best ways you can drive innovation and results. Never before is the world evolving so fast that each generation is growing up with a distinctively different set of expectations around work, leadership and learning. Alicia Curtis presents a high-energy workshop about the sure-fire techniques to engage and motivate young staff in the workplace and ignite their leadership potential. Alicia’s biography: Alicia Curtis, a Generation Y leader herself, knows what it takes to lead your youngest generation in the community and workplace. She has significant experience in training Generation Y, inspiring thousands of young people across Australia in schools and in the workplace. She has also completed her Masters in Business Leadership at Curtin University, where she researched the techniques to effectively engage and retain Generation Y. She has surveyed hundreds of young professionals and knows the unique needs and challenges that young professionals have in the workplace. Alicia is a dynamic and engaging young presenter, being awarded the WA Speaker of the year award in 2008 by the National Speakers Association in WA. http://aliciacurtis.com/index.html http://au.linkedin.com/in/aliciacurtisleadership
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Code of Conduct for Parents? By: Dr Brenda Abbey
Introducing a Code of Conduct for Parents (CCP) is a hot topic in the early education and care sector at the moment. The CCP would set out the actions, behaviours and conduct expected of parents in their dealings with staff, students, volunteers, other parents and children while at the service. The catalyst for a CCP appears to be the increasing number of educators who feel the need to be shielded from aggressive and verbally abusive parents. One educator summed up her service’s CCP as “I can’t remember all the ins and outs but it protects us from having to endure abusive parents”. Over the past weeks, I have read the CCPs of a number of services and have collated some of the most frequent inclusions below. Parents will: • Communicate positively with educators (i.e. always speak in respectful tones and use positive language). • Display respect for all people while at the service and never use raised voices or threatening language which might intimidate or humiliate staff, children or other visitors. • Communicate positively with all children (i.e. do not discipline any child other than your own). • Follow the grievance procedure when expressing concerns or complaints to educators. • Pay accounts promptly. • Report any hazard in the building or playground that may cause injury. • Respect the property of the service, and other people’s property, privacy and confidentiality. • Come to the service unaffected by drugs or alcohol. • Notify the service of any absences due to illness within an acceptable time-frame. • Work collaboratively with educators to resolve any behavioural issues as they arise. • Read the parent notice-board, newsletters and flyers, and discuss them with your children when appropriate. • Follow the service’s absence and cancellation procedures. • Be a positive role model to children at all times when at the service. • Understand that the curriculum is play-based. • Accept cultural differences, differing needs and differing personalities.
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In addition, some services feel it necessary to accompany their CCP with strong statements such as: “A breach of this Code may have serious consequences including denial of service or a mandatory report to authorities”; or, “Aggressive and abusive behaviour towards staff or anyone else is unacceptable, will not be tolerated and is not something we want in our service”. I genuinely question whether a CCP alone, even when accompanied by strong directives, will result in all parties communicating to one another with respect and understanding at all times. The answer is more than just a CCP. As I see it, we are more likely to achieve the desired outcome if educators possess the understanding, knowledge and practices required to confidently, and competently, manage difficult conversations with difficult parents. In addition, educators need to be able to manage these conversations when they are also: supervising children; greeting parents on arrival/departure and exchanging pertinent information; ensuring children are only collected by an approved person; returning medications, and so on. In addition, and in all likelihood, these conversations will occur in front of other parents, other adults and children. continued overleaf
Code of Conduct for Parents? - continued
Rather than a CCP, services may like to consider a proactive approach to help their educators manage these conversations. Some elements of this approach would be: • Develop clear, concise policies and detailed procedures on the topics identified as contentious issues within the service. Some issues we have all had experience with are: a parent demanding the service deny access to the other parent without a court order or to act outside of a court order; a parent disciplining a child other than their own; a parent seemingly intoxicated or otherwise unfit to collect their child; a parent told that their child has been bitten; an unwell child being brought to the service; parents arriving late to collect their child; and, late or non-payment of fees. When policies and procedures follow best practice and comply with legislation and recognised guidelines, educators can be confident in their approach. • Develop factsheets on the contentious topics, and store them where educators can readily access them when a parent raises any topic. The factsheets need to be empathic yet factual and consistent with the service’s policies and procedures. Educators can refer to the pertinent factsheet during their discussion with a parent, and give the
parent a copy to keep. Using a factsheet has a number of advantages because it: depersonalises the discussion by directing the focus onto the written word; provides the educator with words and a structure to the response at a time when it can be difficult to think on their feet; and educates the parent about the centre’s approach and the rationale, including regulatory requirements, for that approach. • Restructure Complaint Forms so that parents write their concern(s) first then provide their name, address and contact details at the bottom. (We all know it can be irritating to be asked for these personal details before you have had your say.) Most of us have witnessed how a skilful recipient manages an aggrieved person behaving badly. No Code of Practice, no matter how carefully and positively crafted, can achieve the same result – either in the short or the long term. Implement a Code of Practice for Parents if it suits your circumstances. However, also proactively support your staff in managing difficult conversations with difficult parents no matter when and where they are held.
Childcare Association of WA Inc News - Childcare Insight Third Edition 2014
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Early Education Awards - National Winner National Winner - Bobbi Wheeler
MEDIA RELEASE 's Milly Molly Mandy Care ity al Qu d Early Education an
t (08) 9642 1037 09 f (08) 9642 17
2014 Monday, 7 July ST W am .30 11
CTOR LY YEARS SE BEST IN EAR ’S N O TI 2014. A N od Director for WA HOME TO l early childho na io pt ce ex t os nation’s m town of is home to the the Wheatbelt estern Australia W l ia fic of s care Centre in It’ and Care ild n Ch io at ’s uc dy Ed an ly M mily Early , of Milly Mol e Australian Fa at the Sheraton on the Park heeler, Director the Year at th y of on m or re ct ire Ce Miss Bobbi W D d Dinner an announced the e Gala Awards Brookton was 20th June at Th ay id Fr on Awards le of Early eler with the tit ingent in Sydney. ented Miss Whe nt es co pr n A io W at e uc th Ed delight from t Minister for of an rs re, NSW ist ee nt ss ch A Ce d – re an P an Ley M eypot Child Ca urous applause pt on ra H id ’s e Year) er The Hon. Suss am th r gg of ea Ti e hood Servic ctor of the Y Occhiuto of included Julie IC (Early Child Childhood Dire V rs l, ne oo in w ch d es ar Pr er aw arring tegory). the room. Oth the Year), Baln (Rising Star ca od Educator of eschool, NSW Pr se ou H h ent to the (Early Childho ac plary commitm ken by or of Avalon Be for their exem rta and Ellyn Tayl rs de ne un in k w or w t’s rd tulate tonigh e ors for the ha r Education, th eartedly congra also ambassad fo -h e er le ar ist ho ey in w Th M to t n. e an re ist – ild ss t A ch ou l r y ra ou da de “I would lik , of Fe in re orking day sector.” said ucation and ca e one of you w ices across the gl rv high-quality ed sin se y d er an s ev or at at you – th of educ the thousands to say to all of y MP. “I’d like ” n. re ild ch r Hon. Sussan Le Day Care r ou of the Long nt outcomes fo announcement r demand achieve excelle nt la ce cu re rti e pa th t for areas of mmitment to or co pp r su he al ci d an ise provide fin also emphas m, which will Minister Ley opment Progra el d remote areas. ev an l D ra l ru na in sio Profes hers working ac te d an s or at ptance speech. such as educ able in her acce lp pa as w s ar ye n for the early love and passio Miss Wheeler’s it too? how exciting is e have ing career, but ng le al ch a t azing is that. W ub t do tmas… how am ris “This is withou Ch er th Fa , , fairies lieve in magic tacular. children who be ion - that is spec ’. We do “We work with e using nothing but imaginat ild for the path ucat , prepare the ch ild the skills to ed ch e th r fo e the path is ‘don’t prepar vourite quotes fa y m of doubt ne “O that there is no d to make sure night. an to d this, every day. ar om he ro is be th es lly evident in to let our voic sa , er ld iv fie un r so ou is in sponsibilities dedication that “We all have re essionalism, hard work and of pr e m tre of the ex ents!” ate our achievem Let’s all celebr
58 Williams St
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6306 , Brookton WA
Childcare Insight
37 Ph: (08) 964210
1709 Fax: (08) 9642
et.com.au : bmfc@westn
Early Education Awards - National Winner - continued
The awards, no w in their tent h year, is the education and co care professio n and over 12 untry’s only national annual managers, fam 00 nominations ily and friends awards, open . to the early were received from parents, colleagues, To determine th e national winne r of each catego panel to presen ry, each state w t their promise inner was requ professional de to ongoing qu ired to meet w velopment even ality improvem ith the judging t. ent and innova tion as part of a three day Miss Wheeler ’s innovation, enthusiasm an implementatio d passion mad n of a visual e cues system to transitions was reduce the anxi a strong impression on th particularly im e judges. Her ety some child pressive. This children a sens ren were expe e of capacity in has dramatical riencing durin ly reduced be their daily rout g havioural issue ines. s and allowed She has turned the service arou nd from near-c with the servic losure 2 years e committee, in ago consultation w particular iden tifying and rect ith the commun to a thriving service, by wor ifying staffing king closely ity to overhaul issues. all aspects of the centre, in Miss Wheeler is passionate ab out helping othe unique to the ar r Centres in th ea including la e Wheatbelt ov ck of qualified proactive and ercome many staff, distance visionary appr of the challeng and isolation, an oa ch will inspire rural areas to co es d staff retentio others in the in nsider early ed n. She hopes he ucation as a ca dustry, and ev r reer. en encourage more people in Miss Wheeler brings home so me wonderful grant from RT prizes for her O One World com for Children; NAN Toddler $5,000 Professio munity run Centre including and McArthur; $4,000 training nal Developm Media training $500 in resour ent gr w ces from Educ orkshop presen ational Experie ted by Bec & Ca ant with thanks to Nestle nce, and an iPad ll Consulting, va Mini. lued at $880; “We have big plans for these prizes and reso urces, and they mean the world “They will help to us.” said Miss us to further str Wheeler. reflects the belie engthen and fo ste fs, professiona r ou r sta ff de lism and attitud velopment prog es we value so ram, and ensu much. re our Centre “And at next ye ar’s awards, w e plan on conten di ng for Service See more at: ht of the Year!” tp://australianfa
mily.com.au/ea rlyeducationan dcareawards For more inform ation, please co ntact Paula Flin n on ph 9642 10 71 or Bobbi W heeler on ph 96 42 1037. (E ND S) CONTACTS: Bobbi Wheele r Centre Direct or Paula Flinn t 08 9642 1037 Chairperson e bmfc@westnet. com.au t 08 9642 1071 e flinnhealth@gm ail.com
58 Williams St
, Brookton WA
6306
Ph: (08) 964210 37
Fax: (08) 9642
1709
: bmfc@westn et.com.au
Childcare Association of WA Inc News - Childcare InsightSecond Edition 2013
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Engaging Families in Children’s Learning Engaging families in early education and care services is paramount to building successful relationships and achieving quality outcomes for children. Parents are the child’s first and primary educator. They greatly influence children’s learning and development. Families should always be considered partners in the education journey. Building successful partnerships based on mutual trust and respect will benefit educators, families, children and the wider community.
approach something. If the road is closed, we do not just sit all day in our car saying, “Oh well the road was closed,” we find another way to t ravel to our destination. The challenge for educators is to look beyond the obvious. To think outside the square, reach deep inside and find out how they can truly connect with families. Educators must find a way to create a learning community, to meets the needs of all participants and enrich the lives and learning environment for our precious children. Building Respectful Partnerships • Make connections with children and families and show genuine interest • Communicate with warmth and honesty • Be supportive and empathetic • Go out of your way to share information • Involve families in decision making and goal setting • Provide support services where appropriate • Consider language barriers and take action to overcome these
Family involvement in a child’s education and care is more than simply gaining information from them. It should involve rich, two-way conversations that empower families and build their knowledge and understanding of early years learning and development. A primary goal of The National Quality Framework in achieving high-quality education and care is to engage with families about the learning and development of their child. Furthermore, both the Early Years Learning Framework and the Framework for School Age Care make reference to the benefit of developing genuine partnerships with families; relationships that value each other’s knowledge and roles, and where communication is free and respectful. It is easy to become complacent when it comes to engaging families into learning environments. Quotes such as, “We have tried before and no one responds,” and “Families are too busy,” are all too often heard out of the mouths of educators. It has been a challenge – isn’t everything in life challenging at times? A challenge is just another opportunity for change, another chance to find a different way to
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Engaging Families in Children’s Learning - continued Where to Start • Make a list of all the ways you have tried to engage with families • Rate these from successful, to moderately successful, or unsuccessful • Build on the initiatives that have been successful so far and examine reasons why other strategies were less effective – was it the delivery or timing? • Ensure orientation is a positive, relaxed experience with the sharing of information about the service, the child and the family • Where possible conduct a mini-interview in a relaxed setting and provide families with access to documents, which support their parenting and understanding of the service and the National Quality Framework • Set mutual goals for an enrolling child. Revisit these goals with parents to monitor success and establish new goals • Follow up after the first week, month, three months, six months and year of a child’s enrolment to answer questions and share information about a child’s learning journey Strategies to Encourage Collaboration Brainstorm strategies to create excitement and engagement that is both meaningful for you and your families. The ideas below will assist in moving communication from necessity (e.g. meals, toileting, sleep times) to collaborative (willingness to share the learning journey). • Make use of email as an instant form of communication. Send newsletters by email, send photos to families during the day sharing what their child is doing, send information such as reminders, policies etc. • Social Media is a useful channel. Use applications such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Post a question and let families answer at their leisure online, ask parents to “like” for feedback e.g. “like” this if you would like to see more gardens in our playground, publish educator profiles highlighting qualifications, skills and knowledge, publish information from theorists and how children learn through play, conduct surveys through social media apps • Send home “What We Did on the Weekend” sheets. These are valuable resources to develop learning programs based on children’s interests and current events in their lives • Conduct educator and family meetings at least twice annually for individual conversations away from the hustle and bustle of drop off and pick up times
• Hold parent workshops to educate families on relevant topics such as how children learn through play, the National Quality Framework, developmental milestones and learning outcomes • Host an open day to encourage families to actively participate in their child’s learning. Assign rotating tasks or activities for parents to do with children • Ask parents if they can contribute to the learning process with any relevant skills they may possess for example: planting a new garden or vegetable garden to teach children about sustainability and to grow and harvest their own vegetables, provide music or artistic lessons to children (or through centre projects such as a concert or the creation of a wall mural). If any parents are licenced or registered tradesman they might like to volunteer their time to undertake maintenance and improvement works at the centre. It is important to remember that every family and every situation is different. What works for one family may not work as well with another, what did not work last month might work this month. Just as educators constantly change and adapt their approach to children, they need to remain flexible and accommodating when engaging with families. The successful engagement with families will be rewarded by strong, collaborative partnerships with families and improved outcomes for children. This article was written for and adapted by Educational Experience by Queensland based Early Education and Care Consultant Darlene Wadham. Darlene has 23 years’ experience in primary and early years learning.
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O U T S TA N D I N G SPEAKERS
LOOK FORWARD TO
G R E AT TOPICS
• Dr Anne Kennedy • Dr Michael Carr-Greg • Anthony Semann • Rhonda Livingstone • Luke Touhill • Karen Kearns
• LDC PDP Funding • Full Catering • Networking Cocktails • Free Parking • Exhibition • Suppliers to meet • Show bags
• Reflective Practice • Educational Leader • Indigenous Curriculum • ASD • Business • Marketing • Time Management • Leadership
2014 CCCAV C O N F E R E N C E
Are we there yet?
Like us on Facebook! CCCAV-Conference www.cccav.org.au/early-years-conference-2014
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Childcare Insight
Consider the Children By: Gwynn Bridge
Mums across Australia are waking up to “business as usual”.
This is no more than ideological mischief rather than sound economic and social policy.
Those with full time jobs are hurrying to get the lunches done, children ready, themselves in suitable work gear, a quick glance in the mirror, a second to deal with that wayward strand of hair, and the rush begins. Load the children in the car, someone’s shoe is missing, haven’t signed the form for the excursion and it goes on. Then comes the drop off at school and child care, a deep breath and the working mum persona kicks in on the drive to the office, factory or wherever. Many times throughout the day flashes of what need to be done to keep the home running on a semi smooth basis intersect the workplace decisions.
The current conversation fails to acknowledge the need and our responsibility, as a community to prepare children for the intense rigour of the years of school and to prepare them for a constructive and positive contribution to our world.
It’s tough. The decision to work is usually made in the best for the family and there are many reasons for this. Women may choose to work based on a career decision, progress, uncertainty of relationships, income challenges, to be productive, or to boost self-worth and each working mum would have something entirely meaningful to add as to why they chose to be part of the paid workforce. Their value to the economy is immense and working mums deserve a standing ovation for their personal effort each and every day. But what about the mums who are waking up this morning and for whatever reason do not work? There are exceptions to every rule, however in most communities, these mums are the unsung heroes who help out at the schools, encourage children to read, assisting teachers, tuck shop duties, helpers on excursions, organising the much needed funding for the schools. They provide support for aged neighbours and parents, assist new mothers and support a sister in need. There are also mums who have no diagnosed disability but have social and emotional challenges that prohibit them from entering the paid workforce. It is also not easy for the unskilled to walk into a position when employment opportunities are scarce. Many of these mums have no extra money each week for small luxuries and they dream of the day when they hopefully will get a job and their lives will change, not for the better but in a new direction. The demonization of non-working parents on talk back and social media sensationalises and promotes a singular view that if people aren’t working and they choose to have children, it is their problem. This has proven to be a great divide in many conversations with fingers pointing both ways and intense anger surfacing from time to time.
Currently the children who have one parent not in the paid workforce are entitled to two days of socialisation, care, early education where they learn the structure of a group setting, learn to follow instruction and more importantly, the ability to play and work co-operatively. Governments past and present have acknowledged this value for these children and have encouraged parents to access a time limited subsidy (means tested) for their children to attend. Unfortunately the Productivity Commission Draft Report has now intensified this division by failing to recognise the value of a mother who is not in the paid workforce, through providing a subsidy for her children to attend a subsidised early education and care program. What we and our governments should be considering is the children and their future. Quality early education and care during children’s formative years, particular 0 – 5, sets them on the path of active learning and inquiry into their school years. We know that children exposed to threats to their safety, children who are not stimulated and those who live with disadvantage thrive when they are nurtured and encouraged in an early education and care setting. The proposed paid parental scheme will guarantee considerable financial assistance to mothers in the workforce and particularly to high income mums. This is likely to create a great divide that will perpetuate into the future, between children whose parents work and those who don’t. Do we not live in a country wherein all children are born equal regardless of life’s challenges? In our view we must not turn back the clock on social progress. We must ensure all children have an equal opportunity and the best possible start to life and throughout life’s journey.
Australian Childcare Alliance Gwynn Bridge President
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NAIDOC Week Kids Corner Child Care Centre
originals use a video about how Ab Our toddlers watched re are our He s. rie sto l tel ate and drawings to communic to tell stories. d san the in own marks children making their
Our story time and mu
sic session.
Then we did some face painting for our Aboriginal dance.
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As part of our NAIDOC week activities some of our school and kindy children attended the Spearwood Library for sessions of Aboriginal dance and storytelling. As a result of these sessions, the children decided to make their own Wagyl (according to Noongar culture, a snakelike dreamtime creature responsible for the creation of the Swan and Canning Rivers) using old stockings and shredded paper. They then made up their own dream time stories about the Wagyl.
NAIDOC Week - continued Kids on Carrington
ild Kids on Carrington Ch
Care Centre NAIDOC
week celebrations
The damper we made with the children
Our centre’s Aborigin
al display
Nursery NAIDOC week
display
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World Cultural Celebrations
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Childcare Insight
Child Protection - Who is watching the kids? By: Chris Barrett
The issue of Child Protection is a widely discussed topic, not only in a Child Care setting, but throughout the community at large. After the recently publicised case of entertainer Rolf Harris, being jailed for sex offenses against women (when they were young girls), it could be easy for us to believe that we must be on the lookout for monsters around every corner. Whilst it is a sad and sorry story of a man who took advantage of his public profile and access to children, to satisfy his own needs, the majority of child sex abuse cases, child neglect and other forms of child abuse are not perpetrated by a high profile figure or widely reported in the media. For every one of Harris’s victims there are many more children abused in homes across Australia, that we don’t read about in our news bulletins or national newspapers. It also has to be remembered that most cases of child abuse happen to children by someone they know. Someone within their own family, or family and friendship circle and not a high profile celebrity, the likes of Rolf Harris. “Almost 273,000 reports were made about children at risk nationally in 2012-13. Children most at risk come from less affluent backgrounds with the institute’s Child Protection Australia: 2012–13 report, showing that 42% of abuse victims were from the areas of lowest socioeconomic status. Emotional abuse accounted for 38 per cent of substantiated cases, followed by neglect (28 per cent), physical abuse (20 per cent) and sexual abuse (13 per cent).”
Sexual, physical, emotional abuse and neglect of children, has far reaching effects on them, which may impact on their future schooling, relationships and their own parenting style, later in life. It is a complex issue that can be dealt with in a variety of ways, including family counselling, parenting programs and support, and in some cases the removal of children from the family home. In efforts to identify signs of abuse, it is important that teachers, carers and child care educators are trained and well equipped to identify children who may be at risk and report accordingly, when appropriate. It is not only a professional obligation, but I would argue it is also a moral obligation, that all adults watch over children in our society and be the voice for them, when they may feel that no one has been listening. Chris Barrett is a Contract Trainer who has spent 30 years as a Child and Adolescent counsellor, as well as working as a Child Care Educator. Chris delivers in house Training on Child Protection and various other topics to Child Care Centres across WA. For more information view the website www. vibeconsulting.com.au or to make enquiries call 0401562683.
Source: www.aihw.gov.au
Childcare Association of WA Inc News - Childcare Insight Third Edition 2014
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Managing work health and safety risks in everyday practice Everyone benefits from a healthy and safe workplace. Some of these benefits include fewer injuries, improved worker engagement, better productivity and less workers’ compensation costs. The main legislation that directs businesses in their obligations to operate in a healthy and safe way are the work health and safety (WHS) laws in each state and territory. While everyone has a role to play in a safe workplace, WHS legislation places accountability, known as a ‘duty of care’, on 1 persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU ) to protect the health and safety of people in the workplace. While there are some differences from state to state, (especially in WA and Victoria), work health and safety laws generally require PCBUs to ‘manage risks’ to health and safety by eliminating them, and if it not reasonably 2 practicable to do this, then to minimise these risks as far as is reasonably practicable. Figure 1 - The WHS risk management process
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An important first step in managing WHS risk is management commitment. If the leaders in your business take WHS seriously and demonstrate that they do so via their actions, workers are more likely to follow. That is, stating that health and safety is important in your business is not enough; you have to show it in your everyday practices, such as getting involved in safety issues and allocating appropriate resources to safety. Another element of the risk management process is consultation. Managers and workers should share information that has an impact on safety. For example, having WHS as a standing agenda item at staff meetings creates an opportunity to discuss WHS regularly. The next steps involved in managing risks to health and safety in the workplace are: Steps involved in managing risks to health and safety in the workplace 1. Identify the hazards – what can cause harm? For example, poor housekeeping practices can result in slips, trips and falls. Using a checklist at the start of the working day prompting workers to check that their work areas are tidy and free of trip hazards can be part of your usual daily routine.
2. Assess the risks – how likely is the harm to happen, and how serious could it be? If the hazard creates a risk of serious injury that is almost certain to happen, the hazard needs to be urgently eliminated or reduced as much as possible.
3. Control the risks – take steps to eliminate the risks. If that’s not reasonably practicable, then find the most effective combination of measures to reduce the risks as much as possible. For instance, if you can’t avoid storing items on high shelves, consider using appropriate ladders or step stools and storing only light and small items on high shelves.
4. Review the control measures – go back and check whether So what does risk management look like in work health and safety management? The How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice (2011), available from Safe Work Australia (www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au), provides this guidance to businesses. Figure 1 illustrates the WHS risk management process.
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the actions you put in place to eliminate or reduce the risks are working as you intended. For example, a way to check whether the control measures reduced the risk to workers and others is to review your injury statistics.
Managing work health and safety risks in everyday practice
Where to go if you need more information This purpose of this brochure has been to draw your attention to PCBUs’ duty to manage risks to health and safety in the workplace. This is one duty; however they also have other duties under WHS legislation. Although the information provided in this brochure is representative, it is not exhaustive, and there may be other risks to consider and manage in your workplace. You will need to consider if the information provided is appropriate for your situation. If you need further assistance, the best thing to do is to reach out for it. If you’re not sure, ask. Work health and safety is state-based legislation, and you can visit the website of your local regulator, or give them a call: Australian Capital Territory Queensland
www.worksafe.act.gov.au www.deir.qld.gov.au/workplace
Northern Territory
www.worksafe.nt.gov.au
South Australia
www.safework.sa.gov.au
New South Wales
www.workcover.nsw.gov.au
Western Australia
www.commerce.wa.gov.au/worksafe
Tasmania Victoria
“An important first step in managing WHS risk is management commitment. If the leaders in your business take WHS seriously and demonstrate that they do so via their actions, workers are more likely to follow.”
www.worksafe.tas.gov.au www.vwa.vic.gov.au
1. A ‘person conducting a business or undertaking’ (PCBU) is a new term under the model Work Health and Safety Act and Regulations that includes ‘employers’ as defined under the previous occupational health and safety legislation. A PCBU has a primary duty of care to ensure workers and others are not exposed to risks to their health and safety. The term is not necessarily used in all state legislation. 2. The term ‘reasonably practicable’ has specific meaning in WHS legislation which may vary from state to state. As per the interpretive guideline of the model Work Health and Safety Act, the term is used in the context of this brochure to mean ‘that what can be done should be done unless it is reasonable in the circumstances for the duty-holder to do something less. 3. Safe Work Australia (2011) How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice. Retrieved from: ttp://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/swa/about/publications/pages/m anage-whs-risks-cop. Date accessed: 28 May 2014. Guild Insurance Limited ABN 55 004 538 863, AFS Licence No. 233 791. This article contains information of a general nature only, and is not intended to constitute the provision of legal advice. Guild Insurance supports your Association through the payment of referral fees for certain products or services you take out with them.
Childcare Association of WA Inc News - Childcare Insight Third Edition 2014
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