Deferring future Assessments & Ratings

ACA NSW members and NSW's early childhood education and care sector would be aware of our gross disappointment with the NSW Department of Education's decision to agree to ACECQA's plans to introduce 5-day notification of services' next assessment and ratings (A&Rs) as well as Partial A&Rs.

It should be noted that there are other states with services who have not even been re-assessed and re-rated since 2012 (11 years ago), as well as that fewer and fewer services are striving to achieve the Exceeding rating especially since 2018.

In ACA NSW's advocacies, the NSW Department of Education has confirmed to ACA NSW that it intends to work with us and the sector to develop potentially a public protocol to defer A&Rs.

ACA NSW members would know that ACA NSW has highlighted that the National Law and National Regulations place legal responsibilities as well as the risk of financial penalties on Approved Providers and the Nominated Supervisors. Educational Leaders are also specifically responsible for at least Quality Areas 1 and 7.

Therefore, there is not only an ethical obligation to ensure that these individuals must always be present during A&Rs for the service(s) they are responsible for, there is also the need for procedural fairness that A&Rs can only be properly completed with them present.

To develop such a public protocol, ACA NSW invites your suggestions/recommendations/ideas on how the NSW Regulatory Authority can establish and immplement. 

A survey form is available below for receiving your contributions. Please note that the form will close in 2 weeks at 11.59 pm on Friday, 28 July 2023.

For any further information/clarification, please contact the ACA NSW team via 1300 556 330 or nsw@childcarealliance.org.au. 

PUBLISHED: 16 JULY 2023