“It’s our polite nudge in the ribs to help you and your team stay organised and on task.”
This week’s subject is Access to policies and procedures
Element 6.1.1: Families are supported from enrolment to be involved in the service and contribute to service decisions.
Are your families aware of how and where to access Service policies and procedures?
Services should ensure that families are familiar with relevant/key Service policies so that they’re aware of how your Service operates and expectations are clearly communicated. Regulation 171 stipulates that Services must ensure that policies required under regulation 168 and 169 (for FDC) are readily accessible to staff and are always available for inspection at the Service.
Use a range of communication methods to provide information to families to assist them to understand that your policies are a legal requirement under the National Quality Framework and are designed to assist the service to deliver positive outcomes for children and families, identify, manage and minimise risk, ensure safety and reduce grievances and conflict.
Where possible, Services should make policies available and accessible to parents and families on a variety of platforms to help meet their individual needs:
Online platform:
Having your policies and procedures available for families online makes them easily accessible and allows families to access them in their own time. Consider adding a policy library with key policies available via:
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- Service website
- Information sharing platform/app
- Email key policies along with your Newsletter
- Social media platforms
At the Service:
Having policies readily available at the Service for families to access independently will assist in catering to the needs of families who may not have regular online access. Provide a policy manual available for families to access, uninterrupted, within the foyer or parent information area. Policies may be presented in a folder/manual or available digitally on a computer or iPad/tablet. Consider highlighting key points and sections within the policies that are particularly relevant to parents and families.
To foster respectful and reciprocal relationships between the Service and families and support families to feel valued and experience a sense of belonging, it’s crucial that the Service actively seeks parent input and keeps them informed of Service operations and practices. This includes involving families in policy review routines and informing them of changes to Service policies. Ensure parents are notified at least 14 days before any change is made to an existing policy or procedure that may have a significant impact on the service’s provision of education and care to any child enrolled in the service or the family’s ability to utilise the service or affects the fees charged or the way they are collected. (r172).
Resources:
Build Strong Partnerships with Families
Case study-A targeted approach to parent engagement
Policy Tip Sheet- Including Family Input
Within System7 go to Quality Area 6/ Modules 4 & 11 to submit self-assessment notes and if required, open a QIP issue if you identify any areas of improvement.
The Childcare Centre Desktop has a range of resources to assist services with family engagement. These include Policy Evaluation Worksheet, Policy to Procedure Guide, Family Communication Policy, Connecting and Communicating with Families Guide and much more.
Resources, NQS Element, Regulation and System7 links:
Childcare Centre Desktop – Childcare Centre Desktop
National Quality Standard – QA 6/ 6.1.1- Engagement with the service
National Regulations – 111, 157, 171, 172
System7 Module – QA 6/ Modules 4 & 11
If you have any questions send us a note via the Contact page here!
