Guides: Education Support and Childcare: Legal and Ethical Compliance

Websites

Legal & Ethical

About Children's Rights Children as well as adults have human rights. Children also have the right to special protection because of their vulnerability to exploitation and abuse. The main international human rights treaty on children’s rights is the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The CRC is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in the world. Australia ratified the CRC in December 1990, which means that Australia has a duty to ensure that all children in Australia enjoy the rights set out in the treaty.
Australian Children Education & Care Quality Authority The NQF establishes higher standards for all education and care services in Australia so children to age 13 years get the best possible start in life. The program sets levels of safety and quality to benefit all children and their families who use approved education and care services.
Early Childhood Australia - Code of Ethics A code of ethics is a set of statements about appropriate and expected behaviour of members of a professional group and, as such, reflects its values.
Education and Care Regulatory Unit The Department of Communities approves and monitors education and care services through the Education and Care Regulatory Unit (ECRU).
Guide to the National Quality Framework The Guide to the National Quality Framework (NQF) is designed to help education and care providers, educators and authorised officers understand and apply the requirements of the NQF.
Understanding MTOP (My Time, Our Place) The My Time Our Place Framework provides broad direction for school age care educators in settings to facilitate children’s play, leisure and learning. It guides educators in their program decision-making and assists in planning, implementing and evaluating quality in school age care settings.
UNICEF Convention on the Rights of the Child In 1989, world leaders made a historic commitment to the world’s children by adopting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child – an international agreement on childhood. It’s become the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history and has helped transform children’s lives around the world.

Out of School Hours Care

Camp Australia At Camp Australia, children are at the heart of everything we do. We employ the best educators to deliver enriching experiences to children before school, after school and in their holidays. This is our way of supporting families in achieving their dreams.
Care for Kids Supervised care and recreation for school-aged children after school, usually from 3-6pm.
NOSHSA The National Outside School Hours Services Alliance (NOSHSA) is a network of all Australian State and Territory Out of School Hours Services (OSHC) Associations. These organisations promote provision of Out of School Hours Services and act as a united voice to advocate both to Government and the community for excellence in service provision.
Orana - Out of School Hours Care The Out of School Hours Care Centre offers before and after school care as well as all-day care during vacations and pupil-free days.
OSHCwa Useful links on industry requirements for outside of school care.
Wanslea Family Services Our Outside School Hours Care is built on the Early Years Learning Framework by following the National My Time, Our Place Framework. These guidelines ensure high quality care and education. We believe in giving children responsibility and choices to assist them in learning skills for their adult lives.

Online Videos

Child Protection This week, the team debate the procedures involved after a teaching assistant is accused of an inappropriate advance towards a pupil. The panel question where they can go for advice on child protection and their role in setting policy. They also discuss how to handle the consequences of such an event in school and how they can protect both staff and pupils in such circumstances.
Looked After Children How can teachers and other professionals help ‘looked after children’ in the care of the local authority or in informal placements beat the statistics and achieve to their potential? Mike Baker puts an imaginary case study to a panel of eight practitioners to explore the ethical dilemmas surrounding the education of looked after children.

Books in the Library

Ethics in Action: A Practical Guide to Implementing the ECA Code of Ethics This essential and practical 95-page guide to the Early Childhood Australia (ECA) Code of Ethics clearly explains what ‘code of ethics’ means in everyday practice. It comes with Practice Tool templates that you can photocopy, as well as additional resources, and also provides suggestions on how to put ethics into action. You will discover case studies, scenarios and provocations to help guide you with everyday ethical implementation.
The Business of Childcare (3th edition) This book addresses the managerial and operational aspects that you need to know in your role as manager in a Child Care setting. These include a wide range of responsibilities such as workplace health and safety, human resource management, strategic planning, financial and resource management, and sustainability. Importantly, it also includes your compliance with legislative requirements such as the regulations for early childhood education and care services.
Work legally and ethically learner guide Community health aides Social service - Moral and ethical aspects
Manage legal and ethical compliance : learner guide Also title Manage legal and ethic CHCLEG003 Law and Legislation Professional ethics Moral and ethical subjects
Starting from scratch : a guide to establishing a children's centre How to establish a children's centre, going through the legal and administrative guidelines, and the issues that need to be considered.
Teachers, Students and the Law Teachers, Students and the Law is an indispensable pocket-sized resource that guides primary and secondary school teachers through the many complex legal issues that can arise in school environments. Covering key topics, from cyberbullying to pandemics, the book provides concise, plain-language information in an easy-to-use format.

Online Journals / Articles

A Matter of Policy Virginia Sadler explains why it's important that your workplace policies are welldrafted and up to date, and why you need to ensure you communicate your policies clearly and apply them consistently.
Development of Australian Physical Activity and Screen Time Guidelines for Outside School Hours Care: an International Delphi Study This study aimed to work with industry, government and academic stakeholders to develop draft physical activity and screen time guidelines for use in Australian OSHC.