NQS Quality Area 4: Staffing Arrangements

NQS Quality Area 4: Staffing Arrangements is one of the 7 Quality Areas under the National Quality Standard.

The aim of Quality Area 4 is to ensure the provision of qualified and experienced educators who build respectful, secure, and reciprocal relationships with children, create stable environments, and promote active engagement in learning. A collaborative, ethical culture guided by professional standards is essential to delivering quality education and care.

Educators play a central role in supporting children's learning, wellbeing and development. They draw on various theories and perspectives, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewpoints, and make informed professional judgements. Ongoing professional development, critical reflection, and teamwork with families and children underpin continuous improvement.

All roles within a service (i.e. approved providers, educational leaders, nominated supervisors, coordinators, and educators) are responsible for upholding ethical and effective practices. A strong service philosophy supports decision-making, including staffing arrangements, to ensure continuity and positive outcomes for children.

The 2 Standards of QA3 are Staffing Arrangements (4.1) and Professionalism (4.2).

These Standards are crucial to delivering quality learning outcomes for children under the National Quality Framework because:

• Professional and collaborative relationships between management, educators and staff support continuous improvement, leading to improved learning experiences and outcomes for children

• Careful organisation of staff contributes to the continuous support of each child's learning and development in an effectively supervised environment

• Professional standards set quality benchmarks for educators' practice and relationships.

Each standard is a high-level outcome statement, and is accompanied by elements, which describe outcomes that contribute to the standard.

NQS Quality Area 4: Standard 4.1 - Staffing Arrangements

Standard 4.1	Staffing arrangements	Staffing arrangements enhance children's learning and development.
Element 4.1.1	Organisation of educators	The organisation of educators across the service supports children's learning and development.
Element 4.1.2	Continuity of staff	Every effort is made for children to experience continuity of educators at the service.

Documentation that may be sighted by assessors relating to Standard 4.1

Element 4.1.1:

• Rosters for nominated supervisors, co-ordinators, educators and other staff

• Staff rosters that demonstrate the service is meeting staffing requirements including that a first-aid-qualified staff member is on duty at all times

• Procedures and supporting documentation to assist relief educators to learn about the service's processes, routines, families and children (school-age children)

Element 4.1.2:

• Rosters and staffing arrangements that reflect the importance of educator continuity on a day-to-day basis

• Exit data and documentation that provides information about the reasons for educators leaving the service

NQS Quality Area 4: Standard 4.2 - Professionalism

Standard 4.2	Professionalism	Management, educators and staff are collaborative, respectful and ethical.
Element 4.2.1	Professional collaboration	Management, educators and staff work with mutual respect and collaboratively, and challenge and learn from each other, recognising each other's strengths and skills.
Element 4.2.2	Professional standards	Professional standards guide practice, interactions and relationships.

Documentation that may be sighted by assessors relating to Standard 4.2

Element 4.2.1:

• Evidence recorded in staff meeting minutes or reflective journals that demonstrates that the educational leader, nominated supervisor, coordinators and educators are engaging with their colleagues to reflect on practice, explore new possibilities and record outcomes that have resulted in improved practice so that children and families benefit

• Documented examples of projects or teamwork that recognises and builds on the diverse skills, knowledge and strengths of the team.

Element 4.2.2:

• The service's code of conduct and Early Childhood Australia's Code of Ethics (2016) are accessible to educators and staff members, and are displayed and made available to families

• A handbook or resources for new and existing service staff that includes the statement of philosophy, position descriptions, professional standards and/or code of conduct.

What to do to Meet of Exceed NQS Quality Area 4

Now you know the basics of what documentation needs to be sighted by authorised officers, it's important to ensure that your documentation is:

• Efficient: you don't want to spend too much time documenting that you spend less time promoting the health and safety of the children in your care.

• Easy to communicate: when an assessor comes in, you want these things to be sighted quickly and easily. This will help the assessor to understand that you have everything you need to Meet/Exceed QA4.

But efficiency and communication can be hard. That's why we've developed OWNA.

See how OWNA can help you improve your NQS rating by making documentation efficient and communication easier.