CEO Meg Mendham met with The Hon. Dr. Anne Aly in Sydney on Monday 8 August, to discuss future early childhood policy development and the new government's vision.
Key points raised included workforce, pay parity, CCS funding, gaps in service delivery across rural and remote communities, flexible funding models, support for education pathways from birth including playgroups & allied health, a refocus on Mobile Childrens Services and of course a special invite to our Rural and Remote Forum roundtables.
Workforce Action Plan
The Workforce Action Plan, developed by Thrive By Five, outlines the urgent action needed from the federal government to address the immediate crisis in our early childhood education and care workforce with high turnover, staff shortages and stress. CCSA is pleased to be part of the broad coalition of unions, educators, experts and advocates for children and parents which Thrive by Five has engaged with to develop the Workforce Action Plan.
Union members have passed a vote for Early Childhood Educators to take industrial action and walk off the job on September 7th with a goal to raise awareness of educators’ vital role in children’s development, and secure an increase in educator rates of pay and conditions of employment. This does not constitute ‘Protected Industrial Action’ (Section 408 of the Fair Work Act 2009), as it does not relate to a proposed enterprise agreement.
As a result of this, CCSA's Member Infoline has received a high volume of calls from services seeking information on how to respond to their employee's desire to partake in a refusal to work (unprotected industrial action/strike) and any HR implications they may need to be aware of. To assist our members to navigate these scenarios as they arise, we have prepared some frequently asked questions and answers.
The Premier's Early Childhood Education Scholarship is open to degree-qualified early childhood teachers who are currently teaching in early childhood education and care services in NSW. The scholarship is for study in any aspect of Early Childhood Education.
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day occurred last week on 4 August. This day is an opportunity for all Australians to show support and learn about the crucial impact that culture, family and community play in the life of every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child. Watch as the 2022 Children's Day Ambassador, Thomas Mayor, talks about this year’s theme 'My Dreaming, My Future'.
The NSW Department of Education has created a digital version of the Transition to School Statement to share information directly with a child’s school and support a positive transition. Early childhood educators and teachers may complete a Transition to School Digital Statement for each child in their year before school.
The NSW JobTrainer program is now offering fee-free qualification courses, including Certificate III or Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care. Enrolments close on 31 December 2022.
CCSA is calling for nominations from people interested in taking up a position on the CCSA Board. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a unique and well-respected organisation by helping to build on the work carried out over our 50 years of history. Go to our Board Nominations page to read about the benefits of being on the Board, find out more about the role and get started with your nomination. Nominations close Tuesday 6 September 2022.
The new Board members will be elected at CCSA's Annual General meeting to be held at 10am on Thursday 27 October 2022 at Fairmont Resort and Spa, Club Room, 1 Sublime Point Rd, Leura, NSW, 2780. Online attendance will also be available.
Coffee Conversations are returning this August & September, offering members a platform for facilitating important conversations about the issues currently affecting our sector. Representatives from the NSW Department of Education will be joining us for the first 3 sessions to discuss:
Affordable Preschool Program
Brighter Beginnings Program
Work Force Investment
Work Force Engagement
Register now for the full series for only $120 or individual sessions for $35. Members only exclusive access.
Self-test Rapid Antigen Kits are continually reviewed by the Therapeutic Good Administration. It is a good idea to review the list on a regular basis to ensure the RAT’s your service is using are still approved by the TGA, to give the most accurate outcome.
COVID-19 and Vaccinations Guide - a Risk Based Approach
CCSA has developed a printable guide to assist our members to make informed decisions about the management of COVID-19 within their services, including what to consider such as staff, policies and risk assessments.
For the latest COVID information go to our COVID Updates Page. CCSA members can call the CCSA Infoline on (02) 4782 1470 or 1800 991 602 (option 2) for further support and for help with any COVID related questions.
Flood Information
CCSA is thinking of all of our members and communities who continue to experience the impacts of the devastating floods across the east coast. For information visit our Flood Support webpage and please call or email us for further assistance.
Unfortunately, injuries in the workplace cannot always be avoided. After dealing with the injury itself in the appropriate way, employers are required to promptly start the process of notification to their insurer. To help ease the stress of “what to do next” CCSA has developed some quick reference steps based on information provided by iCare. This will assist employers to meet their obligations under the Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998.