Quality Area 5 Relationships with children &

Quality Area 6 Partnerships with families 

Quality improvement recording

Care environments

• PD in your pocket

Geccko training information

How to access training:

• Visit the Geccko login page  

• Log in with your existing email and password you created when completing the foundational training 

• Click on 'National Child Safety training' in your dashboard and follow the prompts 

PLINK training of protective practices

How to access training:

• Visit the Plink login page  

• Select Non Department for Education users 

• login using your details 

Coordinator focus visits 

During October and November Coordinators all be focusing on the following area during your service visits.  

Safe Sleep (including sleep spaces)  

To support safe sleep and rest practices, it is important that services provide environments that are safe, comfortable and suitable for each child. The National Quality Standard (NQS) outlines key expectations that should guide practice in this area.

• Children must be continually monitored while sleeping. 

• Sleep arrangements should take into account each child’s individual needs, age and stage of development. 

• Adequate lighting must be maintained in sleep spaces so educators can physically check each sleeping child’s; breathing. skin colour, sleeping position 

• Sleep checks must be conducted at intervals of no more than 15 minutes apart  

• (Overnight care- please refer to the non-standard hours of care and overnight care for information) 

• The age of the child, individual needs (for example, medical needs or developmental age), and the sleep environment may mean that checks need to occur more frequently. 

• These considerations should be reflected in your risk assessment, which should be updated as children’s needs or circumstances change. 

* Red Nose recognises continuous supervision, in which an educator is in sight and hearing of a sleeping child at all times, represents best practice.  As part of ensuring children are adequality supervised doors to all sleep areas and transition spaces must remain open whilst children are sleeping. 

During this visit, your Coordinator will sight all sleep spaces and sleep-check practices and discuss any areas where practice may need to be strengthened. They will also take photos of your sleep spaces which will be added to your home visit report.  

*GFDC  Note: Children placed into care associated with the GFDC program require a dedicated bedroom for each child (or children if siblings). This space cannot be used for other children in care, educator family members or visitors.

Family Day Care Environments

In Family Day Care, the environment is both a home and a registered space for education and care. A high-quality environment should be safe, welcoming, well-organised, and support children’s learning, development, and wellbeing. This reflects the National Quality Standard (NQS), particularly Quality Areas 2 and 3, as well as the Education and Care Services National Law and Regulations, which support the importance of providing environments that are safe, suitable, clean and well maintained for children. 

Environments needing improvement may be cluttered, unsafe, poorly organised, or lack suitable resources.  Although this is also your home environment, Educators have a responsibility to provide an environment that supports children’s safety, participation, learning, and wellbeing. High-quality environments reflect those who use the space, offer defined areas for play, include natural elements, and promote both comfort. learning and engagement. 

Your Coordinator will take time to reflect with you on your Family Day Care space and environments, considering these elements. As part of this process, photos of your indoor and outdoor Family Day Care spaces will also be taken and included in your home visit report. 

Child Safety

Mandatory Notification –As a mandated notifier in family day care, your responsibility is to report any suspicion, formed on reasonable grounds, that a child is, or may be, at risk of harm or abuse. 

• How would you recognise and respond to potential signs of abuse or neglect? Can you explain your legal and ethical responsibilities regarding child protection and mandatory reporting? 

• Who must you inform if you suspect a child is, or may be, at risk of harm or abuse? 

Geccko Training Reminder- Advanced Safey Training -All educators, carers and staff who work directly with children are required to complete the training by 31st of December 2026.  Completed educator certificates must be emailed to admin to upload to FDSee at: education.familydaycare@sa.gov.au

Professional Boundaries and Child Protective Practices

Ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children in education and care is a national priority and significant reforms are strengthening child safety protections. Professional boundaries are the clear and appropriate limits that help guide positive interactions and relationships between educators/carers and the children and young people in their care. 

These boundaries support relationships that are respectful, professional and focused on the learning, development and wellbeing of children and young people. These may look different depending on whether you are a FDC educator, a GFDC educator, or both. It is important that you understand these boundaries and reflect on your practices. 

It is highly recommended that you complete the following Plink training, available to Family Day Care educators, to support your understanding of professional boundaries and how to keep children and young people safe in education and care settings. 

• PLINK Protective practices online training

During your next home visit your Coordinator will provide a Protective Practices Booklet that has more supporting information to support you.  

Illness and Injury Reports

 Have you read last month’s newsletter article?

We often receive incident and illness reports that are difficult to read, not complete, need more information, not signed or sent outside of the reporting timeframes. When completing a serious incident form, it is essential that all parts of the form are completed, written or typed neatly, and are easily understandable. You must include as much detail as possible so that anybody reading the form can understand what has occurred.  

The form must be signed by the parent or guardian unless extenuating circumstances prevent this from occurring immediately. Where possible, it is best practice to have the incident form completed and ready for the parent to sign at pick-up time. 

Digital Devices

Your coordinator will ask to see your registered digital device as part of this visit, ensuring that your e-safety risk assessment and permission forms are actioned in practice. 

Critical reflection

Critical reflection enables educators to examine their daily practices, challenge their assumptions, and identify opportunities for improving children’s learning. Effective critical reflection goes beyond simply describing events; it involves analysing the reasons behind what occurred and determining appropriate next steps. The paramount consideration of children’s safety, rights, and best interests is a statutory duty. It is essential that, when we critically reflect on our practice, we consistently prioritise children’s safety, rights, and best interests.

Educator Questions

• How do you involve children and families in reviewing whether your programs and environments feel safe and respectful? 

• How do you partner with families to support them embed the principles of children’s safety, rights and best practice?  

• GFDC Specific- How do we promote the safety and wellbeing of children who are experiencing or have experienced adversity and trauma, including adopting trauma-informed practices?