The Gold Coast region Centre Managers of Eden Academy discussed the foundations regarding the role, what are our barriers and what we plan to put in place to help us achieve what needs to happen.

The foundations of the role consist of staffing, families, administration, and compliance. The daily barriers consist mainly of staffing and family focus.

Implementation to assist in maintaining a balance include:

1.        Blackout period – Between the hours between 10 am and 12 pm educators are not allowed to disturb management unless it's an emergency or they need help. We have been finding staff coming to us for non-urgent questions resulting in constant interruptions. This will helpfully give management time to do the administration part of the role. It is management's goal to set these boundaries and maintain them.

2.        CM working in the Library – To also assist with the above the CM will work from the Library during 10-12 pm if needed. This will also assist with concentration by having limited interruptions from phones ringing, noise within the centre etc.

3.        Management Daily huddles – Each morning ACM and CM will have a morning meeting to outline what we each need to complete that day. This will hold us accountable and outline our continuous barriers.

4.        CM to hold daily meetings with rooms – Each day CM to have a meeting in one room with the educators. The goal of these meetings will be to outline the expectations of CM and to discuss room successes, and room barriers, for CM to answer questions and address concerns educators may have etc.

The plan is to trial the above strategies and revisit them in a month,  to reflect on what is working, and what we need to continue to put strategies in place to create a better work/home balance and smooth running of the centre.

During the recent Gold Coast region Assistant Centre Manager networking meeting, they focused on discussing topics about the challenges and rewards of our roles, focusing on how to build resilience individually and as a team.

A key takeaway was encouraging staff to solve problems independently before seeking help from higher management. This promotes autonomy and helps build problem-solving skills within the team. With the tools and confidence to handle minor challenges independently, we can empower and improve the team's efficiency. Boundaries help manage expectations, prevent burnout, and create a balanced work environment.

Organisation and time management were other key focuses. Staying organised—through clear communication and task delegation—helps reduce stress and creates a more structured environment. Ensuring everyone knows their responsibilities at the start of the day or week can reduce confusion and stress.

Overall, the meeting gave us a chance to reflect on how we can build a resilient team culture. By encouraging independent problem-solving, setting boundaries, and staying organised, we can support the well-being of both our staff and ourselves. This aligns with the goals of Quality Area 7, which focuses on leadership, management, and workplace culture in early childhood education.

Our Educational Leaders from our Gold Coast region, met up for a networking meeting to begin the year with the foundations of the role. 

All leaders came together at one of our Eden centres on the Gold Coast and brainstormed different discussion topics, about what tasks are related to our job descriptions, how we goal set, communicate with our teams, other networking meetings throughout the year, room collaborations, gather evidence from our community and children, and professional development. 

All of these discussion points were able to help identify the foundation of our role, which will benefit not only ourselves but our teams. 

Our team thrives on visual learning so ensuring that any feedback or research is provided to them in person and delivered with visual information and descriptions. 

We will be meeting once a month to further our practices and widen our knowledge not only as an educational leader but also as a leader who supports and drives their team. 

Evidence: collaborative discussion through staff meeting

drive.google.com/file/d/12vTyIyZ0LFQDUQWrz3IiZlDYu9IrC_9Y/view?usp=drive_link