NATIONAL QUALITY STANDARD (NQS)

QUALITY AREA 2:  CHILDREN’S HEALTH AND SAFETY

QUALITY AREA 4:  STAFFING ARRANGEMENTS

QUALITY AREA 7:  GOVERNANCE AND LEADERSHIP

Education and Care Services National Law and Regulations

Purpose

Our Service supports participation of work placement students (including work experience students) and volunteers wanting to develop professional skills and knowledge in their effort to become Early Childhood Professionals. Our Service aims to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all children enrolled at the Service by having a process in place to accurately and securely record information about visitors, students and volunteers. To ensure a professional and pleasurable learning experience, students and volunteers will be encouraged to participate in the Service’s daily routine and assist in accordance with their qualification level to work with children under the National Quality Framework requirements. Our Service will ensure no child or children are left alone with a visitor, student or volunteer. We believe that children’s safety, rights, and best interests are the paramount consideration for all Service operations, decisions and functions.

We have a strong commitment to provide a range of opportunities for volunteers, students and visitors to participate in programs and activities while adhering to clear guidelines regarding appropriate interactions and communication with staff, and other adults and children at the Service. As a child safe organisation, we embed the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations [or insert Child Safe Standards applicable in your state/territory] and implement child safe policies and procedures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children is paramount. 

Our Service adheres to and aligns with legislative requirements for taking images or videos of children, which applies to volunteers, students and visitors. 

Responsibilities for the Approved Provider

The Approved Provider of an education and care service must –

• Ensure that students and volunteers do not commence at the Service until they have provided all required documentation including:  

  • Full name, address and date of birth;

  • Current Working with Children Number; If under 18 not needed

• Ensuring that volunteers/students and parents/guardians are adequately supervised at all times and that the health, safety and wellbeing of children at the service is protected.

• ensure that obligations under the Education and Care Services National Law and National Regulations are met.

• Ensure students and volunteers are aware of current National Principles for Child Safe Standards and their duty of care to ensure that reasonable steps are taken to prevent harm to children.

• Ensure students, volunteers and regular visitors complete Child Safety Training approved by ACECQA.

• Ensuring that volunteers/students and parents/guardians are not left with sole supervision of individual children or groups of children.

• Ensuring that parents/guardians of a child attending the service can enter the service premises at any time that the child is being educated and cared for, except where this may pose a risk to the safety of a children or staff, or conflict with any duty of the Approved Provider, Nominated Supervisor or staff members under the law.

• Ensuring that the staff record contains information for all volunteers/students attending the service with details of name, date of birth, days and hours of participation and details of the Working with Children Check.

• Ensure Working with Children Check has been verified through accessing the website of Office of the Children’s Guardian. 

• Conduct an orientation for the student or volunteer (before start date) including taking the student or volunteer on a tour of the Service, showing emergency exits, staffroom and bathroom facilities. 

• Negotiate with the student or volunteer the hours to be worked, and dates of the placement. 

• Discuss any relevant important information about specific children to the student or volunteer. 

Responsibilities of the Nominated Supervisor

The Nominated Supervisor of an education and care service must –

• Provide supervision, guidance and advice to ensure adherence to the policy at the times.

• Ensure all Volunteers, students and visitors are aware guidelines adopted by the service around the use of personal electronic devices. Devices will be kept in personal lockers (no photos/video of children on personal phones without consent

• Ensuring that volunteers/students and parents/guardians are adequately supervised at all times and that the health and safety and wellbeing of children at the service are protected.

• Ensuring that volunteers/students and parents/guardians are adequately supervised at all times, and that the health, safety and wellbeing of children at the service is protected.

• Ensuring that volunteers/students and parents/guardians are not left with sole supervision of individual children of group of children. 

• Providing volunteers/students and parent/guardians with access to all service policies and procedures.

• Ensuring that volunteers/students and parents/guardians comply with the national Regulations and all service policies and procedures.

• Inform families, children, and Educators when work experience students and volunteers are present at the Service, including their role and hours they will be spending at the Service.  Where appropriate Nominated Supervisor will share photo of student/volunteer within the foyer or on service application – Kinderloop. 

• Ensure students are aware that they must not discuss concerns, issues or complaints with parents, guardians and/or visitors.

• Introduce the student or volunteer to educators and their Room Leader.

• update the National Early Childhood Worker Register within 14 days when a student or volunteer commences engagement or ends an engagement, with the Service, including all prescribed information as requested under S. 269B

• ensure the National Early Childhood Worker Register is updated within 14 days following any changes about a student or volunteer engaged in the Service

• ensure the student or volunteer is assessed as fit and proper to be engaged in child related activities via checking the NQAITS portal during the induction process for any prohibition notices issued.

• ensuring the student or volunteer is not engaged at the Service if the person is prohibited from working with children, including a prohibition notice in force provided under the National Law in any state or territory in Australia

• requiring students and volunteers to notify the approved provider within 72 hours of the event, or within 24 hours of becoming aware of the event, of any changes to their WWCC status, changes to their teacher registration or fit and proper status (including show cause notice, suspension notice, supervision notice, disciplinary notices/orders or prohibition notices) 

• notifying the regulatory authority within 24 hours of becoming aware of the event or becoming aware of changes to a student or volunteer WWCC status including negative notices or changes to teacher accreditation or registration. 

• ensure all volunteers, students and visitors are aware of and strictly adhere to legislative requirements for taking images or video of children including:

  • adhering to the Safe Use of Digital Technologies and Online Environments Policy 

  • only service-issued/approved devices are to be used when taking images or videos of children

  • personal electronic devices that can take images or videos (such as tablets, phones, digital cameras, smart watches)) and personal storage and file transfer media (such as SD cards, USB drives, hard drives and cloud storage) are not in the possession of any staff member, educator, visitor or volunteer while providing education and care and working directly with children

  • visitors who are supporting children at the Service (NDIS funded support professionals, Inclusion Support Professionals) obtain written authorisation from parents/guardians to capture images or video of a child for observation/documentation purposes only. 

• ensure no student, volunteer or visitor subjects a child or children to inappropriate conduct 

• ensure any allegations, concerns or suspicions of inappropriate conduct are investigated and reported to the regulatory authority in accordance with the Management of Inappropriate Conduct Procedure

• ensure students, volunteers and visitors are informed of their responsibilities and obligations relating to inappropriate conduct including:

• that the induction process includes the recognition, prevention and reporting of inappropriate conduct

• expected conduct and behaviour whilst engaging directly with children

• that any breach of inappropriate conduct will result in immediate removal from the Service and may lead to termination of placement or engagement 

• that any breaches of inappropriate conduct will be reported to the regulatory authority [mandatory for NSW Services, commencing in 2026 for other states/territories]

• cooperate with the regulatory authority and comply with any directions or orders issued by the regulatory authority regarding a show cause, suspension or supervision notice provided to a student, volunteer or visitor, including removing the person from engagement with children immediately  

• inform students, volunteers and visitors it is an offence to provide false or misinformation relating to any suspension, supervision or prohibition notices

• ensure a Visitor Register is maintained, including

  • date

  • reason for visit

  • full name

Responsibilities of the Educators

• Have open communication with work experience student and volunteers along with their practicum teachers.

• Report any allegations, observations or suspicions of inappropriate conduct to the approved provider and regulatory authority.

• Support students and volunteers with the needs of their placement wherever necessary. Share any knowledge or experience necessary for their placement. Offer feedback wherever necessary being respectful and honest at all times. 

• Complying with the requirements that volunteers/students and parents/guardians are adequately supervised at all times, and that the health, safety and wellbeing of children at the service is protected.

• Never put volunteers or students in a compromising situation that could jeopardise their qualification or put the service in a breach. 

• Complying with the requirements that volunteers/students and parents/guardians are not left with sole supervision of individual children or groups of children. 

• Enabling parents/guardians of children attending the service premises at any time the child is being educated and cared for, except where this poses a risk to the safety of children and/or staff.

• Encouraging the participation and involvement of parents/guardians at the service.

• Ensure all educators are provided with relevant information about tasks the student is required to complete in the service as part of their practicum

• Guide the students throughout the day.

• Make the student or volunteer feel welcome and a valued member of the team.

Responsibilities of the Student/Volunteer

• Show enjoyment in engaging with the children

• Understanding and acknowledging the requirement for confidentiality of all information relating to staff and families within the service.

• Complying with the requirements of the education and care service national regulations 2011 and with all service policies and procedures, including the code of conduct policy, while at the service.

• Undertaking the induction process and completing the induction checklist prior to commencement at the service.

• Refrain from any behaviour that may be considered inappropriate conduct, including behaviour that is threatening, intimidating, humiliating, degrading, hostile or otherwise inappropriate.

• Report any concerns they may have about inappropriate actions of any persons engaged at the Service that involves children or young people to the approved provider.

• report any allegations, observations or suspicions they may have about inappropriate conduct of any persons engaged at the Service that involves children or young people to the approved provider and regulatory authority .

• Adhere to legislative requirements for taking images or videos of children

• Following the directions of staff at the service at all times to ensure that the health, safety and wellbeing of children is protected.

• All volunteers who come to work at the service must apply for a working with children check prior to commencing at the service. 

• Learn about the children through interaction and practical experience.

• Develop the skills and knowledge needed to care for and educate children.   

• Learn strategies for working in a team environment.

• Discuss any problems the student may be experiencing with the Student Supervisor.   

• Adhere to all policies and procedures.

• Never remove a child from direct staff supervision.  

TERMINATION OF STUDENT PRACTICUM OR VOLUNTEER PLACEMENT

• Termination of a student’s or volunteer’s placement will occur if the student or volunteer:

  • harms or is at risk of harming a child in their care

  • is under the influence of drugs or alcohol

  • fails to notify the Service if they will not be attending the Service

  • does not adhere to starting times or break times

  • is observed using repeated inappropriate behaviour at the Service

  • does not comply with all policies and procedures addressed in the student package

  • does not provide the photo with an introduction on commencement

  • does not keep up to date with their work placement tasks

  • removes any child or children from the direct supervision of an educator

  • is unable to maintain or hold a current Working with Children Check 

  
  

Procedure

• All students and volunteers will be required to undertake and provide a Working with Children check if over the age of 18. Volunteers and students do not make up part of the staff to child ratio and cannot be used to fill the place of an employee.

• Volunteers and students, must not be asked to perform tasks:

  • That they are untrained, unqualified or too inexperienced to undertake

  • That put the children or themselves in a vulnerable or potentially unsafe situation.

Visitors

• Visitors can only enter the Service with the permission of the Nominated Supervisor, and are accompanied by a staff member at all times they are in the Service. 

• Visitors are required to sign in and sign out using the visitors register.

• Visitors are asked to contact the Service prior to their visit.  The Nominated Supervisor will arrange the day, date, time and duration of the visit.  

• As part of maintaining a safe and secure environment for children, educators question anyone in the Service who is not known to them to ascertain who they are and why they are in the Service. The educator or another staff member stays with the visitor until that person leaves the Service. 

  
  

SOURCES

• Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2026). Guide to the National Quality Framework

• Australian Government Department of Education. Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia.V2.0, 2022

• Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2024). Taking Images or Videos of Children While Providing Early Childhood Education and Care. Guidelines for the National Model Code.

• Children (Education and Care Services) National Law (NSW) 

• Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010.

• Education and Care Services National Regulations. (Amended 2025)  

• Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth).

• Fair Work Commission: Anti-bullying jurisdiction.

• Safe Work Australia. (2016). Guide for preventing and responding to workplace bullying

• TAFE NSW Student responsibilities in work placement 

• Work Health and Safety Act, 2011.

Related Statutory Obligations & Considerations

• Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA)

• Children (Education and Care Services) National Law (NSW) No 104a

• Child Protection (Working with Children) Act NSW

• Education and Care Services National Regulations

• NSW Office of the Children’s Guardian

Amendment History

This policy will be updated to ensure compliance with all relevant legal requirements every year. Appropriate consultation of all stakeholders (including staff and families) will be conducted on a timely basis. In accordance with Regulation 172 of the Education and Care Services National Regulation, families of children enrolled will be notified at least 14 days and their input considered prior to any amendment of policies and procedures that have any impact on their children or family.

Date:

January 2026

Version:

5

Last amended by:

Laura Clarke

Next Review:

January 2027

Position:

Nominated Supervisor