Our Service aims to implement a robust, well-planned child safe recruitment process to ensure we select the best person for the position and the needs of our early childhood education service. We aim to engage employees who are suitably qualified, experienced and passionate about the early years. Our Recruitment Policy outlines our processes to ensure they are aligned with legislative obligations, our Service’s child safe culture, values and support diversity and inclusion.

NATIONAL QUALITY STANDARD (NQS)

Education and Care Services National Law and National Regulations

RELATED LEGISLATION 

PURPOSE

We aim to ensure the most suitability qualified, experienced and reliable staff are employed at our Service. We are committed to ensuring we meet all legislative and regulatory requirements including the Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010, Children and Young persons Care and Protection ACT NSW, Fair Work Act and Anti-Discrimination Act. 

Our Service is committed to be a child safe Early Education and Care Service and embeds the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations- (Child Safe Standards). We promote a culture of safety and wellbeing to minimise the risk of harm to children whilst promoting children’s sense of security and belonging. Our recruitment and screening processes play a vital role in protecting children from harm. Our Service adopts and aligns with the National Model Code and guidelines for taking images or videos of children. 

All staff must adhere to our child safety policies, including the Child Protection, Child Safe Environment, and Safe Use of Digital Technologies/Online Environments Policies. Our Service adheres to and aligns with legislative requirements related to taking images or videos of children.  (See Safe Use of Digital Technologies/Online Environments Policy.) 

Our Service values workplace diversity and inclusion, and we strongly encourage applicants from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, women, and individuals with disability. Recruitment and selection of staff will be guided by the requirements of relevant legislation, issues of equity and diversity, qualifications, knowledge and skills, workforce participation and experience.

SCOPE

This policy applies to staff, educators, approved providers, nominated supervisors and management of the Service.

RECRUITMENT DECISIONS

The approved provider or nominated supervisor will approve all recruitment decisions as outlined in this Recruitment Policy. Recruitment decisions will be based on the need and requirements of the service and will consider the following:

• ensuring the Service meets all staffing requirements as per Education and Care Services National Law and National Regulations

• any resignation of existing staff

• an increase in occupancy

• our commitment to the safety and wellbeing of every child

The recruitment processes will be consistent, transparent, professional and timely. Any grievances 

relating to the recruitment procedure will be addressed as per policy. All personal information regarding recruitment will be treated with the strictest confidence.  

Selection criteria for each vacant position will be determined before advertisement and will take the following into consideration:

• position title

• qualifications required for the position

• experience required for the position

• position description/skills required for the position

• conditions of employment

• mandatory employment screening requirements including verifying Working with Children Check (WWCC), immunisation requirements and conducting reference checks for every candidate to ascertain the candidate’s attitudes and behaviours in previous child-related roles.  

• clear expectations about commitment to child safety (Child Safe Standards) and wellbeing

• demonstrated understanding of reporting requirements and processes to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children.

• Comprehensive position descriptions for each advertised position will be available for all applicants. Any applicants deemed unsuitable will be advised within an appropriate time frame and paid for any trial or casual hours worked. 

ADVERTISEMENTS

Information about the position and the Service will be provided to potential applicants which includes:

• job title

• position description 

• hours of work

• salary (award/ above award)

• ownership details

• Service Philosophy and commitment to child safety

• operation hours, age group of children educated and cared for

• selection criteria relating to the position available

• how to apply for the role

• a strong commitment to providing a safe environment for children, including an understanding of child protection law and mandatory reporter obligations

• contact information for further information

• immunisation requirements

• WWCC requirements 

Our service prefers to advertise for positions through the online site SEEK 

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Any person on a selection panel must disclose to the approved provider or person organising the interview process if there is a conflict of interest at the time of reviewing the applications. A conflict of interest may arise if the applicant is a friend or past or present close work colleague. Management must promote transparency and accountability, and integrity and impartiality during the employment process, and therefore consider whether the conflict of interest poses a risk to the consistency of the application process. 

PRE-EMPLOYMENT SCREENING

Effective pre-employment screening ensures our Service is compliant to legislative and regulatory requirements and aims to ensure we engage staff who have the skills, experience, qualifications and general ‘fit’.

All preferred candidates will undergo appropriate pre-employment checks, including reference checks, Working with Children Checks (WWCC), and immunisation status checks, before an offer of employment is recommended. Measures should be in place to ensure probity checks are completed by a person or persons who have no prior professional relationship or personal friendship with the applicant to mitigate the perception of bias in the recruitment process.

All prospective applicants will be required to complete a prohibition notice declaration on the Staff Employment Form to acknowledge they do not hold any prohibition notices that would prevent them from working with children (Reg. 188). The approved provider will use the ‘register search’ tool on the NQA ITS to check prohibition notices linked to prospective candidates as part of the recruitment process. Prospective candidates applying for the role of nominated supervisor or responsible person are required to complete a Compliance History notice as part of their acknowledgement of the role, to ensure they are suitable to work with children. Existing employees are encouraged to disclose any enforcement actions, including enforceable undertakings that are issued to them.

REFERENCE CHECKS 

Verbal reference checks will be conducted over the phone for preferred applicants. Reference check 

questions will be determined prior to the check conducted and will establish the relationship the

referee has with the applicant. 

The reference checks will ascertain, where possible, the applicant’s attitudes and behaviours in previous child-related roles and ascertain whether the applicant has ever been the subject of complaints. 

Applicants without prior employment, such as students applying for trainee roles may provide character references instead of an employment history. These references may be provided by professional referees, such as lecturers.

WWCC

Working with Children Check legislation aims to prevent people who pose a risk from working with children as paid employees or volunteers. All employees, volunteers and students must undergo a Working with Children Check prior to working at the Service. Employees, volunteers or students that are unable to provide a copy of a validated WWC Check prior to the start of engagement or employment will not be able to undertake any work-related activity within the Service. Once an employee provides their WWCC clearance, management will verify the clearance to ensure that is it valid and current. 

A Working with Children Check is required for all employees, volunteers and students over the age of 18. 

QUALIFICATION CHECKS

The approved provider will verify the qualifications of prospective educators and staff during the application process. Applicants are required to provide copies of their qualifications, which will be assessed for authenticity and compliance with regulatory requirements. To ensure validity, the approved provider or nominated supervisor may undertake the following checks.

• contact the Registered Training Organisation (RTO)

• check ACECQA’s List of Approved Qualifications

• contact the state teaching registration board (if applicable)

• cross reference qualifications using the applicants Unique Student Identifier (for courses completed after 2015).

Where a qualification is deemed invalid or fraudulent, the approved provider will notify the applicant and notify the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), National Anti-Corruption Commission and regulatory authority. Staff and educators are advised it is an offence to provide false or misleading information in relation to their identity, qualifications, clearances, or any matter relevant to their suitability to work with children.

PRODA BACKGROUND CHECKS 

Employees involved in the administration of Child Care Subsidy are required to undertake additional background checks. 

OFFER OF EMPLOYMENT

An offer of employment will be made to the successful applicant following careful consideration by service management. Conformation of employment will be provided to successful applicants upon acknowledgment. Successful applicants are required to provide all employment documentation, including the Staff Employment Form.

A written employment contract will be provided to the successful applicants detailing the position, 

hours of shift, Award information, wages and salary, date and time of commencement, contact person, probationary period.

The employee will be provided with a Fair Work Information Statement and casual employees will be provided with a copy of the Casual Employee Information Statement (CEIS) at time of engagement.

Applicants who are unsuccessful will be notified within an appropriate time frame and offered feedback regarding their application.

PROBATIONARY PERIOD AND INDUCTION

Each new employee is subject to a Probationary Period of either three or six months – depending on their qualification. Educator’s contracts will confirm probationary periods.  This ensures assessment for both the employee and service to ensure suitability of the role for the employee. During this time employees will receive advice, training and guidance to help them become familiar with and competent in, performing the work they have been appointed to do. The appointment is subject to the satisfactory completion of the Probationary period which itself is subject to termination during any stage, by either party, upon notice in writing, or by payment in lieu of notice – following Fair Work conditions. 

Our Service is committed to providing a comprehensive induction program to ensure the smooth integration of new employees. The approved provider or assigned nominee will support the new employee and help them to understand the organisational structure, how decisions are made and communicated and what role they will have in the decision-making process. An induction checklist will be used to support this process and explain an employee’s responsibility to know the policies, procedures, and practices within our Service, and their duty of care obligations to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all children. Induction will include relevant information on child safe practices, including adhering to the Child Safe Standards, the National Model Code and Guidelines for taking images and video of children while providing education and care to children, Code of Conduct and strategies that identify, assess and minimise risks to children and mandatory reporting procedures.

Information will be provided to each new employee about their rights and responsibilities regarding hours of work, salary (award), Fair Work Act and associated legislation. 

Continuity in care within the Service is paramount. By orientating staff professionally and correctly, it guarantees the consistency of care not only within the room but also across the entire Service.  New employees will undergo regular supervision appraisals, mentoring, training and development as part of the orientation process. 

All Educators partake in annual appraisal meetings with the Approved Provider and Nominated Supervisor, as well as regular formal and non formal check in meetings. 

CHILDCARE CENTRE DESKTOP- RELATED RESOURCES

SOURCES

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

• Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2025). Embedding the National Child Safe Principles

• Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2025). NQF Child Safe Culture Guide.

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

• Australian Government. Department of Education. Child Care Provider Handbook. (2026) 

• Australian Government. Fair Work Ombudsman. (2024). Hiring employees

• Australian Government. Australian’s anti-discrimination law

• Australian Human Rights Commission. Child Safe Organisations.

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

• Commission for children and young people Being a child safe organisation 

• Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010.

• Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011

• Education and Care Services National Regulations (NSW) (2025) (NSW services only)

• NSW Government. (2026). Child safe recruitment and employment practices

• NSW Government. (2026). Education and Care Services (Supply, Authorisation and Use of Devices) Order 2026.

• NSW Government. Office of the Children’s Guardian. Child Safe Recruitment and The Working with Children Check. 

REVIEW