Yaga Smart: Compliance and WHS Advisory for the Education and Care Sector

Recognising patterns and trends is essential for quality improvement.

ACECQA’s 2026 Quality Area data snapshot shows a clear trend: the highest “Not Met” areas are connected to systems, supervision, critical reflection, health practices and educator capability.

This matters because quality improvement does not come from looking at one incident, one complaint or one observation in isolation.

It comes from asking: what is the bigger picture?

For QA2, services can start by asking :

• Where do incidents, near misses or complaints happen most often?

• Do they happen at the same time of day — transitions, toileting, mealtimes, sleep/rest or outdoor play?

• Were educators positioned where they could see and hear children?

• Are some areas harder to supervise than others?

• Do new, casual or relief educators clearly understand the supervision plan?

• Are educators adjusting supervision when the risk increases — for example during water play, climbing, excursions, sleep/rest or mixed-age play?

• When a hazard is identified, is it removed immediately, or does it keep appearing?

• After an incident or repeated concern, what actually changed in practice?

The next step is action.

Use the information to review your policies and practices. So the goal is to notice what keeps happening, understand why it is happening, and change practice before the same issue repeats.

Yaga Smart supports services and teams with practical training in active supervision, WHS risks, physical hazards, psychosocial risks and compliance systems.

For more information please DM.

Data source: ACECQA NQF Snapshot, Detailed Ratings, April 2026.

Congratulations to Gilda Skinner and the team at Chatswood Early Learning Centre – Magnolia Cottage on achieving Exceeding in all 7 Quality Areas.

A phenomenal result that reflects strong leadership and genuine commitment to quality.

Well deserved!!

Biological hazards in early childhood: do we need to change everything?

There has been some confusion since Safe Work Australia published the Model Code of Practice: Managing the risks of biological hazards at work in March 2026.

The Code specifically mentions early childhood education and care, including examples of educators being exposed to biological hazards through body substances, contaminated surfaces and illness outbreaks.

So, does this mean services need to suddenly change everything?

Not necessarily.

Early childhood services already have infection prevention and control guidance through Staying Healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services, service policies, WHS obligations, the Education and Care Services National Regulations, and public health advice.

The new Code does not replace ECEC-specific infection-control guidance.

What it does is make the WHS lens clearer.

This includes hygiene practices, illness exclusion, nappy changing, cleaning, PPE, outbreak management, staff induction and ongoing training.

So, no — this is not a reason to panic.

But it is a useful opportunity to refresh your knowledge, review your current controls, and check whether your policies, procedures and daily practices are still clear, current and actually followed on the floor.

A disclosure has been made. What happens next?

Ongoing Child Safe training and education gives staff and volunteers the confidence to identify, respond to and report child abuse.
Make sure you know what to do if there is a disclosure.
Download our guide on child safe reporting obligations and processes:https://ocg.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-07/g_css_reportingobligationsresource.pdf

How can standards keep rising while the system supporting them remains stretched?

That is the question at the heart of The Paramount Paradox, a timely look at one of the biggest tensions facing Australia’s early childhood education and care sector.

Services are being asked to deliver more: stronger child safety systems, higher compliance expectations, workforce capability, documentation, governance and quality improvement.

Yet many are doing it while managing staff shortages, rising costs, limited time and growing pressure.

This article explores whether Australia can continue lifting expectations without equally lifting investment, support and sustainable reform.

A must-read for providers, leaders, educators and anyone serious about the future of ECEC.

Read the full article via The Sector:
https://ap1.hubs.ly/y0P6M80

If you are a new educational leader and you are not sure where to start with supporting educators, start here:

1. Get clear on the role
Know what you are there to influence: curriculum, educator thinking, planning, reflection and consistency of practice.

2. Lead the planning cycle
Do not let it become paperwork.
Use observation, analysis, planning, implementation and reflection to drive decisions.

3. Coach educators
Observe practice. Ask reflective questions. Give specific feedback. Model when needed. Follow up.

4. Move conversations past “what we did”
Bring the team into: what it showed, why it mattered, and what needs to change next.

5. Teach a more systematic way of thinking
Help educators shift from “what can we do today?” to “why are we doing this, what is the learning intention, and how will it be embedded over time?”
Support the team to scaffold learning rather than build random practices day by day.

6. Keep the learning framework alive
Link daily practice back to the approved framework in a way educators can understand and use.

7. Use distributed leadership practices
Do not make quality dependent on one person.
Support educators to contribute to the Quality Improvement Plan and take ownership of improvement items.
If your service is developing a Reconciliation Action Plan, involve educators in that work too.

8. Support professional growth
Ask educators which professional development they would like to participate in.
Liaise between educators’ needs and the director or owner where support is needed.
If educators want to study, encourage them. Sit with them and work through how it can be practical, suitable and mutually beneficial.

9. Create measurable growth
Initiate the staff appraisal process so educators are working towards clear, measurable goals.

10. Keep reflective practice active
Post reflection provocations weekly. Ask educators to critically reflect on them.
Encourage your team to share ideas, lead parts of discussions and prepare short presentations for staff meetings.

11. Create safe ways for staff to speak
Initiate anonymous feedback or suggestion options if that helps staff contribute more honestly.

12. Check impact
Is educator practice improving?
Are children’s learning outcomes progressing?
Is there continuity in learning?
Are families and the community experiencing meaningful engagement?

Remember: the educational leader role is not a token title. It is an important position that gives meaning, direction and purpose to our work so we can better support children, families and the broader community.