Surge workforce could take over failing childcare centres
By Rachel Eddie
A surge workforce backed by the state and federal government could take over childcare centres that fail quality and safety standards, as Victoria commits to go it alone to trial CCTV in centres if necessary.
But education ministers around the country were expected at a meeting on Friday to agree to a national trial which was recommended by Victoria’s review of the childcare crisis and which also detailed poorer quality and working conditions that came with the proliferation of private providers.
Premier Jacinta Allan arrives at an early learning centre on Thursday.Credit: AAPIMAGE
“It is just so important that we place the child and their safety at the centre of the system, and it hasn’t been at the centre of the childcare system,” Premier Jacinta Allan conceded on Thursday.
Allan acknowledged questions remained over staff privacy and child safety in regards to cameras, particularly if footage was misused.
She reaffirmed that Victoria would go it alone to trial CCTV if necessary but hoped a national approach could be agreed. The state expected this to be supported at Friday’s meeting, a source unable to speak publicly said.
NSW has already committed to its own trial of CCTV in centres.
Victoria’s rapid review, by former South Australian premier Jay Weatherill and Pamela White, chair of the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority, said governments should work together to create a surge workforce to avoid sudden and disruptive closures if funding is stripped from providers over safety or quality concerns.
The government ordered the review in July after Melbourne childcare worker Joshua Dale Brown was charged with sexually abusing babies and toddlers in his care. Brown’s case remains before the courts.
“Commonwealth and state and territory governments should establish a process in advance, to allow trusted, high-quality providers to step in and take over a service, similar to the way an administrator can be appointed in other settings,” the report said.
This might require law reform at the federal level.
The state government accepted all 22 recommendations on Wednesday, many of which it will have to take to the Commonwealth and other states and territories to progress.
Weatherill and White found that the number of long daycare services in Victoria had boomed by 60 per cent since 2015 and that almost all the 769 new centres were for-profit.
The sector struggles with staff shortages and casualisation. But turnover rates and vacancies were worse in for-profit centres.
In not-for-profit long daycare services, 94.45 per cent of workers were paid above the award wage, compared with 64.3 per cent in for-profit services.
More than half of standalone kindergartens in Victoria, almost all of which are not-for-profit, exceed national quality standards. Only 14.6 per cent of for-profit long daycare centres exceeded the standard, though the vast majority do meet the standard.
“A workforce that is highly casualised may be less likely to feel comfortable to speak up and report something if they have concerns. A workforce that is low paid and not properly valued by the community may struggle to attract and retain the most capable people. A workforce that struggles to attract staff may lead to services having to choose between hiring staff they don’t have full confidence in, or reducing capacity and turning children away,” the report said.
“A workforce where many are less experienced, or are still working towards their qualification, may not know what to look for to protect and promote child safety, or how to report concerns. A workforce that has high turnover makes it hard to build a strong culture within a service, or strong relationships with children. A workforce where one staff member undertaking professional development ‘off the floor’ creates rostering and operational challenges is not one where professional development will always be prioritised.”
Long daycare services, about 70 per cent of which are for-profit, were more likely to have casual workers with less experience than those at standalone kindergarten centres.
The review called for the Commonwealth to set a 10-year strategy to reconsider the current funding model and reliance on the market, finding the rapid expansion of the sector “created perverse incentives, shortcuts in education and training” and “pressure to maximise value to shareholders” among for-profit operators.
The state is taking the first reform to parliament next week, to ensure that working with children check clearances can be immediately suspended if an allegation is made. Allan said the parliament would sit until the bill passes next week.
Opposition spokeswoman for education Jess Wilson said the government had failed to take obvious urgent action leading up to the latest review.
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800.
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