Self-assessment for quality improvement
Why self-assessment is important and how it can be included in the Assessment and Rating (A&R) process. The information on this page is for early childhood education and out of school hours care services.
Overview
Self-assessment is essential in driving continuous improvement to provide quality outcomes for children. It involves examining what is happening at the service, and helps you identify your service’s strengths and opportunities for improvement on an ongoing basis.
You can also opt to include your service’s self-assessment information in the A&R process. Doing so helps you prepare for your next A&R visit.
All NSW services that choose to submit their self-assessment information will not be required to submit a separate Quality Improvement Plan (QIP), as part of the assessment and rating process.
We introduced this option following feedback from services in NSW who told us they wanted to see:
- increased engagement and frequency of visits
- opportunities to work with authorised officers
- increased consistency with assessment and rating.
NSW Self-Assessment Working Document
You can use our self-assessment working document to:
- engage in self assessment and continuous improvement planning on an ongoing basis
- prepare for A&R.
The idea of continuous self-assessment is to support an ongoing quality improvement journey and ensure you are always ready for A&R.
Download the self-assessment working document (PDF, 2.8 MB).
Note: you will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader on your device to use the self-assessment working document.
Submitting your self-assessment information provides an excellent opportunity to engage in the A&R process, by sharing your service’s unique context and key practices.
Services who use the NSW Self-Assessment Working Document can easily share this information via the current online self-assessment form. A link to the online self-assessment form is sent to services when we notify you that your A&R has been scheduled.
To streamline this process, the department will soon be launching an online Self-Assessment and Quality Improvement Planning Portal. This portal has been designed in response to feedback from the sector and improves the functionality of the current self-assessment form. Services will have ongoing access to the portal to enable them to maintain an up-to-date self-assessment and quality improvement plan.
Support
The Continuous Improvement Team are experienced authorised officers who are available to support services engaging in self-assessment and quality improvement. To register to be an early adopter of the new Self-Assessment and Quality Improvement Planning Portal or schedule free support sessions to discuss your own improvement journey, reach out to the team by:
- calling 1800 619 113
- emailing ecequalitysupport@det.nsw.edu.au.
FAQs
No, if you choose not to share your self-assessment information in preparation for your A&R visit, you will continue to complete the service context form and submit your service QIP. However, services who have engaged with a self-assessment process have shared that they are more connected with their service planning as an ongoing cycleand have felt more engaged and confident in showcasing the unique aspects of their practice during the A&R visit.
When scheduled for A&R, services will be provided a link to the current ‘self-assessment form’. This process will be streamlined with the launch of the online Self-Assessment and Quality Improvement Planning Portal. Services will have ongoing access to the portal to enable them to maintain an up-to-date self-assessment and improvement plan, which can be easily shared with the Regulatory Authority when scheduled for an assessment visit.
Yes, services are able to share up to 5 key practices for each element in every standard. There is a 500 character limit (for each) to support services to clearly articulate their key practices.
Services can now register to be an early adopter to use the Self-Assessment and Quality Improvement Planning Portal. The online portal enables services to manage their self-assessment and quality improvement plan, and streamline the process of sharing service information with the Regulatory Authority when scheduled for A&R.
No, all NSW services that choose to submit their self-assessment information will not be required to submit a separate QIP.
No, regulation 55 requires services to develop a QIPthat includes an assessment by the provider of your practices against the NQS and Regulations, areas for improvement and your philosophy.
The NSW Self-Assessment Working Document and the soon to be launched Self-Assessment and Quality Improvement Planning Portal have been designed to meet the requirements of Regulation 55 and if you are maintaining this record, you are not required to maintain a separate QIP.
In addition to contacting the Continuous Improvement Team, peak bodies such as CELA and other organisations offer training and support relating to self-assessment and the A&R process. Other resources related to self-assessment and A&R can be found on the ACECQA website.
The Continuous Improvement Team is available at any time to support services with their self-assessment. You do not have to wait for your notification of A&R.
To contact the team and book in for a free self-assessment support session, email ecequalitysupport@det.nsw.edu.au or call 1800 619 113.
