Childcare staff face call to ban phones at work

A milestone investigation into the safety of Australia’s childcare system has recommended staff be banned from using their own phones while on duty.

The review was conducted by Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority.

An investigation into the safety of Australia’s childcare system has recommended staff be banned from using their own phones while on duty and building codes of all centres be reviewed to ­ensure they provide “unimpeded supervision of children at all times”.

As part of the push for a major shake-up of the sector, childcare centres would also no longer be allowed to apply for “waivers” exempting them from complying certain regulations unless able to prove they were facing ­“exceptional circumstances”.

Education Minister Jason Clare launched the review following revelations a former Queensland childcare worker abused more than 90 children in Brisbane, Sydney and overseas centres.

Gold Coast man Ashley Paul Griffith was accused of more than 1600 child abuse offences, including rape and producing child exploitation material.

“The allegations have shocked the nation … I am determined as minister to do everything we can here to make sure that we keep our children safe,” Mr Clare said when announcing the review, conducted by Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority.

In its report to governments across the country, ACECQA made 16 recommendations for sweeping changes that went to rigorous controls on technology, storage of CCTV footage, mandatory reporting timeframes, building design and staff training.

“It is clear that more needs to be done in providing additional guidance and direction for ­approved providers and their staff in the use of online technologies, including the use of personal devices to take images or videos of children,” ACECQA said.

“Anyone who is working or engaged in a centre-based service in any capacity (should be) prohibited from having personal electronic devices that can take images or video, such as tablets and phones, on their person whilst with children.

“(Governments should) mandate that only service-issued/­approved devices may be used … when taking images or videos of children, with further requirements for ­approved providers to have strict controls in place for the appropriate storage and retention of images.”

ACECQA recognised the “delicate trade-off” between the benefits of recording children’s learning while protecting them from risks.

“There is a trend of putting increasing pressure on educators to use photos and videos of children in the name of documenting children’s learning and participation. In reality, this pressure and the widespread use of personal devices seem to be in response to parental expectation to receive photos, videos and updates of their child regularly throughout the day,” ACECQA said in its ­report.

“There have also been reports of educators becoming so focused on taking a photograph of the child that they forget to put the rights of the child first.”

Along with recommending phones be banned, ACECQA also called for regulations prohibiting cigarettes and alcohol on site be expanded to require all childcare centres to be free from e-cigarettes and vaping.

In an effort to ensure the best supervision of children, it also urged for government to “remove the ability” for centres to apply for waivers that exempt them from complying with certain regulations.

ACECQA noted concerns had been raised over “the level of vetting” of staff being undertaken before they were employed and recommended mandatory registration of all early childhood teachers, including those working in non-school settings.

Mandatory child safety training must also be introduced, ACECQA said.