Six Little Ducks childcare centre set conditions after failing to meet national quality standards
A Red Centre childcare centre has been slapped with a number of conditions after the regulator found it failed to meet quality standards for the second time in two years.
The Northern Territory childcare regulator has slapped an Alice Springs centre with a number of conditions after it failed to meet quality standards.
Six Little Ducks in East Side, Alice Springs, has been given six months to improve by Quality Education and Care NT (QECNT) after it was found to be working towards the National Quality Standards (NQS) in a July review.
This is the second time it has failed to meet the NQS in as many years.
Service provider Stewart Clark said the time frame set by the regulator is “absolutely achievable” and he hopes to be assessed again by the end of November.
The centre was found to be working towards the NQS in terms of children’s safety, staffing arrangements, relationships with children, physical environment and educational programs.
A centre rated working towards is considered a safe education and care program, but requires improvement in one or more standards, according to the national authority, ACECQA.
These failures led QECNT to issue a number of conditions on Six Little Ducks.
The conditions include engaging an external consultant to guide the centre to meet the NQS, regular meetings with QECNT, an environment audit, a review of the centre’s toilets and for Mr Clark and his wife to sit the Provider Knowledge Assessment Test to assess their understanding of the laws, regulations, and responsibilities required to operate an education and care service.
A further condition requires a maximum of 36 children onsite.
Mr Stewart said a number of these conditions had already been met since July.
“We sat the test recently and both passed,” he said.
“When we initially set up the centre, the test was not available.
“We addressed the toilet issue within ten days.
“The limit of children was reviewed (by the regulator) and has been increased to 42.
“We conduct environmental audits regularly and they have been completed.
“We have also been working with a mentor since January this year and we will continue to work with them.”
When asked about receiving a ‘working towards’ rating for the second time, Mr Stewart conceded it was “very concerning”, but assured he was “working diligently to address the standards”.
A centre can be rated working towards the NQS if they fail to meet one of 15 standards across the seven quality areas.
In Six Little Duck’s case, the regulator found it failed to meet five of the seven NQS areas.
According to the Six Little Ducks website, the husband and wife are both “trained and experienced school teachers” who started the centre in 2011.
It provides long day care, after school care and holiday program services to the Alice Springs community.
More Coverage
Originally published as Six Little Ducks childcare centre set conditions after failing to meet national quality standards
