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The Five Steps in QIAS

Page Contents:

1. Registration
2. Self-Study and Continuing Improvement
3. Validation
4. Moderation
5. Accreditation Decision

Step 1: Registration

All long day care centres in receipt of Child Care Benefit funding are required to register with NCAC to participate in the Quality Improvement and Accreditation System (QIAS). Upon registration the centre will receive a Certificate of Registration along with a registration kit containing all the necessary documents for the centre's progress through the QIAS. Centres are required to pay an annual registration renewal fee.

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Step 2: Self-study and Continuing Improvement

On a regular and cyclical basis each centre makes a self-assessment of the quality of its practice by consulting with all staff and families at their centre. The centre evaluates the quality of its practice for each of the 7 Quality Areas and 33 Principles against standards outlined in the QIAS Quality Practices Guide (1st edition 2005). From this ongoing self-assessment, the centre develops and implements a continuing cycle of quality improvement plans.

The results of this self-assessment are summarised in a Self-study Report and submitted to NCAC by the due date. In completing the Self-study Report the centre will provide ratings of its own performance against the 33 Principles and will have the opportunity to tell some of the stories that illustrate the quality of practices within the centre.

Accredited centres are required to submit a Self-study Report to NCAC every 2.5 Years. An Accredited centre's next Self-study Report is due by the end of the month specified on its Certificate of Accreditation.

Following receipt of the Self-study Report, NCAC will send the original Validation Surveys to the centre. Completed Surveys will be returned to NCAC.

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Step 3: Validation

NCAC Staff Validators are selected and trained by NCAC to visits the centre to validate its practices. Wherever possible, NCAC uses the preferred specialist knowledge areas indicated by the centre in its Self-study Report when allocating a Validator to visit the centre.

The Validator observes the centre's care practices, sights any necessary centre documentation and completes a Validation Report.

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Step 4: Moderation

The process of Moderation helps to ensure that all centres participating in the QIAS are treated consistently on a national basis. Moderators assess the quality of the centre's practice, guided by information in the centre's Self-study Report, Validation Surveys and the Validation Report. Moderators also consider information from the centre's Validation Evaluation Form, when available.

Moderators look at each centre as a whole, identifying patterns of quality care within the centre. A composite Quality Profile is compiled by NCAC from information in the centre's Self-study Report and Validation Surveys, the Validation Report and the Moderation ratings. The Profile shows a composite of these various perspectives of centre performance across the 7 Quality Areas of QIAS using protocols developed for NCAC by the Australian Council of Educational Research. Moderators write a Continuing Improvement Guide for the centre which focuses on quality improvement based on trends in the 7 Quality Areas evident in the centre's composite Quality Profile.

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Step 5: Accreditation Decision

The Accreditation Decision is the final step in the QIAS and is made by the NCAC. To be accredited a centre must achieve a rating of Satisfactory or higher on all 7 Quality Areas as detailed on the composite Quality Profile.

Accredited centres are required to prominently display their Certificate of Accreditation in the centre. Centres are also provided with a second certificate showing the centre's composite Quality Profile and the names of centre staff who participated in the QIAS process. This Quality Profile Certificate must also be displayed in the centre.

An Accredited centre is required to continue its self-study and continuing improvement cycle (see Step 2 above) until its next Self-study Report is due for submission. The Accreditation period is 2.5 years between submission of Self-study Reports.