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Step 4: Moderation

The process of Moderation helps to ensure that all services participating in Child Care Quality Assurance (CCQA) are treated fairly and consistently. Moderators assess the quality of the service's practice, guided by information in the service's Self-study Report, Validation Surveys and the Validation Report. Moderators also consider information from the service's Validation Evaluation Form, when available.

Moderators look at each service as a whole, identifying patterns of quality care within the service. Moderators rate the service practices against the principles in the relevant CCQA system. A Composite Quality Profile (Profile) is compiled from information in the service's Self-study Report, the service's Validation Surveys, the Validation Report and the Moderation ratings. The Profile shows a composite of these various views of service performance across Quality Areas of CCQA using protocols developed for NCAC by the Australian Council for Educational Research. The Profile uses four standards: Unsatisfactory, Satisfactory, Good Quality and High Quality.

Moderators also write a Continuing Improvement Guide for the service. The Continuing Improvement Guide focuses on quality improvement and is based on trends in the Quality Areas, evident in the service's Profile.

Resources

NCAC Publications are available for purchase on the NCAC Online Store or by completing a Publications Order Form and returning it to NCAC, with payment by cheque, money order or credit card.

Services are advised to read the Support Documents and Quality Companions for their service type. These provide information on the 5 steps of CCQA, information about the Accreditation Decision and technical information about the Accreditation Decision process.

• Support Documents and Quality Companions

Other Steps in Child Care Quality Assurance:

• Step 1: Registration
• Step 2: Self-study and Continuing Improvement
• Step 3: Validation
• Step 4: Moderation
• Step 5: Accreditation Decision
• Review of an Accreditation Decision