Using self-assessment to enhance the A&R experience – advice from NSW

The New South Wales Department of Education has developed a self-assessment working document to support services to engage in continuous improvement on an ongoing basis and also prepare for assessment and rating (A&R).

The ‘Self-Assessment Working Document’ combines aspects of the ACECQA self-assessment tool and the NSW regulatory authority online self-assessment form.

Based on the premise that continuous self-assessment is that services “are always ready for A&R”, the document will support services to provide self-assessment information and give insight into the unique context and key practices which take place. 

Services who use the new working document, the Department said, will easily be able to provide their information in the online ‘self-assessment form’, with a link to the form being provided when services are notified of their scheduled A&R visit.

Services who choose to opt in for self-assessment are not required to submit a Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) as the online self-assessment form incorporates the key elements of the QIP.

Services who currently hold a Working Towards rating and have made improvements to their practice since their last assessment visit, are able to apply for a free reassessment and re-rating using the ‘self-assessment for quality improvement’ approach.

The quality support team are available to help services through the self-assessment process and can be contacted via [email protected]