How Approved Providers and Centre Communities Are Out of Sync

Something that is becoming an increasing concern for many Nominated Supervisors (NS) is the disconnect between the Approved Providers and the centres within their portfolios. Large organisations often implement a ‘standardised approach’ with insufficient knowledge of specific centre needs. 

The unfortunate reality is that the people at the top – those who make the key decisions – often don’t seem to have a true understanding of what is needed on the ground. 

Approved Providers (APs) are hiring NSs for a role with a significant amount of responsibility and therefore, one would assume, a lot of trust. 

However the unfortunate reality is that once many of those employees settle into their NS role, they begin to feel like a ‘glorified administrator’, simply there as a scapegoat, bearing the brunt of disgruntled employees, parents and children due to actions and decisions made by the AP, and outside of their control.

In many cases, APs and their teams in positions of ‘upper management’ may have no experience of working in early learning centres, or, if they do have experience, may not fully understand the nuances of each centre in their portfolio. They often look at the ‘data’ and make decisions based purely on this.

For example, an AP may be looking at rostering efficiencies and asking NSs to make cuts in terms of staff hours. It might be an efficient decision on paper, but it fails to account for the realities of life ‘on the ground’ in the centre including the need for handovers between educators, programming, food preparation, cleaning, paperwork… the list goes on. 

The Importance of Understanding Local Communities

Every centre is different and serves its own unique community. What works in one area may not be appropriate for another. 

For example, an end-of-year children’s Christmas party in a metropolitan area may want a petting zoo as a unique and fun experience for children, however, children in a regional farming area won’t be interested in this as it’s their daily reality.

This might seem like an insignificant problem, but all these little decisions combine to create the centre’s culture and sense of community. It directly affects the centre’s ability to perform well against the National Quality Standards. 

Within the National Quality Framework (NQF), services are asked to consider the unique context in which they operate. Many NS’ ask how it is possible to do so when they are forced to operate under a standardised approach, so all their centres, regardless of context, are as similar as possible?

The Human Cost

The consequences of these decisions are not just operational; staff morale often suffers when educators see their hard work and dedication undermined by policies and procedures that don’t work in practice. Children, who should be at the heart of all decisions, are the ones who ultimately endure the consequences of planning and procedure that is made far away from their learning environments.

It’s time that APs recognise the expertise and experience that educators and NSs bring to the table and allow them to have a voice in the decisions that affect their centres and the communities they serve. Respecting educational teams and listening to local needs is not just a matter of professional courtesy; it’s essential for the quality of a service.

A Call for Change

At the end of the day, early childhood professionals should all share the same goal: to provide every child with the best possible start in life. To succeed in that mission, there needs to be greater collaboration, mutual respect, and an acknowledgement that local knowledge is invaluable. Only then can an environment where children, staff, and families truly thrive be built.

As a NS, I’m proud of the work my team and I do every day. It’s time for APs to recognise the vital role we play and collaborate with us, rather than imposing top-down decisions, so we are able to work together and create more Exceeding centres.  

Claire is an early childhood teacher and experienced Nominated Supervisor, having worked both as an educator and in a leadership capacity at a number of early childhood education and care (ECEC) services in the ACT and Regional Victoria.

She now supports the sector as an early education consultant in Wodonga, Victoria.