NCAC career choice

With ‘Putting Children First’ as a Guiding Principle, it comes as no surprise that the National Childcare Accreditation Council (NCAC) is staffed by dedicated men and women committed to children. The effectiveness and efficiency achieved by NCAC in implementing its Guiding Principle and objectives is reliant upon its staff - their ideas, their energy, their innovation and their commitment.

NCAC’s CEO, Denise Taylor, is proud of the commitment and drive of NCAC staff. “To attract the best professionals, NCAC offers a productive work environment that fosters open communication, trust, mutual respect, teamwork and professional development,” she says. “NCAC staff have a strong sense of shared work values.”

Originally charged with administering quality assurance for centre-based long day care, NCAC has faced many new and exciting challenges since its inception in 1993. NCAC is now responsible for the administration of three Child Care Quality Assurance (CCQA) systems comprising:

  • Family Day Care Quality Assurance (FDCQA) for family day care schemes
  • Outside School Hours Care Quality Assurance (OSHCQA) for outside school hours care services
  • Quality Improvement and Accreditation System (QIAS) for long day care centres

The inclusion of family day care in 2001, and outside school hours care in 2003, is representative of both the growth of NCAC as an organisation and the development of CCQA in child-care services around Australia. There are now more than 9000 children’s services across Australia.

NCAC has played, and continues to play, a leading role in promoting and defining quality child care. It aims to support and improve the quality of care provided by Australian children’s services and to assist child-care providers and families using care with the advice they need to ensure that all children have access to high-quality care.

The continuing increase of child-care services and children in care in Australia has meant that child care remains an important item on the national agenda. Current issues regarding the difficulty of retaining qualified and experienced staff, child-care availability, staff-to-child ratios and the continuing growth of the corporate child-care sector have kept child care in the Australian media in recent times. International interest in the CCQA systems has also increased in recent years, and NCAC is working to promote the Australian CCQA systems on an international level.

NCAC is committed to offering flexiblework practices which enable employees to manage personal needs and get their work done without an adverse impact on the organisation or their colleagues. By creating and promoting a family-friendly work environment, NCAC recognises that many staff members have family responsibilities. As an equal opportunity employer, NCAC supports achieving a balance between work and family commitments by providing flexible workplace arrangements.

“We value diversity and recognise that it enriches our organisational culture, bringing with it the benefits of different perspectives, experiences, ideas and leadership styles,” Denise says.

Likewise, NCAC benefits from professionals from a diverse range of fields including: communications and marketing; finance and accounting; child care and education; information technology; and human resources. These staff make a substantial contribution to the quality of care provided for children.

Staff at NCAC benefit from business practices that encourage flexibility, such as the opportunity to take annual leave in days instead of in blocks, and offering opportunities for part-time work (including managers). NCAC also welcomes internal applicants when positions become available and has a strong Studies Assistance Scheme and Professional Development program.

NCAC provides exciting opportunities for childcare professionals to participate and contribute to delivering the Child Care Quality Assurance standards. With almost 100 staff working at the Sydney office, and another 100 working from their homes across Australia, NCAC is proud of its working conditions and the variety of roles available to potential applicants. Visit www.ncac.gov.au for further information.