OSHC sector reforms to focus on driving improvements

Changes are being made to how out of school hours care (OSHC) service providers are appointed in South Australia, continuing the Malinauskas Labor Government’s work to improve access and delivery of government school OSHC.

The appointment panel, along with the contract details for third party OSHC providers have been reviewed and will change as a result.

Across South Australia, about 29,000 children aged 5 to 12 will access out of school hours care (OSHC) each week, representing 21,400 families. This means just over one in every six primary school children goes to OSHC each week.

There are about 250 OSHC services operating in South Australian public schools. Of these, there are 151 are operated by the school’s governing council, while another 99 are third-party provider operated.

The improvements will strengthen reporting obligations and termination rights for the Department for Education to take if necessary. The changes also broaden the opportunity for service providers to expand their business in South Australia and provide them with a longer contract to support that.

These changes are pertinent given current concerns around safety and wellbeing at OSHC services.

The reforms will have benefits to the supply market, schools and the department, providing opportunities for schools to work together to find an OSHC provider. This will make it possible to establish OSHC services in more schools, as well as giving providers an opportunity to establish services in close proximity to each other.

All OSHC services must be approved to operate under the Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010 (South Australia). Services are assessed against the National Quality Standard, which sets a national benchmark for the quality of education and care services.

The new panel process will be enacted over a two-stage approach, with a five-year panel deed term, and a new Licence and Services Agreement (LSA) term for service providers of nine years.

This follows on from changes made last year to the qualification requirements to provide more opportunities for certificate qualified educators, including school staff, to work in OSHC services.

The government is also offering a new qualification, Certificate III in Outside School Hours Care, as part of its fee-free TAFE program.

Quotes

Attributable to Blair Boyer

This work recognises the important role of OSHC within the Early Childhood Education and Care Sector, providing a critical service for families during the primary school-aged years.

I know OSHC staff across the state work tirelessly to deliver the best program for the kids in their program – and I thank them for their commitment.

In the wake of the South Australian Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care, the Malinauskas Labor Government has prioritised improving access to affordable and high-quality OSHC services to better support of parents, families, and children.

We are also making sure we have the tools to act when needed. I make no apologies for having the highest standards – because all staff and students deserve their OSHC provider to do the right thing.