Getting Started with Policies for the NQF: Policies in Practice

Welcome to Getting Started with Policies for the NQF – a new tool for adapting and developing policies for your service.

The aims of the Getting Started with Policies for the NQF resource are:

• To provide a package that outlines a simple strategy for policy development and review that has been identified and developed through consultation with children’s services operators;
• To provide children’s services approved providers, nominated supervisors, coordinators and educators with example policies to use as a guide to operate within required legal parameters; and
• To assist services to meet the requirements of the National Quality Framework.

The sample policies provided are intended as a guide only for individual service policy development. Each service is individual and therefore policy writers cannot write a policy that will apply to every service. You must take steps to find out the specific beliefs, values and needs of your stakeholders, and then take into account the structure and specific details about your service, its risks and benefits, layout and programs.

Review the templates to decide which aspects of the sample policy relate to your service, and which areas do not apply, or need rewriting to be applicable to your services agreed practices.

Use the templates as a guide for your deliberations, or a checkpoint to ensure you have not missed out an important aspect of the policy area. The manual does not attempt to cover all policy areas but aims to provide services with a foundation to the basic and essential policies from which to go on and develop those more individual service based policies that enhance and develop the service towards higher quality and consistency of standard.