Educator guidance through National Decision Tree 

Deciding whether there’s a need to notify the Education Standards Board of a specific incident or complaint within the early childhood education and care (ECEC) setting can be difficult at times.

To help guide the sector, the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) has created an interactive notifications National Decision Tree to help identify whether a notification must be made to the regulatory authority (and in what timeframe).  

Approved providers must notify the regulatory authority of certain incidents, complaints and changes to information under the Education and Care Services National Law (National Law). Notifications provide transparency and accountability. They also enable serious incidents, complaints, and breaches of the National Law and Education and Care Services National Regulations to be effectively monitored, tracked and resolved.    

The National Decision Tree will provide educators who need to make a notification with information about next steps and timeframes. Users will be directed to log in and lodge the relevant online form via the National Quality Agenda IT System.

It also includes an explanation of key terms and useful examples of scenarios that must be notified, including serious injuries, serious illnesses and circumstances that pose a risk to the health, safety or wellbeing of children.