June update from the Chief Executive

As we reach the end of the financial year, it’s timely to recap on how the Education Standards Board is prioritising and progressing with our reform agenda.

In our April update, we informed you of improvements to our application processing timeframes, which included applications being initially assessed within three business days to either validate or seek further information. 

Since 1 May 2024, our average validation time is 1.45 days, with 90% of applications being validated within 3 business days, which is a fantastic achievement by the newly formed intake and assessment team.  

In engaging with the sector more regularly, your feedback is that clear and specific information on our priorities and what our regulatory officers look for in their assessment and rating visits would be valuable.

In this bulletin, we’ve specified the elements within the National Quality Standard Quality Areas that SA data shows need improvement to lift overall ratings, and we will spotlight each element in future editions to support services in preparing for their assessment and rating.

We have developed a Roadmap to Regulatory Reform which includes all aspects of delivering against the ESB’s Royal Commission recommendation, and prioritises three reform projects:

• assessment and rating practice
• triaging process
• Regulatory Officer recruitment and training.

Also this month, we highlight NAIDOC Week, which kicks off on Sunday 7 July, our face-to-face information session on 16 July for any educators with an interest in learning more about our Regulatory Officer roles and what it’s like to work at the ESB, as well as recent changes to qualifications for South Australian OSHC staff.