Focus area 6

Professionalism in OSHC

Understand how to work in a position of trust and to act as a professional OSHC educator.

Approx Duration1h 15min
Structure10 Lessons

Professionalism in OSHC

About this course

This course explores what it means to work in a position of trust and to act as a professional OSHC educator. You will learn about professional boundaries, ethical conduct, Codes of Conduct, and your responsibility to speak up and report concerns. It also covers how to engage professionally with colleagues, families, schools and the community, both in person and online, and how to prepare accurate, professional records. You will finish understanding how professional judgement and accountability protect children and build trust in you, your service and the OSHC sector.

Learning objectives

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  • Explain what it means to work in a position of trust and take responsibility for your own professional decisions and conduct
  • Maintain professional boundaries
  • Apply professional and ethical standards
  • Use your service’s Code of Conduct to guide your practice
  • Speak up about concerns and help build a culture of accountability
  • Recognise when professional conduct becomes a child safety concern
  • Apply professional judgement to everyday situations
  • Engage professionally with colleagues, families, schools and the community, including in digital environments
  • Prepare accurate, objective and confidential records
  • Connect professional conduct and accountability to your everyday responsibilities as an educator

Lessons for this module

1. Focus Area 6: Professional Conduct and Accountability in OSHC

Learning Objectives By the end of this focus area, you will be able to:

Approx Duration 7 min
2. The Educator as Professional

Working in a Position of Trust Educators are in a position of trust because they have authority and responsibility in their relationships with children. There is an inherent power imbalance between adults and children, and educators need to be aware of how this can influence their interactions and decisions. Recognising this imbalance is important because children […]

Approx Duration 7 min
3. Child Safe Professional Practice

Child safe professional practice requires educators to maintain appropriate relationships with children and recognise when adult behaviour raises concern. This includes maintaining professional boundaries and knowing what to do when another adult’s behaviour may be inappropriate. Mandatory National Child Safety Training The National Child Safety Training is mandatory for people working in education and care […]

Approx Duration 7 min
4. Professional and Ethical Conduct

Professional and ethical conduct is about how educators carry out their role and the standards of behaviour expected of them. Educators are expected to act respectfully and professionally, protect children’s rights and dignity and ensure personal interests do not influence their decisions. The Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics can be used to guide ethical […]

Approx Duration 7 min
5. Codes of Conduct

Purpose of a Code of Conduct A service’s Code of Conduct identifies the behaviour expected of staff and volunteers, including conduct that is inappropriate or unacceptable. It should be read together with the service’s policies and procedures and the legal and child safe requirements that apply to the service. A Code of Conduct may cover interactions […]

Approx Duration 7 min
6. Case Study: Professional Accountability and Speaking Up
Approx Duration 7 min
7. Professional Relationships

Relationships with Colleagues OSHC educators often work in shared spaces alongside casual staff, students, volunteers and school staff. Strong team relationships depend on respect, clear communication and shared responsibility for children’s safety. In practice, this means: Disagreements about practice should be raised respectfully, either directly or through the appropriate channel, and should focus on children’s […]

Approx Duration 7 min
8. Preparing Professional Records and Documents

Types of Records and Documents Features of Effective Professional Records The Writing Process How a document is prepared depends on its type. A report, newsletter or planning document may allow time for drafting and editing. An incident, child safety or other time-sensitive record requires prompt, factual documentation in line with service procedures. For these records, […]

Approx Duration 7 min
9. Professional and Ethical Use of AI

Principles for Using AI

Approx Duration 7 min
10. Bringing it all Together

From Professional Responsibility to Everyday Practice Professional conduct and accountability are central to the OSHC educator role. Educators hold a position of trust and must use their authority, influence and judgement in ways that protect children’s safety, rights, dignity and wellbeing. Professional boundaries and Codes of Conduct set expectations for appropriate behaviour and relationships. Ethical practice […]

Approx Duration 7 min