Self-Assessment Tool for Services
PROFESSIONAL
LEARNING PLAN PSCA
Professional Learning Plan
CONTENTS
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 3
The Steps to your Professional Learning Plan ............................................................................... 3
Section 1 ............................................................................................................................................ 5
Service Overview ............................................................................................................................ 5
Section 2 ............................................................................................................................................ 7
Quality Improvement Plans............................................................................................................. 8
Individual Improvement Plans......................................................................................................... 8
Inclusion Improvement Plans.......................................................................................................... 8
Section 3 - Exploring emerging professional learning needs
Section 4 - The Professional Learning Plan
Group and theming ........................................................................................................................... 19
Professional Learning Plan ............................................................................................................... 20
Other Key Documents: ....................................................................................................................... 21
A.
Skills Audit ................................................................................................................................ 21
B.
Professional Learning Approaches ........................................................................................... 22
C.
The leaders role in professional learning. ................................................................................. 23
D.
Selecting quality provider - key questions to consider when selecting a provider ................... 24
E.
Template ................................................................................................................................... 25
F.
Professional Development Sharing Tool .................................................................................. 26
G.
Record of Staff Attendance ....................................................................................................... 27
Professional Learning Plan
2
INTRODUCTION
With the recent announcement of the Federal Government's Long Day Care Professional Development
Programme (LDCPDP) the Professional Support Coordinators Alliance (PSCA) designed a Tool to assist
your service to develop a Professional Learning Plan that will meet the needs of your service now and into
the future.
This Tool builds upon the work and knowledge your service has already undertaken through the Quality
Improvement Plan* and other key pieces of work your service has achieved such as Inclusion Improvement
Plans (formerly Service Support Plans) and strategic plans.
This Tool will take approximately 30-45 minutes to pull together, however the final Plan will be richer with
some pre work by individual staff members and reflection and conversation with your whole team.
Each State and Territory PSC will be available to provide assistance to services to develop their Plan –
please contact your relevant PSC to determine how to access this support and any cost involved.
*Please note: If your service has not yet developed a Quality Improvement Plan you may wish to contact the
Workforce Council to access support on 1800 112 585.
The Steps to your Professional Learning Plan
This Tool provides a step by step approach to developing your services Professional Learning Plan. Some
pre-work provides opportunity for individual staff to take time to reflect upon the skills and knowledge they
currently have, and the areas which they seek to improve.
The Tool is designed to start building the Plan from the beginning.
There are hyperlinks to your Professional Learning Plan throughout the steps of the Tool so that you can
begin populating it from the outset.
You will also find Other Key Documents at the end of the Tool to assist you throughout the process of
developing your Plan.
Pre Work
Skills audit for each staff member to complete
Step 1
Service overview
Step 2
Using your QIP and the other work you have undertaken to start identifying
professional development priorities
Step 3
Exploring emerging professional learning needs
Step 4
Professional Learning Plan
Step 5
Where to next
The Professional Learning Plan produced from using this Tool will provide detail of the Professional
Development needs of your staff, the best learning approach to meet these needs, who the learning will
target and the priority.
Other details that you might include once this process is complete are the details of the delivery such as the
provider, when and where the learning will take place and how the learning can be embedded. You may
have systems in place that will allow you to drill down to this detail. Alternatively you might look to the
template at the end of this Tool.
Professional Learning Plan
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Pre work:
The final plan will focus on roles within your service but a key step of this process
is for individual staff to complete a skills audit.
Professional Learning Plan
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SECTION 1
Service Overview
Philosophy
As you work through this Tool it will be useful to revisit your Philosophy Statement. As your Philosophy
Statement articulates the overarching intent of your organisation it will provide a useful context from which to
articulate your service learning needs and develop a Plan to meet these needs.
Things to consider:

How long ago was the philosophy statement reviewed?

Is your philosophy relevant to your current practice?

Does your current practice reflect the philosophy?

How do educators, families and children relate to the philosophy?
Current Workforce
Do your current permanent staffing levels meet regulatory requirements and the needs of your service
including the ratio and qualification requirements?
Go to the ACECQA website for more details. http://www.acecqa.gov.au/
Current requirements include:

50% of educators must have or be working towards a Diploma

All educators must have or be working towards Certificate III

All services required to have an early childhood teacher

And other specific State and Territory requirements
Professional Learning Plan
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Current workforce
Qualification
Current number
of educators
Does this meet
current
requirements? Y/N
If no, What are the Gaps in
qualifications in your service
currently?
Certificate III
Diploma
Teaching degree
Other staff members,
eg administration,
cooks
Do the above gaps indicate a professional learning need? If so, transfer these to your Professional Learning
Plan/
Professional Learning Plan
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Future Workforce
When developing a Professional Development Learning Plan it is important to not only think about current
staff and needs but to look to the future to foresee future needs and how the Plan might address the issues
that will emerge.
Consider not only future changes to enrolment numbers but any other features of your community for
example refugees, low SES, changes in enrolments in any particular age groups, enrolment trends over
time.
Are your enrolments growing, declining or stable?
Availability of different types of staff into the future
Do you anticipate upcoming retirements, downsizing, succession planning, increase in family leave;
increase in need to supervise student teachers or other things that will impact on how much work your
educators and other staff can do?
Does your service have a succession plan or do you need to consider putting one in place.
Do you envisage that you will have the staffing levels required to meet the needs of your service including
the ratio and qualification requirements in 3 – 5 years’ time?
Future workforce requirements
Qualification
Current demand
Future demand
Gaps
Certificate III
Diploma
Teaching Degree
Other staff members, eg
administration, cooks
Do the above gaps indicate professional learning needs? If so transfer these to your Professional Learning
Plan.
Professional Learning Plan
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SECTION 2
Quality Improvement Plans
Review your Quality Improvement Plan.
Based on the improvements and goals identified in your QIP, what are the professional learning needs for
your service to meet these outcomes? Plot these onto your Professional Learning Plan.
Individual Learning Plans
Does your service undertake staff appraisals? Are there themes that emerge from these staff appraisals?
In reviewing the individual learning plans of all staff are their consistent learning needs identified?
If these have not yet been captured from the QIP plot these into your Professional Learning Plan.
Inclusion Improvement Plans
If your service has a Inclusion Improvement Plan for access to Bicultural Support Program, Specialist
Equipment, Inclusion Support Services, etc., are there any emerging needs that are not already captured in
your Professional Learning Plan? Inclusion Improvement Plans are often developed in consultation with
Inclusion Support Facilitators.
Professional Learning Plan
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SECTION 3 – EXPLORING EMERGING
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING NEEDS
The following reflective statements are designed to assist your service to further explore key areas and
issues. The statements are adapted from the Guide to the National Quality Standards on the ACECQA
website.
We recommend that this section be undertaken with the staff as a whole. For each statement consider
at which level you would place your organisation. In working through these statements it is likely that some
Potential Learning Needs will be identified, so record them in the table below.

LEVEL 1 – Aspiring: We want to be able to do this in the future.

LEVEL 2 – Evolving: We have some capability but need more.

LEVEL 3 – Capable: We have confidently been doing this.

LEVEL 4 – Confident: We do this consistently to best practice.
Note: Skills audit completed by individual staff may be used to assist the conversation in this section.
QA1. Educational Program and Practice
Level
Potential Learning Need
We build our knowledge and understanding of the Learning
Framework that we use in our service to ensure enhanced
learning outcomes for all children
We ensure enhanced learning outcomes are a priority for all
age groups
We get to know about each child and their culture, strengths,
abilities and interests
We make decisions about children’s daily experiences and
routines. We consider who is involved in making this decision
making.
We make sure that experiences and routines are childfocused rather than adult-focussed
We support every child’s participation in the program
We demonstrate in the program that we value children’s
ideas, thinking and interests
We improve the ways in which we engage children in making
decisions about their own learning
We document and plan for children’s learning
We provide quality information to families about their
children’s learning, development and participation in the
program
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Educators demonstrate intention in their teaching practice
and this reflects on outcomes for children
We critically reflect on and evaluate the program, which is
documented, and our evaluations are used to make informed
curriculum decisions to improve outcomes for children
QA2. Children’s Health & Safety
Level
Potential Learning Need
We find out about individual children’s health requirements
and routines and ensure that staff members who need to be
aware are informed about these and know how to manage
children’s specific health requirements
We keep up to date with current, authoritative information
about the management of specific health needs and
anaphylaxis
The service adopts best practice in relation to the
administration of medication for children
We keep informed about current food safety and hygiene
practices
We keep up to date with current information about child and
adult immunisation
We ensure that families are informed about and follow the
service’s policy and guidelines for the exclusion of ill children
We communicate with families if there is an outbreak of an
infectious illness
We have arrangements are in place to regularly review and
update our child health related policies and procedures
We ensure food and drink is nutritious and appropriate to
each child
Children are encouraged to make healthy food and beverage
choices
We plan to meet the individual food and nutrition
requirements of children
We incorporate discussions and activities about healthy
eating and caring for their bodies into children’s everyday
experiences
We ensure staff members are familiar with current guidelines
about healthy eating and physical activity
Professional Learning Plan
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We plan the program to ensure that there is a balance
between planned and spontaneous active play as well as a
balance between passive and active experiences
We set up the environment and resources to encourage and
support children to engage in movement and physical play
We encourage child-initiated or child-directed play and
recreational experiences
We encourage children to solve problems in relation to
physical challenges in the environment
We identify potential supervision risks in the service
We plan to ensure that all areas used by children are
effectively supervised, including when children are
participating in high-risk activities
We plan to manage supervision of small groups of children
who may need to be in a different space from the main group
We identify, assess and manage hazards and potential risks
for children, such as potentially dangerous products, plants,
objects and animals at the service, and how often do we do
this.
We ensure children are alerted to safety issues and
supported to develop the skills to assess and minimise risks
to their own safety
We identify which emergency procedures and specific action
plans are required for our service and how often to practise
these
We maintain an awareness of the people who have contact
with children at the service and/or who collect children from
the service
We keep up to date with current legislation in our state or
territory in relation to child protection
QA3. Physical Environment
Level
Potential Learning Need
Our physical environment contributes positively to children’s
learning and provides opportunities for sustained shared
thinking and collaborative learning
Our physical environment contribute positively to children’s
developing autonomy and independence
Professional Learning Plan
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We use the physical environment to support the creation of a
welcoming environment where all children and families are
respected and actively encouraged to collaborate with
educators about curriculum decisions
We ensure that there is interaction between the indoor and
outdoor environments and that the design and organisation
of these areas accommodates a variety of uses
We ensure that children are safe entering and leaving the
service
We provide for children to be involved in planning and setting
up the environment
We foster children’s capacity to understand and respect the
natural environment and the interdependence between
people, plants, animals and the land
The environment is equipped and organised to cater for all
levels of capabilities
We organise our physical environment to encourage children
to explore, solve problems, create, construct and develop
environmental awareness
We organise environments and spaces in ways that allow
children opportunities to play on their own as well as promote
small and large group interactions and meaningful play and
leisure
We provide spaces that promote safe exploration, learning
through play and interaction with the environment for babies
and toddlers
We provide opportunities for older children to safely
undertake more complex physical activities, particularly in
the outdoor environment
The elements and features in the physical environment invite
open-ended interactions, spontaneity, risk taking,
exploration, discovery and connection with nature, and
where additional resources can be introduced to provoke
interest and more complex and increasingly abstract thinking
We balance the need for order and the organised chaos that
happens when children play and explore
The backgrounds and cultures of families and the wider
community are reflected in the environment, including
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture.
We regularly evaluate the effectiveness of learning
environments and draw links to the intended learning
outcomes
Our policies and practices promote children’s understanding
Professional Learning Plan
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about their responsibility to care for the environment (day to
day and for long-term sustainability) and promote the
development of life skills, such as growing and preparing
food, waste reduction and recycling
We implement strategies to ensure educators foster
children’s capacity to:
-value and respect the broader environment and be worldwise?
-understand and appreciate the natural environment and the
interdependence between people, plants, animals and the
land
Educators model environmentally friendly and sustainable
practices
We highlight our responsibilities for a sustainable future and
promote children’s understanding about their responsibility to
care for the environment
Clear messages are given to children about what is valued at
the service through the environment, materials and
resources and how they are maintained
Professional Learning Plan
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QA4. Staff Arrangements
Level
Potential Learning Need
Our staffing arrangements enable all children to feel that they
belong in ways that support their ‘being’ and ‘becoming’
Our staffing arrangements and communication between
nominated supervisors, educators, staff members, families
and children support consistent practice, including staff
members’ and children’s transitions
We ensure that the service’s statement of philosophy reflects
our different views, beliefs and values
Our practice reflect the beliefs outlined in our statement of
philosophy
We acknowledge the personal strengths, professional
experiences and diversity that colleagues bring to their work
We promote professionalism, confidentiality and ethical
conduct
We have strategies developed to ensure information is
shared between management, educators, co-ordinators and
staff members
We have opportunities to provide for educators, coordinators and staff members to have conversations and
discussions to further develop their skills, or to improve
practice and relationships. We ensure that everyone’s voice
is heard and considered
Our service is a good place to work
We have effective processes to resolve any ethical issues
that may arise
We have a workforce plan in place that supports the
development of our workforce now and into the future
Professional Learning Plan
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QA 5. Relationships with Children
Level
Potential Learning Need
We build close, secure relationships with children of all ages,
abilities, genders and backgrounds
We help children to feel that they belong in the service
We learn about individual children’s non-verbal cues and
communication strategies, and the specific communication
requirements of children who have additional needs
We engage in children’s play
We interact with children to engage them in learning
We have strategies and techniques to extend and build on
children’s comments and conversations
We use conversations and interactions with children to make
routine times enjoyable and meaningful learning
opportunities
We enable children to form and maintain positive
relationships with others
A culture of respect, equity and fairness is encouraged in
the service and clearly communicated to educators, children
and families
The program and routines are arranged to ensure adequate
time for children to engage in projects and play experiences
of their own choosing, with a variety of peers and adults
We model positive, respectful relationships with others to
children
We ensure that the physical environment, program and
routines are conducive to the development and maintenance
of children’s interpersonal relationships
We promote a sense of community within the service
We ensure that our policies on interactions with children
reflects current information about child development and best
practice in guiding young children’s behaviour
Children have opportunities to make decisions about rules,
expectations and outcomes in relation to their own and
other’s behaviour
We manage situations where we experience challenges in
relation to guiding the behaviour of a child or group of
children
Professional Learning Plan
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QA6. Collaborative Partnership with Families & Communities
Level
Potential Learning Need
We reflect on our families, and our thinking is broad and
reflects the diversity of children at the service
We help all families to feel comfortable and welcome at the
service
We facilitate communication with families who have specific
or diverse communication needs
We find out if our communication strategies are reaching all
families
We have strategies in place for information sharing between
families, educators and co-ordinators, during orientation,
settling in and on an ongoing basis
We listen to families and include their perspectives in the
educational program
Families have an active role in the service
We encourage families to contribute to service activities and
to their child’s experiences in ways that are meaningful for
them
We share decision making with our families
We learn about children’s families and those who are
important in their lives
The information that families provide to the service contribute
to decision making
We find out about the community resources that are relevant
to our service and to the children in the service and their
families
We support families to access community resources
We are considered when families make requests or express
concerns.
The nominated supervisor, educators and co-ordinators
share information with each other to encourage continuity of
care
Communication is managed with other educators and with
families when there are shift changes, when positions are
shared or when different educators care for a child
throughout the day
Our educators and co-ordinators share information with other
Professional Learning Plan
16
services to support each child’s learning and development
We support each child’s transition from and to other
education and care environments
We support each child’s transition to formal schooling
We work with schools and other community organisations to
meet the needs of children and their families
We access support when we are working with children who
have additional needs
We know what is happening in our local community that is
relevant to our work with children and families
Professional Learning Plan
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QA 7. Leadership & Service Management
Level
Potential Learning Need
Leadership in our service contributes to the development of a
positive organisational culture
We develop the skills and capacity of team members in a
way that leads to improved shared leadership
We create opportunities for professional conversations
We share the collective knowledge of the team
We know about the rate of and reasons for turnover of
educators, co-ordinators and staff members at this service
We structure our staffing arrangements to improve continuity
for children
Our statement of philosophy reflects a commitment to
continuous improvement
We address complaints
We undertake evaluation with parents and children
Our performance management processes support
continuous improvement
Our management of confidential information meets
requirements
We have processes in place that support succession
planning
Transfer the professional learning needs that have been highlighted during the above process and move the
relevant needs to your Professional Learning Plan.
Professional Learning Plan
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SECTION 4 – THE PROFESSIONAL
LEARNING PLAN
Group and theming
This is an opportunity to review the Professional Development Needs identified in your Professional Learning
Plan. It may be that through the process so far needs have been identified more than once or that some
needs naturally cluster together. Similarly some needs listed may no longer be relevant as addressing one
need may cover multiple identified needs.
Take the time now to group or cluster the Professional Development Needs and streamline or cull any needs
that will be addressed elsewhere.
Professional Learning Plan
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PROFESSIONAL LEARNING PLAN
Professional Development Need
Professional Learning Approaches
required to meet the need *
Who will the PD
target?
Priority
Low/ Medium/High
Look at outputs from outcomes
framework
Professional development sessions;
Whole team
Accredited training and qualifications;
Specific rooms
Professional readings;
Specific roles
eLearning and online learning modules;
educational leader,
educators, director,
whole team, etc
Team meeting packages;
Customised sessions for whole staff
teams;
Professional conversations and
networking;
Mentoring and coaching;
Peer observation;
Practitioner inquiry and action research
Service visits.
Once this is completed you may wish to use Template E to capture further planning, or you may have systems currently in place that you can use.
Professional Learning Plan
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Other Key Documents
Skills Audit
Year:
Staff Member:
Area
Current Strengths and Skills
Areas I want to develop further
Educational program and practice
Children’s health and safety
Physical environment
Staffing arrangements
Relationships with children
Collaborative partnership with families and
communities
Leadership and service management
Other: e.g. qualification (upgrade)
Professional Learning Plan
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Professional Learning Approaches
There are a lot of approaches to professional learning. This section invites you to consider the range of approaches and match these to best meet the needs of your
service. Different approaches will meet different needs.
The PSCA has investigated a variety of professional learning models which are explored in this publication Child Care Educators: Learning and Growing Through
Professional Development (PSCA Online Library). The features of effective professional development as explored by the PSCA include:

the extension of the professional development program over a period of time

the involvement of staff in assessing their own learning

the creation of opportunities for staff to apply new knowledge and skills in their own work settings

the creation of opportunities for staff to have a trusted ‘other’ to discuss developing practice
Gaining awareness of our own thinking, actions and influence when we want to enhance the quality of our practice involves participating in professional development
activities that:

provide opportunities for questioning our own experiences and views (not just simply validating them)

provide opportunities for us to think critically about the values and assumptions underlying our practice and consider events and situations from different
perspectives

provide information and knowledge about alternative practices / perspectives at both theoretical and practical levels

engage us in investigating real life examples in our own settings.
Models or approaches of Professional Development that support the above include:

Learning series

Action Learning

Action Research

Accredited Training and qualifications

Service visits and staff exchanges

Professional readings

eLearning and online learning modules

Team meeting packages

Customised sessions for whole staff teams

Professional conversations

Mentoring, coaching and consultancy
Professional Learning Plan
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
Practitioner inquiry

Learning communities and networks
Participating in professional development opportunities with other services has great benefit so please consider this in your planning. There will also be times when a
centre based response best meets the need.
Finally some of the needs identified will be met by information sessions and other one-off activities.
A. THE LEADERS ROLE IN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
Please reflect on your centre's philosophy and your vision for quality, and theoretical influences. Is there anything you would like to work on in regard to your
framework for practice?
How will Professional Development be supported?
Professional Learning Plan
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B. SELECTING QUALITY PROVIDER/S - KEY QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER WHEN SELECTING A PROVIDER
Does the provider draw on current research?
Does the provider assist participants to critically reflect on practice and build on service's
strengths; does it allow you to test strategies?
Are there opportunities to learn with others?
Do they work collaboratively in partnership with staff, being respectful of the views and advice
given by the leaders in our service?
Do they offer regular contact & support?
Do they make themselves available to discuss any questions or concerns?
Will they provide helpful and constructive feedback to both the learners and the leaders in our
centre?
Will the professional learning be relevant to our workplace and provide staff with opportunities
to undertake work based projects as part of learning?
Do they allow sufficient time in professional learning to explore individual and service
perspectives?
Are they able to offer support to learners who may have literacy or numeracy needs and different
learning styles?
Do they provide professional materials and resources which are sector specific and appropriate?
Is their knowledge of the Early Years Learning Framework and NQF current
Do their facilitators have appropriate early childhood qualifications and experience or recognised
skills relevant to the area being delivered?
Do their facilitators get opportunities to develop their own professional skills and knowledge?
Are they prepared to negotiate times for our staff to access professional learning in a way which
meets the needs of both our staff and our workplace thus minimising disruption to the operation
of our service?
What feedback have you heard about the quality/outcomes of the provider?
Adapted from SA Health and Community Skills Board, 2012 "How to choose the right Registered Training Organisation for your service"
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C. TEMPLATE
Professional
Development
Need
Professional
Learning
Approaches
required to
meet the
need *
Who will the
PD target?
(e.g. educational
leader, educators,
director, whole
team, etc)
Name of
Professional
Development
Provider
Date
Details
Whole team
Specific rooms
Specific roles
Visit www.workforce.org.au for ideas and information
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D. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SHARING TOOL
All staff complete this sharing tool after attending professional development and share with the whole staff team at a staff meeting.
Consider how you will share this information with your team – information/fact sheet, notes from the session or a short presentation?
What questions did you have prior to
accessing professional development?
What questions do you have now?
Identify 2 things that had an impact on you
What are 2 changes you would make as a
result of this professional development?
As a team complete this section at your staff meeting.
Consider the following:
How will you implement these 2 changes in
your service?
Do we need to make changes to our QIP?
Who will lead these changes?
Team evaluation:
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E. RECORD OF STAFF ATTENDANCE
Year:
Professional Development
Staff member
Copy of
certificate
Date of
completion
Cost
Link to the QIP or NQS
Y/N
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