4240.0.55.002 - National Early Childhood Education and Care Collection: Data Collection Guide, 2013

ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 07/03/2014

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Contents >> Data Element Collection Instructions >> Unit Record Level (URL) Data >> Statistical Entity: Worker - URL >> Role of Early Childhood Education and Care Worker

ROLE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE WORKER

ABS short name: TCH_ROLE
ABS Template reference (Worker): Column N
METeOR Technical name: Person (employed) - role of early childhood education and care worker, code N
METeOR identifier: 507585
METeOR link: <http://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/507585>
METeOR definition: The main role undertaken by an early childhood education and care worker, as represented by a code.

Scope

Inclusions: All contact workers who have paid employment with an early childhood Education and Care service provider and are involved in the delivery of a preschool program:

For Codes 1 to 4 this includes contact workers who are usually present to deliver a face to face preschool program, but may have been absent during the reference period due to illness or extended holiday leave and expected to return.

Exclusions: Unpaid and non-contact persons working within early childhood education and care services.

Underlying Concepts

Concept: Role of early childhood education and care worker.
Nominal definition: The main role or responsibility undertaken by an early childhood education and care worker, as defined by the worker's terms of employment.
Operational definition: See nominal definition.
Conceptual issues:

'Main role' is defined as the role that the person spends the majority of time performing, during the reference period.

'Terms of employment' is defined as the agreement between the worker and the service provider, which specifies work roles and responsibilities. It may be formal or informal, and either written or verbal, and must be mutually understood by the worker and the service provider.

Standard Jurisdictional Output Categories

Representation class: Code
Data type: Number
Format: N
Maximum character length: 1
Classification values:

Supplementary values:

9 - Not stated/inadequately described

2.3.3 LEGAL VALUE CHECKS

	Edit specifications	Edit resolution

1.	If field is blank.	Provide a valid worker role code, otherwise amend to code ‘9’.

2.	If field is not code 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 9.	Provide a valid worker role code. Where jurisdictional worker roles differ from ECEC NMDS categories, the ABS requests that a correspondence is supplied to ABS to verify code mapping.

3.	If field contains text or character length is greater than 1.	Provide a valid worker role code.

Guide for Use

Counting rules:

This item is only applicable to paid workers in arly childhood education and care services.

Report the main role performed by a worker during the reference period, regardless of whether this is different to their usual role.

For the purposes of this data element, workers who are classified as 'Management/administration' and 'Other work' within the data element Type of work activity, must be classified as 'Non-contact' workers (i.e. Code 5).

For Codes 1 to 4 this excludes relief teachers who are not present at the early childhood education and care service (i.e. not delivering a face to face preschool program) during the reference period.

Classification Definitions

CODE 1 - Principal/director/coordinator/teacher in charge
A person with overall responsibility for managing the service.

CODE 2 - Group leader/teacher
A degree qualified teacher or educator responsible for a group of young children.

CODE 3 - Assistant/aide
An early childhood worker who helps a more senior and more qualified early childhood teacher or educator.

CODE 4 - Other contact worker
Includes people who provide child care or additional educational or supplementary services for children, such as a child care worker, dance teacher, music therapist, disability support worker, librarian or speech therapist.

CODE 5 - Non-contact worker
A worker who has no direct contact with children and primarily contributes to the running of the service or provides support services.

CODE 9 - Not stated/inadequately described
For use when the role of the worker is unknown, not stated or inadequately described. Where the role of the worker is unknown, the ABS requests that jurisdictions identify the reason for the unknown response and document any follow-up processes undertaken.

Other Information

Related aggregate data element: No related aggregate data element.