First day of work placement
The right attitude is very important for the success of your workplace experience. Once your Host Organisation is approved, and you have organised a start date with the service, it is time to prepare for your first day. If you can, try to organise a shorter visit to the service when you can:
- introduce yourself to staff (For further details, read the ‘Introduction poster’ section below.)
- familiarise yourself with the service’s policies and procedures
- complete the service’s induction process, including providing all required pre-employment paperwork
- find out details about:
- the shifts you will be completing
- which room will you be in o the room’s daily routine
- any allergies within the service and/or the room you may need to be aware of
- dress code.
During your placement, you will:
- need to be willing to learn. Remember, you are completing placement to learn from the service’s staff and to apply theory in practice. If you are open to the learning opportunities, you will be able to gain the most from the workplace experience.
- need to be open for feedback. Educators and your Workplace Supervisor are required to provide you with regular feedback on your performance to help and guide your professional learning. Never take feedback as a personal attack: stay positive and thank for the time and effort for providing you feedback. It is OK to disagree with feedback, but you must maintain a professional behaviour at all times. You may discuss your concerns or questions with your trainer/assessor.
- need to listen to instructions and ask questions. Life in a service can be very busy at times. If staff is giving you instructions to do something, try to be helpful and assist them to the best of your abilities. If you don’t understand something or something is not clear, ask questions – it is better to ask questions than not following instructions because you are not sure what you need to do.
- need to be polite, courteous and well-mannered. Educators are usually great people with a lot of passion and dedication for their profession. They will try to guide and support you during your placement; therefore, you should treat them with respect. Remember, while you may like your colleagues on a personal level, during placement you should build professional relationships and behave in a professional manner.
- need to dress appropriately, according to the service’s dress code.
- need to follow workplace policies and procedures, with focus on work health and safety requirements. As you may know by now, workplace policies and procedures are developed in accordance with relevant regulations to ensure staff abide by the sector’s requirements to fulfil their duty of care obligations. By following workplace policies and procedures, you will meet the sector’s requirements as well.
- take initiatives and try to be proactive. Once you are familiar with the service’s daily routine, take initiatives to help and assist staff to your best ability. It can be helpful to clean up after mealtimes, tidy up room during the day, assist children with handwashing or engage with children in activities. If you are not sure how you can help, ask staff members about how you could help them. However, as you progress with placement and you gain more experience, try to identify when you can make yourself useful. Staff will appreciate your effort!
- complete SWLA assessment tasks. It is your responsibility to be aware of the expectations and the tasks that need to be completed. Consult the Workplace Plan, assessment documents (Portfolio and Journal) and talk to your trainer and Workplace Supervisor to create a to-do list for each day. You may need some planning to ensure you can complete all SWLA activities during the set timeframe. For example, services regularly conduct emergency drills (once every three months), so you need to plan ahead to ensure you can participate at one for one of the SWLA assessment tasks. Always consult with your supervisor before undertaking assessment activities!
- work a combination of shifts, including at least one early and one late shift. Take breaks in accordance with the service’s routine.
- telephone the centre and email your trainer prior to the start of your shift if you are to be absent for any reason. You shouldn’t attend the workplace if you are feeling unwell!
- be punctual: you should arrive at least 10 minutes before your shift is due to start (e.g., if your shift starts at 9.00 am, arrive at 8.50 am the latest).
- ensure you are never alone in a room with children; a member of staff must always be present.
- involve yourself in a variety of activities that allow you to gain experience and practise your skills.
- ask about resources and materials that you can use to avoid using resources that educators planned to use for group activities.
- remain confidential in every discussion.
- never discuss a child’s progress with families.
- refer all parent enquiries to staff.
- refer administration of any medication to service staff.
- answer the telephone only when directed by a staff member.
- report accidents to a staff member.
- follow basic hygiene and safety requirements when carrying out duties.
- give each child equal consideration.
Introduction poster
It is a good idea to create an A4 introduction poster about yourself that the service can display in the staff room and/or in the lobby, so staff and families are aware of who you are, when and how long you will be at the service and what will you be doing. It should contain a friendly photo of you, your name, what you are studying, when and how long you will be at the service. Consult with your Workplace Supervisor and ask for permission before displaying the poster.
At the additional resources, you access a sample introduction poster.
Appropriate clothing
You are required to wear clothing and shoes that are appropriate to the early childhood education and care service, and they also meet work health and safety requirements:
- Hair must be neat and tidy. Long hair should be tied back and kept out of your face.
- Uphold good personal hygiene and always grooming.
- Follow the service’s dress code. Typically, educators have smart casual wear such as long black pants and a polo t-shirt. Avoid short skirts or clothing that may be uncomfortable. Remember, when working with children, you’ll be required to move around, sit on the ground, do physical activities: your clothes shouldn’t restrict you from moving freely. In some services, you may be provided with a uniform. Wear a name badge (if provided, or create one with a sticky note) and pay attention to your personal hygiene.
- Enclosed shoes (black) are required for work placements to ensure that the toes and heel of the feet are protected; this is a Work Health & Safety (WHS) requirement.
- Always wear a broad brim hat while outside.
- Remove dangling earrings and keep jewellery to a minimum, with care taken to not wear sharp, raised stones on rings. If you are not sure what is appropriate, ask your Workplace Supervisor or your trainer. Jewellery, such as multiple/long/hooped earrings and necklaces can be dangerous when working with younger children as they may grab and pull it, or could get caught on objects whilst performing daily tasks and it can also contribute to food contamination. It is recommended to avoid them.
- Acrylic fingernails or nail polish should be avoided to avoid food contamination when handling food.
- Cover up tattoos if needed (if they are inappropriate for children). If you are not sure what is appropriate, ask your Workplace Supervisor or your trainer.
- Appropriate professional clothing, including personal protective equipment (PPE) must be worn as required by the policies and procedures of the service.
What is NOT appropriate:
- You, just like educators/staff, must abide by the Sun Protection Policy daily by wearing the sleeved shirts provided and a hat (broad-rimmed/legionnaires only) when outdoors or on an excursion. Sleeveless shirts or baseball caps are NOT accepted.
- You, just like educators/staff, must ensure that pants /shorts worn do not hinder the delivery of appropriate supervision and care of the children.
- Clothes should be sufficient in length (knee or below) to always maintain a professional manner, e.g., very short shorts are not acceptable. Gym tights are not considered professional attire.
- Cardigans and jackets must be well fitting as they may provide a hazard not only to staff but the children within their care.
- You, just like educators/staff, are to always wear closed non-slip shoes. Thongs or high heels are not acceptable and may pose a hazard to you, staff and the children within care as well.
- Body piercing is to be kept to a minimum. Body piercings that may cause a risk to you, just like educators/staff members or children, are to be removed or covered appropriately. No one should wear or display items of clothing or tattoos that contain offensive language and/or graphics. Mobile phones are not permitted during workplace shifts! When you are with the children, you should interact with children and not work on your laptop even to complete assessment tasks. You can check your phone, take/make phone calls or work on assessment tasks before/after the shift or during your break if you wish. If you need to take photos for assessment tasks, ask your supervisor’s permission first.
YOU MUST NOT TAKE PHOTOS OF CHILDREN WITHOUT THE SUPERVISOR’S AND FAMILIES’ PERMISSION.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES TAKE PHOTOS AT THE SERVICE OR OF A CHILD TO POST IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA!
Time management is the process of organising and planning how to divide your time between different activities. During SWLA you will have to complete a series of assessment tasks, while interacting with the children, getting familiar with the service’s life and organisational documents, etc. Get time management right, and you'll end up working smarter, not harder, to get more done in less time – even when time is tight, and pressures are high.
With this simple online tool, you can test how good your time management is.
The Workplace Plan, if developed and completed properly, can help you manage your time and tasks effectively.
Here’s a few more useful tips on how to manage your time effectively:
- Plan ahead: Create to-do lists, even as part of the Workplace Plan, to help you stay on track. Get familiar with assessment tasks, then try to plan ahead a few days to list what are going to do each day. For example:
Day 1:
- complete the service’s induction process
- in consultation with the Workplace Supervisor, display your introduction poster
- introduce yourself to staff and children
- read your allocated room’s daily routine (take a photo if allowed)
- read your allocated room’s planning for the week (take a photo if allowed)
- read the service’s menu
- find out where the First Aid kit is
- interact with children
- help staff tidy up the room after activities
- help staff clean up after mealtime
- Prioritise: Use your time wisely and complete activities with high priority first. Ensuring children’s safety should be your number one priority. Have you seen a child getting injured? Notify a staff member and comfort the child while waiting for a staff member to apply first aid.
- Stay focused and concentrate: Life in a centre can be very busy, so you need to stay focused on what is expected of you. While it is part of your job to assist staff and interact with children, you have to stay focused and complete your assessment tasks as well. You can negotiate with the service to stay back a bit to complete assessment tasks in the staff room, or you can complete the writing for your assessment tasks at home once you have collected the required pieces of evidence, as indicated by the assessment tasks.
If you have family commitments or a job besides your studies, time management becomes even more important to ensure you can successfully complete your course.
In the following, you can read some commonly asked questions. Click on the questions to read the answers:
It is important that you feel safe and well-supported during the placement and are provided with opportunities to undertake the required tasks. If you feel unsafe, unsupported, harassed, or not provided opportunities to learn, contact your assessor immediately. Any problems with your placement, including special circumstances when you are unable to complete an assessment task, should be discussed with your trainer/assessor as early as possible.
It is your responsibility to inform SOE if you get sick or have a disability or medical condition that may impact on your placement. Talk to your assessor about any requirements or adjustments that might need to be made. Information about your disability will only be shared with your workplace supervisor with your approval.
If you are injured while completing your structured work placement with a Host Organisation as an unpaid volunteer, contact your Assessor, who will support you in completing an Accident and Incident Form. While undertaking your structured work placement, you are covered by Swinburne Open Education insurance. You must comply with the associated reporting requirements, such as completing the incident report as soon as possible following the incident.
Hours must be compensated for by undertaking additional days to meet the workplace hour requirement. If supplementary days are offered by the service, you should note this may not be to your convenience. It will depend upon the availability of Host Organisation. Students who have had unexplained absences will not be eligible for supplementary consideration.
If you are unable to complete the placement in the required time or need to stop the placement, contact your workplace assessor immediately. Once you organise a new arrangement, you must update and inform your workplace assessor in writing.
You are encouraged to find your workplace close to where you live to make commuting easy. However, this is not compulsory. You are most welcome to make your own choice and feel free to work in an early childhood service that is registered under ACECQA (Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority). It is always better to find an early childhood service with children aged 0-6, such as a long day care centre.
