You work hard to maintain your Excellent NQS rating. You have all the necessary daily forms in a binder, and your staff know where it is and how to fill them out. You have a system (kind of) for collecting, organising and storing permission slips, incident reports, attendance logs, and other important documentation. You usually remember to write in the contact log when you talk to a parent. Updating the curriculum is on your to-do list. Training for the staff is in the back of your mind.
There’s a lot to do to maintain NQS compliance at your centre. Beyond all the paperwork, some kids need your undivided attention so that they learn and grow while in your care. Choosing to use an app like Sprout, the leading software programme for childcare compliance in Australia, specifically designed to keep track of your documents, will free up time for things that are more important than paperwork.
Here are five ways that Sprout can work for you.
Useful Templates
Sprout is made for childcare centres. The templates that you need for every situation are available and customisable. The forms are also NQS compliant, so you don’t have to spend time creating documents to track incidents or permission slips and hope they’ll be acceptable later.
Automated Memos
Instead of realising in one day that you have five out-of-date personnel records, your curriculum is due in 24 hours, and that you’re missing permission slips for Friday’s field trip, you can utilise the automatic memos from Sprout to stay on top of your to-do list. You’ll get notifications in advance of documents that are becoming outdated and notices about missing records from parents.
Parents and caregivers can have a version of the app as well. You can send forms for them to fill out and receive them back through the app instead of hoping that that piece of paper doesn’t end up in the recesses of their child’s backpack until the end of the year. They can also update their child’s records, so you don’t have to worry about remembering to input Grandma as a pick-up person, and your evenings will flow smoothly.
Organised Records
It’s sometimes necessary to maintain physical copies of records, but the likelihood of a backlog of forms on your desk is high. Sprout helps to store your records and makes them easy to find at a moment’s notice. Not only are organised records important for your NQS rating, but it’s essential to easily access forms during an incident or find parent contact information in an emergency.
Communicate Effortlessly
Sprout allows you to communicate easily with your staff. You can delegate tasks, send reminders of paperwork or clearances due, and see when those things have been marked as completed. Sprout is also a great way to keep in touch with parents. Beyond recordkeeping, parents can provide feedback for you in the app, and then you can create tasks or training based on recommendations. Exceeding rating, here you come!
Build Relationships
The purpose of any organisational software is to make your life easier. When used properly, Sprout will help to remove some of the management burdens so that you can focus on the kids, their families, and your staff. When conversations can move beyond “Did you remember to bring that permission slip?” to “How was your weekend?”, then you can provide a more personalised experience and enjoy your work more.
Keeping up with compliance is hard work. Sprout can’t teach for you, but it can help keep you organised and efficient so that you can focus on what you love – the kids!
