Purpose

This course establishes consistent NERPSA expectations for inclusive practice. It helps staff recognise barriers, reflect on bias, make equitable adjustments and work with children, families and professionals so every child can participate meaningfully without being labelled, isolated or expected to fit an unchanged program.

Use current information

This course supports NERPSA policies, service procedures and the educational program. It does not replace them. Staff must use current documents from the NERPSA policy website and Staff Resources.

By the end of this course, you should be able to

Explain the difference between equality, equity and inclusion.

Identify environmental, relational, communication and organisational barriers.

Reflect on how values, assumptions and bias affect decisions.

Use strengths based and respectful language.

Plan reasonable and practical adjustments with children and families.

Support cultural safety, identity, communication and belonging.

Contribute appropriately to individual planning and professional partnerships.

Evaluate participation and document support securely.

Standards and evidence base

Framework	Connection to this course
NERPSA policies	Inclusion and Equity; Interactions with Children; Child Safe Environment and Wellbeing; Code of Conduct; Educational Program; Enrolment and Orientation; Privacy and Confidentiality; Safe Use of Digital Technologies; Medical Conditions; and family partnership requirements.
National Law and Regulations	The educational program, relationships, environment, health and safety arrangements must support each child. Decisions must respect children’s dignity, rights, developmental needs, interests, experiences and safety while required records remain confidential and secure.
National Quality Standard	Quality Areas 1, 3, 5 and 6 are central. Quality Areas 2 and 7 also support safety, governance, professional collaboration and continuous improvement.
Equal access and non discrimination	The Disability Discrimination Act 1992, Disability Standards for Education 2005 and Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic) support access without unlawful discrimination. Reasonable adjustments should be considered with the child and family, implemented in context and reviewed. Any claim that an adjustment cannot reasonably be made requires proper assessment and must not be assumed by an individual educator.
Updated VEYLDF	Equity, diversity, high expectations, respectful relationships, family partnerships and professional collaboration support the five outcomes and every child’s meaningful participation.
Child Safe Standards	Standards 1, 3, 4, 5 and 9 require culturally safe, accessible and equitable environments in which children are informed, heard and supported according to their diverse circumstances and needs.
TAFE and professional learning	Current connections include CHC30125 unit CHCECE030 Support inclusion and diversity; CHC50125 unit CHCECE046 Implement strategies for the inclusion of all children; and bachelor level inclusive education, anti bias practice, curriculum design, family partnership and professional collaboration.

Status of this learning

This is internal NERPSA professional learning. It is not nationally recognised training, an accredited course, a unit of competency or a statement of attainment.

Module one

What inclusion, equity and participation require

Inclusion means more than a child being enrolled or physically present. A child is included when they experience belonging, can communicate, make choices, build relationships, access the environment and participate meaningfully in learning and everyday routines.

Equality

Everyone receives the same opportunity or resource.

Equity

Support is provided according to what enables fair access.

Inclusion

The service changes practice so every child belongs.

Participation

The child is engaged, heard and able to influence their experience.

High expectations with appropriate support

High expectations do not mean expecting every child to perform in the same way. They mean believing every child is capable, recognising strengths and providing the support, time, communication and access needed for meaningful success.

The question is not “How can this child fit our program?” The stronger question is “What must we understand or change so this child can belong and participate?”

Module two

Bias, assumptions and respectful language

Everyone brings values, experiences and assumptions to their work. Professional practice requires staff to notice how these influence expectations, interpretations and decisions, particularly when a child’s communication, culture, family, ability or behaviour differs from their own experience.

Deficit language

“The family is difficult and the child cannot cope with group time.”

Useful language

“The family has requested clearer notice of routine changes. The child participates for longer when visual information, movement and a smaller group are available.”

Reflect before deciding

Would I interpret this differently for another child?
Whose communication style or behaviour is treated as normal?
Am I describing a child or describing a barrier?
Have I confused difference with inability or noncompliance?
Have the child and family had a genuine opportunity to explain?
Does the language preserve dignity and identify what adults can change?

Do not label children

A diagnosis, disability, culture, language, family circumstance or behaviour does not define a child. Avoid terms that shame, reduce expectations or present adult interpretations as fixed truths.

Module three

Identifying barriers to participation

A barrier is something in the environment, routine, communication, relationship or system that limits participation. Looking only at what a child cannot do can hide the condition that needs to change.

Check for barriers in

physical access, layout, noise, lighting and sensory load;
pace, transitions, waiting, group size and inflexible routines;
spoken language, visual information and available communication methods;
materials, equipment, seating and ways to join play;
adult expectations, peer relationships and responses to distress;
cost, transport, attendance and family access;
cultural safety, representation, racism and discrimination; and
policies or processes that unintentionally exclude.

Observe patterns across different times and contexts. Ask what changes when the environment, interaction, demand or support changes.

Module four

Adjustments and inclusive curriculum

An adjustment changes the environment, communication, routine, resource, timing or adult response so a child can access and participate. Adjustments should be responsive to the individual child and reviewed for effectiveness.

Practical adjustments may include

visual schedules, first and then information or advance warning;
more than one way to communicate, respond or demonstrate learning;
smaller groups, quieter spaces or movement options;
adapted tools, seating, access routes or positioning;
extra processing time, repetition or staged instructions;
peer support that protects choice and dignity;
changes to the task while retaining a meaningful learning intention; and
adult modelling, co regulation and predictable support.

Same treatment

Every child must sit on the mat, listen to spoken instructions and give a verbal answer.

Equitable access

Children may sit, stand or use a defined nearby space. Key information is spoken and shown visually, and children can respond using words, gesture, objects or communication supports.

Adjustments should support participation without unnecessarily separating the child, lowering meaningful expectations or making the child responsible for overcoming the barrier alone.

Module five

Culture, identity and belonging

Children have the right to see their identities, families, cultures, languages and communities respected in everyday practice. Cultural safety requires more than celebrations or resources. It is created through relationships, decisions, representation and active responses to racism and discrimination.

Inclusive practice means staff

learn from families without expecting them to educate the service;
pronounce and use children’s names correctly;
support home languages and different ways of communicating;
represent varied families, abilities, cultures and roles throughout the program;
seek appropriate local guidance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content;
challenge stereotypes, exclusion, racism and discriminatory comments;
avoid asking one child or family to represent an entire community; and
show how family and community knowledge changes practice.

Token inclusion

Adding one cultural item or inviting a child to represent an entire culture without context or consultation.

Meaningful inclusion

Using ongoing family and community knowledge, adapting access, examining assumptions and showing how contributions changed curriculum decisions.

Belonging can be heard in whose knowledge is valued, seen in who is represented and felt in whether a child and family can influence what happens.

Module six

Individual plans and professional partnerships

Individual planning should bring together the child’s strengths and views, family knowledge, educator observations and relevant professional advice. It must be practical enough to guide everyday staff action.

Understand

Gather strengths, priorities, views, patterns and relevant information.

Agree

Clarify goals, strategies, roles, consent and how information will be shared.

Act

Use agreed strategies consistently in real routines and learning.

Review

Evaluate participation with the child, family, team and relevant professionals.

A useful plan identifies

the child’s strengths, communication and perspective;
the family’s priorities and knowledge;
specific participation goals rather than labels;
strategies staff can understand and implement;
roles, responsibilities and review dates;
risk, health or safety requirements where relevant;
what information may be shared, with whom and why; and
how effectiveness will be evaluated.

Use information carefully

Seek and share only information needed for the child’s education, care, safety or lawful service responsibilities. Follow consent, privacy, child information sharing and secure record requirements. Do not promise confidentiality that cannot legally be maintained.

Module seven

Evaluation, privacy and useful evidence

Evaluation asks whether participation, belonging, access and learning improved. Evidence should show what adults changed and what difference it made, not require a child to prove they deserved support.

Useful evidence may include

participation observations across different contexts;
child and family views about what is helping;
records of agreed adjustments and review;
changes to environments, routines, communication or interactions;
team reflection on bias, barriers and consistency;
collaboration records stored in the appropriate place;
service level patterns and QIP actions; and
evidence that ineffective strategies were changed.

Documentation must not compromise children

Do not use humiliating images, unnecessary personal details, public behaviour charts, identifiable sensitive information or child safety disclosures as program evidence. Follow consent, assent, privacy, storage and approved device requirements.

Practice scenarios

A child regularly leaves a noisy whole group experience.

Do not assume defiance or require the child to remain without understanding the barrier. Observe patterns, speak with the child and family, and test changes such as a smaller group, visual information, movement, a quieter position or another way to participate.

A family uses an interpreter and rarely contributes during fast paced collection conversations.

Do not interpret limited spoken contribution as lack of interest. Arrange accessible communication using approved interpreting and translation processes, allow time, confirm understanding and create more than one way for the family to contribute to decisions.

An educator says giving one child a visual schedule is unfair to everyone else.

Explain that equity is fair access, not identical treatment. The visual schedule addresses a participation barrier. Consider whether visual information would also benefit other children while retaining the individual support the child requires.

A child’s mobility device cannot reach part of the outdoor program.

The environment and program must be reviewed rather than accepting exclusion. Escalate the access issue, consult the child, family and relevant professionals, provide an immediate meaningful alternative and plan a sustainable adjustment that supports shared participation.

A child makes a racist comment about another child’s skin or family.

Respond immediately and calmly. Make clear that the comment is not acceptable, support the child who was targeted, use age appropriate teaching and inform the appropriate leader. Consider family communication, documentation and broader curriculum or QIP action without placing the burden on the affected child or family.

Make the inclusion decision

Select the strongest professional response to each situation. All three must be correct before the certificate can be unlocked.

A child cannot follow rapid spoken directions during transitions. What is the strongest first response?

A colleague says every child must receive exactly the same support to be fair.

A support strategy has been used for two weeks but participation has not improved.

Complete all three decisions.

Required learning activity

Apply the learning to your workplace

Complete each response in your own words. Do not include children’s names, diagnoses or unnecessary identifying information. Your responses will be included in your final completion record.

1. Think about participation changing across different contexts. What might this suggest about a barrier or support?

2. Identify one routine, environment or adult expectation that may unintentionally exclude some children.

3. Give an example of deficit language and rewrite it using factual, respectful and strengths based language.

4. Identify one practical adjustment and the evidence that would show whether it improved access, belonging or participation.

Drafts stay in this browser on this device.

Knowledge check

Answer all questions. A score of at least seven out of eight is required.

1. What best describes inclusion? A child is enrolled and physically present. The service removes barriers so the child belongs and participates meaningfully. A child completes a separate activity with an adult.

2. What does equity mean in practice? Providing support according to what enables fair access and participation. Giving every child exactly the same resource. Lowering expectations for children who require support.

3. Which response shows critical reflection on bias? Describing a family as difficult. Assuming limited English means limited understanding. Asking whether the same behaviour would be interpreted differently for another child.

4. Which is an environmental barrier? A noisy group space with no alternative way to access the information. A child using gesture to communicate. A family sharing information about home routines.

5. What makes an adjustment appropriate? It keeps the child separate from peers. It responds to an identified barrier and is reviewed for its effect on participation. It is used without consulting the child or family.

6. What supports cultural safety? Asking one family to represent an entire culture. Addressing culture only on celebration days. Respectful relationships, meaningful representation and action against racism.

7. What should an individual support plan focus on? Strengths, participation goals, practical strategies, responsibilities and review. A diagnosis copied into the general program. What the child must change before joining peers.

8. What is the strongest evidence of inclusive practice? A diversity poster on the wall. Evidence that barriers were identified, adults changed practice and participation improved. A statement that all children are treated the same.

Policies and official resources

NERPSA service policies

Current child safety, conduct, interactions, inclusion, complaints, reporting and privacy requirements.

Open policies

NERPSA website

Current organisational information and access to NERPSA resources.

Open NERPSA website

Updated VEYLDF

The current Victorian framework, outcomes and practice principles for professionals working with children from birth to eight.

Open the VEYLDF

Inclusive environments

ACECQA guidance on organising and adapting indoor and outdoor environments to support every child’s participation.

Open ACECQA guidance

Equity and inclusion

ACECQA guidance explaining equitable access, high expectations and responsive inclusive programs.

Open the information sheet

Child Safe Standards

Victorian requirements relevant to children’s participation, equity, suitable staff, safe environments, information handling and continuous improvement.

Open the standards

Completion requirements

Before recording this course as complete, staff should have:

read each module;
considered the practice scenarios;
completed all three interactive decisions correctly;
completed the workplace reflection;
achieved at least seven out of eight in the knowledge check; and
submitted the certificate through the NERPSA Document Submission Form.

Print your course result and certificate

The print button becomes available when all four responses are complete, all three decisions are correct, you achieve at least seven out of eight, and you complete the participant declaration.

Full name

NERPSA service

Role

Email address for your records

I confirm that I completed this lesson and assessment myself, that the written responses are my own, and that I have not included unnecessary identifying or confidential information.

Complete all requirements to unlock your completion record.

The PDF contains your landscape certificate first, followed by your participant details, written responses, assessment result and declaration.

Submit the completed record through the NERPSA Document Submission Form. This submission is the only acknowledgement required. Please do not email it separately.

Inclusion is visible in what the service changes

Every child’s strengths matter. Equitable practice removes barriers, respects identity and gives children genuine ways to belong, communicate, participate and influence their experience.

Inclusion, Equity and Participation in Practice