REiMAGiNE Outcomes

WHAT iS BEST PRACTiCE?

Reimagine Australia are the leaders in best practice in early childhood intervention.

‘Best practice’ simply refers to a set of core principles that guide the way early childhood practitioners work with families of children with developmental delay and/or disability. Current research indicates that best practice in early childhood intervention centres on a family centred and inclusive approach. You will find more information on the National Best Practice Guidelines for Early Childhood Intervention, and resources to support your understanding of the Guidelines, below.

In 2020, Reimagine Australia delivered the very first national blueprint for early childhood intervention on behalf of the Australian Government – the Reimagine Early Childhood National Action Plan to 2030. Built upon a foundation of best practice principles, the blueprint was co-designed with families and early childhood practitioners nationally, and is one of three strategic documents upon which Australia’s Disability Strategy to 2031 – Early Childhood Targeted Action Plan is built. You can access the Action Plan here.

THE GUiDELiNES

In 2015, Reimagine Australia (or, as we were then known, Early Childhood Intervention Australia) were commissioned by the Commonwealth Government to develop the Best Practice Guidelines for Early Childhood Intervention.

These guidelines help early childhood intervention practitioners work in a way that supports the best outcomes for children with developmental delay and/or disability, and their families. The NDIS have used our national guidelines as the basis for their early childhood approach for children aged 0 to 6 years of age.

eLEARNING

Research shows that providing children and families with timely, comprehensive and well-integrated early intervention support, under a family-centred, best practice framework, will lead to better long-term outcomes for children and families, fostering inclusion, a sense of belonging and greater participation in their communities.

Reimagine Australia’s ‘Best Practice in Early Childhood Intervention’ eLearning course has been designed by Australia’s leading early childhood intervention practitioners to provide you with up-to-date tools to effectively enable and support you in your work with children and their families, using a best-practice approach.

We know you are busy, so this program has been purposely designed to be flexible, easy-to-access and fit your lifestyle. Containing 6 hours of continued professional development, this course is perfect for your staff induction program, for upskilling your team or for your own professional development.

BESPOKE TRAiNING

Reimagine Australia can tailor bespoke face-to-face (or virtual face-to-face) professional development training to suit the needs of your team or your organisation. Our 5 Star rated professional development training will ensure that your team understand:

What is best practice?
The four principles of the Best Practice Guidelines in depth.
What do the Guidelines mean in practice?
And what does best practice mean for the families you are working with in your role as a practitioner?

Plus, you will have access to loads of resources, tools and reading materials to support you in your everyday work, enabling children and their families to achieve the best possible outcomes.

BEST PRACTiCE FOR EARLY CHiLDHOOD PARTNERS

In 2019, ECIA was commissioned by the NDIA to design Best Practice in Early Childhood Intervention professional development tailored specifically to the work of Early Childhood Partners. Our 5 star rated bespoke face-to-face (or virtual face-to-face) professional development for Early Childhood Partners examines:

What is best practice?
The four principles of the Best Practice Guidelines in depth.
What do the Guidelines mean in practice?
And what does best practice mean for the families you are working with in your role as a Partner?
How to break down information for families and empower them to make informed choices

Plus, you will have access to loads of resources, tools and reading materials to support you in your everyday work as an Early Childhood Partner.

THE BEST PRACTiCE PROJECT

In 2018, Reimagine Australia delivered the Best Practice report, funded by the National Disability Insurance Agency. The report was the culmination of a national Best Practice Project where we investigated and documented best-practice in early childhood intervention across Australia. The report synthesizes the findings from this project, across four global themes, or principle focus areas:

The Child
Parents and carers
Early Childhood Partners
Early Childhood Practitioners

The report highlighted the need to develop a longer term – ten year – strategy, beyond transition, to ensure the full potential of the Early Childhood Early Intervention approach was delivered by the NDIA.

THE BEST PRACTiCE GUiDELiNES

Reimagine Australia, as ECIA, have developed a set of national guidelines for early childhood intervention practitioners on best practice, known as The National Guidelines for Best Practice in Early Childhood Intervention. Below you will find a summary of the guidelines.

1. Family – the centre of all services and supports Your family works together with early childhood intervention practitioners as active and equal partners where planning and interventions for your child are based on your family life and your priorities and choices.
2. All families are different and unique Early childhood intervention practitioners provide services and supports in ways that are sensitive and respectful of your family’s cultural, language and social backgrounds and your family’s values and beliefs.
3. Your child at home and in the community Your child is fully included and participates meaningfully in home and community life, with additional supports as needed, creating a real sense of belonging.
4. Your child practises and learns new skills everyday Your child engages, learns and practises skills through participation in the activities and daily routines of their everyday life.
5. Team around your child Your family works together with practitioners as a team around your child communicating and sharing information, knowledge and skills, with one main person, called a key worker, working with your family.
6. Building everyone’s knowledge and skills Building the knowledge, skills and confidence of your family and the important people in your child’s life will have the biggest impact on your child’s learning and development.
7. What you want for your child and family Early childhood intervention practitioners will focus on what you want for your child and family and will work closely with you to achieve the best outcomes for your child.
8. Quality services and supports Ensures that practitioners working with your child have appropriate qualifications and experience and base their intervention on sound clinical evidence and research.