National Decision Tree

Quality Education and Care NT (QECNT) is the Regulatory Authority for Northern Territory (NT) education and care services.

Approved providers must notify the regulatory authority of certain incidents, complaints and changes to information under the Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010 (National Law).  Notifications provide transparency and accountability. They also enable serious incidents, complaints, and breaches of the National Law and National Regulations to be effectively monitored, tracked and resolved.

The ACECQA website now features an interactive notifications National Decision Tree, designed to help approved providers and their staff identify whether a notification must be made to the regulatory authority (and in what timeframe)

The National Decision Tree provides guidance and information about all notifications that must be made to the regulatory authority under the National Law and National Regulations.

If you need to lodge a notification, the National Decision Tree will provide you with information about how long you have and the next step to take. Users will be directed to log in and lodge the relevant online form via the National Quality Agenda IT System. Please remember to fill in all relevant form fields and include any relevant documentation so the regulatory authority can assess whether it must take any action.

The National Decision Tree includes guidance and explanations of key terms, including ‘trauma’, ‘missing from the service’, ‘not accounted for’, ‘physical abuse’, ‘sexual abuse’, ‘complaint’ and more.

It also includes useful examples of scenarios that must be notified, including serious injuries, serious illnesses and circumstances that pose a risk to the health, safety or wellbeing of children.

Please note that information in this National Decision Tree has been prepared as a resource for general guidance only and you must consider the specific circumstances of each situation against the requirements of the National Law when you assess whether you need to notify. The National Decision Tree is not legal advice and should be read in conjunction with the National Law and Education and Care Services National Regulations, which take precedence over any guidance.