McArthur’s Commitment to Child Safety, Workforce Compliance and NQF Excellence

McArthur has partnered with early learning services and centres across Australia to uphold compliance, strengthen child safety, and maintain the highest standards of staffing under the National Quality Framework (NQF) for over 35 years. As one of Australia’s most respected recruitment and HR consulting specialists, our role extends far beyond recruitment. We work alongside services as trusted advisors, helping leaders, educators and governing bodies meet the evolving requirements of the NQF with confidence and integrity.

With significant changes to the NQF coming in 2025 and 2026, including new rules around digital safety, vaping ban, 24-hour mandatory reporting and explicit child safety requirements in the National Quality Standard (NQS), early learning leaders are seeking partners who can do more than fill shifts. They need advisors who understand the sector, anticipate compliance challenges, and ensure workforce practices align with the highest standards. That is where McArthur plays a vital role.

Why Compliance and Workforce Standards Matter Under the NQF

The NQF sets the benchmark for quality and safety in early learning. From educator qualifications and ratios to child protection obligations and governance, compliance underpins the trust families place in services.

As the 2025 reforms introduce stricter digital safety policies, vaping ban and faster reporting timeframes, and the 2026 refinements place child safety explicitly into Quality Areas 2 and 7, workforce quality becomes even more critical. No policy or system can succeed without educators who understand, respect and implement these standards in daily practice.

McArthur’s commitment has always been to ensure that early learning centres are supported with a workforce that reflects both professional excellence and ethical responsibility.

McArthur’s Proven Approach to Workforce Compliance and Child Safety

McArthur’s recruitment and workforce strategies are carefully designed to align with the NQF and to strengthen service performance during quality assessment and rating. Our approach includes:

• Comprehensive Workforce Screening
  Every candidate is rigorously screened through Working with Children Checks (WWCC), national police checks, qualification verification and reference checks that assess knowledge of the NQF, including awareness of mandatory reporting and child safety obligations.
• Induction Grounded in Child Safe Practice
  Educators complete induction covering child protection responsibilities, 24-hour reporting requirements, professional conduct, digital safety, and the expectations of a child safe culture. These elements align with the reforms taking effect in September 2025.
• Child Safe Policy Framework
  McArthur’s Child Safe Policy reflects the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations and reinforces our zero-tolerance approach to abuse or misconduct. The framework ensures immediate escalation of concerns and prepares services for the NQS refinements in 2026 that will embed child safety directly into leadership and governance.
• Consultant Advisory Support
  Our consultants act as partners to service leaders providing guidance on compliance obligations, workforce planning and incident escalation. With upcoming changes demanding more accountability, having a trusted advisor ensures centres are never left to navigate requirements alone.

McArthur’s Long-Term Commitment to Child Safety, Workforce Standards and NQF Compliance

For more than three decades, McArthur has been at the forefront of staffing expertise, child safety and compliance guiding early learning services through every stage of the NQF’s evolution. From the introduction of the framework to the upcoming 2025 reforms on digital safety, vaping ban and mandatory reporting and the 2026 refinements embedding child safety into governance, we have consistently anticipated change and adapted our workforce strategies to support services with confidence.

As a sector specialist recruitment partner, we understand that quality and compliance are not tasks to be checked off a list, they are principles that must be embedded into every educator, every service and every decision. Services that partner with McArthur benefit from a workforce strategy shaped by decades of insight, a culture of accountability, and a dedicated commitment to the highest standards of care and education.

How McArthur Continues to Lead in Workforce Quality

As the National Quality Framework evolves, McArthur’s role is not simply to respond to change but to anticipate it. With the 2025 reforms on digital safety, vaping ban and 24-hour reporting and the 2026 refinements embedding child safety into Quality Areas 2 and 7, workforce quality has never been more central to compliance and service reputation.

Our expertise in Early Childhood recruitment allows us to support centres with more than staffing, we help shape the workforce strategies that underpin child safe practices, governance and quality outcomes. By combining rigorous screening, sector-specific training and advisory support, McArthur ensures services are equipped with professionals who meet regulatory requirements and uphold the ethical and cultural standards families expect.

For over three decades, we have worked in partnership with early learning leaders to create resilient, future-ready workforces. Our focus remains on long-term workforce planning, continuous compliance support, and reinforcing the values of child safety and quality education.

As the NQF reforms approach, now is the time to ensure your workforce is prepared. Partner with McArthur’s Early Childhood Education consultants for expert recruitment solutions, compliance guidance and a long-term commitment to the highest standards in child safety and workforce quality.