ECRU Sector Update

Plans Assessments

OSHC services based on school sites

Regulation 25 of the Education and Care Services National Regulations 2012 (National Regulations), states that additional information is required for all proposed centre-based education and care service premises.

Following the introduction of the National Quality Framework in 2012, ECRU made a policy decision to accept site maps and hand drawn maps for OSHC services located on a school site, as this was previously accepted under the prior state law.

Over the years, ECRU has provided OSHC providers clarification about expectations for plans accompanying applications and notifications to be accurate and to scale. However, in recent times ECRU has seen an increase of incorrect plans being provided which has led to Assessment Officers re-measuring spaces to be included on approvals or amendments.

To ensure good regulatory practice, and to ensure the correct measurements are calculated, ECRU is updating the way plans assessments are conducted for OSHC services located on school sites.  Officers will no longer routinely measure spaces to be included in service approvals. It is a legislative requirement that the approved provider ensures that details of the spaces to be included in the service approval application accurately show the amount of unencumbered indoor and outdoor space available.  As required by regulation 25 (1) (b) the provider will need to ensure that these plans are verified by a building practitioner who has the expertise to review building plans and verify measurements. The role of the Regulatory Authority is to then verify that the provided plans accurately reflect the requested approved spaces sighted at the approval visit. 

From 14 October 2024, OSHC services located on a school site seeking:

• an application for service approval,
• an application for amendment of service approval (change of approved number of places), or
• a notification of change of information about an approved service (add or remove approved spaces).

will be required to provide:

• accurate to scale drawings that are labelled and include unencumbered indoor and outdoor measurements;
• a site plan or school map identifying the location of approved spaces; and
• written confirmation from a building practitioner confirming the amount of unencumbered indoor and outdoor play space available.

Written confirmation from a building practitioner should include the building practitioner’s name and qualification.  This may be in a letterhead or an email signature block.  To support providers in seeking verification of measurements and approved spaces from a building practitioner, a Plans Assessment verification of approved spaces for APs form has been developed and is available on the ECRU website.  Guidance about how to use the form is included. 

A registered building practitioner is defined in the National Regulations as:

(a)     a person who is registered as a building surveyor, building inspector or draftsperson under a law of a participating jurisdiction; or

(b)     a person who is registered as an architect under a law of a participating jurisdiction; or

(c)     a person who is licensed as a surveyor under a law of a participating jurisdiction; or

(d)     a person who is licensed or registered as a building certifier under a law of a participating jurisdiction; or

(e)     a person who is accredited under a law of a participating jurisdiction to design buildings that will be used to provide education and care services.

Building practitioners are encouraged to review regulations 107 and 108 of the National Regulations when determining what areas must be excluded when calculating the total amount of unencumbered indoor and outdoor play space available.

Please direct further enquiries to ECRU via email ECRU@communities.wa.gov.au.