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Title / Describe the roles and responsibilities of adults and the impact of statutory agencies in an ECE service
Level / 4 / Credits / 5
Purpose / People credited with this unit standard are able to: describe roles and responsibilities of self and other adults working in an ECE service; and explain the purpose of statutory agencies and legal requirements that impact on an ECE service.
This unit standard is designed for people who intend to work, or are working with, children in an ECE service. People working in the wider education sector may also be interested in this unit standard. This unit standard will prepare people to advance to a higher level of study in ECE.
Classification / Early Childhood Education and Care > Early Childhood: Professional Practice
Available grade / Achieved
Explanatory notes
1An early childhood education (ECE) service may include a centre-based service, hospital-based service, or home-based service. The home-based service may be nominated by the child’s parent, be the child’s own home, or the home of the educator.
Evidence of one type of service is required in this unit standard.
2Three 'broad age groups' are defined in Te Whāriki for children. These are overlapping age categories and aredefined as:
infant – birth to 18 months;
toddler – one year to three years;
young child – two and a half years to school entry age.
Evidence in this standard is for children as a whole group. Each of the age categories are not intended to be assessed individually.
3Roles and responsibilities of adults, including whānau/families, in education and care may include – health, safety, and wellbeing of the child: advice on the child's individual learning and development programme; legal obligations; cultural and ethnic considerations; and any other specialised requirements such as special needs of a specific child.
4Candidates for this unit standard should be familiar with the intent of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which informs guidelines, procedures, and practices in the ECE sector.
5Definition
Educatorsmay be persons and groups including teachers, supervisors, co-ordinators, whānau/families, and nannies who are involved in the learning and development of children.
6Legislation, Conventions, and Licensing Criteria include but are not limited to:
Building Act 2004
Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989
Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002
Consumer Guarantees Act 1993
Copyright Act 1994
Disability (United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) Act 2008
Education Act 1989
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008
Employment Relations Act 2000
Fire Safety and Evacuation of Buildings Regulations 2006
Health and Safety at Work Act 2015
Health (Immunisation) Regulations 1995
Human Rights Act 1993
Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008
Official Information Act 1982
Privacy Act 1993
Resource Management Act 1991
Vulnerable Children Act 2014
and subsequent amendments.
7References
Education Council New Zealand, The Education Council Code of Ethics for Certificated Teachers; available at
Licensing criteria for ECE services; available from
Ministry of Education, Te Whāriki: He Whāriki Mātauranga mō ngā Mokopuna o Aotearoa. Early Childhood Curriculum (Wellington, Learning Media, 1996); available at
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Describe roles and responsibilities of self and other adults working in an ECE service.
Rangeother adults may include but are not limited to – educators, head teacher, manager, person responsible, cook, cleaners, maintenance person, volunteer.
Evidence requirements
1.1Roles and responsibilities of self and other adults are described in relation to the education and care of children.
Rangeevidence of two roles and responsibilities for self and five others is required.
1.2Own legal role and compliance responsibilities are described in relation to the education and care of children.
1.3Adults' roles and responsibilities are described in relation to the structure and relevant regulatory requirements of the ECE service.
Rangeevidence of two roles and responsibilitiesfor self and five others is required.
Outcome 2
Explain the purpose of statutory agencies and legal requirements that impact on an ECE service.
Evidence requirements
2.1The purpose of statutory agencies is explained in terms of an ECE service.
Rangestatutory agencies include – Ministry of Education, Education Review Office;
may include but are not limited to – Ministry of Health, New Zealand Fire Services, local bodies, Civil Defence, New Zealand Standards Association;
evidence of three is required.
2.2The legal requirements directly related to an ECE service are described in relation to their impact on the ECE service.
Rangeevidence of five legal requirements.
2.3Individual and the ECE service’s responsibilities are explained in terms of compliance with statutory requirements.
2.4Penalties for non-compliance are outlined and explained in relation to the consequences for management and individuals.
Replacement information / This unit standard and unit standard 12736were replaced by unit standard 29879 and unit standard 29880.This unit standard replaced unit standard 10031.
This unit standard is expiring. Assessment against the standard must take place by the last date for assessment set out below.
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process / Version / Date / Last Date for AssessmentRegistration / 1 / 17 December 2010 / 31 December 2017
Revision / 2 / 8 December 2011 / 31 December 2019
Rollover and Revision / 3 / 20 August 2015 / 31 December 2019
Review / 4 / 20 April 2017 / 31 December 2019
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference / 0135
This CMR can be accessed at
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.
NZQA National Qualifications ServicesSSB Code 130301 / New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018 / / New Zealand Qualifications Aut