Review Process

ADRC Terms of Reference

Accreditation Decisions Review Committee (ADRC) was appointed under Section 16 of the Child Care Act 1972 to review Accreditation Decisions and make recommendations to the National Childcare Accreditation Council (NCAC). It is an independent body, which undertakes an objective review of Accreditation Decisions and is bound by the rules of procedural fairness.

1.   The principal functions of ADRC are to:
	(a)    review the available evidence relating to an Accreditation Decision made by         NCAC;
	(b)    determine in relation to a Quality Area or components of a Quality Area appealed          by a service whether:
		(i)   the Indicator assessments recorded in the Validation Report and their       consistency with any written evidence that may be recorded in that report and       whether any amendments are warranted on this basis;
		(ii)  the Indicator assessments recorded in the Validation Report should be       amended in the light of additional evidence provided either in the Validation       Evaluation Form or the Accreditation Decision review documentation;
		(iii) the Moderation ratings and their consistency with the evidence available at       the time of Moderation and whether any amendments are warranted on this       basis; or
		(iv) the Moderation ratings should be amended in the light of evidence contained       in the appeal documentation.
	(c)    advise the service of its recommendations in relation to 1(b);
	(d)    advise NCAC of its recommendations in relation to 1(b); and
	(e)    provide feedback to NCAC on Child Care Quality Assurance issues as they arise.
2.    In accordance with ADRC’s Terms of Appointment, the Chair of ADRC will:
	(a)    determine whether a service has valid grounds for review and the scope of that          review;
	(b)    take into account the particular circumstances of the application;
	(c)    form a sub-committee of three members which will consider all allowable material         provided by the service and NCAC and prepare a recommendation;
	(d)    provide a report on ADRC’s findings to the service;
	(e)    provide a report on ADRC’s findings to NCAC; and
	(f)     manage the administrative and financial functions of ADRC.;
3.    Valid grounds for a review of the Accreditation Decision exist where:
	(a)    the application was made within 20 working days of receipt of the NCAC         Accreditation Decision by the service ; and
	(b)   the application relates to NCAC’s inputs to the Accreditation Decision (as        described in 1(b)); and
	(c)   the application is in respect of only those matters that ADRC has the power to        consider.
4.    ADRC shall examine all documentary evidence relating to an Accreditation Decision        made by NCAC.
5.    ADRC may only consider evidence concerning the conduct or management of the        Validation Visit if, in the opinion of ADRC, the Validator omitted to allow the service’s        delegate adequate opportunities to enter comments on the Validation Report thus        resulting in NCAC’s Accreditation Decision being based on biased evidence or        incomplete evidence.  Complaints concerning NCAC’s administrative practices would not        otherwise constitute grounds for a review of the Accreditation Decision.
6.    ADRC cannot consider any evidence that pertains to service practices/policies that have        occurred or have been developed after the date of the Validation Visit.
7.    On the basis of its investigations, ADRC may recommend that the Validator's        Assessment of the indicators in the Validation Report and/or the Moderator's ratings be        amended or remain unchanged.
8.    ADRC will not have authority to overturn an Accreditation Decision of NCAC, nor to direct        NCAC to amend its Accreditation Decision.