Indigenous Professional Support Unit (IPSU)

The Indigenous Professional Support Unit is a program managed by Lady Gowrie Tasmania and is funded by the Australian Government, through the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations as part of the Inclusion and Professional Support Program (IPSP).
 
Indigenous Professional Support Units (IPSU’s) are among the key components of the Australian Government’s commitment to ensuring that all Indigenous children attending eligible Indigenous child care services have access to high quality care.
 
IPSU’s provide professional development and support to eligible Indigenous child care services to enable them to provide quality child care.  
 
The objectives of the IPSU’s are to:
 

• Provide professional development opportunities and support based on evidence and good practice in order to meet the needs of eligible Indigenous child care services and their staff
• Support Indigenous child care services to implement the new Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and encourage quality improvement
• Prepare and support child care workers for their changing roles under the National Quality Framework and enhance child care workers’ knowledge and skills on existing and new areas of practice
• Facilitate access to, and/or provide, professional support and advice for managing bodies of eligible Indigenous child care services to maintain effective organisational systems
• Refer Indigenous child care services to the Inclusion Support Agencies (ISA) and/or Professional Support Co-ordinator (PSC) for access to additional IPSP support services
• Provide advice to the PSC and ISA’s that will assist mainstream child care services in becoming culturally appropriate to meet the needs of Indigenous child care workers and Indigenous children attending those services.

Child care services can make a request for Indigenous Professional Support through the respective regional Inclusion Support Agency or the Indigenous Professional Support Unit.  
 
Contact details
 
For more information please contact:
ipsu@gowrie-tas.com.au
1800 647 718