Shared Leadership in OSHC: Growing Capability Across the Team

Jul 21 / Belinda Wright
When we think of leadership in OSHC, it is easy to picture one person at the centre — the Coordinator, Educational Leader or Nominated Supervisor. 

These roles matter. They provide direction, hold formal responsibilities and help keep the service safe, purposeful and accountable. 

But leadership also appears in the everyday actions of the wider team. 

It is visible when an educator notices a pattern and brings it to the team’s attention. It happens when someone supports a colleague through a challenging moment, shares professional knowledge or suggests a change that strengthens children and young people’s experiences. 

Leadership is not only a position. It is also a way of contributing. 

What Do We Mean by Shared Leadership? 

Shared leadership means creating intentional opportunities for educators to use their strengths, exercise professional judgement, contribute to decisions and guide particular aspects of practice. 

It does not mean that everyone holds the same authority. It does not mean that formal leaders step away from their responsibilities. And it does not mean that important decisions are made without clarity or accountability. 

Instead, shared leadership recognises that professional knowledge, experience and initiative exist throughout the team. 

In a shared leadership culture: 
  • Roles and boundaries remain clear. 
  • Educators are invited to contribute ideas and perspectives. 
  • Individual strengths are recognised and used. 
  • Leadership opportunities are matched to people’s interests, capabilities and readiness. 
  • Support, time and feedback are provided. 
  • Formal leaders continue to guide, coordinate and follow through. 
The aim is not to turn every educator into a Coordinator. The aim is to help every educator understand that they can contribute to quality practice. 

Connecting Shared Leadership With MTOP and the NQS 

My Time, Our Place V2.0 includes Collaborative leadership and teamwork as one of its principles. This principle is built around shared responsibility and professional accountability, while recognising that leadership can extend beyond formal positions. 

It connects closely with: 
  • NQS Element 4.2.1 — Professional collaboration: management, educators and staff work respectfully and collaboratively, challenge and learn from one another, and recognise each other’s strengths and skills. 
  • NQS Standard 7.2 — Leadership: effective leadership builds and promotes a positive organisational culture and professional learning community. 
This gives us an important balance: shared leadership does not mean unclear leadership. Formal responsibilities remain important, while educators are encouraged to contribute, learn and lead within appropriate and clearly understood boundaries. 

What Shared Leadership Can Look Like in OSHC 

Shared leadership does not need to begin with a new committee, position description or project plan. It can be embedded in the everyday rhythm of the service. 

Shared reflection 
Different educators can lead short reflective conversations about areas such as children’s agency, relationships, transitions, environments or wellbeing. The educator does not become responsible for the entire reflection process; they are given an opportunity to contribute their perspective and help guide the team’s thinking. 

Leadership through strengths 
An educator with a strong interest in inclusion might help the team review the sensory environment. Someone passionate about sustainability might lead a small improvement project with children. An educator with strong relationship-building skills might help the team reflect on family communication. 

Leadership opportunities become meaningful when they connect with people’s interests, knowledge and professional goals. 

Collaborative planning 
Planning does not need to sit solely with the Coordinator or Educational Leader. Educators can bring observations, suggest responses, contribute children’s ideas and help evaluate what happens next. The formal leader may still oversee the process, but the professional thinking behind the program becomes collective. 

Peer mentoring 
Experienced educators can support newer team members through modelling, reflective questions, encouragement and feedback. This does not replace induction, supervision or performance management. It adds another layer of professional support within the team. 

Shared ownership of improvement 
Educators can take responsibility for clearly defined parts of a QIP goal or service improvement priority. One educator might gather children’s perspectives, another might review the environment, and another might help document what the team is learning. The improvement remains a service responsibility, but more people have a meaningful role in progressing it. 

Shared Leadership Is More Than Delegation 

Delegating a task is not necessarily the same as developing leadership. 

Delegation: “Can you organise the outdoor activity this afternoon?” 
Leadership opportunity: “You have developed a strong understanding of what our older children are looking for outdoors. Would you lead a short review of our outdoor choices, gather children’s ideas, trial one change and share what you notice with the team?” 
The first request allocates a task. The second provides purpose, scope, professional voice and an opportunity to influence practice. 

Shared leadership is not about giving educators more work. It is about giving people meaningful opportunities to think, contribute, make appropriate decisions and reflect on their impact. 

That means responsibility should be accompanied by: 
  • Clear expectations and decision-making boundaries. 
  • Access to relevant information and resources. 
  • Time to undertake the work. 
  • Guidance when it is needed. 
  • Feedback, recognition and an opportunity to reflect afterwards. 
Without these conditions, “shared leadership” can quickly become additional workload rather than genuine capability-building. 

The Role of Formal Leaders 

Formal leaders remain essential in a shared leadership culture. Their role is not to withdraw from leadership. It is to create the conditions in which others can contribute safely and confidently. 

1.  Clarify roles and boundaries. Be clear about which decisions can be shared, which require consultation and which must remain with a particular role. Educators are more likely to take initiative when they understand the scope of their responsibility. 
2.  Notice and name leadership. When an educator takes initiative, supports a colleague or influences practice positively, name it. For example: “The way you brought the team together around that issue was an example of leadership.” 
3.  Match opportunities with strengths. Consider educators’ knowledge, interests, lived experience and professional goals. A meaningful opportunity should build on what someone already brings while also helping them develop. 
4.  Invite contribution early. Do not wait until a decision has already been made before asking for educators’ views. Contribution feels more authentic when it can genuinely influence what happens. 
5.  Create feedback loops. After someone leads a reflection, project or initiative, discuss what worked, what they learned, what support helped and what they might approach differently next time. 
6.  Share recognition. Acknowledge people’s contributions publicly and specifically. Recognition reinforces that leadership, learning and improvement are valued across the service. 

Questions for Team Reflection 

  • Where is leadership already happening in our service? 
  • Which strengths and areas of expertise are we currently underusing? 
  • Who is regularly invited to contribute to decisions — and who might be missing? 
  • Which aspects of practice could educators take greater ownership of? 
  • What decisions must remain with formal leadership roles? 
  • How will people be given the time, information and support they need? 
  • How do we recognise leadership when it occurs? 
  • Where could children and young people also have greater opportunities to lead? 

Why It Matters 

Shared leadership can make professional learning part of everyday work. It helps professional knowledge circulate through the team rather than remaining with one person, and it creates meaningful opportunities for educators to build confidence and understand how their actions influence the wider service. 

Formal leaders also gain access to more perspectives, observations and ideas. Instead of one person carrying every question, initiative and improvement priority, the team develops a stronger collective capacity to notice, respond and learn. 

For children, young people and families, this can support a service culture where educators communicate, contribute and take responsibility for quality together. 

Quality is no longer something carried by one job title. It becomes something the whole team helps to create. 

Leadership With Clarity and Participation 

Leadership in OSHC needs both clear accountability and shared contribution. 

Not everyone has the same role. Not everyone has the same authority. But every educator can have a voice, bring a strength and contribute to the ongoing development of practice. 

When formal leaders create genuine space for others to think, contribute, mentor, reflect and lead appropriate areas of work, leadership becomes part of the service culture. 

Because leadership in OSHC is not only about who is in charge. It is about how people work together to take responsibility for what matters. 

Ready to grow shared leadership across your team? 

Listen to the OSHCology MicroCast: “Shared Leadership in OSHC — Sharing the Load, Growing the Team.” 

Then use the reflection questions in this post at your next team meeting, or explore Learn OSHC Team Development Workshops for facilitated support to identify strengths, clarify roles and create meaningful leadership opportunities across your service.