About NCCS Consulting

NCCS Consulting is the organisation responsible for the development, governance, and stewardship of the Childcare Cleaning Standard (CCS) — Australia's first published, governance-aligned cleaning and infection-control framework designed specifically for early childhood education and care (ECEC) services.

The NCCS defines role clarity, training standards, and accountability mechanisms for the cleaning workforce in ECEC — separating cleaning responsibilities from educator duties and establishing a structured operational workforce layer. NCCS begins with cleaning — the highest-frequency, most measurable operational task — as the entry point for a broader operational workforce governance model.

Meet the Founder

Lindsay Smith

Standards Author · ECEC Policy Specialist · Cleaning Industry Advocate

Lindsay Smith is the author of the Childcare Cleaning Standard (NCCS) National Policy Framework — developed to address the absence of sector-specific cleaning and infection-control governance in Australia's ECEC system.

With direct operational experience in childcare-specific cleaning services, Lindsay identified a critical gap: no sector-specific cleaning requirements, national guidance, or unified framework for infection-control cleaning in ECEC existed. This discovery became the foundation for a multi-year research and standards development program.

Lindsay's work bridges practice, policy, and public health. She brings a unique combination of lived operational experience and governance design expertise — translating complex operational realities into practical, institution-ready frameworks that support quality, safety, and long-term sustainability in ECEC services.

Based in Western Sydney, Lindsay works closely with directors, policymakers, researchers, and sector leaders. Her approach is grounded in evidence, operational insight, and a commitment to professional neutrality.

Published Research

All CCS research is formally published with Digital Object Identifiers (DOI), ensuring permanent, citable academic records. CCS publications have been independently rated in the top 5% of research outputs across all categories on Zenodo.

Paper 1: CCS White Paper (Flagship Publication)

Smith, L. (2025). Proposal for a National Childcare Cleaning Standard (CCS): A Governance Framework for Regulated Scheduled Cleaning Services in Early Childhood Education and Care. Zenodo.

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18095837

Published: 30 December 2025

Australia's first published childcare-specific cleaning standard, establishing the governance, workforce, documentation, and operational requirements for regulated cleaning services in ECEC settings.

Paper 2: CCS Architecture Overview

Smith, L. (2026). Childcare Cleaning Standard (CCS): Architecture Overview (High-Level Conceptual Summary). Zenodo.

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18276805

High-level conceptual summary of the eight architectural components that form the complete CCS framework.

Paper 3: CCS National Policy Framework

Smith, L. (2026). Childcare Cleaning Standard (CCS) National Policy Framework: AS/CCS 45001:2026 (First Edition). Zenodo.

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18356128

The formal policy framework establishing governance, workforce, and compliance requirements for ECEC cleaning services nationally.

Paper 4: Governance and the ECEC Sector

Smith, L. (2026). Governance and the ECEC Sector: How a National Childcare Cleaning Standard Can Improve Operational Stability and Workforce Sustainability. Zenodo.

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18848113

Analysis of how structured cleaning governance strengthens operational stability and supports workforce sustainability across the ECEC sector.

Paper 5: CCS Workforce Model

Smith, L. (2026). CCS Workforce Model, Career Pathways, and Certification Requirements. Zenodo.

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19204279

Defines the workforce architecture, career pathways, and certification requirements for a professionalised cleaning workforce in ECEC — including role definitions, training standards, and accreditation frameworks.

Research Performance

CCS publications demonstrate exceptional engagement metrics, indicating strong sector appetite for a national cleaning standard.

Between 30/12/25- 15/2/26⬇️

• 157 total views · 138 total downloads 
• 88% download-to-view conversion rate — indicating high-intent engagement from policy, governance, and provider audiences
• Top 1–2% of all ECEC DOI-registered papers by views and downloads
• Top 0.1% globally by conversion rate — fewer than 1 in 1,000 DOI-registered papers across all fields achieve this level of engagement
• Sustained activity 6+ weeks post-publication — highly unusual for any DOI paper, indicating ongoing institutional circulation
• Mid-cycle download spikes consistent with organisational referencing across policy, WHS, governance, and provider networks

This level of performance is consistent with a sector-defining reference document, not a typical white paper.

Between 16/2/26 - 24/04/26⬇️

Sector Publications

Featured in The Sector

Article: "The hidden workload: Why educators shouldn't be responsible for cleaning"

Published: January 2026

The Sector is Australia's leading early childhood education and care publication, reaching directors, policymakers, and sector leaders nationally. This article introduced the NCCS framework to a broad professional audience, contributing to growing recognition of the need for structured, evidence-informed cleaning governance in ECEC.

Article: The 2012 National Quality Framework built the education workforce for early childhood. It never built the operational workforce needed to deliver it.

Published: April 21st 2026

NCCS Advisory Panel

As the NCCS moves from framework design into pilot validation and regulatory engagement, independent oversight strengthens credibility and governance. The NCCS Advisory Panel provides cross-sector expertise, independent review of pilot design and evidence outputs, and stakeholder confidence for regulators, funders, and partners.

Current Panel Members

• Alex Barritt — Senior leader, AMC Commercial Cleaning. Industry insight into cleaning workforce structures, operational feasibility, and large-scale deployment considerations.
• Sofie Smith- Educator in Training, Sofie brings the perspective of the lowest entry point into ECEC, where recruitment is easy but retention fails. Her first hand insight into workload pressures from day one ensures the NCCS model reflects real early‑career experience.

Panel Purpose

The Advisory Panel is a voluntary, consultative body that:

• Reviews and provides feedback on pilot design, research instruments, and evidence outputs
• Advises on regulatory alignment, sector communication, and stakeholder engagement strategy
• Meets quarterly (virtually) with periodic document review between meetings
• Provides formal recommendations that are documented and considered in all major decisions

Expressions of Interest — Now Open

We are seeking additional panel members with expertise in:

• ECEC academia or research
• ECEC service operations
• Workforce advocacy or industrial relations
• Workplace health and safety (WHS) or infection prevention and control
• Regulatory or policy development
• Parent or community advocacy
• Child health or infection prevention and control

Panel members receive formal acknowledgement in all NCCS publications, early access to pilot findings and policy drafts, and the opportunity to contribute to a sector-first governance initiative with national implications.

To express interest: Email lindsay.ccsresearch@outlook.com with your name, current role, relevant expertise, and availability for quarterly virtual meetings.

Partners and Contributors

NCCS Research Group

Led by Lindsay Smith, founder of CCS Consulting and principal author of the CCS research suite. Lindsay is responsible for the full architecture of the NCCS, including the governance model, operational standards, workforce modelling, and pilot methodology. This includes authorship of all five published NCCS papers (DOI-registered on Zenodo), IP-protected commercialisation documents, and the pilot implementation manual.

Lead Research Institution — Pilot Study

Macquarie University

Macquarie University's Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Research Centre is the lead academic institution supporting the CCS pilot research.

• Centre Director: Sheila Degotardi
• Co-Directors: Professor Fay Hadley, Professor Sandie Wong

The ECEC Research Centre provides academic oversight of the pilot design, methodological review, research validation, and sector impact evaluation. Their role ensures independent research governance and supports the evidence base underpinning the NCCS pilot.

Cleaning Industry Partner

AMC Cleaning

AMC Cleaning is the industry partner supporting the NCCS pilot program.

• Representative: Alex Barritt

Alex Barritt is a senior leader within AMC Cleaning and a member of the NCCS Advisory Panel. His contribution includes industry insight into cleaning workforce structures, operational feasibility, and implementation considerations for large-scale deployment. AMC Cleaning provides practical workforce and industry context to support the NCCS pilot's operational modelling and real-world applicability.

Current Focus

• Pilot program design and partner recruitment — preparing for a 12-week pilot validation study in partnership with Macquarie University
• Regulatory engagement — aligning CCS with 2026 NQF Quality Areas 2 and 3, and preparing for formal ACECQA submission
• Advisory Panel expansion — recruiting cross-sector expertise to strengthen independent governance
• Evidence generation — producing rigorous, transparent evidence for national workforce reform
• Standards alignment — working toward ISO-style governance structure and Standards Australia readiness

How to Cite CCS Research

APA Format (White Paper):

Smith, L. (2025). Proposal for a National Childcare Cleaning Standard (CCS): A Governance Framework for Regulated Scheduled Cleaning Services in Early Childhood Education and Care. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18095837

Short Reference: CCS (DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18095837)