Childcare, Health & Social Care and Education Qualifications

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1 The Childcare Company Education, Training and Support Childcare, Health & Social Care and Education Qualifications What s right for you? Advice and Guidance for Learners Skills Funding Agency The Childcare Company, Tithe Barn, Tithe Court, Langley, Berkshire, SL3 8AS Phone:

2 Contents About The Childcare Company Page 3 Which Qualification? Page 4 Short Courses Page 4 Funding Page 5 How Do I Apply? Page 6 Course Details Pages 7 & 8 Eco-friendly Ethos Page 9 Page 2

3 About The Childcare Company The Childcare Company delivers qualifications in childcare, social care, health and social care, supporting teaching and learning in schools and playwork. Our Directors have extensive experience in running independent day schools and nurseries. They regularly write for the trade press and advise government from time to time on specific qualification issues. Our Education Director and two other Childcare Company staff have written the Heinemann Tutor Resources Pack for the new Diploma for the Children and Young People s Workforce. The same team that work for The Childcare Company created the award winning Laser e-portfolio and learning platform that is now licenced to colleges and training providers throughout the UK. The Childcare Company is the home of the Laser. The Childcare Company s staff team is its greatest asset. We have sought out highly motivated, dedicated, talented and experienced individuals who are excited by our vision and by the potential that the online learning programme offers. At The Childcare Company we are passionate about lots of things, but two stand out above all else - our commitment to providing high quality training and our weekly communication with learners. By providing high quality training we will be improving the quality of care and education provided within the childcare, health & social care and education sectors. We do not consider ourselves a distance learning company since we pride ourselves on giving an excellent level of support to learners. We are there every step of the way to guide the learning process.our assessors make weekly contact with their students and by using Skype technology they can even see each other! A qualification obtained through The Childcare Company will be one that you will be proud to possess. Aspire to be the best - train with the best! Page 3

4 Which Qualification? This is an exciting time to be studying for a qualification in the childcare or care sector! The Diploma for the Children and Young People s Workforce (often referred to as the CYPW) will be the new industry standard qualification. The aim is for all childcare practitioners to be qualified to by The Certificate for the Children and Young People s Workforce is the pathway into the Diploma for those who are new to childcare or who have little experience in working with children. Qualifications to support teaching and learning are available at and 3 as an Award, Certificate or Diploma and some of the units and learning outcomes for these qualifications are the same as for the Diploma and Certificate CYPW. This means that a practitioner who has CYPW qualifications can just add certain units to achieve a qualification for supporting teaching and learning. Playwork and Health & Social Care qualifications also share some units making it easier to make a qualification match the needs of the learner. To find out more details about what each qualification involves, visit our website at: Short Courses Our sister company, Laser Learning Ltd., offer a wide range of short courses suitable to meet practitioners CPD needs. Available at Levels 2, 3 and 4, they can be accessed via The Childcare Company and Laser Learning website. Payment for the course can be made at the time of commencement. After completing an application form practitioners will be given immediate access to the learning programme for their chosen area of study. Upon completion of the assignment which is uploaded to the Laser Learning system and marked by one of our tutors, practitioners will receive a CACHE endosed certificate. Page 4

5 Funding We are fortunate to be able to access a number of funding streams in order to find the best funding for your childcare qualification. Funding could be a bursary from your settings local authority, the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) or an apprenticeship scheme. When you apply to enrol on one of our courses our funding department will always find the best funding stream that you are eligible for. Wherever possible the department will try to achieve full funding for your qualification and where you are required to pay a contribution, they will find the best option that requires the least amount of employer/learner contribution. From August 2011 the government will continue to provide full funding for year olds with the introduction of a compulsory learner/employer contribution for the 19 + age range. Full details of compulsory contributions will be available closer to August. If you are required to make a contribution towards your qualification then we can arrange an easy payment plan by standing order. It is likely that the majority of the funding available for childcare qualifications from August 2011 will be for apprenticeships. An apprenticeship is a nationally recognised framework of qualifications and we would strongly encourage learners to gain their qualification this way. In addition to either the Level 2 Certificate (Intermediate Apprentice) or Diploma (Advanced Apprentice) you will also gain your Key Skills in Numeracy, Literacy and ICT at Level 1 (Intermediate Apprentice) or (Advanced Apprentice). These additional qualifications will enhance your academic achievements. To qualify for the apprenticeship programme, you need to be in a childcare setting with a contract of employment for a minimum of 16 hours per week and paid a minimum of 2.50 per hour. You would have to of been a UK or EU resident for the past 3 years and not hold a qualification in any other sector of a Level 4 or above. If you would like any further information on funding for your course, please contact our funding department on Page 5

6 How do I apply for a full qualification? Go to our website: and find out more about our courses. Click on the appropriate application form and download, complete, sign and send to us in the post. For learners who know their funding will be through the local authority, the form can be ed to us. There is a section of the form that has to be completed and signed by your setting manager if you are working in a nursery or creche. A self declaration form, also available from the website, must be completed by all learners except those being funded by their local authority. Our funding department will confirm that they have received your application. They will also ask you to complete an initial skills assessment to check your numeracy, literacy and ICT skills and see if you have any special needs or can be accredited with prior learning. When funding has been secured you will be given a login to your Laser e-portfolio and learning programme. You will be asked to take a photograph of yourself and upload it to your Laser to complete a questionnaire. These tasks will show us that you can use the internet effectively and are motivated to respond to requests for work. These tasks could all be achieved within a few hours if you respond efficiently. You will now be ready to start your induction. During the induction you will now be guided to download Skype (this is free of charge) and required to purchase a webcam and headset ( 5). You will be introduced to your assessor who will guide you through the course with weekly communications. Page 6

7 Course Details Qualifications Name of Qualification Level Assessment Process Work Experience Guided Learning Hours Cost CYPW Certificate Children and Young People s Workforce 1500 CYPW Diploma Children and Young People s Workforce 120 hours 450 hours 1800 Diploma in Health and Social Care 1500 Diploma in Health and Social Care 1800 Playwork Qualification Suite (Award, Certificate and Diploma) 1500 Playwork Qualification Suite (Award, Certificate and Diploma) Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools Qualification Suite 500 to 1500 Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools Qualification Suite 800 to 1800 Apprenticeship in any of the above skills sectors Government Funded Advanced Apprenticeship in any of the above skills sectors Government Funded Page 7

8 Course Details Short Courses Name of Course Level Guided Learning Hours Cost Food Hygiene 5 40 Common Core Observing Children An Enabling Learning Environment Partnership with Parents Managing Behaviour Child Development Fulfilling the Role of the Key Person Self Evaluation Inclusion Cultural Awareness KEEP - The Key Elements of Effective Practice Health and Safety Level Understanding Leadership and Management Level Building a Team Level Continuous Professional Development Level First Time Leadership Level Managing People Level Paediatric First Aid Course OfSTED Approved (2 units) ** 12 99* Understand how to Set Up a Home Based Childcare Service ** Understanding how to Safeguard the Well Being of Children and Young People ** Duty of Care ** Understanding Children and Young Person Development ** Understanding how to Support Positive Outcomes for Children and Young People ** All short courses are assessed via a short assignment marked by one of our Tutors. Upon successful completion of the learning assignment learners are issued with a certificate endorsed by CACHE All short courses are available online via from September * Plus postage costs for delivery and return of Rescusi-Annie if required. ** These courses are part of the new Diploma for the Children and Young People s Workforce and will count as credits towards the full qualification Page 8

9 Eco-Friendly Ethos It s not easy being green, but that doesn t mean that we can t all give it a go. The Childcare Company is committed to adopting policies and procedures that are environmentally friendly. We feel passionate not only about the standard of care that people receive but also about the state the world will be in when they grow up. We strive to find ways of saving the world s resources so that we can be sure that we are doing all we can to protect the environment that children and adults will live in for generations to come. Moving into online learning is a giant leap in the right direction, minimising paper wastage and cutting down on the amount of time our assessors spend travelling on the roads... and that s just for starters. Our staff team are very conscious of the environmental issues that we face as a business and we are constantly looking for ways in which we can minimise our carbon footprint. MAKE A DIFFERENCE, PLANT A TREE For every learner who signs up to an online course with The Childcare Company, we will have one tree planted in an area of the world that needs it the most. Every learner will receive their very own personalised e-certificate that will tell them where their tree has been planted. We aim to work with some of the country s top environmental organisations and charities to keep up to date with the latest energy saving developments, so that we can always be sure that we are doing our best for our future. Page 9