National Review of the Early Years and Childcare Workforce. Report and Consultation

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1 National Review of the Early Years and Childcare Workforce Report and Consultation

2 National Review of the Early Years and Childcare Workforce Report and Consultation

3 Crown copyright 2006 ISBN: Scottish Executive St Andrew s House Edinburgh EH1 3DG Produced for the Scottish Executive by Astron B /06 Published by the Scottish Executive, August, 2006 Further copies are available from Blackwell s Bookshop 53 South Bridge Edinburgh EH1 1YS 100% of this document is printed on recycled paper and is 100% recyclable

4 National Review of the Early Years and Childcare Workforce Contents Page Remit, Approach and Consultation 1 Executive Summary 3 Sections 1. The Current Workforce 7 2. Roles and Responsibilities Career Pathways Qualifications, Training and Development Recruitment and Retention Workforce Planning Early Years and Childcare A Developing Profession Taking the First Steps 52 Annexes A Ministers Vision for Children and Young People 56 B Roles and Responsibilities Framework 57 C Links Between SCQF Descriptors, Roles and Responsibilities and Professional Base 69 D An Example of a Model of Workforce Planning 73 E Membership of Steering and Working Groups 74 F Views Gathered During the Review 76 G Consultation Questions from Within Main Report 81 iii

5 Remit, Approach and Consultation iv

6 National Review of the Early Years and Childcare Workforce Remit, Approach and Consultation Remit The National Review of the Early Years and Childcare Workforce was announced by the Minister for Education and Young People, Peter Peacock, in June Its remit was to: Improve employment opportunities for early years and childcare staff and raise the status of the sector, including: Examining and defining the role and responsibilities of staff in the early years, childcare and play workforce; Determining an approach to national workforce planning; Rationalising and modernising early years/childcare qualifications, ensuring that they are appropriate for the different sectors of the workforce; Developing vertical and lateral career pathways which provide for progression within a chosen area and lateral movement between different sectors of the workforce; Consider the implications of these considerations for pay and conditions. Who is in the Workforce? We decided that, for the purposes of the review, the workforce under consideration would be those groups of workers to be registered with the Scottish Social Services Council who work in: early years care and learning; out of school care and in playwork; as well as childminders who are registered with the Care Commission. Teachers working in early years settings were not part of this Review as the teaching workforce had only recently been subject to a major review. We recognised, however, that there is not a clear boundary round the workforce. How did we approach the task? The Review was led by a Steering Group which included representatives of the main stakeholders. The Steering Group identified five distinct but related workstreams: Roles and Responsibilities Qualifications and Training Career Pathways Recruitment and Retention Workforce Planning 1

7 Remit, Approach and Consultation Smaller working groups were established, including members of the Steering Group and additional members who brought further knowledge and expertise, to make recommendations to the Steering Group on each of the five workstreams. Membership of the Steering and Working Groups can be found at Annex E. Consultation The Scottish Executive response to this Review sets out how Ministers intend to develop the early years and childcare workforce. In implementing the steps set out in the response, we will need information and views from the sector itself. There are a number of consultation questions throughout the report, grouped under the 5 main themes of the Review. The consultation questions are also summarised in Annex G. We welcome responses from all organisations and individuals with an interest. There is also a separate short consultation paper aimed specifically at workers in the early years and childcare sector. Copies of these were included in the packs sent out to all early years and childcare centres and is available on the Scottish Executive website The closing date for responses is 22 December

8 Executive Summary The Review has provided an opportunity to make a bold statement about the kind of workforce we need to provide the high quality services that our children deserve. 3

9 Executive Summary CONTEXT Investing in our children and their childhoods makes sense. There are social and economic benefits for children and for families. However, we should also value childhood for just that. Children deserve the best possible childhood experience and we should celebrate it. Likewise, we should value the staff who work with children and their childhoods. As a result of a growing body of research evidence, we are now, more than ever, recognising the benefits of quality early years and childcare services for children and parents. We know that children who attend quality early years services benefit in their cognitive and social development, and in confidence. Disadvantaged children benefit even more. School age children can also benefit from childcare improved attainment at school, attendance, behaviour; and in the level of parental involvement which is the single most important factor in improving children s attainment at school, more so than parental income or level of education. Working in early years and childcare is often seen as low skill work. In reality, however, the services provided by workers in the sector influence how children develop and learn, and have the potential to help raise children out of poverty by giving them the best possible start in life whatever their family circumstances. It also removes barriers for some parents, particularly single parents, wishing to gain employment. The roles and responsibilities of the workforce are diverse, challenging and changing. This Review is an opportunity for us to build on good work around the country, to set standards for the future and to ensure all workers achieve the status that their crucial role deserves. REVIEW THEMES The Review identified three main themes that will guide all of the changes that will affect the early years and childcare sector in the future. Those themes are leadership, worker development and flexibility. A Roles and Responsibilities Framework has been developed that creates a central leadership role for the lead practitioner/manager of a service. The lead practitioner/ manager has a role in, for example: assisting their staff to appreciate how they, as an individual and a service, are contributing to the Vision for children (see Annex A); facilitating partnership working with other occupational groups; and encouraging, advising and mentoring staff to develop their own skills and knowledge. We need to help each worker develop their skills, knowledge and potential throughout their career, to ensure that we have the workers with the right skills to deliver the quality services we need, and so each worker has the opportunity to pursue a rewarding career in early years and childcare. 4

10 National Review of the Early Years and Childcare Workforce Executive Summary Flexibility in career choice for workers and employers should create a flexible workforce to allow the delivery of services that meet the needs of children and families in local communities. A flexible workforce which is able to work in different settings and with different professionals will be essential to deliver integrated and changing services. FINDINGS Roles and Responsibilities The roles and responsibilities of the workforce are diverse, challenging and changing. Each worker should recognise they are part of a wider workforce, working in partnership with others to support delivery of an agreed set of outcomes for all children. Summary Finding 1 Develop a single, shared framework to encompass the diverse roles and responsibilities of the early years and childcare workforce, which links explicitly to the Vision for children. Qualifications and Training Whilst evidence shows that children do best in the highest quality centres, there is also evidence to show that a poor quality service can have negative effects for disadvantaged children. Critically, the single most significant factor in determining the quality of the centre is the level of qualification of the manager of the centre, and to a lesser extent the level of qualification of the wider workforce. 1 Summary Finding 2 Develop a new qualifications structure for the sector, whose main attributes will be: one framework for the whole sector; services to be led by SCQF level 9 (ordinary degree or work-based equivalent) qualified professionals; entry and exit points at each level supporting flexibility and movement; college, university and work-based routes supporting flexibility and inclusion; recognition and accreditation of prior learning supporting flexibility and inclusion; supports progression and continuing professional development (CPD); supports identification of shared skills/knowledge base across children s services. 1 The Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE) Project

11 Executive Summary Recruitment and Retention To provide the kind of services we want for children we need to have the right people in the sector. Summary Finding 3 We identified a number of straightforward principles that should underpin all recruitment and retention practice: profile of the sector needs to be raised and professional identity established; need to attract the right workers to the profession; need to retain experienced, well-qualified staff; and need a workforce that more closely reflects the diversity of the Scottish population. Career Pathways We need to make sure that early years and childcare is an attractive profession: one that is respected, and where there are opportunities for development and career progression. Summary Finding 4 There are four key principles underpinning effective career pathways: transparency, flexibility and choice; qualifications which support rather than hinder a diverse range of career pathways; rewarding workers for increasing responsibility and skill; and attractive to a wide section of the community. Workforce Planning The sector s greatest resource and asset is the workforce. All organisations involved in delivering early years and childcare services have a role in planning for that workforce. Summary Finding 5 Develop an approach to workforce planning that is consistent across the country but is flexible enough both to be useful to small individual providers and to much larger organisations such as local authorities. 6

12 The Current Workforce 1section 7

13 Section 1: The Current Workforce 1.1 The early years and childcare workforce has expanded rapidly over recent years. In September 2005 there were 30,640 posts in pre-school and childcare centres in Scotland. 2 In addition there are approximately 6,000 childminders working in Scotland. Despite the decline in the birth rate, it seems likely that the demand for early years and childcare services will continue to increase in the coming years as the economy continues to expand and as the number of women in paid employment increases. 1.2 The largest employer of early years and childcare staff is the local authority sector, which accounts for 40% of the workforce. The private sector employs 34% of the workforce and the voluntary sector 23%. It is the voluntary and private sectors that have seen the expansion in staffing in recent years. 1.3 The characteristics of the workforce are distinctive. Virtually all workers (98%) providing childcare and pre-school education are women. This compares to women making up 81% of the wider social services workforce in Scotland and almost half of the total workforce. The workforce is also significantly younger than other sectors in Scotland 1 in 4 of Scotland s workers are aged 50 and above, compared to just 1 in 7 childcare workers. 1.4 There is also a high incidence of part-time working in the sector with approx 51% of the workforce employed part-time, compared to 24% in the Scottish workforce as a whole. 1.5 The workforce will begin to register with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) in This is part of the drive to raise standards and strengthen the professionalism of the social services workforce, to ensure the people who use services can rely on a workforce that is appropriately trained and qualified. To be registered, workers will have to hold or be working towards a relevant qualification. Childminders are individually registered with and inspected by the Care Commission, not with the SSSC. 1.6 The level of qualification in the sector is increasing. Approx 59% of staff hold childcare qualifications at the equivalent of SVQ level 3 (SCQF level 6) or above, the level required to register as a practitioner with the SSSC. A further 21% have qualifications below this level. However, 16% of staff still have no formal childcare qualifications, but 51% of this group are working towards attaining one. Of the staff working in local authority centres 58% have qualifications at SVQ level 3 or above, privately run centres (56%) and voluntary run centres (57%). 2 Pre-school and Childcare Workforce Statistics 2005, Scottish Executive, 24 February

14 National Review of the Early Years and Childcare Workforce The Current Workforce 1.7 However, the level of qualification in non-childcare subjects is very low, and 44% of the workforce holds no other qualification. This indicates that recruits to the early years and childcare workforce tend to hold few qualifications. It also illustrates the success of the sector in raising skill levels through training and qualifications. 1.8 So, the picture of the current workforce is mixed, but is one that is overwhelmingly female, often part-time, with more younger people than average, with a relatively narrow base of non-occupational qualification but an increasing level of occupational qualification. 9

15 Roles and Responsibilities Each worker is part of a wider workforce, working in partnership with others to support delivery of an agreed set of outcomes for all children. section 10

16 National Review of the Early Years and Childcare Workforce Roles and Responsibilities THE ISSUE 2.1 Our starting point for considering the roles and responsibilities of a future workforce was to look ahead to how services are likely to be delivered in the future to provide our children with the best start in life. Of course we cannot predict exactly what these services will look like. However, we already see increasingly integrated services for children and more work with parents and families. To enable children s services to become more integrated, we see the case for much closer alignment of the wide range of professionals working with children. We were not tasked to consider the wider children s services; our job was to consider the early years and childcare workforce. 2.2 The Early Years and Childcare workforce is a relative newcomer to the wider group of professionals serving the needs of children. It is still, as this Review readily recognises, developing its professional identity and in this respect could be described as being behind other professionals like teachers and health workers. However, we have been struck again and again in our deliberations by the potential in this workforce to help us redefine what we mean by education or good enough parenting or even childcare. We are hopeful that the Review is read therefore not only as a document which is of relevance to the workforce itself, but as an important, even ground-breaking, contribution to the debate about how we step outside our institutional boundaries and look again at the needs of all children in a truly holistic fashion. 2.3 Currently, few of those working in early years and childcare would consider themselves part of a single workforce. Workers can be based in a range of settings such as nurseries and nursery classes, playgroups or family centres; or, in the case of childminders, working their own homes; or outwith formal settings entirely, as may be the case for some playworkers. In addition, separate qualification routes exist for workers in childcare and education and for playwork. 2.4 However, there are significant common elements to what all workers do, regardless of the setting. A key common interest is to ensure that children are happy, safe and settled within their care settings. In addition, there has recently been a clear focus on developing services to meet the all-round needs of children and families. However, services have evolved for different purposes and staff experience and focus may vary from setting to setting. The Ministerial vision for children provides an explicit set of shared outcomes to be delivered by all those who work with children. Furthermore, For Scotland s Children 3 once again emphasised the need for improved collaboration across services in order to deliver joined up services and the kinds of services children and families need. Delivering the kinds of services that meet the vision for children means that all those working in children s services need to work together. 3 For Scotland s Children Scottish Executive,

17 Section 2: Roles and Responsibilities THE PROPOSALS The main proposal within this Review is to develop a single, shared framework to encompass the diverse roles and responsibilities of the early years and childcare workforce, which links explicitly to the vision for children. 2.5 A key aspect of this is to promote the message that each worker is part of a wider workforce, working in partnership with others to support delivery of an agreed set of outcomes for all children. The Roles and Responsibilities Framework 2.6 The Roles and Responsibilities Framework (Annex B) is the cornerstone of this Review. It sets out broadly what every worker in the early years and childcare sector should be doing to realise the Vision for Children and Young People. It is structured around 3 sets of organising principles. One is the Vision, with its seven outcomes Safe, Healthy, Nurtured, Achieving, Active, Included and Respected and Responsible. The second component which we have called Organisational covers a range of functions necessary for the delivery of effective services. The third organising principle is the set of three registration categories identified by the Scottish Social Services Council in relation to early years and childcare workers Lead Practitioners/Managers, Practitioners, and Support Workers. 2.7 The Framework comprises a section for each of the seven vision statements, plus the Organisational theme, and each section starts with a short list of thematic statements, setting out the broad objectives for all workers, associated with the high-level vision statement. For example, in relation to the outcome Safe, the thematic statement is: Everyone who works with children should ensure that: each child is protected from abuse, neglect and harm; each child is equipped with the skills and knowledge to keep themselves and others safe; the setting environment is safe and comfortable. 2.8 Thereafter the Framework sets out a group of Core Responsibilities in this case A safe, secure environment for each child, Child Protection and Collaboration with other agencies to ensure children are safe and protected and outlines the broad expectations of each category of workers in relation to these responsibilities. 12

18 National Review of the Early Years and Childcare Workforce Roles and Responsibilities Everyone who works with children should ensure that: each child is protected from abuse, neglect and harm each child is equipped with the skills and knowledge to keep themselves and others safe the setting environment is safe and comfortable Core Responsibility Lead Practitioner/Manager Practitioner Support Worker SAFE A safe, secure environment for each child. Child Protection. Ensure that establishment policies and practice provide a safe and secure environment which meets all regulatory requirements. Ensure that each child is supported to develop the skills and knowledge to keep them safe. Ensure that procedures for child protection are in place and are understood and implemented by all staff. Establish an ethos of trust where staff feel confident and supported in raising concerns about child protection issues. Understand own and other staff member s responsibilities in order to provide a safe and secure environment which meets all regulatory requirements. Assist each child to develop the skills and knowledge to keep him/herself safe. Keep up to date with guidance and procedures and support other staff in implementing these. Report and discuss any concerns to line manager. Understand and carry out own responsibilities in order to provide a safe and secure environment which meets all regulatory requirements. Assist each child to develop the skills and knowledge to keep him/herself safe. Keep up to date with guidance and procedures. Report and discuss any concerns to line manager. Understand and carry out responsibilities in relation to child protection. Take care to ensure that the safety and wellbeing of each child is considered at all times within the setting. Collaboration with other agencies to ensure children are safe. Ensure that relationships with relevant agencies are established and maintained. Ensure that all staff understand their responsibilities and arrangements for liaising with other agencies when appropriate. Identify and report concerns in line with local procedures and establish and maintain contacts with relevant staff in other agencies. Work in collaboration with other agencies to ensure effective support for individual children. Identify and report concerns in line with local procedures. Provide information to support good collaboration with other agencies. 13

19 Section 2: Roles and Responsibilities 2.9 The Framework is designed to provide a unifying, operational agenda for staff and employers, clarifying the shared and interconnected purposes of early years and childcare services. It does not describe in detail exactly what every worker does or would do in every setting. However, we would expect it to inform the development of all job descriptions by employers. Workers in different settings may also find that what they do day to day is reflected more prominently in some areas of the framework than in others An important characteristic of this workforce is that it is constantly changing to meet the demands and expectations of children, families and communities. The Framework will therefore require further development and adaptation over time. It will also require to be tested with workers across the sectors, to ensure that it is fit for purpose and relevant for all settings. We also know that it will need to evolve with developments in the way that services are delivered Although this Framework is designed for the early years and childcare workforce, there may be real benefit in extending the principle to include all those who work with children the wider children s services workforce We also recognise that there is a group of staff who are not part of the early years and childcare workforce we were considering, but who make an essential contribution to quality services for children. These ancillary staff, e.g. cooks, cleaners, janitors and drivers have different skills to the early years and childcare workforce. These workers need to exercise their skills in a way that supports the outcomes for children, and employers have a role in helping them do that. What does the Framework Mean in Practice? 2.13 Many workers will recognise many of their current roles and responsibilities within the Framework. A key challenge, however, is to develop a framework to support a process of continuous development and change in the way early years and childcare workers work as part of the wider children s services, as reflective practitioners. For example: 14

20 National Review of the Early Years and Childcare Workforce Roles and Responsibilities Developing a multi-disciplinary knowledge At present a number of early years and childcare workers have a sound knowledge base in their particular specialism. More and more, workers are being asked to work across settings and with a range of other professionals. One example of this is where direct work with children means workers, rather than managers, need to be able to attend multi-disciplinary meetings; present their case at these meetings in a coherent and professional way and take decisions about actions as a result of this. A recent example of this was work done by a playworker, head teacher and educational psychologist who were brought together at a case conference to consider the future placement of a child in Primary 2 who had been expelled from school. Working collaboratively across traditional professional boundaries will enable these frontline workers to fully support the sometimes complex lives children lead and help streamline the work of other professional agencies. Working with communities It is important that the early years and childcare worker has a clear knowledge base of the local community. Workers will be expected to signpost services that parents can access and some may be required to provide mentoring services for parents and children. Increasingly there may also be a need to develop parenting programmes within the community and to have a clearer understanding of how healthy environments and healthy lifestyles contribute to the well being and general development of the child. In some areas, workers are being asked to contribute to planning arrangements for services in new neighbourhood Children and Family Teams. So, additional skills will need to be developed alongside existing ones. These will include the skills to engage with parents and children, to work across a wide range of teams and specialist areas, team working, record keeping and report writing and the skills that result in professional reflection. It is also likely that in the future, workers will become involved in researching and developing their own practice We were struck by the similarities between the roles and responsibilities we are proposing and some of the other examples of professions working in similar settings elsewhere in Europe. For example in Scandinavia, pedagogues are professionals who work with children, and often adults, across a range of settings including in the early years and with school age children. They work with the whole child with the emphasis on living beside children and working through situations and relationships, recognising that learning and care are inseparable. The role of the teacher within the Reggio Emilia approach is as a co-creator of knowledge and culture and a co-researcher with children. Although we do not suggest that these are the models we should adopt in Scotland, we do think that, in looking at how our own early years and childcare profession develops, we should consider the pedagogue model. We debate this in more depth in Section 7 A Developing Profession. 15

21 Section 2: Roles and Responsibilities CONSULTATION QUESTIONS The main challenge identified in this section is how to create a coherent early years and childcare workforce which shares common roles and responsibilities, and which has a shared understanding of its contribution to securing the best outcomes for children. What are the barriers to developing a coherent early years and childcare 1 workforce with a shared understanding of roles and responsibilities? How can they be overcome? The main proposal is to develop a single shared framework of roles and responsibilities for the early years and childcare workforce that is based on the vision for children and young people. To what extent does the Roles and Responsibilities Framework provide a 2 useful basis for developing a shared professional identity across the early years and childcare workforce, and for driving forward the integrated working agenda? Does the Roles and Responsibilities Framework reflect what workers in all 3 sectors of the workforce are likely to be doing as services develop over the coming years? Is the Roles and Responsibilities Framework a useful basis for developing 4 professional qualifications in the sector? 16

22 Career Pathways We believe that developing improved career pathways is key to the overall development of the early years and childcare sector and to addressing issues of recruitment and retention. 3section 17

23 Section 3: Career Pathways THE ISSUE 3.1 The need to raise the status and professionalism of the early years and childcare workforce has already been highlighted. Linked to this is the need to build better opportunities for career progression. Career pathways is the term used to describe the routes available to staff to move within the sector and between related sectors. Building clearer pathways which support lateral (between and across sectors) and vertical (where workers increase their levels of responsibility) career progression can attract new recruits into the sector and help to retain experienced staff. We have described career pathways as being vertical or lateral. 3.2 The early years and childcare workforce faces particular challenges in developing better career pathways. Workers have identified the lack of career development opportunities as a key concern. Currently there is little evidence of early years and childcare staff moving across the local authority, private and voluntary sectors and there continues to be significant barriers to this arising largely from pay and conditions differentials across the sectors. In addition, the current predominantly female workforce depends on relatively high numbers of part time and sessional workers who face particular difficulties in progressing their careers, for example difficulties in accessing training and development opportunities. 3.3 Recent policy developments underline the importance of effective and flexible career pathways for workers in the sector. More and more, the early years and childcare sector is delivering services involving workers from a range of professional backgrounds. We need to provide career opportunities for workers to practice in different settings, to encourage the exchange of good practice across the early years and childcare sector and the children s services workforce as a whole. Inevitably this would open up wider career opportunities for the workforce. 3.4 Additionally, as understanding of the significance of early years and childcare services increases, so do expectations about kinds of services and the quality of services that should be available to children and families. This places an important responsibility on employers to widen the experience and opportunities available to build on workers skills and apply these in different circumstances or settings. There is also a need to recognise and nurture workers specialist skills which support the inclusion of all children, for example with additional support needs, who require a particular expertise and knowledge. Very importantly, we need to ensure that career pathways support the professional development of the managers and leaders of the future. 3.5 We believe that developing improved career pathways is key to the overall development of the early years and childcare sector and to addressing issues of recruitment and retention. We have identified 5 key challenges and examples from practice that require to be addressed in developing improved career pathways. 18

24 National Review of the Early Years and Childcare Workforce Career Pathways 5 key challenges The opportunity to move vertically or laterally in areas that work with children of a particular age group. Beverly is an experienced practitioner in an early years setting. She wants to gain promotion to lead practitioner but also realises that it may help her prospects if she gains more experience of the same job in another sector (e.g. voluntary). Currently there may be fewer promoted posts available than people who want them. It would also be difficult to move sector due to the pay differential that exists. Funding issues for the voluntary sector affect job security too. The opportunity to move vertically or laterally in areas that work with children of a different age group to that they currently work in. Lloyd is a support worker and wants to move between an early years centre and out of school care. However, we know a lot of out of school care jobs are part time and this may limit Lloyd s possibilities. Do employers collaborate to combine jobs to meet Lloyd s need for a full time job? The opportunity to move vertically or laterally in areas that work with children of all ages and their families. Carolyn works in out of school care and has an HNC but hasn t a lot of experience of working with parents. She wants to be a social worker, in the longer term, and an outreach worker in the short term while she achieves the necessary qualifications to embark on the social work degree course. Currently barriers would exist in terms of qualifications and Carolyn s lack of skills around working with parents. Is there some sort of induction training for potential new outreach workers? The opportunity to move vertically or laterally into specialist areas, e.g. working with children with special needs or health settings. Susan is an early years practitioner who wants to work with children with autism. Specialist training would be required, but do the opportunities exist? If the job level was the same between mainstream and specialist, what additional rewards could the specialist worker expect from increased skill and responsibility? For some a desirable career path may also be becoming a trainer or assessor and take responsibility for the learning of other workers. Angus is an experienced lead practitioner and has had a few sessions tutoring students at the local college. He wants to become a trainer full time but doesn t know where to start looking for advice. He also worries that the opportunities don t exist in his area. 19

25 Section 3: Career Pathways THE PROPOSALS 3.6 We have identified four key principles underpinning effective career pathways, which would address the problems outlined previously and help workers to plan and pursue their chosen careers. The key principles characterising strong career pathways are: Transparency, Flexibility and choice 3.7 It is important that workers and new recruits in the sector have a range of options available to them, and that these are clear from the moment a worker enters the sector. The more transparent, flexible and open these options are, the greater the likelihood of attracting high calibre staff into the sector and of retaining qualified and ambitious workers. We need to develop qualification structures with flexible delivery which readily allow movement between sectors, and which allow people to enter the workforce at different points in their lives and careers. This point about flexible entry opportunities will become increasingly important as demographic changes take effect, and employers find themselves in increasing competition for a smaller pool of working-age people. Transparency, flexibility and choice; Qualifications which support rather than hinder a diverse range of career pathways; Rewarding workers for increasing responsibility and skill; and Attractive to a wide section of the community. 3.8 Qualification structures, which we explore in detail in the next section, are an important component of developing more transparent and flexible career pathways, but organisational cultures and attitudes amongst both workers and employers may be just as important. In particular, both the workforce and their employers must understand and recognise the existence of transferable skills, in order to give effect to the opportunities for staff movement and progression which we wish to promote. 3.9 Providing ease of movement between different parts of the sector and between the wider social services and children s services provides benefits in the quality of service delivery and in opportunities for staff. Currently, there are barriers to movement across the sector: for example, perceptions about the status of working in different settings can be a barrier, as can the lower pay in the voluntary and private sectors In encouraging individual workers to manage their careers, we need to ensure that the options that are open to them are well sign-posted. These options might include the types of job opportunity, the areas in which they might want to develop new expertise and the training and qualifications they will need. There is a key role for the manager of a service in assisting staff to access the information they need. 20

26 National Review of the Early Years and Childcare Workforce Career Pathways Qualifications which support, not hinder, a diverse range of career pathways 3.11 We need skilled qualified staff to provide the quality of services that children and families expect. In order to secure the flexible workforce we need, at a time when demographic trends are adding to pressures, to deliver integrated children s services, we need qualifications and training that support transfer between different types of provision within the sector, and transfer between the sector to other related professions. Rewards workers for increasing responsibility and skill 3.12 In order to encourage workers to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to take on increasing responsibility, staff need differentiated levels of reward. Qualifications and training provide the mechanisms to assist staff to gain the new knowledge and skills which may be needed to progress. However, it is not the qualification itself which should attract the additional reward, but progression to take on additional responsibility, whether taking on supervisory or management responsibility or increasing practitioner expertise in a particular area. Employers also need to ensure that their staff have the right opportunities to develop their professional and management skills, so that they, in turn, can prepare staff to develop their careers. Attractive to a wide section of the community to individuals who want to progress vertically, laterally or to continue to be challenged in their role. to individuals who want a real profession no matter the full time, part time or sessional nature of the job A sector which is attractive to a wide section of the community is likely to fare better than others in attracting new recruits and retaining good staff. Within the early years and childcare workforce there is a need to offer career pathways to those workers who are willing to achieve additional qualification and who have developed the experience required to progress into management positions. Pathways need to reflect the diversity of the workforce, to enable workers to build up their expertise at their own pace, in the workplace, whether developing skills to move to new areas of work or simply to continue to develop and be challenged in an existing role. We need to develop pathways to attract new people into the workforce, for example those returning to work or changing careers. Importantly, we need to attract underrepresented groups such as men, older people and people from minority ethnic groups. 21

27 Section 3: Career Pathways 3.14 To secure these changes, we need to reform the existing structure of qualifications, increase recognition and understanding of the transferable nature of the skills the workforce possesses, and critically, provide better information and advice for potential recruits and the existing workforce about the opportunities that exist for development and career progression. CONSULTATION QUESTIONS This section has highlighted some of the current barriers to career pathways in early years and childcare, e.g. qualification structures, cultural differences or misconceptions across the different parts of the workforce, wide differences in pay and conditions between parts of the sector, and a lack of advice about career development opportunities. How accurately does this reflect career pathways in the early years and 5 childcare sector at the moment? The proposals are high level principles that should enable workers to pursue a career pathway while ensuring that employers have the flexibility to deliver services to meet local circumstances. How effective will these proposals be in promoting career pathways across 6 the different parts of the early years and childcare sector, and more widely? 7 Are there other ways to promote career pathways? 22

28 Qualifications, Training and Development To meet the diverse and changing needs of children and families, we want to ensure all staff are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and expertise of the best. 4section 23

29 Section 4: Qualifications, Training and Development THE ISSUE 4.1 Our starting point for qualifications, training and development was the Roles and Responsibilities Framework. We wanted to ensure that qualifications and training supported the principle that all workers in the sector have broadly common roles and responsibilities, although there will be differences in the emphasis on certain areas and how the responsibilities are carried out. Scotland has made significant steps over the past few years towards simplifying the qualifications structure in early years and childcare (Figure A). However, the current qualifications structure does not fully meet the needs of the sector. Some employers and candidates may find identifying the most appropriate qualification difficult. Looking to the future, workers may be working in more integrated settings, or choosing to work in different types of settings in the early years and childcare sector, or related areas e.g. in the wider social services sector. Our future qualifications structure will need to support this. Summary of Current Qualifications Framework Figure A Lead Practitioner/ Manager SCQF 8/9 SVQ4/HNC (+PDA/BA etc) New HNC/PDA SCQF 8/9 SVQ4/HNC (+PDA/BA etc) Practitioner SCQF 6/7 SVQ3/HNC New HNC/PDA SCQF 6/7 SVQ3/HNC HNC Support Worker SCQF 5 SVQ2/SPA SCQF 5 SVQ2/SPA PLAYWORK EARLY EDUCATION 24

30 National Review of the Early Years and Childcare Workforce Qualifications, Training and Development THE PROPOSALS 4.2 Some of the main themes emerging from this Review are leadership, development and flexibility. 4.3 The Roles and Responsibilities Framework creates a central leadership role for the lead practitioner/manager of a service. The lead practitioner/manager has a role in, for example: assisting their staff to appreciate how they as an individual and a service are contributing to the vision for children; facilitating partnership working with other occupational groups; and encouraging, advising and mentoring staff to develop their own skills and knowledge. We wanted to ensure that the importance and level of skill necessary to carry out this role was reflected in the qualifications framework. 4.4 We need to help each worker develop their skills, knowledge and potential throughout their career, to ensure that we have the workers with the right skills to deliver the quality services we need, and so each worker has the opportunity to pursue a rewarding career in early years and childcare. 4.5 Flexibility in career choice for workers and employers should create a flexible workforce to allow the delivery of services that meet the needs of children and families in local communities. A flexible workforce which is able to work in different settings and with different professionals will be essential to deliver integrated and changing services. Our qualifications and training system needs to support this. Principles of a Future Qualifications Structure The main attributes of a future qualifications structure we propose are as follows: one framework for the whole sector; services to be led by SCQF level 9 (ordinary degree or work-based equivalent) qualified professionals; entry and exit points at each level supporting flexibility and movement; College, university and work-based routes supporting flexibility and inclusion; Recognition and accreditation of prior learning supporting flexibility and inclusion; supports progression and continuing professional development (CPD); supports identification of shared skills/knowledge base across children s services 25

31 Section 4: Qualifications, Training and Development 4.6 Figure B shows our proposed qualification framework, based on these principles which would support career pathways. Proposed Future Qualification Framework Figure B Lead Practitioner/ Manager SCQF 9 (Ordinary Degree or work-based equivalent) New degree qualification or transfer qualification from other degree Practitioner SCQF 8 (HND/DipHE/SVQ4) SVQ/DipHE or transfer qualification from other degree/qual. Support Worker SCQF 6/7 (SVQ3/HNC) HNC/SVQ/ or transfer qualification from other qualification Work-Based One Qualification Framework for the Whole Sector qualifications at a number of levels levels linked to SSSC registration categories allowing for specialisation 4.7 A key challenge was to ensure that the qualifications structure could meet the needs of the whole early years and childcare workforce. Childminders are an intrinsic and essential part of the workforce, but work in unique circumstances. They are usually the sole worker with children and their responsibilities can cover those of managers/ lead practitioners, practitioners and support workers in centre-based provision. We were clear that the qualifications structure should meet the needs of childminders in terms of content, delivery and supporting them to develop a career in the sector in the same way as any other worker. 26

32 National Review of the Early Years and Childcare Workforce Qualifications, Training and Development 4.8 Our model proposes that there should be a single qualifications framework for all workers in the sector. There should be a common, shared content to all qualifications for the sector. The levels of qualifications should be explicitly linked to SSSC registration categories and the level of qualification appropriate for each category of worker, determined by the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) descriptors (Annex C). The qualifications framework would be benchmarked against a professional base that sets out the knowledge, skills and values that would allow workers to practice in any early years and childcare setting. There would still be scope for students and workers to specialise in particular areas (e.g. pre-school education or playwork) as part of the qualification, and through continuing professional development (CPD). Services Should be Led by SCQF Level 9 (Ordinary Degree or Work-Based Equivalent) Qualified Professionals 4.9 As set out in the Executive Summary, we have a growing body of evidence that links the quality of the service to the level of qualification of staff. The EPPE research found that workers qualified at a degree level (e.g. in teaching or in childhood studies) working with children in settings for a substantial proportion of time, and most importantly as a pedagogical leader (a pedagogical leader uses their knowledge and information provided by researchers, academics and first-hand experience to work with their staff to bridge the gap between theory and practice), had the greatest impact on quality We propose that the lead practitioner/manager should be qualified at SCQF level 9 or above, either through an academic degree route or through a work-based route. This worker needs to be a reflective practitioner one who evaluates incidents, draws on theory and other evidence in understanding them, makes decisions about how to proceed and reviews the results. They will work with other practitioners in early years and childcare and the wider children s services to improve their ability to question and improve their practice. They are also the reflexive practitioner adapting to changing circumstances and the needs of different children. The relationships that the practitioner has with children is a reciprocal and mutual one, it is individualised. In other words, it is not simply being a technician applying the same practice in every set of circumstances. Entry and Exit Points at Each Level provides opportunities to transfer to/from related professions 4.11 Our model envisages that a worker should be able to enter the workforce at several levels. This means that a recruit with no relevant qualifications, but with the potential to achieve the minimum level of qualification while being supported on the job, has a route into the profession. Or, for recruits with the right knowledge and skills, the qualifications support opportunities to enter the workforce as practitioners 27

33 Section 4: Qualifications, Training and Development and as lead practitioner/managers. This principle provides for increased flexibility and positive movement of workers within the sector and between related professional groups. We see it as a key element in the task of making the sector more attractive to a wider range of workers by enhancing opportunities for lateral as well as vertical career progression. College, University and Work-based Routes different routes are available all based on both practice and theoretical learning qualification structure supports transfer between routes 4.12 We are clear that there should be college, university and work-based routes to gaining qualifications at all levels. We are clear, too, that the routes should have equal status. This supports flexibility of routes into the sector and in career options within the sector. It means that there should be a work-based route that covers the full spectrum of posts from the entry-level qualification right up to the qualifications for lead practitioners/managers. It also means that each of the routes has to be robust in terms of providing the knowledge and ensuring that workers obtain the skills and competence to become the reflective, intuitive and flexible practitioners of the future. Allows the Recognition of Prior Learning for Credit formal/certificated learning non-formal learning (training in workplace/voluntary sector/community) informal/experiential learning 4.13 We want a well qualified workforce and a flexible workforce. We need qualifications to help ensure the quality of services, but we do not want them to be an unnecessary barrier to staff moving within the workforce. We need a flexible but robust system of recognition and accreditation of prior learning that allows staff to gain credit for learning and experience that might have been gained in a variety of ways, including experience of working in the sector, to allow them to continue to build up that expertise, without unnecessary repetition of learning. Supports Progression and Continuing Professional Development structure will support existing staff and attract new staff qualifications build on each other accommodates progression within and between levels provides flexibility to add specialist skill sets supports increasing responsibility in post for future progression 28

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