An Independent Review of the Early Learning and Childcare (ELCC) Workforce and Out of School Care Workforce First Meeting of Core Reference Group 13 January 2015 Chair: Shirley Laing, Deputy Director, Early Years Division, Scottish Attendees: Professor Iram Siraj, Chair of Independent Workforce Review Denise Kingston, Researcher, Independent Workforce Review Lynsey Seywright, Assistant Principal, Curriculum and Planning, West Lothian College Carol Ball, Chair, Education Issues Group, UNISON Ann Henderson, Assistant Secretary, STUC Irene Audain, Chief Executive, SOSCN Maggie Simpson, Chief Executive, SCMA Tim Wallace, Nursery Representative, AHDS National Executive Jean Carwood-Edwards, Chief Executive, SPPA Aileen McLean, Senior Education Manager, City of Edinburgh Council Davina Coupar, Head of Care, West College Scotland Louise Gaddi, Qualifications Manager for Care, SQA Henry Mathias, Head of Inspection, Early Years (East), Care Inspectorate Kathy Cameron, Policy Manager, COSLA Margaret Smith, Vice-Convenor, Education Committee, EIS Jane Duffy, Provisional Development Adviser, Skills Development Scotland Tom Hamilton, Director of Education and Professional Learning, GTCS Aline-Wendy Dunlop, Emeritus Professor, University of Strathclyde Dr Christine Stephen, Research Fellow, School of Education, University of Stirling Anna Fowlie, Chief Executive, SSSC Maureen Mallon, Assistant Director, Children and Families, Education Scotland Susan Bolt, Team Leader, Early Learning and Childcare, Scottish
Katherine Tierney, Team Leader, Early Learning and Childcare, Scottish Liz Paterson, Professional Adviser, Early Learning and Childcare, Scottish Kathryn Chisholm, Policy Manager, Early Learning and Childcare, Scottish Introduction/Apologies 1. Shirley Laing welcomed all attendees to the meeting. This was the first meeting of the Core Reference Group and the main aim would be to facilitate a full and frank discussion on Professor Siraj s presentation setting out her emerging findings. There were two apologies for the meeting: from Jane Mair, NDNA, and Lesley Gibb, ADES. Outline of Report 2. Professor Siraj spoke to a draft outline of the Review report, which had been sent to attendees in advance of the meeting. She highlighted that it was her intention to produce a comprehensive report, with a literature review setting out Scottish and international research evidence which would underpin many of the findings, an outline of the Review process, a section on the national context in Scotland, and a number of themed sections addressing curricula, guidance, regulation, Standards, monitoring, qualifications and training. There would also be a section setting out the findings from the 2 public consultations Professor Siraj had conducted via the Scottish s online consultation hub. The report would conclude with chapters setting out the key issues which had emerged from the Review and a number of recommendations arising. Professor Siraj would also produce an Executive Summary setting out the headline findings and the recommendations. 3. A short discussion followed concerning timescales for Group members feeding in their views on an initial draft report, and second draft report, between mid- February and early April. The first draft would be circulated to members on 16 February, ahead of the next meeting of the Core Reference Group on 23 February. A second draft report would issue to members on 10 March, with comments to be returned by 15 March. A final report would issue to Scottish on 2 April, to be agreed with Ministers by 15 April. 4. Professor Siraj asked members if they were content with this approach to setting out the Review findings, and the timescale which had been discussed for feeding in their views on draft reports, and all members agreed that they were. Presentation on Emerging Findings 5. Professor Siraj spoke to the Terms of Reference for the Review, which had been sent out to members in advance. She made the point that it was vital to note the purpose of the Review, as made clear in the Terms: to improve the quality of the
workforce in order to improve outcomes for children and families. The Review report would locate all findings in this context. 6. Professor Siraj took some time to outline some of the key national policies, outcomes and indicators in Scotland. These included: The National Performance Framework Getting it Right for Every Child and the SHANARRI wellbeing indicators The Early Years Framework The Early Years Collaborative Raising Attainment for All These all sat under the Scottish s overarching aspiration to make Scotland the Best Place in the World to Grow Up. 7. Professor Siraj highlighted that all of these policies were underpinned by a strong, consistent children s rights ethos, which was positive and encouraging. There was also a clear, national vision for expanding funded early learning and childcare, to 30 hours per week. This could have profound implications, particularly for the vulnerable 2 year olds who would be entitled to the provision. The entitlement could be extremely beneficial, but only if the quality was high enough, and the skills of the workforce were vital to ensuring that quality. 8. Professor Siraj commended the recently published national practice guidance, Building the Ambition, which effectively set out the legislative backdrop, and key outcomes and indicators for early years, as well as providing helpful analyses of concepts such as play and pedagogy for practitioners. This would be a useful resource in helping the workforce to support children s learning at different stages. Professor Siraj also commended the ongoing Growing Up in Scotland longitudinal study, which provided invaluable information about the quality of provision in early learning and childcare settings, in a more positive way than league tables, which were used elsewhere. 9. Professor Siraj expressed the view that, while the existing 35 national indicators took a holistic view of what was needed for children and families in early years, there were a limited number which related specifically to skills needed to work in early learning and childcare with children aged 3-5. A key aim within the Review would be to identify what the key strengths are which the early learning and childcare and out of school workforces needed, as there was a concern about whether early learning was currently sufficiently at the core of training for all designations within the workforce. 10. Professor Siraj highlighted that the Early Years Collaborative s stretch aims were positive and moving in the right direction, but questioned whether these had yet been embedded within the workforce s thinking, as there had not been much reference to them in the public consultation responses. 11. The following points were made in relation to this section of the presentation: Important that the National Play Strategy was reflected as part of the national context
Important that Curriculum for Excellence was also emphasised, as strong focus in there on quality of learning Professor Siraj may wish to look at the functional analysis of children s workforce which was published by Scottish in 2011 Should link in with ongoing Fair Work Convention which would also report in April 2015 Important to be aware of ongoing Review of National Care Standards, given early learning and childcare were part of the wider care workforce Important that the Review considered the skills needed to work with children under 3 should refer to Education Scotland s Pre-Birth to Three guidance. Emerging Themes 12. Denise Kingston outlined the first emerging theme: the role of the adult within the workforce. Within the Scottish literature, a notion of the adult as a general pedagogue was emerging, with universal and transferable skills, which would enable them to move from one role to another. This contrasted with the idea of workers with skills specific to a particular client group. 13. The following points were made in relation to this theme: Many within the early learning and childcare workforce were trained to work with children aged 0-8 years and would identify as early years educators The Childhood Practice degree covered work with children aged 0-16 and was a good qualification. However, the BA in Early Childhood Studies should have been retained as this provided the opportunity to specialise in early years. It would be essential, if the funded entitlement was to be expanded to 30 hours, to have well-trained, high quality staff. This applied to both teachers and early years practitioners and managers. The City of Edinburgh Council were providing early years specific training for teachers, in recognition that there perhaps wasn t sufficient early years specific content in the primary degree. Not a good idea to introduce a specific early years teacher degree, as this would restrict the career prospects of graduates to one sector. It should be recognised that there was early years content within the primary teaching degree. It could be that teacher numbers in early years had reduced because of resource considerations rather than the level of early years content within initial teacher education. Important to recognise that there were many people working in early years who were qualified as educators but were not trained as teachers. Early Learning as a specialism didn t have to be delivered by teachers. Early Years practitioners were already supporting child development and learning. The focus should be on establishing streamlined routes into early years as a distinct profession. Should explore the question of whether teachers brought additional skills as professionals to others within the workforce who were trained in early childhood learning. Important to look at the whole system underpinning early learning and childcare, to make it more joined-up. Essential that the voices of all practitioners were heard. Review should articulate a coherent way forward for
all provision whether practitioners were working with babies, or to deliver the funded early learning and childcare entitlement. Some staff working in baby rooms currently felt undervalued. Essential that the public valued all members of the early learning and childcare workforce for the skills they brought. 14. Professor Siraj agreed that it was vital to look at the whole workforce. Important to look at the issue of pay, and not rely on paying workers through emotional capital or love of the job. There needed to be a shift in the perception of the skills needed within the workforce away from seeing childcare as an alternative to careers such as hair and beauty for young women who were not high achieving in the traditional academic sense. This was linked to the perception that looking after young children came naturally to women, rather than being a complex skillset requiring training and qualifications. Vital to identify clearly what those core skills were. Given the evidence that the most dramatic period in terms of inequalities developing between children is the period in the first 5 years of a child s life, it should be clear exactly how important the work of the early learning and childcare workforce was. 15. There followed a discussion about status and pay. The following points were raised: There was a great degree of variation in levels of pay for the workforce across the 32 local authorities. This was concerning, given that the jobs themselves would not vary to a great extent across the country Challenge whereby managers working in the private and voluntary sectors would migrate to the local authority sector when they obtained the BA or PDA Level 9 Childhood Practice, as the private and voluntary sectors could not compete on wage levels. In the recent past, teachers had not been allowed to undertake their induction in a nursery. This was now permitted, but is not widespread practice: with diminishing numbers of experienced nursery teachers it may be a challenge to make appropriate arrangements for mentoring the probationer. Such induction would improve the status of early years and teacher aspiration to work there. Was helpful that some trainees were getting placements in childminding settings this would help to build capacity The key issue was the level people were qualified to. Should think of childcare as a career, not a vocation. The route chosen could vary as long as staff got to a certain level of quality In Falkirk, Modern Apprentices were being mentored by experienced colleagues who had trained as assessors The Modern Apprenticeship in childcare was a positive alternative to academia for some young people providing, as it did, a mixture of practical and academic training It was important, though, for Modern Apprentices to have an underpinning knowledge base before starting the training, as they went straight in at a certain level. It was important that the Workforce Review linked in with the ongoing Scottish agenda of Fair Work and Fair Pay, given the issues within the childcare sector around low pay
16. The next theme within the presentation was on professionalization, group identity, Standards and monitoring. Denise Kingston highlighted that there were issues of inequality in many respects: in terms of quality, rurality, accessibility, types of providers. The evidence to date suggested that quality tended to be higher on the whole within local authority settings, while the use of private nurseries tended to be linked to higher socio-economic status. 17. There followed a discussion on professionalization and the associated issues outlined above. The following points were raised: Important for the Review to map out the different job roles and a sense of what was required for these Helpful for careers service to have a clear sense of what is needed to work in early learning and childcare, so that they could convey this to pupils and parents On the point about there being differences between sectors within the workforce, in terms of different registration and inspection systems, it was important to ask whether difference was a bad thing in itself. This could have positive or negative effects Professor Siraj s concern was that the different structures in place could mitigate against collaborative working The variety of job titles within the sector wasn t helpful it was suggested that having one recognised title could be unifying for the profession Although there were still two inspection bodies with different remits, there was increasingly more common ground between the Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland in terms of what they looked at. The rollout of the 600 hours of funded early learning and childcare had shown how important it was to look at individual services in the context of the local authority/community Planning Partnership strategy on early years, rather than looking at a service in isolation. It was important to look at the impact of a service rather than just look at the service itself There was far more emphasis in recent years within inspectorates on working towards outcomes/impacts. It was important to recognise the specialist skills of each inspection body, but also recognise the holistic needs of the child Important to balance the national messages on the importance of attachment with parents and the home learning environment with the drive to increase the funded early learning and childcare entitlement. It was vital, here, to ensure the workforce could work with parents as well as young children Important to fully resource an expansion in the funded entitlement to ensure that there were not negative impacts on learning time for the workforce Important to consider that it was not only young people who could be valuable recruits into the sector could also be many adults who had lost their job who would have the right skillset to make a career change. There should also be a consideration of the value attached to part-time as opposed to full-time work.
Summary/Conclusion 18. Group members agreed that the proposed items under AOB had been covered in the course of the meeting. Shirley Laing thanked all attendees for their participation. The next meeting of the Group would be on 23 February 2015, when the main item of business would be discussion of a draft report.