Developing the Workforce
in the
Early Childhood Care and Education Sector
Submission to Consultation Process
September 30th 2009
9
Changing practice environments
Current and future policy commitments regarding the development of early childhood care and education services in Ireland reinforce the need for developing the workforce.
Do you agree/disagree?
Agree √ Disagree
Additional comments
The importance of developing early childhood care and education provision has been well established. Barnardos welcomes the consultation process involved in ‘ Developing the workforce in the early childhood care and education sector ’.
Recent Government policy commitments such as the provision of the free Pre-school Year and the implementation of Síolta reinforce the importance of a qualified and competent workforce. The constantly evolving knowledge base in this field means that there is a need to ensure that all staff in early years services obtain adequate qualifications, and that already qualified staff have access to ongoing Continuing Professional Development. Equally it is important that the provision of education and training is supported by suitably qualified and competent trainers.
There is growing recognition of the importance of the early years with neuroscience and psychological research demonstrating more and more that a significant amount of children’s learning takes place in the first six years of life and both trainers and learners need to be abreast of current findings.
As this sector matures, the workforce in this field also needs to develop in terms of business development to ensure that they meet all requirements under the many areas of legislation that affect their services.
The demand for education and training
In developing a Workforce Development Plan, the current profile of the ECCE workforce presents a number of challenges that relate to both pre-service and in-service education:
1. To ensure that all new entrants to the workforce are appropriately qualified for their role and level of responsibility.
2. To afford unqualified practitioners the opportunity to achieve a Level 5 award.
3. To facilitate those holding Level 5 awards to progress to higher levels.
Do you agree/disagree?
Agree √ Disagree
Additional comments
1. For new entrants to the workforce we suggest that a model of supervised student practice be adopted, either similar to teachers on teaching practice or in the form of an obligatory induction period. This does happen in the FÁS traineeship model and on some full-time courses, and would be highly valuable for students in ensuring that they have actual experience to draw upon when they progress to taking up employment in services.
2. With appropriate accessible support many existing staff that are unqualified will progress rapidly to Level 5 and beyond. Incentives for such staff can be made available for example in the form of tax breaks, and support for training providers that offer RPL and forms of flexible and blended learning opportunities. Fast track programmes could be put in place in parallel to the implementation of Síolta, to be developed in consultation with the current providers of training
3. There is an urgent necessity for the appropriate qualifications for those managing or leading an early year’s service to be recognised and set at a minimum of Level 6 due to the particular role and responsibility of managers. Current requirement under the free Pre-school year are for Level 5 minimum, but the indicators for Level 5, specifically under ‘Competence, Role’ (NFQ grid of level indicators) do not cover taking responsibility for the work of others, or the exercising of autonomy, which is an essential requirement in someone responsible for such an important service.
A target date should be set by for level 6 which as a regulatory requirement for supervisors , and a plan to support staff with Level 5 who are in this position, to achieve level 6, should be given priority.
4.The importance of facilitating practitioners to achieve higher level awards and to engage in Continuing professional Development needs to be reflected in the Workforce plan.
5.Many who are technically considered to be ‘appropriately qualified’ because they have a Level 5 qualification have had training which was not subject to appropriate standards and therefore, although qualified, may still lack many of the necessary competencies to provide quality care. This makes ongoing in-service training essential.
6. Research shows that the quality of the childcare is key, that quality is the most powerful promoter of positive child development, early learning and school readiness. It is well known and accepted that the quality of any early years childcare and education programme is directly linked to the quality of the staff.
Sectoral standards for awards in ECCE
It is considered that the 2002 Model Framework which has been validated against developments in the sector will, together with the National Framework of Qualifications and with Síolta and Aistear, the Framework for Early Learning, inform the development of sectoral standards for all awards in early childhood care and education. The setting of these sectoral standards is a necessary prerequisite to the effective implementation of the Workforce Development Plan.
Do you agree/disagree?
Agree √ Disagree
Additional comments
It is vital that standards that reflect the full spectrum of the competencies required are developed as soon as possible. These competencies need to reflect the changing and expanding nature of the various roles especially those at higher levels, who effectively need similar competencies to those managing and leading workers in other sectors. Managers and supervisors particularly need a high level of management skills; this will help to ensure that best advantage is obtained from the development of more junior staff. The current level 6 modules and those at higher levels need to reflect this.
Standards need to reflect the fact that the roles are also much broader than might be understood. In an organisational context to be effective in their job the workers need to relate positively with children, with families, with other workers and with representatives of other relevant agencies such as the HSE. Like other human service professionals, these workers need to interact with other professionals and to draw on networking, communication and coordination skills. A proposed list of Competencies required for staff to provide quality childcare is provided under the additional comments section at the end of this submission.
Current FETAC and HETAC Awards need to reflect the standards set through Síolta, and the new curriculum through Aistear, and to incorporate these into the course content.
It is essential that standards be developed and implemented as soon as possible. There must also be an efficient and effective mechanism for monitoring the implementation of awards standards.
Access and effective participation in education and training programmes
Access and effective participation in education and training programmes continues to be important for the development of the Workforce Development Plan.
Specifically, the delivery of courses in ECCE will need to address issues such as flexible delivery, RPL and the engagement and retention of learners.
Do you agree/disagree?
Agree √ Disagree
Additional comments
A comprehensive plan to address this area is urgently required. Opportunities and incentives will encourage staff to participate and to overcome the undoubted challenges of learning while working. Whilst money is often not the primary motivator for employees, this presupposes an adequate level of remuneration, which is not available in this sector at present. The prospect of a good career path with increasing salary levels will be a keen motivator.
Learners in this sector are frequently highly motivated to learn and improve. However, the hours, heavy demands of the work and the low salary scales are barriers to taking up training. While some additional resources to support this would be of benefit, a vision that includes more flexible delivery and a weighting of resources towards a mix of learning provision, including support for electronic methodologies would be wonderful, especially as the younger entrants to this sector will be familiar with these modes of learning. While a mix of training methodologies is essential, there will still be a requirement for resources to support staff release and cover, to facilitate access to training. This would include staff replacement costs and appropriate salary scales as an incentive. Tax breaks, conversion courses and modular degrees will all help to address these issues as well.
It is important that part-time courses are available at all levels.
Access to childcare training should require a minimum level of capacity including levels of literacy as in any professional sector.
It is essential that the Pre-school Regulations be reviewed and a requirement for a minimum level of training be included.
Supply of education and training places
The current supply of education and training places in early childhood care and education courses has expanded significantly from 2000 to date. However, the current concentration of resources into provision of full time places may need to be reviewed if the diverse education and training demands of the ECCE workforce are to be met.
Do you agree/disagree with this statement?
Agree √ Disagree
Additional comments
Full time provision suits new entrants to the sector; it does not address the needs of those within the sector. There are already a large number of experienced staff working in the sector, without qualifications so mechanisms to meet their needs are vital. Support through various mechanism such as flexible learning, blended learning opportunities and tax incentives for part-time learners need to be considered. Support for providers to develop blended learning services would also be of benefit.
RPL is of considerable value, however it can be costly for providers to work in this way so recognition of this needs to be made.
The provision of part-time, modular degrees will be important. Flexible conversion courses for allied professionals such as teachers who wish to work in early years would be useful. Fast track courses with supports are required and resources in this area would be useful.
It is important to ensure that standards for part-time training remain as high as for full-time and also that students should be required to reach a minimum level of training before working directly with young children.
Retention of qualified staff
Measures to address retention of qualified staff in the ECCE workforce are essential to the future development of the ECCE sector.
Do you agree/disagree?
Agree √ Disagree
Additional comments
High-quality care is care that is attentive, responsive, stimulating and affectionate. It is impossible for untrained caregivers who are poorly paid and motivated and have too many children to care for to provide growth-promoting care.
A crucial element in providing quality childcare services is the quality of the staff. However, low pay and low professional status deter many qualified people from entering or staying in the field. The quality of the programme is directly linked to the quality of the staff.
The sector must become professionalised which means proper salary structures and opportunities for progression
Given the high demands and stress of the work, those who continue to function well must have some ability to protect and sustain themselves and to focus their energy.
Emphasis on self-management and achievement competencies in the training, selection and supervision of childcare workers would help to alleviate burnout and turnover.
Examples of such competencies include: doing things to reduce their own stress, setting a professional limit on their role separate from parents, self-awareness and self-development skills; taking the lead in problem solving/preventing crises.
The attraction back into the sector of those qualified but who have left due to poor pay and reward systems would be beneficial, with short professional refresher courses to retrain and familiarise with newer developments.
Any additional comments
1.Train the Trainers
Regular Train the Trainer refresher courses are required. Standards for trainers need to be established, including a clear understanding of the broad range of areas that trainers need to be capable of covering to meet the current and future needs of this sector. Trainers need to be conversant with adult learning and learning methodologies as well as pedagogy/theory of Early learning.
2.Competencies Required for Staff to Provide Quality Childcare
Child Growth and Development: Staff need to understand how children develop physically, cognitively, and socially and how they acquire language and creative expression.
§ Understand the importance of play to children’s learning and development.
Learning Environment and Curriculum: Staff must be able to communicate with young children and establish an environment that provides learning experiences that meet each child's needs, capabilities, and interests. They need to use space, relationships, materials and routines as resources for constructing an interesting, secure, and enjoyable environment that encourages play, exploration, learning and a feeling of ownership.
§ Creativity in planning daily activities and the environment and knowledge of how to involve children in planning.
§ Creating the learning environment and general curriculum
§ Promoting physical and mental development
§ Promoting cognitive development
§ Promoting language/communication development
§ Promoting social development
§ Promoting creative expression
§ Promoting spiritual and moral development
§ Supporting emotional development
Child Observation and Assessment: Staff need to be able to observe and assess what children know and can do in order to provide a curriculum that meets their developmental and learning needs.
§ Observational skill
§ Pattern recognition
§ Diagnostic skills e.g. to ensure materials/methods are developmentally appropriate or identify possible causes for behaviours
Families and Communities: Staff must be able to work collaboratively with families and agencies/organisations to meet children's needs and to encourage the community's involvement with early care and education.
§ Building trust and rapport with families
§ Use of community resources
Health, Safety, and Nutrition: Staff must be able to establish and maintain an environment that ensures children's healthy holistic development, safety, and nourishment.
§ Knowledge of legislation and regulations
§ Environmental safety
§ Responding to health and emotional needs of children