Submission to Office of Minister for Children Regarding Work Force Development Plan

Work Force Development PlanSubmission to Office of Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

Background:

CPLN Area partnership, formerly Clondalkin Partnership, has had a long history with the development and promotion of high quality childcare in the disadvantaged areas of North Clondalkin, South West Clondalkin and Lucan South.

It had a key role in the establishment of South Dublin County Childcare Committee and its Childcare Co-ordinator held the role of Chairperson for a number of its formative years. It was also instrumental in the establishment of a number of services and was involved at close level in the management of such services.

Today the role of Early Childhood Development Co-ordinator within the Partnership is a broader role, although it maintains a key role in supporting Community Childcare Facilities through the voluntary board of management structure. As such the information underpinning this submission is based on direct experience of the challenges faced by the Co-ordinator in trying to establish high quality childcare services. It is also based on consultation with a group of Community Childcare Providers held in conjunction with South Dublin County Childcare Committee.

The opportunity to feed into a Work Force Development Plan is greatly welcomed as it is key to the delivery of high quality childcare services that will make a substantial difference to life outcomes of children, families and the wider community.

A number of reports will be referred to within this submission:

South Side Partnership – ‘Towards a Model of Best Practice’ 2005
Fingal CountyChildcare Committee/Blanchardstown Area Partnership – A Study of the Daily Demands of Community Childcare Services in CountyFingal. Jo Smith, 2008.
CPLN Area Partnership – A review of Community Childcare Services in Clondalkin 1998 -2008, Stephen Rourke, 2008.
A recent unpublished study carried out by consultants Canavan and Byrne which explored current HR/employment practices within the Clondalkin area and made recommendations towards a locally devised salary scales.

It will focus on the following topics:

Current practice in childcare facilities – implications for the development of a professionally recognised work force delivering high quality childcare.

Leadership – capacity at management level
Management – voluntary boards of management as a limiting structure to the development of professional work force
Quality of training – current employers perspective
Terms, conditions, salaries and funding – what a child care practitioner can currently expect
Services operating in disadvantaged areas

Recommendations

Training

Post training experience
Ongoing professional development
Employment – recruitment and selection
Employment – national salary scales
Funding implications

Current practice in childcare facilities – implications for the development of a professionally recognised work force delivering high quality childcare.

Leadership – capacity at management level.It is widely acknowledged that there are in some cases limited capacity among staff at the Management level to lead a service to deliver high quality childcare. This is outlined in the context of some stand alone community childcare services in the Clondalkin area but appears to represent a national picture in both community and private services.The term manager appears to represent different levels of responsibility in different services. As outlined below it is used to refer to the day to day person in charge of a childcare facility who has an onsite presence in the management and leadership of the staff team. The gaps are in the following areas:
Poor business management skills including business planning; financial projections etc. This was evidenced in the capacity of some services dealing with the demands of meeting contractual arrangements to Pobal/OMCYA in terms of Community Childcare Subvention Scheme.
Poor staff management skills, reduced knowledge and capacity in the area of human resources. In such cases these issues are often referred and dealt with by Board of Managements.
Reduced skills in promoting professional development within the services (only 4 services out of 10 in the Clondalkin area have recently commenced staff support and supervision for all levels of staff).
Limited knowledge of good childcare practice at management level. This is the case in some services where staff are operating at Manager level with Fetac level 5 etc. and is compounded by the time demands on the person in charge who is often time tabled into the rooms.
Limited leadership in ensuring good practice is delivered amongst staff body.
Limited knowledge of and confidence in the role of the manager in liaising with other agencies – HSE – public health nurse, GP, Social Workers, other health care professionals; Community and voluntary Groups.
Reduced confidence in engaging parents in the service to a broader extent.
Reduced confidence and capacity in supporting families in difficulty – many service managers do not see that they have a role in the early detection of developmental concerns; in supporting families in crisis e.g. families where there is drug abuse etc.
Limited time – often managers are time tabled into the rooms at certain times or for covering staff as a result. Often there is no administrative support leaving managers with significant time demands placed upon them in terms of meeting contractual arrangements to funders/financial planning and collection of fees.

Management - voluntary boards of management as a limiting structure to the development of professional work force.The current voluntary board of management structure limits the development of a highly qualified work force within the community childcare structure for the following reasons:
Due to reduced capacity at management level the boards are involved in micro managing the services
They have a role in the recruitment, selection, and human resource management, especially discipline and grievance.
Capacity at board level both in terms of skill and numbers is weak. This leads to a few members with solid core skills providing all the support to services and resulting in burn out.
Knowledge of early childhood care and education at board level is extremely limited.
There is no assessment of the skills present at board level and yet they are providing service direction.
Reduced human resource knowledge and skills at board level. Recent local research in the Clondalkin area highlighted the following:

Seven out of twelve services had no recruitment and selection policy and the remaining services had inadequate policies in place
Two out of the twelve services had no job descriptions.
In some services rates of pay did not link to job descriptions or competency requirements
There were three cases noted where no employment contract was issued
In many cases the contract of employment was inadequate

This research included 3 statutory services and 9 community childcare services. These results highlighted gaps in capacity from Board level down to management level.

Responsibilities at board level in running a community childcare service are extremely high and deter the recruitment of additional board members.

Quality of current training.This is particularly evident to employers in respect of the calibre of employee with Fetac Level 5/6 and 7 qualifications.
No evidence of the core value statements outlined in the Model Framework with Fetac Level 5.
Childcare practice does not always reflect attainment of Fetac level 5 qualifications.The lack of practical assessment within this qualification is a serious gap.
Some employees with Fetac level 5 have significant literacy difficulties. When asked how they obtained the qualification they reported that someone else completed the paperwork.
No consistency in the Fetac Level 5 qualification between training agencies.
The absence of recognised centres of excellence where students can go to gain practical experience, on site tutoring and assessment is a serious limiting factor.
Many students report that they gain their practical experience from their working environment. This means that practitioners could be working in one centre for a long period of time with only this experience of how to put their new knowledge into practice. This leads to a perpetual cycle of bad practice.
Inconsistency in the qualifications of tutors – some employees report that tutors have wide and diverse backgrounds – many of whom have never worked in a Child Care Service.
Absence of professionalism within many staff with Fetac Level 5.
Taking on board the profile of Basic Practitioner, under the Model Framework – there are staff currently working at Childcare Worker level with Fetac Level 5 who do not meet the profile as outlined.
Limited numbers of staff with Fetac Level 6.
Assumptions within staff that if they obtain Fetac level 6 they are equipped to manage the service.
The same inconsistencies in training and qualifications and practical experience as outlined above for Fetac level 5.
Limited number of staff with Fetac level 7 working in child care services due to low salaries in the sector.
Amongst those who were interviewed with Fetac level 7 – limited on the ground experience – the need for a year or 2 years internship/ practical rotational professional experience. Also limited business management experience.
From employers perspective it is very difficult to know what entry level to employ candidate with Fetac level 7 – they lack the experience and strong leadership skills necessary to manage a large staff body. Limited staff management skills. Not possible to employ new graduate at Expert Level on model Framework.The course content for Fetac Level 7 should include an appropriate balance between child care knowledge etc and the need for a high level of business and operations management skills – in particular the management of staff. It would appear at interview level that those who present with Fetac level 7 appear very inexperienced in the demands of managing and leading a staff team.

Terms, conditions, salaries and funding – what a child care practitioner can currently expect

Of 12participating services in a recent salary scale research - including 3services run by statutory agencies (HSE/VEC) and the remaining 9 run as community childcare services - the following was noted:
No contributions towards staff pension except in the case of two employees of a community childcare facility
There were delays in some cases of payment of the National Wage Agreement with 4 facilities who still have not paid this salary increase
Salaries for all levels of childcare employee varied considerably amongst the 12 services as follows
Child care worker level – the rates of pay were between €11 to €17 per hour (note this research did include some statutory services on fixed scales e.g. HSE)
Senior Childcare worker /Room Leader level – the rates of pay were between €11 to €17 per hour.
Supervisor/Deputy Manager level – the rates of pay reported were between €8.70 and €21 per hour
Project Leader/Manager level – the rates of pay reported were between €12 and €26 per hour
There are obvious inconsistencies in the above reported salaries and in the absence of a national salary scale with linked job titles/job descriptions it allows for considerable inconsistencies in the terms and conditions for staff in the childcare sector.
The researchers indicated that the above picture is representative of the national picture.
Knowledge of many community childcare facilities operating in the Clondalkin area highlights challenges to paying maternity leave and to paying more than 7 days sick leave.
Given the current funding arrangements for Community Childcare Services under the Community Childcare Subvention Scheme, services have become considerably more focused on the ‘cost of a childcare place’.

The drive to keep this cost down to a minimum in disadvantaged areas is a key goal for many Boards of management. Yet this has a direct impact on the funding available to pay staff. As such many community childcare facilities are restricted under current funding arrangements to pay staff salaries that may be in line with currently available salary scales e.g. The Borders Counties Network scales.

Further more, as evidenced inresearch which included statutory agencies, services delivering to similar clientele and working across the road from one another may be applying different salary scales dependent on funding sources e.g. HSE funded services versus services receiving Community Childcare Subvention Scheme to subvent parental fees.

Challenges in releasing staff to access training on a part time or full time basis and delivering a childcare service with low parental fees.

Services operating in disadvantaged areas.

A report completed by Blanchardstown Area Partnership and Fingal County Childcare Committee highlighted the very many challenges facing Community Childcare Services in terms of fully meeting the needs of the clientele availing of their services. In an area of disadvantage the need for a staff body with a high level of professional experience and knowledge cannot be over emphasised. In such areas there are higher levels of:

child protection cases
lone parent families requiring additional supports
reduced levels of literacy amongst parents
higher incidence of language and other developmental delays

The need for high quality services with specialist skills amongst staff to meet the needs of the children and families is essential in such areas. Already a precedent has been set in terms of the funding arrangements for services such as Barnardos and the HSE facilities. While these services obviously deliver to families in crisis and at risk through referral, local community childcare facilities are often involved with similar families due to the very location of their service. In fact the families availing of community services are often representative of those who have in some way ‘slipped through the net’ – once again this highlights the high calibre of staff required to address the many sensitive issues which may arise.

Recommendations

Training

Clarity around the training and background requirements for tutors delivering modules contributing to Fetac Awards in Childcare
A requirement for all tutors to have practical experience of working in a childcare service
A requirement for all Fetac awards to have a module focused on professionalism – from basic practices such as answering a telephone to confidentiality/dress code etc.
A requirement for continuing professional development to be a key focus of all training qualifications
A requirement for all Fetac awards to have practical assessment in a nominated childcare facility and a requirement to pass this assessment before an award is made.
To have nominated centres of excellence where practical tutors can mentor students during training at all levels
For Fetac level 6 and 7 – a need for Human Resource; Operations management and business and finance management to be central modules. These also require practical experience
For all training courses to clearly identify pre-entry requirements and possibly hold interviews.
For all training courses to clearly outline the level of support required by students to obtain a pass grade
For individuals with additional needs e.g. literacy to be offered training with the relevant necessary supports at Fetac Level 3-4
For individuals where there is a requirement to recognise prior learning to be offered practical assessment of skills.
For local training to be consolidated through the County Childcare Committee.
All training qualifications should highlight the Core Standards as outlined in the Model Framework.
All training qualifications should deliver training based on Siolta and Aistear.

Post training experience

For recently qualified students to undergo 1-2 years of post qualification experience. During these years students should be encouraged to work in a variety of different settings with a predetermined national job title/description with linked salaries.

Ongoing professional development

In line with other moves towards registration of professional bodies e.g. Health Care Professionals, for there to be a requirement to demonstrate continuing professional development and reflective practice through the maintenance of a Professional Development Folder.

CountyChildcare Committees should play a key role in this aspect of supporting local Child Care Practitioners

Employment – recruitment and selection

A review of all employment practice in the area of Childcare Services
Support from central government to completely review the current structures delivering community childcare services – i.e. voluntary boards of management. With this in mind some locally based structure should be put in place to run and deliver community childcare services to ensure full compliance with employment practice
A pre-employment requirement of having Fetac level 5 as per Childcare Regulations
The need for training in good recruitment and selection practices – with a recommendation that a practical assessment form part of this interview process.

Employment – national salary scales

The need for nationally developed salary scales which are in line with current government funding to community childcare services.
These should be linked to the Model Framework and all job descriptions and job titles should be drawn from this Framework.
CE staff should not hold the same job title/description as directly employed staff as they are participating in a training initiative and this should be clearly outlined both to those employed under the scheme and those who sponsor such schemes.

Funding implications

Considerable funding implications arise in terms of the cost of accessing training. If it is acknowledged that this is an interim phase of development where existing staff require training – funding should be sourced to support facilities to provide this training.
Clarity around the pre-employment requirement and the onus on individuals to access their own training.
Funding to be made available through the County Childcare Committees for individuals to access subsidised training – there should be clear guidelines around this to ensure equity.
The funding of services operating within disadvantaged areas to be reconsidered to allow for the employment of high calibre staff with a high level of professional commitment to the position.
Funding to be made available for a specific HSE post to be created to support the additional needs of community services. For example some Barnardos Services have an outreach Pre-school Support Position to support staff in local community childcare services. Such a position could be developed further to have a more involved role in locally based Community Childcare Services. This role needs to be one of a high calibre professional with suitable remuneration.

Summary