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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 2004. 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
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 www.scotland.gov.uk
The closing date for responses is 22 December 2006.
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