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WHAT THE SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE RESPONSE TO THE REVIEW SAID
In their response, Ministers set out what they intend to do to start the process, building on the progress the Executive has already made in improving services and providing development opportunities for many staff within the sector. The key actions Ministers intend to take are:
- Developing leadership in the early years and childcare sector by creating a workforce that is led by degree (or a work-based equivalent) qualified professionals. Ministers want the first managers to be able to start continuing professional development routes to the new professional leadership level by September 2008. Ministers will ask the Scottish Social Services Council ( SSSC) to amend their registration requirements from 2011 to require lead practitioner/managers to have attained this leadership level or to attain it within a specified period.
- Creating a genuine career structure for the workforce where career progression and development is supported by a qualifications and professional development framework. Ministers want the framework to be in place by September 2009 to allow workers to develop their professional skill and competence to progress their careers, which for some will be towards management and leadership roles. The Executive's analysis supported by economic theory indicates that increasing levels of qualification in the workforce would be expected to lead to increasing pay in the sector.
- Supporting private and voluntary sector providers of pre-school education to invest in their workforces by providing an additional £5m each year to increase the "advisory floor". Increased payments to providers will begin in the 2006-07 school year.
Ministers are confident that together, these actions will improve the status and recognition of the workforce and support improved recruitment, retention and progression within the sector.
Key Proposals
Ministers' long-term ambition is for all centres to be led by early years and childcare leaders who are qualified (including through a professional development route) at SCQF level 9 (ordinary degree or work-based equivalent).
Ministers expect:
- work to construct an integrated qualifications and professional development framework to start in September 2006 and to be completed by September 2007;
- programmes offering the new qualifications and professional development for leaders to be in place by September 2008;
- programmes offering new qualifications and professional development for those entering and progressing through the workforce to be in place by September 2009;
- a toolkit which supports understanding of progression routes for early years and childcare workers to be in place by September 2009;
- the workforce to be considered as a highly regarded, high quality, highly qualified sector with workers earnings reflecting the quality of qualifications;
- local authorities to offer increased flexibility in delivering early years and childcare services.
To assist private and voluntary sector providers of pre-school education to recruit and retain qualified staff:
- from this year, the Scottish Executive will invest an additional £5m p.a. in pre-school education to fund an increase in the "advisory floor" used to inform local authority decisions about the cost of providing pre-school places;
- in the longer term Ministers intend to move towards a position where all centres providing quality services are funded on a similar basis.
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