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Overview of Proposals
In this response I set out what I intend to do to start the process, building on the progress we have already made in improving services and providing development opportunities for many staff within the sector. The key actions I 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. I want the first managers to be able to start continuing professional development routes to the new professional leadership level by September 2008. I 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. I 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. Our 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.
I am confident that together, these actions will improve the status and recognition of the workforce and support improved recruitment, retention and progression within the sector.
There are many partners involved in delivering early education and childcare services. This response gives a clear lead to partners and stakeholders as to the action they need to take to deliver the high quality, flexible services parents demand:
- I want local authorities to develop and support career pathways for their staff. All staff in early education and childcare should be clear about routes for progression and have access to development opportunities that will allow them to work towards securing promoted posts and leadership positions, where they have the personal qualities to fulfil such roles. I would expect implementation of career pathways leading to staff increasing their level of qualifications and responsibility will affect job evaluation processes and, consequently, levels of reward.
- I will update guidance to local authorities to require them to work more closely with their partner providers to ensure a high quality service is delivered to all children. Central to this must be greater equity in partnership arrangements and funding for pre-school education providers.
- In return, I expect private and voluntary sector pre-school providers to use this additional support to ensure that they can attract, train and retain staff, ensure that their staff meet registration requirements and support workers' professional development. The level of professionalism of their workforce, particularly amongst leaders and managers, must be as high as other parts of the sector if they are to achieve the consistently high standards of service that children deserve.
- I am asking the Scottish Social Services Council to deliver a 3 year programme to develop a qualifications and professional development framework. I will ask it to do so in partnership with key stakeholders including representatives of employers, the workforce and education and training providers.
- We will only achieve the outcomes that we seek if employers assist their managers and staff to take ownership of their increasingly professional identity by actively managing their own careers and making use of opportunities for professional development and career progression.
In the following sections, I set out the case for investing in the early years workforce and the detail of the actions that we will be pursuing to deliver high quality, flexible services for children and families.
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