Early Years and Childcare staff play a vital role both in the development of our young children and helping to ensure parents of those children can have the opportunity to go back to work. They help deliver many Government policies such as Closing the Opportunity Gap and Giving our Children the Best Possible Start in Life.
The National Review of the Early Years and Childcare Workforce was announced in June 2004. The Review looked at five key areas:
- Examining and defining the role and responsibilities of staff in all areas of the early years and childcare workforce
- Improving workforce planning, to ensure that there are adequate staff numbers in each area
- Ensuring that qualifications and training are appropriate for the different sectors of the workforce and meet the needs of children and families, now and in the future
- Providing greater opportunities for staff in one area of the workforce to move to another
- Considering the potential implications of this work for pay and conditions
The final report from the review and series of consultation questions were published in August 2006 and are available by following these links:
A Scottish Executive consultation, National Review of the Early Years and Childcare Workforce took place between 10 August 2006 and 22 December 2006. One main consultation paper was issued to which one hundred and fifteen responses were received. A shorter second consultation paper was aimed specifically at individual childcare workers and childminders. In total, two hundred and one childcare workers and fifty-eight childminders responded. In addition, five workshops were held involving two hundred and ten stakeholders such as early years and childcare managers, childcare providers, childcare workers and local authority representatives.
Analysis and summaries of the consultation are available (web only) in the following links: