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FINDINGS
Roles and Responsibilities
The roles and responsibilities of the workforce are diverse, challenging and changing. Each worker should recognise that they are part of a wider workforce, working in partnership with others to support delivery of an agreed set of outcomes for all children.
Summary Finding 1
To develop a single, shared framework to encompass the diverse roles and responsibilities of the early years and childcare workforce, which links explicitly to the Vision for children.
Qualifications and Training
Whilst evidence shows that children do best in the highest quality centres, there is also evidence to show that a poor quality service can have negative effects for disadvantaged children. Critically, the single most significant factor in determining the quality of the centre is the level of qualification of the manager of the centre, and to a lesser extent the level of qualification of the wider workforce.
Summary Finding 2
To develop a new qualifications structure for the sector, whose main attributes will be:
- one framework for the whole sector;
- services to be led by SCQF level 9 (ordinary degree or work-based equivalent) qualified professionals;
- entry and exit points at each level - supporting flexibility and movement;
- college, university and work-based routes - supporting flexibility and inclusion;
- recognition and accreditation of prior learning - supporting flexibility and inclusion;
- supports progression and continuing professional development ( CPD);
- supports identification of shared skills/knowledge base across children's services.
Recruitment and Retention
To provide the kind of services we want for children we need to have the right people in the sector.
Summary Finding 3
We identified a number of straightforward principles that should underpin all recruitment and retention practice:
- profile of the sector needs to be raised and professional identity established;
- need to attract the right workers to the profession;
- need to retain experienced, well-qualified staff;
- need a workforce that more closely reflects the diversity of the Scottish population.
Career Pathways
We need to make sure that early years and childcare is an attractive profession: one that is respected, and where there are opportunities for development and career progression.
Summary Finding 4
There are four key principles underpinning effective career pathways:
- transparency, flexibility and choice;
- qualifications which support - rather than hinder - a diverse range of career pathways;
- rewarding workers for increasing responsibility and skill; and
- attractive to a wide section of the community.
Workforce Planning
The sector's greatest resource and asset is the workforce. All organisations involved in delivering early years and childcare services have a role in planning for that workforce.
Summary Finding 5
Develop an approach to workforce planning that is consistent across the country but is flexible enough both to be useful to small individual providers and to much larger organisations such as local authorities.
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