Childhood Practice In Action Report Published

2nd July 2014

Report published today confirms qualified early years and child care workers give children the best possible start in life.

The report Knowledge, Confidence and Leadership: Childhood Practice in Action is published this week by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC).

The report shows that the increase in qualified workers and scrutiny in early years and child care services is improving the lives and outcomes for children, families, communities and the economy. Since the SSSC began registering early years professionals in 2006, the number of qualified workers has increased from 55% to 89% with the remaining 11% working towards a qualification.

Anna Fowlie, Chief Executive, SSSC said: "We know that gaining qualifications has an impact on the professionalism of the early years and child care workforce. Following the publication of Taking the first steps - is Childhood Practice working? we now have further evidence to show the difference the award is having. Workers who have completed the award feel they are working at the same level as other professionals involved in the care, learning and development of children.“

“Qualified workers lead to quality early years services. Scotland's early years and child care workers deserve praise for their efforts to increase their knowledge, confidence and leadership skills but most importantly for the difference they are making to children’s lives."

Welcoming the report, Minister for Children and Young People Aileen Campbell said:

"I want Scotland to be the best place to grow up and our children and young people deserve the best possible care in their early years. This report shows that the increase in qualified childcare workers is improving the lives and outcomes of children and highlights the positive impact the degree qualification is having in the sector.

"Childcare practitioners are crucial to delivering our ambitious expansion of early learning and childcare - and I'm grateful for SSSC's role in ensuring it remains high quality. We have announced an investment of £4 million in further developing the workforce over this year and next. This will provide more than 200 training and development opportunities for post-graduate teachers specialising in early years, and graduates in Childhood Practice.

"I am delighted that Professor Iram Siraj is also undertaking an independent Review of the Early Learning and Childcare Workforce and Out of School Care Workforce for Scottish Government, and I look forward to receiving the report and recommendations in the spring of next year."

John Davis, Professor of Childhood Inclusion at Edinburgh University commented: “Our research supports the findings in both the GUS (Growing Up in Scotland) outcomes report and the SSSC paper that demonstrate that changes to qualifications are making a difference on the ground and that managers are experiencing a significant effect on their confidence, status and practice. Professionals in Scotland should be very proud that this research shows the impact of the substantial commitment that has been made by childhood practitioners to improving care and education services in Scotland.”

Over 30,000 people work in early years and child care. Early years and child care workers must gain or be working towards a qualification to register with the SSSC. From 2006 managers in these services must gain or be working towards a Childhood Practice award. Registration ensures workers continue to keep practice, knowledge and skills and competence up to date. The SSSC will be introducing a new career long development framework for the whole of the social services sector in 2015.

Scotland is now viewed as an international leader in the field of early years workforce development and education gaining recognition for the development of the Childhood Practice award.

Information about the Childhood Practice Awards -

There is a suite of Childhood Practice awards; degree, professional development awards and the postgraduate diploma. These are delivered by 12 providers across Scotland.

The Childhood Practice Awards were developed by training providers following the publication of the Scottish subject benchmark statement, The standard for childhood practice in 2007.

Following Education Scotland’s report, Making the difference: the impact of staff qualifications on children’s learning in early years, the SSSC asked Professor John Davis, University of Edinburgh to research a follow up report on the impact the Childhood Practice degree is having on individuals who are undertaking the qualification.

The SSSC was set up in October 2001 under the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 to:

• protect those who use services
• raise standards of practice
• strengthen and support the professionalism of the workforce.

Our main tasks are:

• to establish registers of key groups of social service staff
• to publish Codes of Practice for all social service staff and for employers
• to regulate the training and education of the workforce
• to undertake the functions of Skills for Care and Development, the sector skills council for the social care, children’s and young people’s workforce and this includes workforce planning.

Each country in the UK has its own regulatory body that is responsible for the registration and regulation of social workers and/or social service workers in their country. They are: the Care Council for Wales, the Northern Ireland Social Care Council and the Scottish Social Services Council. The Health and Care Professions Council regulates social workers in England only.

For further information about the SSSC please visit: www.sssc.uk.com

Skills for Care and Development represent more than 60,000 employers with a workforce of over 1.87million

Find out more at www.skillsforcareanddevelopment.org.uk