Childcare Sector Research Articles

Starting with inclusion:The East Sussex inclusion strategy and training for early years and childcare

This paper describes the process and outcomes of the East Sussex inclusion strategy for early years and childcare. Early research included: an audit of existing early years and childcare provision, a survey of parental views about current resources and needs, and a survey of providers views describing barriers to inclusion from their perspective.These three major pieces of work led to an agreement to focus on inclusion and improvement for all children, the production of a staged approach to training, a new look to the foundation stage area special educational needs coordinator role and an extension of support and training into the childcare sector. Evaluation shows that the training and support is not only well received but making fundamental differences to the practice within settings. Parents, practitioners and the children themselves have been given a ‘voice’ through the use of the Index for Inclusion (Booth & Ainscow, 2002). The strategy and developments are increasingly being recognised as good practice both within government and within other local education authorities.

Early education and childcare: The developing professional

SUMMARY The focus of this paper is on the education and training of staff who work in the early education and childcare sector but who are not members of established professions like teaching, social work and health. The paper provides an analysis of the extent to which this group of early education and childcare staff can be considered as a developing professional group. An initial analysis of what it means to be a professional in early education and childcare in Scotland is set within the broader European context and is followed by a discussion of a number of critical contextual factors at work in Scotland. In particular the potential role of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) to act as an enabling mechanism for a training and qualifications framework for this group is considered as is the move towards more integrated services. Finally a number of unresolved questions are posed and next steps identified.

A new route to professionalism? The development of a residential child care DipSW in Scotland

This article describes the development of a new degree course (incorporating the DipSW) which has been designed to address the issue of 'relevance' in professional level education for the residential child care sector in Scotland. Funded by the Scottish Executive, a new body--the Scottish Institute for Residential Child Care--has been charged with devising and delivering a continuum of training, education and other resources to the sector in order to improve the quality of the residential experience of young people. One central element in this provision is the development of a BA/DipSW course that meets CCETSW requirements via a 'particular pathway' in residential child care. The article outlines some of the innovatory features of the course, the first of its kind in the UK, and identifies some of the perspectives that will inform the course curriculum. Brief comparisons are made with developments in the field of child and youth care elsewhere and attention is paid to issues around the provision of practice learning opportunities.

Juniors Minding Junior: The Experiences of Junior Childcare Workers

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states that a child (any person under 18) has the right to be protected from work which is exploitative or threatens their normal development. International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 182 further defines particularly hazardous or demeaning child labour. This research project investigates the experiences of junior (aged 14–16) childcare workers in Western Australia (WA) working under conditions which violate these conventions. The childcare sector has undergone changes, resulting in the employment of an increased number of juniors. These young people work for low wages, are given a high level of responsibility, and are often unassertive, inarticulate and unaware of their industrial rights. The research draws on workers' own accounts of their work experiences to document and analyse the current situation, and makes recommendations for action.

The Birmingham Outreach Programme: The continued training of nursery nurses beyond NVQ III

The expansion of the early childhood and childcare sector has caused a number of concerns over the suitable training provision for post NVQ III workers. Is the training available or is there a skills gap? This article examines a Birmingham-based course, aimed at providing accessible suitable training for workers who hold an NVQ III but who are unable to study full-time at university, and discusses whether such training can help to fill the skills gap.

The Birmingham Outreach Programme: the continued training of nursery nurses beyond NVQ III

The expansion of the early childhood and childcare sector has caused a number of concerns over the suitable training provision for post NVQ III workers. Is the training available or is there a skills gap? This article examines a Birmingham-based course, aimed at providing accessible suitable training for workers who hold an NVQ III but who are unable to study full-time at university, and discusses whether such training can help to fill the skills gap.

Women's Models of Leadership in the Child Care Sector

This paper will argue that women's ability to speak about their particular style of leadership has been muted by the dominant notions of leadership and management that emerge from traditionally organised settings. Feminist work such as that of Belenky et al. (1986) has been adapted and used to demonstrate that women's frameworks are more often based on principles of care, connection, and dialogue. Through our work in children's services leadership training, we are finding that women are developing their own perspectives, models, and language on leadership—a paradigm we are naming as ‘leadership wisdoms’. The wisdom framework is introduced and discussed as a potential springboard for further research and professional development of individuals and the profession. This paper aims to stimulate readers to further reflection and the development of a personal leadership model appropriate to their context.

Private Children's Homes

SUMMARY The paper provides survey and intensive research material on the private children's homes sector. It is shown that this sector is currently in decline. Private homes are found to be sheltering children with long and complex care histories and to adopt a distinctive residential style. Although private homes provide valuable long term continuity, they are less likely to offer the same range of community services as do residential settings managed by the local authority and voluntary child care agencies. The private residential child care sector is an area that arouses considerable anxiety. Proprietors of private establishments are often accused of reaping inordinate profits from their activities (Hopkins, 1979; Laurance, 1983) and it is commonly asserted that their practice is inferior to that in the local authority sector. Thus, private children's homes cause considerable professional and political concern, especially as the contentious issues of registration and inspection have recently been the subject of a Parliamen tary Bill. However, the private sector has attracted little research scrutiny and claims of its proponents and critics have not been backed by reliable evidence. For these reasons, we thought it important to explore more systematically the current situation. This paper forms part of a study being undertaken by the Dartington Social Research Unit into children's homes. It is one of the projects in the Social Science Research Council Programme, Children in Need of Care, and arose from concern about changes in the functions of the so-called 'ordinary' children's homes. The traditional long term family group style of children's home is clearly changing as fostering is developed and other specialist establishments, especially for adolescents, are closing. The aim of this research is to chart these changes and to provide new information about the current situation with regard to the characteristics of the resident population, issues of staffing and organizational style. Such research, we believe, will assist with the future planning of services for children in care. From the outset, we felt that it was important to include in the study an examination of private as well as well as local authority and voluntary 0045-3102/84/040347 +14 S03.00 ©1984 The British Association of Social Workers