My working life ... Childcare assessor

Joanne Fisher is a childcare assessor with Bertram Nursery Group in Manchester. She visits the apprentices in the group's nurseries, spending time with each learner going through their qualifications, conducting assessments, watching them progress and supporting them.

'I have a caseload of 40 to 45 learners. On a typical day, I meet with two to three apprentices, located in the north west. We have planned and detailed criteria set out to be covered on my visit through assessments of their knowledge or practice,' she says.

'We spend time going over the work they have submitted and they are given as much support as they require. A review is completed to assess the apprentice's progress and feedback to be given for the day's assessments. We liaise closely with employers and mentors of learners, to ensure roles and responsibilities are fully met and satisfaction with the programme is always priority.

'I try to spend at least two hours there. I may begin with an observation for half an hour to 45 minutes, and then I will take them out of the room for some feedback and we will talk about progression, career opportunities - everything they need to progress.

'I try to get all my paperwork done when I am there. I write my assessments up while the girls are doing them, and I may use a dictaphone and Smart Assess (an eportfolio system).

'The best part of the job is seeing the girls achieve and gaining the knowledge and experience required in order to become really good nursery nurses, and getting them a job at the end of it.

'In terms of challenges, it is a question of ensuring that you are giving the learners the quality time they need. Sometimes you can't get that time due to staffing ratios in nursery. It is difficult all round to get the girls released and supporting them through areas where they struggle can be quite a challenge.

'I feel that to work as an assessor you need good experience of childcare and a passion for childcare. It is about being a good nursery nurse yourself and you can demonstrate that good practice to your learners to help them turn into excellent nursery nurses.'

CV

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

1998 - 2000: Trainee nursery nurse at Little People Day Nursery

2000-2002: Got experience in three different nurseries

2002-2010: Began as a nursery nurse and foundation stage co-ordinator with Holyrood Nurseries, before becoming senior nursery nurse, deputy manager and finally a manager

2010 to present: Assessor with Bertram Nursery Group Training

QUALIFICATIONS

Level 2 and 3 Children's Care, Learning and Development, 1999

A1 Assessors Award, 2010

Preparing to teach in the life-long learning sector (PTLLS) (Edexcel)

First Aid (paediatric)

Level 2 in Food Safety

Manual Handling Health and safety

Safeguarding Equality and inclusion (Northern Advisory Council for Further Education)

EYFS Training, Behaviour Management (Salford Early Years Development)

Assessing QCF qualification (CACHE)

Slips, trips and falls and Fire awareness (both with the Interactive Health and Safety Company)

First aid, manual handling and food hygiene (Train the Trainer), 2013

- Assessor and verifier qualifications are offered by awarding bodies and private training providers:

- www.cityandguilds.com/Courses-and-Qualifications/ learning/training-and-development/ 7317-assessor-and-verifier-qualifications/level-3

- www.edexcel.com/quals/ NVQ-competence-based-qcf/aaq/Pages/about.aspx

- www.cache.org.uk/Qualifications/AAQA/Pages/Home.aspx

TRAINING

Experience of being a childcare manager is not a necessary requirement for those looking to become a childcare assessor, although industry experience will always be a benefit.

As the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) qualifications consist of both knowledge-only units and those that require the learner to demonstrate competence in a series of tasks and activities in real work situations, a range of skills are required.

Those assessors who are only going to assess knowledge units must have the knowledge about the subject areas covered by the units and at the appropriate level.

The competence units require an assessor who is themselves competent at the activities within the units, so they must have had experience of working within a childcare or early years setting. In addition, they must be able to evidence their competence to at least the same level as they are intending to assess. There is also a requirement to take part in regular CPD activities.

At the higher levels, it is very likely that the assessor will have needed to have been in a senior role to be able to evidence their competence.

Assessors who are deemed competent to assess competence units may also assess knowledge units.