From the beginning of May, all 14,000 members of the Pre-School Learning Alliance will have access to free CPD training, run in partnership with Educare. Each one of the distance learning courses is approved by the Continuing Professional Development Certification Service and can be used to demonstrate a commitment to ongoing improvement.
Access is available online to setting managers, their staff and volunteers who are existing members, and to anyone who joins the Alliance.
Michael Freeston, director of Quality Improvement, says, 'The responsibility to cascade training down no longer devolves on one member of staff, and everyone can benefit from participating in a consistent programme.'
The free courses have been designed around safeguarding areas which are key to all types of providers. They span: Child Protection Awareness in Education, Safer Recruitment, Children's Rights and Child Neglect.
Child Protection Awareness in Education gives an introduction to child abuse and how to report it effectively, while Safer Recruitment takes participants right through the recruitment process, from pre-planning to maintaining awareness and vigilance once the new recruit is a member of your organisation.
Once this free package has been taken up, there is the option to purchase other courses at a significantly reduced cost.
The Alliance has also developed a suite of five training courses to support implementation of the revised Early Years Foundation Stage, which can be offered individually or as a package.
Each course can be undertaken as a half day, which involves presentations and discussion about the new requirements, or a full day allowing for wider consideration of the changes in practice that a setting may have to introduce.
Prices are £30 per person for a half day and £50 per person for a full day, but rates can be negotiated depending on number of participants and whether a package of courses is to be delivered.
The Alliance says it will refresh its courses and develop new programmes on a monthly basis.
