Acorn Early Years Training is the specialist early years division of CJ Associates. It runs one-day courses that can be tailor-made for organisations on:
* Activities for the under-twos and under-threes. These courses are designed for those who are new to early years care. They cover a range of activities to stimulate children's senses and development.
Bright Horizons has a course on:
* Effectively meeting the needs of children under three. This course reviews new medical developments in brain research that have provided substantial evidence that the first three years of a child's life are critical for young children's brain development as well as their learning potential.
The Council for Awards in Children's Care and Education (CACHE) has courses with units that can be taken separately. These include:
* Supporting the care and development of babies, in partnership with their parents (in NVQ Level 4).
* Advanced practice in working with babies (in the Level 3 Certificate of Professional Development in Work with Children and Young People).
Crechendo Training runs a course in London on:
* Working with babies. This 60-hour CACHE advanced practice course covers topics including an in-depth knowledge of the principles of practice in the development of babies; understanding attachment theory and how babies learn; the importance of care routines in ensuring the safety of babies; how to recognise conditions affecting children under the age of 12 months; and First Aid for babies.
The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID) is one of the UK's leading baby charities working to prevent infant deaths and promote baby health. It carries out its aims by funding research, supporting bereaved families and promoting information on how to reduce the risk of cot death to health professionals and the public. FSID is based in London and also has eight regional co-ordinators working across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It holds meetings for bereaved parents, and also conferences and training days.
The Hannan Consultancy provides support for professional development and training, offering a child-centred inclusive approach that incorporates up-to-date research, theory and practice developments. Programmes can be tailored to meet individual organisations' needs. They include:
* Caring for babies: Exploring the social, emotional and learning needs of babies and very young children. Session one reviews how babies and very young children learn, including key messages from Dr Sally Ward's Baby Talk Programme. Session two considers learning through close relationships and communication, and session three explores quality care and planning for babies.
* Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of babies and young children.
* Securing positive outcomes: Assessing the impact of severe parental difficulties on babies and young children.
The High Scope Institute runs a course on:
* Introduction for practitioners working with under-threes. This two-day course covers an overview of the curriculum, and focuses on areas including active learning, room arrangement, daily routine, key experiences, working as a team, and the adult/child relationship.
High Scope Ireland runs courses on:
* Curriculum implementation - Babies and toddlers, tender care and early learning. The course consists of ten days of training delivered over about ten months to enable participants to introduce the approach gradually into their work setting.
* A short introductory course to infant and toddler care taking the High Scope approach.
Learning Curve was established in 2000 by a group of local colleges in Lancashire that were keen to make good-quality distance learning material more widely available. It is now run as a separate education provider. It offers a range of specialist distance learning courses, each of which has been written and developed by subject experts.
* First Steps: raising babies and pre-schoolers is a new course for 2004 and has been designed for parents who wish to give their children the best possible start in life. The course includes guidance on child development, food and nutrition, childhood illness and ailments.
Maud Giles, a lactation and newborn consultant, holds workshops in London on:
* Breastfeeding and coping with common problems such as colic and reflux.
These workshops for maternity nannies demonstrate how to help mothers to breastfeed successfully and deal with the common problems new mothers may experience.
Maternity Nanny Training (MNT) runs courses at the University of Reading on:
* The maternity practitioner award. This two-and-a-half-day course is for experienced nannies, midwives and nurses wishing to work in maternity positions, and for experienced maternity nannies and maternity nurses wanting to update their skills and gain formally assessed and accredited training. It covers the care of newborns and postnatal mothers, breastfeeding and how to gain employment in the maternity sector.
* Special care mothers and babies. This one-day course covers caring for twins and multiple births, premature and other special care babies, postnatal depression and other special care mothers, and leads to a special care certificate.
* Postnatal depression training course. This one-day course for maternity nurses, nannies and nursery nurses who care for or support new mothers covers all aspects of postnatal depression.
* Baby care. A one-day course for nannies on practical aspects of baby care (birth to 12 months), including weaning and sleeping.
* Baby massage workshop. This four-hour workshop is on Saturday afternoons throughout the year.
* Infant feeding diploma. This is a course for experienced maternity nurses with access to postnatal mothers. It is due to start in March.
* Communication with parents. This four-hour workshop is on Saturday afternoons throughout the year.
* Epipen training for anaphylaxis. This two-hour course is on Saturday mornings throughout the year.
Montessori Centre International runs distance-learning courses, including:
* Infant toddler course. Stage one of this two-part course covers the theory element of the Montessori approach. It gives an overview of the fundamental issues relating to children in learning from birth to three, and focuses on the management of early years settings. Stage two is achieved by additional study in workshops and seminars.
The Centre also runs a:
* Nursery foundation international diploma in Montessori pedagogy. This is the recommended qualification for all Montessori graduates wishing to open their own schools in the UK. It is awarded to those with the early childhood international diploma and who have the infant toddler stage two certificate in Montessori theory and methodology.
The National Childbirth Trust (NCT) is Europe's largest childbirth and parenting charity. It provides information and practical support on all aspects of pregnancy, childbirth and early parenthood, and campaigns for improvements in maternity services in the UK. With 40,000 members in 400 branches, the charity helps 300,000 parents each year through its antenatal classes and its postnatal and breastfeeding support network.
The NCT's professional training arm is NHS-ConNeCT. It runs workshops around the country on a delegate basis, which can be either in-house or hosted. Topics include:
* Teaching effective pelvic floor exercises in the antenatal class, in Birmingham on 16 January.
* Baby calming, in Linlithgow, Edinburgh on 29 January. This course for nursery nurses and health visitors will look at research-based strategies for calming babies.
* Breastfeeding works - and how, in Croydon on 11 February.
The Early Childhood Unit of the National Children's Bureau has taken over the National Early Years Network's training programme. It is continuing its tradition of high-quality courses specifically for the early years sector, including:
* The learning and social needs of children from birth to three. Courses can be customised for individual areas or settings.
The National Day Nurseries Association runs a training programme that aims to equip childcarers with the skills and attributes needed and provide supporting knowledge for those undertaking the NDNA's Quality Counts accreditation scheme. It runs courses on:
* Planning a developmental play-based curriculum for children aged nought to two.
* Creating a learning environment for children aged nought to two.
The Pre-School Learning Alliance runs a course on:
* Play for under-threes. This course provides training for any early years staff wanting to extend their childcare provision to include younger children. It explores attitudes to childcare and provides an understanding of how to create a supportive learning environment for younger children in a pre-school setting.
The School of Infant Mental Health offers integrated educational and training programmes for professionals working with under-fives, career training, primary care and specialised psychotherapeutic skills. The following courses may be of interest to early-years professionals:
* Foundation course (16 hours): Introduction to infant mental health and parent-infant psychotherapy. This course is an overview of theories on the development of emotions in children. It can be taken on its own or as a basis for entry into diploma courses.
* Diploma in infant mental health, which includes the following options: infant observation (two years), where participants undertake weekly observations of a baby to learn about the development of emotions; clinical seminars (two years); infant research (30 hours), examining aspects of foetal life, the world of the senses, communication, temperament, individuality and attachment, the parents' mental state, and infant psychiatry (30 hours).
* Clinical diploma in parent-infant psychotherapy. This course includes reading and clinical seminars and helps practitioners develop clinical skills in treating parents and infants in distress.
The Scottish Independent Nurseries Association (SINA) has a selection of in-service courses for all levels of staff from unqualified, room supervisors to managers or assistants with input from co-ordinators in centres of excellence and specialists in working with under-threes.
StaffBank Training specialises in providing training courses for early years staff. Its courses are delivered by experienced trainers and include:
* Under-threes activities, activity ideas and tips on planning for children under the age of three.
* Birth to three matters - a course using the Birth to Three framework.
Tinies Childcare runs courses on:
* Sleep management. This course is suitable for parents and all carers and provides a general understanding of common sleep problems and how to prevent them.
* Maternity practitioner. This two-day course covers best practice in breastfeeding, formula feeding, managing minor ailments in both mother and baby, and has a review of child development so that participants are aware of significant abnormalities and can advise parents.
* Baby massage. This two-hour course has been developed to promote 'hands on' bonding between children and carers. Participants will learn massage techniques that will relieve baby ailments including colic and be shown when and where to massage a baby.
Training Packages designs and delivers courses offering specialist professional training for adults who work with babies and young children.
Courses available include:
* Birth to Three Matters support courses. These courses are a priority for people working with children under the age of three.
* Effective practice workshops. These workshops offer professional development for all those who work in childcare.
* Making connections. This course links the Birth to Three Matters framework to the Foundation Stage Curriculum.
