Independent early years consultant, trainer and author Julia Manning-Morton used her keynote address to urge delegates to stand up and call for better pay, training, terms of employment and work environments as she highlighted the complex skills needed to be an early years educator.
‘It’s time to ask our shiny new government for investment,’ she said. ‘Investment in buildings to fulfil the needs of babies and toddlers, not just the minimum space, and investment not just in training at a basic level to get the numbers of staff needed but qualifications and training at higher levels, specifically for nought to three practitioners and, most importantly, it means investment over time to give educators and providers a chance to consolidate and embed existing effective practice and provision.
‘But most of all, what really matters is investing in birth- to three-year-olds not only because they will contribute to the future economy but because they are our fellow citizens who deserve to be kept in mind now.’
Manning-Morton likened early years practitioners to ‘high wire walkers’ with the constant need to keep a professional balance.
‘Being an effective birth to three educator is not easy, despite what the Government recruitment campaign might tell you,’ she said.
‘It includes a wide range of knowledge and skills, including good intrapersonal and interpersonal skills and knowing yourself because engaging closely with babies and young families can touch deeply held personal values and sometimes deeply varied personal experiences. Therefore this job requires a mature approach and the ability to reflect on our actions and feelings and on our personal motivations and experiences which affect our practice.’
She added that supporting educators’ wellbeing should be a top priority, not by boxes of chocolates in the staff room but through support and empowering staff through reflective supervision. ‘Where the focus is on developing understanding, not just meeting targets it also means that educators have the time to think and reflect,’ she said.
Manning-Morton emphasised how critical a child’s early years are and called for a change of approach from policy being driven by performance indicators – which she said led to practice becoming ‘target-driven, goal-oriented and outcomes based’ – to one that is more strength based and holistic. She used the example of how it is much easier to measure the number of words that a child has, compared to the emotional interactions that they have with a tuned-in educator and recommended using a video enhanced reflective practice approach to enable professionals to build on their strengths.
‘The evaluative regulatory and inspection approach that we currently have that is couched in a critical ethos gives the message that what educators are doing is never quite good enough,’ said Manning-Morton. ‘And I contend that it’s not possible to act thoughtfully and self-confidently when judging oneself at the same time and when expectations are not attainable, due to current contexts – whether that’s insufficient funding, staffing or poor work environments leading to stress, low professional self-esteem and a demoralised workforce.
‘In contrast, using a strength based reflective approach avoids this negativity and increases self-efficacy and thinking about practice and maximizes the potential for professional empowerment.’
