In case you have not seen the Government's childcare recruitment advertisement, let me set the scene - a group of children in a hall hold an audition and a variety of adults go through routines presumably designed to entertain the children. The children then appoint the 'best entertainer' to the position of childcarer.
Is there a subliminal message that if you wear a silly hat and make faces you will have a greater understanding of child development or be better prepared when a child tells you he has been abused? Humour and fun should be integral aspects of childcare, and children should have a say in how they are looked after. But there is far more to the job than 'entertaining the kids'.
I am incensed by this advertisement. This Government appears to be totally uninterested in the demands of the childcare profession for quality childcare provision, so it is not surprising to see this shallow misrepresentation of the skills required.
This advertisement gives a totally unrealistic picture of what is required and is, I believe, potentially dangerous. We could find some well-meaning but unprepared people coming into the sector and realising, too late, that it is not enough to 'like kids' or to be able to play three bars of 'Kumbaya My Lord' or tapdance to 'Singing in the rain'.
Helping an abused child, stopping a child from committing suicide or self-mutilating, dealing with deep-seated emotional problems or complex needs, and having an understanding of child development and social pedagogy, requires intelligence, understanding, commitment, courage, and a high degree of expertise - none of which is shown is this advertisement.
We must move away from the 'anyone can do it' mentality. Prospective candidates must be given a true picture of what being a childcare worker is all about. Without this we run the risk of, at worst, letting abusers slip through the net and, at best, taking on people who are ill-prepared for the job in hand.
