Members of the EYP section of Aspect have had meetings with theChildren's Workforce Development Council and the DCSF to discuss pay andconditions. The union, which has 200 EYP members, has produced twopapers - one for the CWDC outlining principles for continuingprofessional development (CPD), and one for the DCSF with ideas for anational pay and conditions framework.
John Chowcat, Aspect general secretary, said after the meetings, 'Thereshould be a national register and a Government agency takingresponsibility for monitoring EYP pay and conditions. We propose acentral Government financial subsidy for settings that need supportapplying the pay framework.'
Rosie Bloomfield, an EYP working in the voluntary sector and chair ofthe EYP national committee, who also attended, said, 'I got involvedbecause the majority of EYPs feel that it is a great qualification butthere's nowhere to go with it. EYPs want CPD, but the money isn't therein the PVI sector. My setting is run as a charity, and you're not goingto hold on to Level 6 people if you're paying them peanuts. Qualifiedteachers are subsidised in their first year and EYP status isequivalent.'
Aspect's paper to the CWDC stressed a need for entitlement to trainingbeyond EYP status, and suggested introducing a self-evaluation processand individual CPD folders to create a personal profile of all EYPs. MrChowcat said a national scheme using these tools to monitor and ensureEYPs' further development was crucial to creating enough EYPs to meetthe Government's targets.
Further information: www.aspect.org.uk.
