Improving quality is one of the key aims of the Government's National Childcare Strategy. We all want children to have the very best quality care. The Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) has set a target of having four out of every ten childcare providers accredited by 2004. Never heard of accreditation? Well, you're not alone. Nearly half of the nurseries that the Thomas Coram Research Unit surveyed hadn't either.
So why are an increasing number of nurseries, out-of-school clubs and childminder networks getting involved in them?
Accreditation for childcare providers is something like a hotel having 'stars'. It says something about the quality of a service. Parents can be confident that an accredited provider has met certain high standards. As a result, parents who have a choice are more likely to opt for accredited nurseries, out-of-school clubs and childminder networks.
Most accreditation schemes involve self-assessment. Members of staff collect evidence about their policies, procedures and practices. Their evidence is then put together in a portfolio of some kind. This is the real work of getting accredited. The amount of time it takes will depend on the scheme you are involved in, and how much time you can spare. Once the portfolio is finished, the accrediting body sends in an independent assessor. The assessor looks through the portfolio, checking that the evidence collected by staff is a true reflection of what actually goes on. If they are satisfied that all the standards are met, the provider becomes accredited.
Research from the US suggests that accreditation schemes can help raise standards. Going through an accreditation scheme can, if done properly, improve quality beyond the minimum standards enforced through registration and inspection.
First, the self-assessment element of accreditation schemes helps staff to identify strengths and weaknesses for themselves. Self-assessment can be a very effective way of getting people to think about their working practices. Second, once strengths and weaknesses have been pinpointed, staff can begin to think about their training needs. Improvements in training are often followed by improvements in quality. Finally, because accreditation only lasts for a fixed period (usually two or three years), being part of a scheme encourages providers to get into the habit of continuously reviewing their service, and making improvements as a result.
In a recent study for the DfEE, the Thomas Coram Research Unit looked at the current status of accreditation in England. Several accreditation schemes were involved:
* The Centre for British Teachers (CfBT)
* The National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA)
* Kids' Clubs Network (KCN)
* The Effective Early Learning (EEL) project
* The Pre-school Learning Alliance (PLA)
* The National Childminding Association (NCMA).
The study aimed to answer three questions: how many providers are already using accreditation schemes; what do providers and parents think of the schemes; and how can Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships (EYDCPs) support providers going for accreditation?
We commissioned a telephone survey of around 500 nurseries and out-of-school clubs, and more than 50 childminder networks. The telephone survey was backed up by face-to-face interviews with managers, network co-ordinators, staff and parents in another 30 settings. First, we asked if providers were already accredited, or working towards accreditation. If they were, we asked whether being accredited had improved the quality of their service, the kind of problems they had come up against, and how they had got around them.
Most nurseries and out-of-school clubs were not involved in accreditation. Only one in eight nurseries and one in six out-of-school clubs we spoke to had taken part in any kind of scheme. Nearly half (44 per cent) of the nurseries that we spoke to, and a quarter (26 per cent) of the out-of-school clubs had never heard of accreditation.
Childminder networks are a bit different. Most networks are being set up for the purpose of getting accredited. Not surprisingly, 78 per cent of the networks we spoke to were already on the way towards being accredited.
Of the 30 nurseries from our telephone survey that had been involved in accreditation, 23 thought they were providing a better quality service as a result. The impact on written policies had been most noticeable. Nurseries that were accredited said their health and safety policies and their equal opportunities policies had both improved significantly. A similar message came from nurseries in which we did face-to-face interviews with staff and parents. Most felt they were providing a better service as a result of having become accredited. Several had introduced new working practices such as regular staff appraisal, key worker systems, and improved planning of nursery activities.
Of course, going through accreditation is not always plain sailing. A major issue was finding time to do the self-assessment work and put a portfolio together. Most staff are busy enough as it is, without taking on extra work. However, nearly all the providers we talked to were glad they had made the effort. Accreditation had been hard work, but well worth it in the end. It gave staff a terrific boost to know that all their good work with children was finally getting the recognition it deserved. Several people said being accredited had improved staff morale, and created a real feeling of working together as a team.
With the benefit of hindsight, managers often said they felt they should have spent more time planning the work carefully. Several said they would advise others to make a real effort to involve all members of staff in collecting the necessary evidence. In fact, research has shown that the more staff get involved, the more likely it is that accreditation will bring about genuine improvements in the quality of provision.
We asked people where they went for help when they came up against problems. Most relied on manuals that were supplied by accrediting organisations, which were generally felt to be quite user-friendly. Some of the accrediting organisations run telephone helplines which providers can ring for advice in cases where manuals are unclear.
Several people had been to local workshops that gave them the chance to discuss difficulties with someone from the accrediting organisation. Informal support groups of providers going through the same scheme were also found by many to be extremely helpful. They offered the chance to admit to difficulties in a friendly, uncritical environment. Local development workers, paid for by the early years partnerships, were also a valuable source of support.
And if providers are still not clued up about accreditation, neither are parents. We spoke to more than 60 parents who were using accredited provision of one sort or another. Most didn't know much about schemes, but all parents thought accreditation was a very good idea.
EYDCPs will have an important part to play in helping providers work towards accreditation. Some will be able to offer financial support (accreditation can cost upwards of 500 per provider). Others will be employing development workers to support staff as they go through the job of collecting evidence and putting together their portfolios. EYDCPs will be responsible for organising the delivery of the training which self-assessment has a habit of identifying. For any provider thinking about going for accreditation, they are well advised to start by contacting their local EYDCP.
Self-assessment and accreditation is one of the many tools providers can use to improve the quality of their service. With the Government and EYDCPs set to step up publicity, it is likely that an increasing number of parents will be asking providers if they are accredited before deciding to enrol their children.
Dr Tony Munton is senior research officer at the Thomas Coram Research Unit, Institute of Education
Further information
* Details of the research will be available this spring in Research into Childare Quality Improvement and Quality Assurance Practices from DfEE Publications and on the DfEE website http://www.dfee.gov.uk/research
