This will allow them to work closely with senior management teams in a range of settings while tapping into the skills and knowledge they already have. It will also provide the authority with valuable insight into how EYPs 'fit' within the sector.
Natalie Samuel, childcare workforce development co-ordinator at the council, says it's a challenge to integrate EYPs, some of whom may have achieved the status soon after graduating and may not have practical and leadership experience.
She explains, 'EYPS is new and to introduce any new role into an established workforce with a clear structure is difficult. Our aim is to create a space where we can quite slowly explore what the true implications of EYPS are both for the setting and the EYP, without having a sudden and major impact across the service.'
She says that increasing numbers of graduates who have worked in other fields and have a high level of knowledge and skills have approached the authority and are 'enormously energised and motivated' to work in the sector. But they lack the necessary long-term practical experience to take up management roles in children's centres and may be limited to 'unqualified' entry posts.
The pilot aims to address this. The plan is to recruit ten candidates into a 'different and specific role', involving a structured programme of development and learning. It will entail shadowing higher level staff and existing EYPs, mentoring and working closely with the management of children's centres, ideally with placements across the sector. They will be expected to achieve EYPS during the two years and will then be supported in identifying and applying for their next role.
Natalie says, 'They will be exploring practice at all levels, but much more from the perspective of someone who is going to become an EYP. They will be reflecting on what they have learned and then feeding it back into the operation of the centre. An EYP is there to lead excellence in practice, not just to contribute to it.'
'We hope watching them progress will help us ensure that our long-term strategy for embedding the EYP role in the workforce is influenced by the real experiences of those performing it.'
PROMOTING EYPS IN LEEDS
The campaign involves:
- Radio and press advertising and printed promotional material aiming to ingrain Early Years Professional Status in the public consciousness
- Engaging parents as customers
- Advertising linking EYPS and quality outcomes
- Career taster orientation sessions aimed particularly at graduates.
