EXPERIENCE
I qualified as a primary school teacher in 1964 and have taught a variety of subjects to four- to 18-year-olds, in the private and state sectors.
During the early part of my career I was widowed, with two young children, aged two and seven at the time. Family and friends were fantastic, but support from an organisation such as Noah's Ark would have helped.
For 15 years I was the proprietor and principal of four daycare and after-school facilities and volunteered for an organisation similar to Noah's Ark.I also gained my B. Ed (Hons) and MA (Ed), both of which increased my passion for pursuing life-long learning.
WHAT I DO
In November 2005 I was engaged as bereavement services manager at Noah's Ark Trust. Over the past three years this charity has expanded. My role involves recruiting, planning, resourcing and delivering training to volunteers and professionals.
I organise and oversee four residential weekends each year for families. These provide an opportunity for bereaved families to meet others in a similar situation. The aim is to educate adults to have the confidence to help children confront bereavement through the use of appropriate language.
AMBITION
I am passionate about promoting Noah's Ark, the work we do and the way in which families benefit. Little information about bereavement is available to the public and I desperately want to fill the gap and educate children, families and the wider community on issues surrounding bereavement. I would like to address this by facilitating more training, and am currently studying for my BTEC in counselling.
Name: Di Dutton
Current role:
Volunteer training manager with Noah's Ark Trust, a support service for children and young people affected by bereavement
Qualifications: B.Ed (Hons), MA (Ed)
OPTIONS - BY TINA JEFFERIES
Keeping her knowledge fresh through continuing training will strengthen Di's practice and opportunities. She has wisely integrated them into her career journey. As she has changed role or context for child care and learning, she has embarked upon the necessary and relevant training at that time.
This means Di has opened up her options and can consider a number of pathways. She may want to remain in the type of work she is doing, especially as she has such passion for the work of bereavement support, or she may consider alternative challenges.
Lecturer in early childhood studies
The fact that Di has had a varied career journey, reinforced by continuous learning and development at a masters degree level, puts her in a good position to pass on the wisdom from these experiences. As a lecturer in a university, or college of further/higher education, she could teach on Early Childhood Studies undergraduate and teacher education courses. Teaching those who are embarking upon their careers or gaining further knowledge to enhance their practice, can be an enriching and rewarding role for someone who has developed a long-ranging career and maintained engagement in further professional development.
- Salary range: £28,000-£40,000 (depending on grade)
Early years advisory teacher
Di has attained an in-depth understanding and practical application of learning, teaching and inclusion in the early years through her higher level studies and management of a number of early years settings. This would stand her in good stead to provide training, support, advice and guidance to practitioners working with children from birth to five. As an advisory teacher for early years and/or inclusion, she would work for a local authority supporting providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage across the maintained, private, voluntary and independent sectors.
- Salary range: £34,000 - £46,000 (depending on scale and responsibilities)
Training and development manager
Di is passionate about her work with the Noah's Ark Trust and may want to stay where she is and build on what has been achieved by developing more ways to spread the word.
Work needs to be done in the children's workforce to widen understanding of the impact of bereavement on children and their families.
Di is in a good position to extend the delivery of training in bereavement to practitioners through local authorities and other organisations.
A training and development manager is responsible for co-ordinating training to those whose work would benefit from further understanding, and extending the ways that practitioners are informed of factors that affect their work with children. For example, teachers, early years educators and health and social care staff are in positions of needing to know about the work of specialist bereavement support.
- Salary range: generally in the region of £21,000-£28,000 (depending on the organisation)
Tina Jefferies, director of the Red Space Company; www.redspacecompany.com.
