The Early Years Qualifications Audit Tool is there not only to reflect existing qualifications but also to provide the impetus for staff to undergo further training.
In a wider sense, it has a remit to raise the standard of training right across the workforce. The Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC), which designed it, believes it will be crucial to developing successful national training programmes.
This is corroborated by Jo Elsey, workforce development officer for Windsor and Maidenhead, who says that settings in her area who have trialled the tool are now well aware of its advantages.
'Because it matches existing qualifications with the new qualifications list, nurseries can identify where staff might need additional training,' she says. 'They appreciate that if their local authority has accurate data, then it can plan effectively to meet providers' training needs.'
The tool went live in August and the CWDC reports that more than 1,600 providers are now using it, with over 7,000 staff details logged. Setting data is entered by a nominated practitioner and only this individual can enter data or change it.
Local authority staff (usually from the early years or childcare services) are able to view data but cannot access individual profiles of all people. They can, however, use aggregated data to generate local reports. The CWDC can see all setting records and produce reports at a local, regional and national level, while national organisations such as the DCSF and Ofsted do not have access to setting records but can request regional and national reports, using aggregated data.
Those entering the information in the setting must gain the consent of all the staff for their information to be shared with other organisations according to these guidelines.
Bringing data together
When it was launched, the tool attracted some criticism on the grounds that it duplicated information that providers were already giving to their local authorities and also went too far in asking personal questions to do with ethnicity and disability (see news, Nursery World, 26 August 2009).
However, Tawny Nursery in Thames Valley University, which took part in the trial, feels it can be a spur to people's careers.
Manager Stuart Milne says, 'We were asked by our local education authority to use it and see what we thought of it, and we have found it useful on two fronts. The qualifications of staff can be easily verified, particularly if they haven't come through the standard route.You can check if qualifications are valid for childcare and if that member of staff counts as being qualified.
'It's true that nurseries would be expected to have done this anyway, but for us the really key benefit is showing staff where they can go in the future. It makes it easy to highlight a career direction and give staff an incentive to go further - whether it is to EYP or beyond.'
Mr Milne understands the concerns of some about the information being stored on an online database, but it is not something that personally bothers him or his staff.
'We will also be using it when Ofsted comes in. We can present the inspector with the data and immediately show the level of qualifications in our setting, rather than each person having to be checked individually.'
Jacqui Hathaway, who manages Little Owls nursery in Reading, believes the tool is giving her staff more confidence.
'For nurseries that already have a programme of staff development in place and are already conducting appraisals and completing the SEF, the tool is a very useful way to combine information,' she says. 'It makes it easy to identify areas that need attention.'
Ms Hathaway finds it helpful that the tool lists key areas of training such as first aid, health and safety and observation and planning, as well as academic subjects.
'These can be mapped against qualifications which have provided coverage of these areas, while relevant additional courses, including those carried out in-house, can be logged on. If there is a gap in paediatric first aid, for example, it is easy to spot it.'
At the CWDC, Gillian Gaskell, project co-ordinator, says, 'The tool is designed to reduce duplication by providing a one-stop shop for qualifications and profile of staff - although not all fields are mandatory.'
Ms Gaskell says the form initially takes around two hours to complete. 'We are planning consultations with settings nationally at the beginning of next year, to make the form as easy as possible to complete. It's very much a two-way interaction to ensure it is not burdensome.'
Jo Elsey believes the tool will speed up the process of accessing training.
'Liaison between authority and provider has been long-winded in the past, with analysis reports going backwards and forwards,' she says. 'The tool boosts our capacity for workforce development planning by enabling us to access up-to-date, accurate data. This means we can ensure sufficient provision for training, with the right resources and support.'
She adds, 'Settings in our area are being pro-active in their approach to the tool. They realise that it is an effective way to feed information through to the authority on what training individual staff members require, and acquire that training as swiftly as possible.'
- Further information: www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/ early-years/audit-tool/faqs
A tool for trainers
James Hempsall, director of Hempsall Training Consultancies, says, 'For us, the actual tool itself is a way of tracking the skills and qualifications of the workforce and ultimately ensuring the setting is complying with the welfare requirements in terms of employing "suitable people".
'The key role of the tool is to feed into the role of the Integrated Qualifications Framework (IQF), addressing the changes in level 3 qualifications. If a setting uses the audit to record the qualifications that their team possess, they can then access the qualifications list to enable them to ensure their staff hold "full and relevant" qualifications.
'While it's not mandatory, it could be used by development workers and advisory teachers to support settings to signpost to relevant qualifications or CPD training, and could also support them to access funding streams.
'Accessing the IQF information is in a sense mandatory, as settings will need to ensure that their qualifications are full and relevant. Therefore, it makes sense to encourage settings to use the tool to support this process.
'The audit tool is a positive thing that should support settings to ensure they are adequately staffed, rather than it being seen as an extra piece of paper!'
Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of National Day Nurseries Association says, 'While NDNA understands that there are some concerns regarding the Qualifications Audit Tool such as security of information, we believe it is a positive move for the sector. It will enable settings to accurately track and monitor a practitioner's learning and development, and see where further training might be needed to meet full and relevant requirements. In addition, it will also remove duplication in terms of local audits by local authorities.
'Although the initial completion of the tool may take time, it can be easily updated and enable settings to keep training records in one place. This process can also be a good opportunity to highlight training needs across all staff. NDNA is also particularly interested in how the tool provides aggregate data locally and nationally. This should help both local authorities and government to identify what the needs of the workforce are and target training and support accordingly.
'With workforce development high on the agenda, NDNA would urge nurseries to take a look at the website for the tool and raise any queries or concerns they may have.'
