Every Child Matters (ECM)
With the introduction of the Government’s ‘Every Child Matters: Change for Children’ it is essential that children’s services are developing to ensure improved outcomes for children.
All children require support to:-
- Be Healthy
- Stay Safe
- Enjoy and Achieve
- Make a Positive Contribution
- Achieve Economic Well Being
These are known as the Every Child Matters 5 Outcomes for children.
As registered providers of childcare, early education or play provision you will be familiar with the Every Child Matters 5 outcomes framework, which Ofsted now inspect provision against.
The Common Core of Skills and Knowledge
Every Child Matters strongly supported the proposal that everyone working with children, young people and families should have a common set of skills and knowledge. The Common Core of Skills and Knowledge was therefore developed and it sets out practice at a basic level in six areas:-
- Effective communication and engagement
- Child and young person development
- Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child
- Supporting transitions
- Multi-agency working
- Sharing information
The Common Core reflects a set of common values for practitioners that promote equality, respect diversity and challenge stereotypes, helping to improve life chances of all children and young people and to provide more effective and integrated services.
The Children’s Workforce Strategy
As a part of Every Child Matters drive to improve outcomes and reduce inequalities for children and young people, the Children’s Workforce Strategy has been developed to set out the Government’s goal to build a world-class workforce; developing quality through a higher level of skill, knowledge and qualifications.
For further information on these pieces of legislation please visit the Every Child Matterswebsite.
The Training Service
In view of the priority that the government is giving to the development of childcare provision and the workforce, it is important that settings consider their staffs’ training needs, in order to address effective improvement to children’s services and ensure quality of provision.
The training service aims to support childcare settings in being able to address the government’s priorities for the workforce.
The continuing professional development opportunities, which we provide each term aim to develop workers awareness and update their skills and knowledge to ensure that the workforce is well trained and offering high quality provision for children, young people and their families. We also provide advice and guidance for those looking at taking on childcare and playwork qualifications.
