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Frequently Asked Questions

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About CWDC

Q: What is the CWDC 'footprint'?
A:

Every Sector Skills Council has a "footprint" which defines which areas of the workforce that Sector Skills Council covers. We refer to the types of workers we represent as our footprint. These include:

For full details see our footprint.

Q: What is the Children's Workforce Network (CWN)?
A:

The Children's Workforce Network (CWN) is an Alliance committed to creating and supporting a world-class children's workforce in England.

CWN is a strategic body, bringing together the relevant Sector Skills Councils (including the Children's Workforce Development Council) and other partners.

It is a voluntary grouping of independent partners, who recognise that collaboration will help them to achieve the more effective implementation of their individual and joint roles.

Members of the Children's Workforce Network

  • Children's Workforce Development Council
  • Cultural and Creative Industries Skills
  • General Social Care Council
  • General Teaching Council for England
  • Improvement & Development Agency
  • Lifelong Learning UK
  • Nursing and Midwifery Council
  • Skills for Health
  • Skills for Justice
  • SkillsActive
  • Training & Development Agency for Schools

For more information, click here to go to our partners page, or visit www.childrensworkforce.org.uk

 

Q: What is the mission of the CWDC?
A:

CWDC's mission is

  • To improve outcomes for children and young people by enhancing the role of the workforce
  • To strengthen the workforce by ensuring that all workers have the appropriate skills and qualifications
  • To encourage integration while continuing to value the distinctiveness of each profession
  • To promote a vision of the children's workforce as integrated, satisfying and valuable

Find out our plans for the coming years in our Corporate and Business Plan.

Q: Which workforce sectors does the CWDC represent?
A:

For full details see our footprint.

Q: Who is the head of the CWDC?
A:

Jane Haywood, MBE is the Chief Executive of the Children, Young People & Families Workforce Development Council for England (CWDC), and Michael Leadbetter has been appointed Chair. Their biographies and the members of the CWDC Board can be found on our Board pages.

Apprenticeships

Q: As an Apprenticeships training provider we produce our own in house ERR forms, is this acceptable evidence of completion of an ERR course?
A:

The Employment Rights and Responsibilities (ERR) workbooks produced by the Early Years National Training Organisation (EYNTO) are to be used as evidence. This is to ensure that candidates across the country receive the same quality of introduction into the workplace.

Training providers may wish to include additional units to the programme but it is mandatory that our booklet be completed. We are working on an updated CWDC version at the moment and will be available shortly on the Apprenticeships page. We are very sorry for the inconvenience caused to training providers and apprentices by this delay.

You can download the correct ERR workbooks on our Apprenticeships Training Providers page.

Q: How do I know if my first aid course is a valid one?
A:

It must be clear from the certificate that the course that has been delivered has covered First Aid for children. This means the words children, child or paediatric must appear somewhere on the certificate. The framework also stipulates that the course must involve a minimum of 12 hrs training.

Q: How do I know which apprenticeship framework issue I must follow?
A:

The first framework in Early Years Care and Education (issue 1) commenced on the 1 May 1999. Since then there have been 6 subsequent issues. The framework you must follow relates to the date you were registered on the apprenticeship program i.e. your start date.
Please see our framework guidance toolkit for a full list of issue dates and mandatory outcomes.

Q: I have completed key skills previously (as part of a GNVQ) do I need to repeat them for the Apprenticeship framework?
A:

No. There is no time limit on claiming Apprenticeship completion certificate from the date of the Key Skills awards. A key skill qualification should be treated like any other qualification; once it is achieved it need not be retaken.

Q: Is it possible to mix Apprenticership frameworks?
A:

You must produce evidence to show that the candidate has completed all the mandatory outcomes for the framework they were registered on. If you wish to move a student onto a different framework this must be done formally with the awarding bodies and indicated on the certificate request form. See the guidance CR1(Notes) for more details, which can be found on the Apprenticeships Training Providers resources page.

Q: Is there a time limit on claiming key skills proxy qualifications?
A:

Claims for proxy qualifications must be made no longer than three years after the date of the award (i.e. the date of the certification of the GCSE or other). The three year rule applies to all approved proxy qualifications.

 

Q: Is there a time limit on the key skills relaxation rule?
A:
  • For candidates registered after 1 August 2004
    The relaxation only applies where there is a maximum period of five years between the awards (i.e. the date of the certification of the GCSE or other and the registration date on the apprenticeship framework).
  • For candidates registered before 1 August 2004
    The relaxation only applies where there is a maximum period of three years between the awards (i.e. the date of the certification of the GCSE or other and the registration date on the apprenticeship framework).
Q: My qualification certificate only says ‘Summer’ or ‘Winter’ of a certain year, how will you calculate the time limit for key skills proxy or relaxation quals?
A:

For Summer achievers we will calculate from 31 August of the specified year.
For Winter achievers we will calculate from 31 March of the specified year.

Q: What are key skills?
A:

Key skills are for everyone, from learners in the workplace to chief executives in large companies. They are the skills most commonly needed for success in education, training, work and life in general. The six key skills are:

  • application of number
  • communication
  • improving own learning and performance
  • information technology
  • problem solving
  • working with others.

In developing key skills, people improve the quality of their learning as well as their performance in the world of work.

Q: What is the difference between a qualification in ‘Early Years Care and Education’ and ‘Children’s Care Learning and Development’?
A:

The new qualifications in Children's Care Learning and Development' have been written according to the new National Occupational Standards. These standards reflect a shift in children's care. New work on occupational and functional mapping identified a number of issues which indicated that employers' requirements, whilst retaining many of the core functions identified in previous reviews, were changing and placing additional demands on the workforce. Regulatory and legislative pressures were also placing different emphases on workforce skills and competences.

In the light of new requirements it was felt that the name ‘early years' was acting as a barrier to access for those parts of the workforce which needed flexible transferable skills to enable them to work with older children, but lacked the knowledge and understanding of children's development across an expanded age range and suitable opportunities to demonstrate their competence. The name ‘Children's Care, Learning and Development' was felt to offer the best description of the established and evolving workforce.

Q: What is the proxy or relaxation rule with regard to key skills alternatives?
A:

This relates to the key skills aspect of the Apprenticeship framework. Candidates who have previous qualifications relating to Communication and Application of Number may be able to use these instead of completing some or all parts of the key skills unit. For further information please see our Framework Guidance toolkit.

Q: When was Issue 7 of the CCLD Apprenticeship Framework implemented?
A:

The Apprenticeship Approvals Group approved the Apprenticeship Frameworks in Children’s Care Learning and Development. Framework issue 7 has a new title but will keep the framework code of 104. The framework applies to all Apprentices registered on or after 1 November 2005.

Q: Which qualifications does the key skills relaxation or proxy rule apply to?
A:
  • GCSE grades A – C
    These give a full relaxation from the appropriate key skill at Level 2 and may also be used where the key skill requirement is at Level 1.
  • GCSE grades D – G and ‘A’/’AS’ Level grades A – E
    These grades are a proxy for test only for the appropriate key skill. The Level of the key skill depends on the level of the portfolio completed by the apprentice. The apprentice must therefore be registered with the awarding body and must complete a KS Level 1 portfolio for Apprentices (Level 2) and a KS Level 2 portfolio for Advanced Apprentices (Level 3). The awarding body will issue a full key skill certificate, which should be submitted with the request for apprenticeship certification.
  • If you have Scottish, Welsh or Irish qualifications please go to www.qca.org.uk for a full list of approved proxy qualifications.

For further details please visit our Framework Guidance toolkit.

EYPS

Q: Can a new graduate fresh from university gain Early Years Professional Status (EYPS)?
A:

Early Years Professionals (EYPs) will be key to raising the quality of early years provision. They will be change agents to improve practice. They will lead practice amongst those delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), in a range of settings modelling the skills and behaviours that promote good outcomes for children and supporting and mentoring other practitioners. It is unlikely that a newly qualified graduate will have sufficient experience to handle this. However, people have different backgrounds and may have gone into their degree course with substantial experience.

In the EYPS introduction and information guide we have provided details of the twelve-month full-time training pathway. This pathway to EYPS has been designed with new graduates who have some experience in early years sector in mind and will include 18 weeks of early years setting placements.

Q: Do I have to have a degree in Early Childhood Studies to become an Early Years Professional (EYP)?
A:

To be awarded EYPS, all candidates will need to hold a full degree or recognised equivalent at the end of their training. Candidates with relevant degrees, such as a degree in Early Childhood Studies, will probably be able to access the shorter pathways.

Those holding an Early Years Foundation Degree or a non-relevant degree (and require further training) will be able to join longer pathways. Applicants with a foundation degree will need to supplement this qualification with at least 60 points at HE Level 3 and be awarded a degree prior to assessment.

Details of the different pathways and case studies of potential candidates can be found on our 'How do I become an EYP' pages. Both of these can be downloaded from our website. Responsibility for the selection of candidates for training and assessment pathways will always lie with the training providers.

Q: Do the selected EYPS training providers represent specific regions?
A:

Training providers working with CWDC have been selected primarily on the quality of their bid to deliver Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) training. The provision of pathways has been modelled to allow for fair regional coverage and each of the pathways is available in every region. A list of all training providers can be found on our 'How do I become an EYP?' page

Q: How do I know which EYPS training providers offer high quality?
A:

All training providers working with CWDC have to meet a number of conditions to receive funding and to be eligible to provide preparation and assessment for Early Years Professional Status (EYPS), including the need to have systems in place for quality assurance and internal moderation. All training providers were assessed against specific criteria to ensure they had the capacity and ability to deliver high quality training and assessment. Details of all training providers can be found on our 'How do I become an EYP?' page.

Q: How does the CWDC envisage a graduate manager, EYP and National Professional Qualification for Integrated Centre Leadership fitting together?
A:

We envisage that over time only those with EYP status should lead practice across Early Years Foundation Stage. EYPs may go on to lead and manage a setting and undertake the National Professional Qualification for Integrated Centre Leadership but centre leaders and managers in Children’s Centres may come from a range of backgrounds.

Q: How long will the EYPS training take and is it full-time?
A:

This will depend on a candidate’s previous experience and qualifications. There are four pathways to achieving Early Years Professional Status (EYPS), time commitments for which are as follows:

  • the validation pathway: six and a half days assessment over a period of three months;
  • the short EPD: part-time for three months, followed by six and a half days validation over a period of three months;
  • the long EPD: part-time for twelve months, followed by six and a half days validation over a period of three months;
  • the full-time training pathway: full-time for twelve months, including six and a half days validation.

More information about each of the pathways can be found in our 'How do I become an EYP?' page.

Q: How will those with QTS working in Children’s Centres undertake additional training to have EYPS conferred?
A:

The Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) training pathways for those with QTS currently working in early years are likely to be short and part-time in nature. Funding to cover fees and support payments to the payments to the Children's Centres will be available. Details of the pathways can be found on our 'How do I become an EYP?' page.

Q: I am a very experienced practitioner at Level 3 – why do I need a degree to be awarded EYPS?
A:

Evidence from the Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE)* study shows that improving the quality of the early years experience is directly related to better outcomes for children. Key factors contributing to the quality of this experience are well-qualified leaders, trained teachers working alongside and supporting less qualified staff and staff with a good understanding of child development and learning.

A Level 3 practitioner who has undertaken graduate level study cited the following as the difference graduate level thinking makes to a leadership role in particular:

  • the quality of leadership has been enhanced due to the deeper understanding and embracing of the knowledge and theories that underpin our work
  • a deeper thinking has been stimulated through the graduate level discussions
  • the ability to be a reflective practitioner and encourage this in others has increased, and
  • the ability to contribute to continuing professional development for staff at Level 3 has been enhanced.

*The Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE) Project: Findings from the Pre-School Period, Sammons, Sylva, Melhuish and Blatchford 2003.

Q: I am an experienced leader with a level 3 qualification - can I apply for EYPS?
A:

Will my experience mean that I am able to meet these graduate level (level 6) national standards and thus acquire EYPS without any other study / qualification steps in between? Or will I have to achieve a higher-level qualification before attempting this?

Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) and its Standards are set at graduate level. Only those who demonstrate these Standards will be awarded of EYPS. Furthermore, all candidates will need to hold at least Level 5 qualification before undertaking one of the training pathways for EYPS. Over time, CWDC will look at pathways to EYPS for those with Level 3 qualifications and significant relevant experience.

Funding from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has been made available to help those working in early years settings gain qualification at Levels 3-5. Details of the Transformation Fund can be found on the Every Child Matters website.

Q: I really want to gain EYPS - can I fund the training myself?
A:

No, EYP training and assessment cannot currently be funded by any body other than the CWDC. Only those candidates who are working in eligible settings or on the full pathway are eligible for the pathways, which are paid for through the Transformation Fund.

Q: I was awarded Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) when candidates were required to have a Cert. Ed. rather than a full degree and have since spent a long time working in the early years sector. Am I eligible to go forward for the award of EYPS?
A:

Yes. Candidates who qualified as teachers before 1980 without degrees are considered to have met the degree requirement for Early Years Professional Status (EYPS).

Q: If EYPS is equivalent to QTS, does this mean that pay and conditions will be the same as for teachers?
A:

Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) and Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) are both professional statuses - but they are not the same. Consequently employers may set the same or they may set different pay and conditions for the two groups of employees. It is worth noting that pay and conditions are matters for employers rather than CWDC.

Q: If I do not train will I lose my job as an early years co-ordinator in my setting?
A:

CWDC and its partners do not control how staff are deployed in individual settings. The Early Years Professional (EYP) role is to lead practice across the Early Years Foundation Stage, to act as a change agent to raise the quality of provision and improve practice, and to model the skills and behaviours that promote good outcomes for children. EYPs will work collaboratively with colleagues and provide leadership, mentoring and coaching to enable all staff in the setting to contribute to raising the quality of provision and improving outcomes for children.

Q: In the Children’s Workforce Strategy it was proposed that early years settings should have both a graduate professional leader and a graduate manager. Is this still the case, or can the Manager and EYP leader be the same person?
A:

CWDC believes that, over time, only those with Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) should lead the delivery of the new Early Years Foundation Stage. It is not assumed or intended that an EYP should lead and manage multi-agency, multi-disciplinary, Children’s Centre settings. However, in some smaller early years settings the EYP may in fact also be the setting leader.

Q: Is EYPS training and assessment only available in England?
A:

Yes, the training providers are based in England only. However, for the part-time pathways (the validation, short EPD and long EPD) candidates are required to work in a setting in England even though they may live in a different country. For the full-time training pathway candidates have to live, and be eligible to work, in England.

Q: Is Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) equivalent to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)?
A:

EYPS and QTS, are both professional statuses, but are based on a different set of skills and knowledge. It is important to note that EYPS and QTS are not interchangeable.

Q: Is a Foundation degree considered to be level 4, 5 or 6?
A:

Foundation degrees are at Level 5.

Q: Is there a pay scale for Early Years Professionals?
A:

There is currently no national pay scale for Early Years Professionals (EYPs). It is up to individual employers to develop salary scales for employees. Some help is available for salaries and training through the home grown graduate incentive element the Transformation Fund. In addition, CWDC is carrying out some work around the impact of pay and the total rewards package upon recruitment and retention, and we are working closely with DCSF on these findings.

Q: I’m an experienced worker – is there any point in me doing a level 4 NVQ? Will this take me towards EYPS or should I be going for EYPS now?
A:
  • How does EYP status fit with the Early Years Sector Endorsed Foundation Degree (EYSEFD)?
  • How will someone with the Foundation degree acquire EYP status?
  • Should I do a Foundation degree, or should I go straight for a L6 qualification?

Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) is a Level 6 status, and there are pathways for candidates that have a full Level 5 and Level 6 qualification. Candidates that have completed the Early Years Sector Endorsed Foundation Degree can achieve EYPS through the Extended Professional Development Long Pathway.

When deciding on career pathways, candidates must consider their own aims and objectives. Some paths are more appropriate for those that wish to remain in practice and develop their professional leadership skills, and others for those that wish to develop their business management skills.

Q: Once I achieve EYPS will I need to undertake continuing professional development (CPD) to maintain the status?
A:

CWDC and its partners are currently considering what requirements there may be to maintain Early Years Professional Status (EYPS). Further information will be issued in due course.

Q: One of the requirements for EYP training states that candidates must have GCSEs at grade C in English and Maths, or equivalents. What can I do if I have lost my certificates? What is meant by equivalents?
A:

All candidates will have to provide evidence that they meet this requirement to their training provider. If a candidate has lost their original certificate, they will need to obtain a copy from the original awarding body.

Alternatively, if the candidate has also completed a Level 6 qualification that had the same requirement, then written confirmation from the awarding body, in most cases the university, stating as much may be taken as sufficient evidence.

Equivalents for this requirement extend to ‘O’ Levels at grade C and CSEs at grade 1. Training providers have been provided with a list of other acceptable equivalent qualifications. Level 2 qualifications in numeracy and literacy are not acceptable equivalents, as whilst they are set at the same level as GCSE grade C they do not cover the same breadth of subject.

It is also acceptable for training providers to set their own equivalency test for this requirement.

Q: What do Early Years Professionals (EYPs) do?
A:

Early Years Professionals (EYPs) are key to raising the quality of early years provision. They are change agents for improving practice within settings. They will lead practice across the EYFS, in a range of settings modelling the skills and behaviours that promote good outcomes for children and supporting and mentoring other practitioners. Find out more on our EYPS pages.

Q: What does the EYP candidate support package include?
A:

CWDC is able to use funds allocated from the Graduate Leader Fund (GLF) to cover course fees, bursaries, mentor costs and supply cover costs for candidates. Candidates will not be expected to pay any of the course fees required to attain Early Years Professional Status (EYPS). Indicative figures detailing the support available to candidates and settings can be found in our EYPS introduction and information guide.

Q: What is NPQICL and does it count towards meeting the EYPS entry requirement?
A:

NPQICL is a nationally recognised qualification awarded on behalf of the Department for Education and Skills (DfES - now called the Department for Children, Schools and Families DCSF). It is considered by many Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to be equivalent to 60 Masters level CAT points. The National College for School Leadership (NCSL) recommends that HEIs admit participants to a Masters programme with one-third credit (60 points at M level) under their accreditation of prior learning (APL) arrangements, providing that they hold an NPQICL certificate.

Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) requires a full degree (or full Level 5 qualification for those on the long EPD pathway). Therefore NPQICL entry requirements and exit qualification do not guarantee that candidates have achieved a degree. This means that NPQICL does not count as meeting the EYPS graduate entry requirement.

Q: What is the relationship between Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and Early Years Professional Status (EYPS)?
A:

CWDC believes that the relationship between QTS and EYPS should be clarified in time for the introduction of the new Early Years Foundation Stage in 2008. The Government agrees that further clarity would be helpful.

The Government wishes to ensure that people with QTS are attracted and retained in the Early Years workforce.

Q: Where can I find information on the Early Years Professional Status (EYPS)?
A:

All information on the EYPS will be published on this website. The best way of keeping up to date with developments is to visit regularly. Go to our EYPS home page.

Q: Who is eligible to do Early Years Professional (EYP) training and assessment?
A:

Early Years Professional (EYP) training and assessment is funded through the Transformation Fund. The local authority administered part of the Transformation Fund is only for full daycare providers in the private, voluntary and independent (PVI) sector. The CWDC Transformation Fund allocation will be used to support EYP candidates from Children’s Centres as priorities as well as those working within early years settings in the PVI sector.

Individuals working in sessional settings, childminders (particularly those leading childminder networks) and those who are employed to support the early years workforce will be eligible for funding. However this will only become available once priority funding places have been allocated by training providers.

The following groups are eligible for the funding to do the EYPS work-based pathways:

  • candidates from PVI full daycare and children’s centres. These are the priority group for EYPS;
  • candidates from sessional care or childminders (particularly those leading childminder networks);
  • candidates from maintained full daycare settings such as social services family centres; and
  • candidates involved in training the early years workforce in PVI settings and Children's Centres, such as:
    • Advisory teachers
    • LA early years development officers
    • FE teachers

Please note that there are no eligibility criteria for candidates wishing to do the full time twelve-month pathway. Any candidate that meets the entry requirements can apply to training providers.

Q: Why do I have to complete further training as I am already working with early years children and I am a qualified teacher?
A:

All candidates wishing to achieve Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) will need to be able to meet the entry requirements for training programmes and demonstrate the EYPS National Standards.

Whilst you have valuable experience working with 3-5 year olds, and you are qualified to degree level it may be that you do not have sufficient knowledge of child development and practice with 0-3 year olds or experience of working with 0-3 year olds. It may therefore be necessary for you to undertake additional training such as a part-time module on child development and professional practice with 0-3 year olds or a block placement or day attachment to work with 0-3 year olds in an appropriate setting for you to achieve the EYP Standards.

Q: Will the training provider accept me if I work in a maintained setting?
A:

The local authority administered part of the Graduate Leader Fund (GLF) is for full daycare providers in the private, voluntary and independent (PVI) sector. CWDC's Graduate Leader Fund allocation can be used to support EYP candidates in Children’s Centres as well as early years settings in the PVI sector.

Individuals working in sessional settings, childminders (particularly those leading childminder networks) and those who are employed to support the early years workforce will be eligible for funding. However this will only become available once priority funding has been allocated by training providers.

Early Years

Q: What is the difference between a qualification in ‘Early Years Care and Education’ and ‘Children’s Care Learning and Development’?
A:

The new qualifications in Children's Care Learning and Development' have been written according to the new National Occupational Standards. These standards reflect a shift in children's care. New work on occupational and functional mapping identified a number of issues which indicated that employers' requirements, whilst retaining many of the core functions identified in previous reviews, were changing and placing additional demands on the workforce. Regulatory and legislative pressures were also placing different emphases on workforce skills and competences.

In the light of new requirements it was felt that the name ‘early years' was acting as a barrier to access for those parts of the workforce which needed flexible transferable skills to enable them to work with older children, but lacked the knowledge and understanding of children's development across an expanded age range and suitable opportunities to demonstrate their competence. The name ‘Children's Care, Learning and Development' was felt to offer the best description of the established and evolving workforce.

Foundation degrees

Q: Is a Foundation degree considered to be level 4, 5 or 6?
A:

Foundation degrees are at Level 5.

IQF

Q: How can I keep up to date with IQF developments?
A:

The best way is to sign up to receive quarterly e-bulletins for the IQF - email iqf@cwdcouncil.org.uk to subscribe. Also keep an eye on www.childrensworkforce.org.uk to find out more.

 

Q: How does the IQF apply to higher education?
A:

There is going to be one Integrated Qualifications Framework (IQF) for all children’s qualifications across vocational and higher education (HE), although full integration for HE will take place over a longer time-frame than for vocational qualifications. This allows for required collaboration and strategic partnership working with HEIs and regulatory authorities.

Q: How will my existing qualification fit with the IQF?
A:

Existing qualifications will still be valid. However, the Integrated Qualifications Framework (IQF) is not retrospective, therefore only new qualifications are eligible to be included, but it is expected that continuing professional development will keep you up to date with developments in the children’s workforce.

Q: How will we know if the IQF is working?
A:

The piloting phase will be fully evaluated, in order to iron out any technical difficulties and increase partners’ capacity to collaborate in sharing units and qualifications. The evaluation will also begin to assess the difference the Integrated Qualifications Framework (IQF) is making, although the success of the IQF will not be able to be fully assessed until it is fully operational.

Q: What are the Inclusion Principles for the IQF?
A:

The Inclusion Principles are the rules to be followed to enable new qualifications to be held on the Integrated Qualifications Framework (IQF).

The IQF Inclusion Principles are:

IQF Inclusion Principle 1 Qualifications and their component parts will be fit for purpose for the sector(s) concerned.
IQF Inclusion Principle 2 Qualifications and their component parts will meet regulatory requirements where appropriate.
IQF Inclusion Principle 3 CWN members will work together to identify and develop qualifications and components that can be jointly supported and shared across the workforce.
IQF Inclusion Principle 4 The Common Core of Skills and Knowledge will be reflected in all qualifications or their prerequisites.

Q: What do I do if I am thinking of developing a qualification?
A:

In the first instance you need to contact the appropriate Sector Skills Council (SSC) or Sector Skills Body (SSB). The SSC or SSB will then collaborate with other children’s sector bodies to ensure qualifications for the children’s workforce are shared and transferable. A list of UK SSCs is available on our partners page.

CWDC is a member of Skills for Care and Development SfC&D) : the Sector Skills Council for social care, children and young people's workforces in the UK. It is an alliance of six organisations - find out more on our SfC&D page.

Q: What is happening next, in relation to IQF development?
A:

New qualifications, and those qualifications being revised, are being submitted by the Children's Workforce Network (CWN) partners to pilot the collaboration process and inclusion principles over the coming year (until October 08). The Integrated Qualifications Framework (IQF) will be fully operational in 2010.

Q: What is the Integrated Qualifications Framework (IQF)?
A:

The Integrated Qualifications Framework (IQF) will be a set of approved qualifications that allows progression, continuing professional development and mobility across the children’s workforce. It aims to ensure all qualifications are accessible, fit for purpose and recognisable across different occupational groups within the sector. The IQF will be available across England by 2010.

Q: What is the difference between the IQF and the QCF?
A:

The Integrated Qualifications Framework (IQF) aims to integrate units and qualifications within the children’s workforce, and all the units and qualifications that are being developed within vocational education and training will fit with the new Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF) unitised structure.

The QCF is the Qualification and Curriculum Authority’s framework that allows separate units to be developed and undertaken, the IQF ensures that whatever units are submitted onto to the QCF within the children’s sector have been developed through an integrated approach and delivered to promote greater transferability and mobility for employees within the sector.

The IQF will be fully compatible with the QCF.

Q: Who owns the IQF?
A:

The Children’s Workforce Network (CWN) owns the Integrated Qualifications Framework (IQF). CWDC, as a member of CWN, is the lead agency for the management and development of the IQF, reporting to the Children’s Workforce Network board.

Making Choices

Q: Are there any other Making Choices support materials?
A:

There is a film provided on either a video or DVD which accompanies the programme. The film features a variety of settings within Early Years, Childcare, Playwork and Foster Care. The production of the video / DVD was been funded by CWDC.

Q: Does attendance on the Making Choices programme give participants a qualification?
A:

No. The programme will be accredited with SkillsActive and participants will receive a certificate. Completion of the programme does however indicate that participants have taken time to consider their options before choosing to enter the sector and are aware of the importance of undertaking appropriate training.

Q: Does the Making Choices programme cover all four nations?
A:

The new programme relates to the children’s workforce in England only. However many of the exercises are relevant to the other countries of the UK and the programme could be adapted.

Q: How can I get the Making Choices training provider pack?
A:

By registering your interest with CWDC via email or by calling 0113 390 7758. Or, for information on the or Skills Active Code of Practice please contact the Playwork Unit via email at admin@skillsactive.com or visit SkillsActive's website www.skillsactive.com/playwork

CWDC will issue a Registration pack to you on receipt of your request. The Registration pack includes:

  • Details on the registration process
  • Application form
  • Sample evaluation forms
  • Certificate request form
Q: How can I register to deliver the Making Choices programme?
A:

The registration process with CWDC is outlined in the Registration pack. Training providers will be required to complete the application form and submit evidence against five criteria. Details of the acceptable evidence are outlined in the Registration pack.

Training providers must identify a Registration Officer who will be responsible for the training pack and the use of the materials within in. CWDC will only issue certificates of attendance to registered training providers who must complete the certificate request form, signed by their Registration Officer.

The registration process costs £50 + VAT (£58.75). For queries relating to the registration process please send us an email or phone 0113 3907758. Upon successful completion of the registration process, CWDC will issue a training pack to the Registration Officer.

For information on the SkillsActive Code of Practice please refer to www.skillsactive.com/playwork

Q: How long is the Making Choices programme?
A:

The programme allows for flexibility in it's delivery with an overall total of 12 hours. The programme could be delivered over a series of six, 2 hour sessions or as three full days.

Q: How much will the Making Choices programme cost to provide?
A:

The cost of the training pack is £100. CWDC's registration process will cost training providers £50 + VAT (£58.75). For details on the costs of the SkillsActive Code of Practice please visit their website at www.skillsactive.com/playwork

Q: If I was previously registered with the Early Years NTO for their Making Choices Code of Practice what should I do?
A:

Please contact the CWDC who is dealing with enquiries from Early Years Training providers. All Early Years training providers who have previously delivered the Making Choices programme will be required to register for the new programme.

Q: What are the aim and main objectives of the Making Choices programme?
A:

The aim of the Making Choices programme is to help people make an informed choice about choosing a career in working with children, young people and families, in order to enable the on-going expansion of the children’s workforce.

By the end of the programme participants will have an awareness of:

  • The diverse services available to children, young people and families
  • The specific roles and responsibilities involved in working with children, young people and families, in Early Years Education, Childcare, Playwork and Foster Care
  • The importance and relevance of training for working with children, young people and families
  • The training and career opportunities available within the children's workforce
  • Possible sources of information for supporting career choices
Q: What does the Making Choices training provider pack include?
A:

The Making Choices training pack contains the following:

  • Session plans
  • Tutor notes and Reference materials
  • Handouts
  • Publicity leaflet
  • CD-ROM containing all materials
  • DVD and Video
  • Sample notes folders
  • Sample certificate
Q: Who can deliver the Making Choices programme?
A:

Training providers must register with the CWDC, or sign up to the SkillsActive Code of Practice, to deliver the Making Choices programme.

Q: Who is the target audience for Making Choices?
A:

The Making Choices programme will appeal to a wide audience including those who are making early career choices, returning to work or learning, changing careers or for those already working in the children's workforce who wish to further their careers, or move into a different sector.

Q: Why does the Making Choices programme cover the four sectors it does?
A:

The four sectors were chosen because Early Years, childcare, Playwork and Foster Care have some immediate capacity and quality challenges in terms of recruitment. The training pack does however contain information regarding the wider children’s workforce and related sectors.

Qualifications

Q: How can I transfer my skills between jobs that require similar skills but different qualifications?
A:

Transitional qualifications from early years to playwork and vice versa have been developed already. More are under development as part of wider work on the Integrated Qualifications Framework (IQF) - a project CWDC is working on with the Children's Workforce Network (CWN). Find out more on our IQF pages.

Q: What are the most appropriate qualifications for practitioners working with both teenagers and early years?
A:

There is overlap in terms of the age ranges covered by the NOS in Children's Care, Learning and Development and the Children's Pathway in the HSC NOS. However the standards and NVQs are aimed at different parts of the workforce and for foster carers it's likely that the HSC NVQ is most appropriate.

Q: What is the difference between a qualification in ‘Early Years Care and Education’ and ‘Children’s Care Learning and Development’?
A:

The new qualifications in Children's Care Learning and Development' have been written according to the new National Occupational Standards. These standards reflect a shift in children's care. New work on occupational and functional mapping identified a number of issues which indicated that employers' requirements, whilst retaining many of the core functions identified in previous reviews, were changing and placing additional demands on the workforce. Regulatory and legislative pressures were also placing different emphases on workforce skills and competences.

In the light of new requirements it was felt that the name ‘early years' was acting as a barrier to access for those parts of the workforce which needed flexible transferable skills to enable them to work with older children, but lacked the knowledge and understanding of children's development across an expanded age range and suitable opportunities to demonstrate their competence. The name ‘Children's Care, Learning and Development' was felt to offer the best description of the established and evolving workforce.

Standards

Q: What are National Occupational Standards (NOS)?
A:

National Occupational Standards (NOS) are statements of the skills, knowledge and understanding needed in employment and clearly define the outcomes of competent performance. National Occupational Standards are not training courses or programmes of study, but state what are considered to be critical aspects of competence at work, and balance innovation and established best practice. Competence includes skills, knowledge and understanding. Standards must be flexible enough to accommodate changes in future skills needs. Find out more on our NOS pages.

Q: What or who are the NOS CCLD for?
A:

The National Occupational Standards (NOS) in Children's Care, Learning and Development (CCLD) are for people who work with children from 0 to 16 years (and their families) in settings or services whose main purpose is children's care, learning and development.

The settings are diverse and it is not possible to list them all, but the following are examples:

  • Daycare
  • Crèches
  • Childminders' own homes
  • Nannies or home childcarers in the child's own home
  • Schools
  • Pre-schools / playgroups
  • Children's centres
  • Extended schools
  • Hospitals
  • Primary care
  • Community based services
  • SureStart programmes

It is important to note that the standards at Levels 2 and 3 are designed primarily for those engaged in face-to-face work with children and families. However some units at level 3 and many at level 4 are suitable for those in supervisory, management, support or peripatetic roles.

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