Tuesday, 23 March 2010 14:43

The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) in partnership with universities, practitioners, employers and the Scottish Government developed the ground-breaking Childhood Practice award, the first degree level qualification which gives professional recognition to people working in the early years sector. And now you can find out more about it from people working in a range of child care and family support settings in a short SSSC film: Childhood Practice - growing, learning, changing.

 

 

The film is designed to help employers, workers and parents/carers understand the difference that skilled and qualified staff can make. Hear how the new qualification has had a direct impact and find out how it has helped to deliver better services, improve outcomes for children and why it's important to have good leaders in the sector.

 

Launched in 2008, the innovative Childhood Practice award is one of the first work-based degrees in Scotland where entry is based on vocational qualifications (SVQs) and the experience people have gained in their career to date.

 

Frances Scott, SSSC Qualification and Standards Manager, who led the development of Childhood Practice, said:

 

"A few years ago the thought of gaining a qualification at degree level in working with children was unthinkable. Traditionally, the early years and child care workforce has been under qualified and under-valued. Until now.

 

"Well led services achieve better outcomes for children partly because the people who are leading well have a strong sense of where they want to take the service and Childhood Practice is about equipping people working with children with the skills they need to be able to achieve this."

 

A Parliamentary Reception will be held on Tuesday 23 March to celebrate the success of the Childhood Practice award and promote the difference it will make to children and young people and to the early years and child care workforce.

 

Anna Fowlie, SSSC Chief Executive said:

 

"I am really excited by the level of interest in the Childhood Practice award with hundreds of early years workers going through the degree since it was launched just two years ago. To deliver a high quality service and demonstrate their value in the market employers have to show the excellent level of service they provide and having a well qualified, competent and confident workforce is one way to do that."