Early Years Strategic Plan 2022-2025

The overall aims of the Early Years Strategic Plan 2022-2025 are:

• To ensure the highest quality standards of early learning and childcare throughout East Dunbartonshire
• To offer support to Early Years Centres (EYCs) to achieve positive inspections from both the Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland
• To provide clear pathways within the Early Years Professional Learning Calendar offered to our EYCs and childminders
• To recognise the support required for all our new early years employees through recruitment, appointment and retention of staff
• To provide high quality outdoor environments for learning and play
• To provide holiday childcare and food opportunities for identified children and young people
• To enhance the ASN Playscheme offer for children with moderate and complex learning needs.

Quality Improvement Manager - Early Years.

• All EYCs in East Dunbartonshire (EDC) are evaluated as good or better by the Care Inspectorate. If grades fall below good, bespoke support will be provided to improve
• All EYCs in EDC are evaluated as satisfactory or above in Education Scotland inspections
• All centres feel supported with writing Improvement Plans and have robust self-evaluation processes and policies in place to
  ensure quality
• All early years staff (EYCs and childminders) have access to quality professional learning via online platforms and face to face opportunities that allow the sharing of practice
• Leadership resource information is shared with all Heads and Deputes to support with understanding key Early Years policies and procedures. The updated induction resource is shared with all new practitioners in order to build capacity
• The Early Years Professional Learning Calendar provides a range of training at all levels – informed, skilled and enhanced
  Such training, as well as Practitioner Enquiry Approaches, will help build capacity and support continuous improvement at all levels. The main focus for Practitioner Enquiry Approaches over the next two years will be Language and Communication Friendly Establishments and Nurture
• Professional learning for staff is linked to current local and national guidance, self-evaluation and improvement planning
• Training is linked to individual personal development reviews (PDRs)
• Outdoor environments are improved through auditing, self-evaluation and access to professional learning from EDC and external agencies.

• All inspections of EYCs are evaluated as good or better by the Care Inspectorate and satisfactory or better by Education Scotland
• Continued bespoke support by the Early Years Team including: Quality Improvement Officers, Early Level Support Teachers and Early Years Support Officers
• Further develop use of Glow and Microsoft Teams to ensure all Early Years Providers including local authority centres, funder partner providers and childminders can access training. Training is well attended and highly evaluated
• Review of Leadership resource and induction materials
• Training to be accessed by all centres via the Early Years Training Calendar Team
• Training is well attended at all levels and recognised improvement of change is visible within centres
• Training is well attended and further bespoke support is provided to centres to write clear, achievable improvement plans as well as building confidence in self-evaluation processes
• Training audits to be reviewed by Quality Improvement Officers (QIOs) to identify common training needs to inform future professional learning opportunities and support
• Centres supported to audit and evaluate the quality of their outdoor environments
• Professional learning provided by Early Years Practitioners to support centres to evaluate and enhance outdoor learning opportunities.

• Move to mixture of interactive face-to-face and online training.
• Attendance continues to be high with visible improvement in centres
• Training continues to be well attended and highly evaluated by Early Years Practitioners
• Bespoke support continues with individual centres ensuring improvements are made and self- evaluation is embedded into practice
• Training audit to be reviewed by QIOs in each setting to identify common training needs
• All centres have access to the outdoor learning audit toolkit and understand how this can be used to improve curriculum and learning outdoors.

• Continue with mixture of interactive face-to-face and online training
• Attendance continues to be high with visible improvement in centres
• Training continues to be well attended and highly evaluated by Early Years Practitioners
• Bespoke support continues with individual centres ensuring improvements are made and self- evaluation is embedded into practice
• Training audit to be reviewed by QIOs in each setting to identify common training needs
• Almost all centres have improved their outdoor environment to ensure learning opportunities are provided across all areas of the curriculum.

• Implement Early Years Consultation to inform the Early Years Strategic Plan and to continuously improve the service provided
• Continue to review and develop the Early Years Professional Learning programme for Council and funded provider EYCs
• Continue to develop and implement a professional learning programme for childminders which meets their needs
• Continue to review roles and responsibilities of the central Early Years team to ensure quality across all providers of early learning and childcare
• Develop and continue improvements to outdoor environments.

Quality Improvement Manager - Early Years.

Early Years Service Manager.

• Staff in place across all centres to deliver 1140 hours across extended day and year provision
• Continued review of promotional materials with regular recruitment and career events to support and promote a career in Early Years
• Childminders, who are in partnership with the Council to deliver funded hours, are supported to complete the Level 7 professional qualification as outlined in the National Standard
• Progression pathways are in place to support career changers to retrain and complete the SVQ level 3 while working as an Early Years Support Worker (EYSW). (This qualification is fully funded through Skills Development Scotland and delivered by Glasgow
  City College)
• Progression for current EYSWs who have completed SVQ Level 2 to be supported to complete SVQ Level 3
• Progression for Early Years practitioners moving into leadership roles to complete SVQ Level 4 (funded by Skills Development Scotland and delivered by Glasgow City College)
• Workforce opportunities for staff to apply for funding to complete
  the SCQF Level 9 qualification. Funding is available to all providers of day-care of children including out of school care and childminders who meet the criteria
• Continued recruitment of Modern Apprentices (MA) aged 16 -25
• Work with secondary schools to support Foundation Apprentices (FA) to complete the SCQF Level 6 qualification in Early Years.

• Continued review of recruitment processes to retain staff –including flexible working opportunities and regular review of staffing models
• Materials and opportunities created to promote Early Years
  careers. This will include career change events, promotional videos of current Early Years staff in both practitioner and leadership roles. This will be communicated via Council social media and website channels
• Increased number of childminders completing professional qualifications
• One-year temporary EY Support Workers appointed and supported to complete their SVQ Level 3 qualification
• Increase in EYSWs moving on to complete SVQ Level 3
• Increase in practitioners completing SVQ Level 4
• Increase in staff being supported and funded to complete SVQ Level 9 qualification and having opportunities to move into leadership/management roles
• Increased number of MAs choosing Early Years as a career
• Increased number of secondary pupils choosing to complete Early Years qualifications equivalent to a higher.

• Continued review of staffing and delivery models to support flexible working, part time and full time opportunities
• Regularly review promotional materials and update website
• Increased number of childminders completing professional qualifications
• Increase in the number of EY Support Workers completing their SVQ Level 3 Qualification
• Qualified EYSWs are supported to apply for permanent vacancies or join the Early Years practitioner supply pool
• Increase in EYSWs moving on to complete SVQ level 3 and thereafter, supported to apply for Early Years practitioner posts
• Increase in practitioners completing SVQ Level 4 (SCQF level 8) and moving onto complete SCQF Level 9
• Increase in staff being supported and funded to complete Level
  9 qualification and having opportunities to move into leadership/management roles
• Continued increased numbers of MAs completing qualifications and securing employment in East Dunbartonshire
• Increased number of secondary pupils
  choosing to complete Early Years qualifications equivalent to a higher
• Increased number of FAs moving into MA roles.

• Continued review of staffing and delivery models to support flexible working, part time and full time opportunities
• Regularly review promotional materials and update website
• Increased number of childminders completing professional qualifications
• Increase in the number of EY Support Workers completing their SVQ Level 3 Qualification
• Qualified EYSWs are supported to apply for permanent vacancies or join the Early Years practitioner supply pool
• Increase in EYSWs moving on to complete SVQ level 3 and thereafter, supported to apply for Early Years practitioner posts
• Increase in practitioners completing SVQ Level 4 (SCQF level 8) and moving onto complete SCQF Level 9
• Increase in staff being supported and funded to complete Level
  9 qualification and having opportunities to move into leadership/management roles
• Continued increased numbers of MAs completing qualifications and securing employment in East Dunbartonshire
• Increased number of secondary pupils choosing to complete Early Years qualifications equivalent to a higher
• Increased number of FAs moving into MA roles.

• Continue to develop our Early Years workforce and support them through a wide range of training opportunities
• Promote engagement in job opportunities in the Early Years sector, through the development of the EYSW role and the provision of training
• Continue to support leadership opportunities through professional qualifications.

Early Years Service Manager.

• Ongoing review of staffing models to ensure correct levels of staffing and high quality Early Learning and Childcare
• To complete improvement standards to all current centres requiring updates/modifications (ongoing)
• Continue to work with the Assets Team to improve environments (indoors and outdoors) as and when required (ongoing).

Twice yearly review of staffing models. Consultation with EYCs.

Twice yearly review of staffing models. Consultation with EYCs.

Twice yearly review of staffing models. Consultation with EYCs.

• Continued focus on staffing models to ensure quality and flexibility
• Continue to work with Improvement Planning Team and Assets Team to enhance Early Years environments indoors and outdoors
• Continued focus to provide quality settings in East Dunbartonshire.

Quality Improvement Manager - Early Years.

Early Years Service Manager.

• The Supporting Families Team (SFT) work with multi agency colleagues ensuring the most appropriate and timely support is provided to families
• The SFT are using their experience, skills and knowledge to support parents with bespoke one-to-one advice and group workshops
• The Family Champion (FC) delivery model of preventative support is offered in all Council EYCs
• Delivery of The Seasons for Growth programme to support children, young people and parents who are experiencing loss and change in their life
• Family Learning Assistants (FLAs) are based in 12 primary schools and support identified children as a key role in the delivery of the Nurture Programme led by Psychological Services FLAs provide targeted improvement projects to tackle the poverty related attainment gap
• FC network events take place twice termly. FLA network meetings take place termly
• Multi-agency online signposting information events take place
• All staff who are supporting families attend appropriate training to support them in their role and to meet the needs of families across their communities
• Early Years Multi-agency Locality Panels take place bi-annually to discuss Requests for Assistance (RFA) for additional supported Early Years sessions for the most vulnerable families/families in crisis
• The SFT, FLAs and FCs are using their training to effect change and support families to improve outcomes
• The Snack and Play service runs across six hubs in the Easter, Summer and October school holidays for our most disadvantaged, low-income families. Our hubs provide a safe, nurturing and fun environment with the offer of a nutritious meal
• The Additional Support Needs (ASN) Playscheme service caters for children with mild to very complex additional support needs. Our playschemes provide a safe, nurturing and fun environment, with the offer of a nutritious meal, leading to improved outcomes for children and respite for families.

• Feedback from families is positive. Parents evaluate interventions highly and report feeling more confident about parenting and
  family learning
• Feedback from parents and carers is highly evaluated with positive outcomes for children and increased attendance over the school holidays
• Feedback from parents and children is positive and any next steps for improvement are actioned. Children’s attendance is high and parents report that they are happy/ very happy with the service
• The number of days offered to families has increased due to recruitment of more staff.

• Positive relationships developed with Health, Social Work, Education and CLD with clear roles and responsibilities identified and followed
• Feedback from parents indicates that support/advice is highly evaluated
• FCs are supported to participate in professional learning to help increase their knowledge, understanding and confidence Evidence of positive outcomes for families
• The Seasons for Growth programme is highly evaluated with positive outcomes for children and parents noted
• Parents report they feel confident in supporting their child’s learning
• FLAs and FCs report a positive multi – agency approach to signposting families to appropriate services at the right time.
• FLAs and FCs feel supported to deliver in their role and have a network of peer support. They are skilled in understanding the role of multi-agency partners
• Vulnerable families and families in crisis are supported via the Team Around the Child/ RFA process if required
• Feedback from families is positive. Parents evaluate interventions highly and report feeling more confident about parenting and
  family learning
• Children are safe, secure and have fun. Feedback from both children and parents/carers is positive
• The ASN Playschemes (Merkland and Campsie View) have merged to become Woodland View Playscheme offering an enhanced and improved service in a state of the art building
• The service is running well with positive feedback from all stakeholders.

• Continue to support network meetings to ensure sharing of resources and ideas
• Set up shared areas on Glow to share good practice and ideas
• Implement an Out of School Care Consultation and use the outcome to inform next steps and continuously improve the service
• Scope and implement alternative lunch options for children attending Snack and Play and ASN Playschemes
• Create a working party to review ASN Playscheme provision
• Update the Families Together Policy.