TRAINING

Appropriate training and qualifications for childminders is vital, as thousands of children and families depend everyday on registered childminders to provide a caring and educational service. Training for childminders has a central role to play in promoting high standards and quality in family day care, and the right sort of training benefits not only the childminder, but the children and parents as well. High quality childminding requires a variety of skills and knowledge to meet the care and educational needs of individual children, as well as the skills required to operate a small self-employed business and communicate with adults.

As part of NICMA’s remit for developing and ensuring the quality of care for children aged 0 –14 years in childminding settings, NICMA regularly audits childminding members training and qualifications. This exercise was carried out in September 2007 across a childminding membership of 2289 with an 8% return. The purpose of the audit is:
1. To provide overall statistics regarding the levels of training in the childminding sector
2. To analyse childminders future training needs and to plan accordingly
3. To highlight the need for childminder specific training and associated funding
4. As evidence to support future training/funding applications
5. To feed into Childcare Partnership Childcare Plans and associated Training Plans
NICMA aims to provide members, staff and volunteers with the training they need in order to provide a quality home based childcare and education service.

NEW TUTORS AVAILABLE
Our bank of qualified, experienced tutors has grown, we now have 3 Polish and 2 Lithuanian tutors joining our team. Each one successfully completed our Training of Trainers Programme. They can now deliver our Introduction to Home-based Childcare course and workshops on becoming a Registered Childminder to individuals from these ethnic backgrounds.

TRAINING PROGRAMME
Our updated Training programme is available to view or download on this page. This will provide you with information about all of NICMA’s courses and workshops.

The Training and Quality Framework included as part of this policy statement underpins NICMA’s vision in which childminders are recognised and valued as skilled qualified professionals within the Early Years and Childcare sector.

NICMA recommends that training developed for childminders should be directly linked to National standards thereby enabling childminders to gain the necessary underpinning knowledge and understanding should they wish to pursue a National Vocational Award or equivalent Early Years / Childcare qualification.

NICMA also promote further access to specifically tailored training courses for childminders to facilitate continuous professional development e.g. managing children’s behaviour; child development; play curriculum; the business side of childminding or special needs training.

NICMA'S TRAINING FRAMEWORK

Watch out for our new award - Promoting Early Learning and Wellbeing in Home-based Settings. This 30 hour course is being currently developed and it is planned that it will:-

• be a Level 3 Award designed by the NICMA - the Childminding Association and accredited by CACHE.
• form part of the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) and will have a credit value of 6 points
• provide comprehensive information surrounding children’s development and learning from birth – 6 years and encourage participants to understand the theoretical perspectives and how these link with their childminding practice.
• encourage Childminders to consider best practice when implementing daily activities and developing plans to meet the personalised needs of the children in their care.

HIGH/SCOPE IN THE FAMILY DAY CARE SETTING

WHAT IS HIGH/SCOPE ?

‘High/Scope’ is a quality approach to children’s learning which recognises the uniqueness of each child and develops a child’s self confidence by building on what they can do. It promotes active learning by engaging children with people, materials, events and ideas in ways that are direct, immediate and meaningful to the child. High/Scope recognises and supports a child’s natural desire to learn. Their Plan-Do-Review process allows children the opportunity to create and express their intentions, to generate their own learning experiences and to reflect on those experiences.

The High/Scope approach promotes consistency through the daily routine. Children require consistency to become confident, independent learners. Through the High/Scope Curriculum which is based on extensive observations of young children learning, High/Scope offers children the foundation of knowledge, skills and ideas that they will build on throughout their lives.

“My research shows that children involved in the HIGH/SCOPE Approach become self motivated learners, who are purposefully engaged in challenging and complex activites”
Joan Santer, Lecturer in Primary Education (Early Years), University of Newcastle.

High/Scope has many benefits for children, parents and childminders who use the High/Scope approach. It enables all children to participate in their learning. Research has proven that High/Scope enhances the practitioners professional self-esteem and that it encourages parents and practitioners to raise their expectations for children and for themselves. High/Scope is the ONLY early years approach that is validated by long term research.

WHY SHOULD A CHILDMINDER COMPLETE A HIGH/SCOPE COURSE ?

High/Scope is recognised as a quality standard and by encouraging you, the childminders to complete the High/Scope programme, we are enabling you to raise your status as a quality childcare provider. You can compete on a more even footing with other childcare providers in your area. Perhaps you care for a child who attends a High/Scope Playgroup in the mornings, you can now continue the programme with this child in your home.

NICMA have High Scope tutors in all areas of Northern Ireland who are able to deliver a course to groups of childminders.

If you are interested in completing a High/Scope course please write to Barbara Quinn, NICMA Training Manager.