Early years safeguarding and child protection in practice : an enquiry into the experiences of newly qualified practitioners

Much has been written about challenges facing early years practitioners in a time of rapid policy implementation affecting the children’s workforce, and the introduction of graduate professional accreditation (NCTL, 2013) for those tasked with leading quality developments in the early years sector. Tensions have emerged across the children’s workforce particularly in the fields of health and social care, concerning the implications for safeguarding and child protection (Munro, 2011; Lumsden, 2012). Whilst research illuminates workforce challenges, as policy is imposed on professional practice, little is known about the actual experiences of safeguarding and child protection from the perspectives of those practitioners with Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS) who are new to the sector. This small-scale research project sought to examine the safeguarding and child protection experiences of ‘change of career’ Graduate Entry (GE) EYTS trainees in their first year of employment in an early years setting. The study took an empirical phenomenological approach (Schütz, 1962) to reveal the lived experiences of Early Years Teachers (EYTs) in the context of their settings. It revealed that notions of safeguarding and child protection were conceptualised as interrelated but different elements of practice that affected confidence as EYTs experienced situations over time. This was related to emotions that inhabited and affected behaviours as EYTs experienced tensions between statutory policy, procedural requirements, partnership working and what they considered to be appropriate practice for working with young children. The conclusions suggested the need for further policy developments in safeguarding and child protection in the early years sector, so that EYTs might not be compromised in their practice. New ways of educating GE EYTs in safeguarding and child protection were identified to better enable contextualisation of their learning and to develop personal and emotional agency in order for them to confidently navigate this complex aspect of professional practice

Designing and developing the curriculum, assessment and programme for the Early Years Initial Teacher Training (EYITT) as the Course/Route Leader.

In September 2014, the Department for Education reformed the Early Years Professional Status pathways to EYITT with Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS). The redesigned programme needed to build upon student’s prior knowledge, be robust and rigorous, to be compliant and meet the DfE requirements of the Teachers’ Standards (Early Years), and OfSTED, the Professional Statutory and Regulatory Body (PSRB). National Priorities (NCTL, 2014) and government agendas, such as phonics, early reading, SEND, safeguarding and ‘Prevent’ were also required to be part of the teaching programme. The programme ensured that students developed their knowledge and understanding of teaching birth to five years while successfully applying and providing evidence of meeting the Teachers’ Standards (Early Years) within their teaching practice across the age ranges. An outcome of this development was a School of Education team book (2014) was published to support students now studying to become an Early Years Teacher. In 2017, the EYITT programme joined the PGCE the Primary and Secondary QTS portfolio with students undertaking 2 level 7 accredited modules alongside the EYTS to attain the PGCE Birth to Five with EYTS. The programme maintains strong retention (between 94%-100%, 2014-2021), and pass and completion (between 90% -100%, 2014-2021) rates

Study to investigate the barriers to learning from Serious Case Reviews (SCRs) and identify ways of overcoming these barriers

Kingston University’s Institute for Child-Centred Interprofessional Practice (ICCIP) was awarded a contract from the Department for Education (DfE) to undertake a small study investigating barriers to learning from Serious Case Reviews (SCRs) in order to identify ways of overcoming these barriers and ensure that any learning is embedded in policy and practice