Inge Posted July 17, 2005 Share Posted July 17, 2005 Just to let U all know we had our accreditation validated last week and passed. comments were about the submission being 'stunning'!! and we are obviously committed to providing quality childcare. Also that we should be sharing our work with others.....(think we probably do that but not perhaps in the way they expect!!) many thanks to those who have helped by givng suggestions and guidance via the forum...it really helped us. now on to year 2 a mini submission for next end next june, updates on progress. it never ends once you get started. we used the Bristol Standard an Investors in Children scheme (it was cheaper than PLA! plus we got paid a grant too) and found it easy to follow. good luck to all of you working towards accreditation, Inge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hali Posted July 17, 2005 Share Posted July 17, 2005 Well done, congratulations Inge.. we are having a big party tomorrow with a local MP going to present us with our certificate for Accredation and outr investors in People also.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 17, 2005 Share Posted July 17, 2005 CONGRATULATIONS to you both. Maybe that day will come for me too one day, (sigh). Enjoy all the praise you will get you both deserve it. Any tips for me, apart from not to start it and to deligate Gizzy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 17, 2005 Share Posted July 17, 2005 Well done! We are just starting our accreditation and hope to have it finished by Christmas! I hope we do as well as you! Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 17, 2005 Share Posted July 17, 2005 well done chicks! We are in the process of the PLA one but have just moved premises... Was an interesting experience! That's how I've spent my weekend! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 17, 2005 Share Posted July 17, 2005 Linda, you must be going to work very hard if you aim to finish your accreditation by Christmas. There are 8 modules in our scheme and we've only just finished the first one. We are given 3 years to complete it! Anita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beau Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Well done to you and the rest of your group Inge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Running Bunny Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Well done! Having coordinated a QA scheme, I know how much hard work goes in to submitting the evidence. Have a party and enjoy the summer!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Fantastic Inge, A great way to end the term. Hali, need I say it, HAVE FUN Peggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted July 18, 2005 Author Share Posted July 18, 2005 Many thanks for your good wishes, well done hali, enjoyed the party? Linda, good luck we only started ours in November and were mostly complete by the beginning of May, just needed a few adjustments after that so it is possible... we had 10 dimensions to look at but with all joining in it made it a lot easier. A well deserved party planned for staff in July, and then the work continues next term.... Inge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 We have 8 sections to complete and we have spent some time looking at the ways in which we can evidence it all. So we now only really have to start pulling it all together and plugging any gaps we have-which I have to say we have a few of but not too many to make it hard work. We decided as a staff that we wanted it out of the way by Christmas and our assessor doesn't feel that is unrealistic. Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 Many, many congratulations Inge and Hali! Its great after all the hard work you have put into Accreditation to have the quality of your provision recognised. I hope you enjoy basking in the gory of your achievements. Maz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 24, 2005 Share Posted July 24, 2005 Well done to you all for passing your accreditation - I got mine in February and only just had a party to celebrate. But I am sorry to put a dampner on things but having read the new consultation looks like they want to withdraw the accreditation schemes as there are too many and appear to be costing too much money in favour of something else run by the LA's, a EDLF system - Early Development and Learning Framework - So once again we have a full turnabout - it makes me so mad - I urge you all to take a look at this consultation and interpret and reply as you will - just when we think we are getting ahead of the game - wham something else hits us. I quote Section 86 "Quality assurance schemes can therefore be a valuable tool for raising standards................................ Section 89 "Ofsted have developed their grading system to provide parents with more information ................... in the light of our proposals for a stronger quality element in the new regulatroy framework (EDLF) we wonder whether the IiC schmes provides the effective use of resources..........Withd rawing financial support from the Iic would release savings in management and administrative resrouces both centrally and locally. A greater impact on quality might be achieved by directing such resources to supporting the new framework.... Looks to me like they want to ditch the scheme - so I think we all deserve a pat on the back for doing it - but I am now thinking - what did we do that for - the goal posts are moving yet again............. It seriously hacks me off, you bust a gut, try and get things right and then you are told well actually we are thinking of doing something else now...................... I am sure the work will not have been wasted but.... Going on from this they are suggesting a new pricing structure for the new system of registration because and I quote "our work on this will be informed by the principle that fees should reflect the costs of the service" yeah that's fine but do we all not subsidise the system currently by providing our expertise and professionalism, dedication and commitment to early years for low pay. As I have seen there are loads of us undertaking a degree in this area and yet I cannot see many suggestions in the documents that funding should be reflect the cost of the service. That's me and my moan - glad I am going away on holiday on Wednesday as I am fed up with the running of early years - Nikki Nikki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verona Posted July 25, 2005 Share Posted July 25, 2005 Nikki, where did you read about the Quality Assurance schemes? It makes me furious as well! I finally agreed to do one and I have just handed in the first module. When I handed it in I was informed that they were going to change the way that it is done - not so much paper work for us - more questions/answers verbally. I was told that it would take about a year to come into effect! Now it looks like they want to withdraw it???????????? Do we carry on or just forget it??? Sue J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 25, 2005 Share Posted July 25, 2005 Dear Sue, The DFES has just posted a new consultation called The childcare Bill Consultation - Consulation on legislative proposals for the future of early years. It looks at how they can implications of the 10 year strategy and how they can implement it. Can be found under the DFES Consultation site www.dfes.gove.uk/consultations/. page 22. Although I don't want to worry you as it is only in the consultation stage the very fact that they have looked at this particular area, given it a separate section, mentioned it and have placed a monetary value on it seems to me that they are seriously considering whether this is the best route for driving up quality. The fact that only 5-10% of groups in 2003 took this up seems to suggest that the scheme was not working for them. They ware wanting to put more emphasis on the LA's to monitor the quality and there seem to be far reaching implications for LA's who need to be more accountable. Anyway I suggest you take a look at the document. I don't think that our work will have been wasted if they do decide to withdraw it as we can then use it to put forward to the new EDLF scheme but once again goal posts change. Perhaps they might like to look at the amount of work, reorganisation of files, presentations and collation of portfolios etc and pay staff a rate for acheiving this. As we all know most of us probably didn't get paid for putting in all the extra hours - so what is the incentive to do it. For many of us we did it because we wanted to prove out settings were of high quality, we were professional and it provided us with a means of self evaluation - however, now the goals posts look to change perhaps again - then I am not so sure I really want to spend more time and effort doing something that I have alraedy done, proved that I have done and now have to rehash it again into something else - I have got better things to do with my time - perhaps spending more quality time with the children and the parents by providing them with the best quality start to their lives rather than the abundance of form filling, check lists, collation of paperwork. Sorry for sounding so flaming negative but sometimes you just think "why". Nikki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 25, 2005 Share Posted July 25, 2005 Thank you Nichola for bringing this to our attention, "The childcare Bill Consultation - Consulation on legislative proposals for the future of early years. It looks at how they can implications of the 10 year strategy and how they can implement it." What I don't understand is how a 10 year strategy has been agreed (and I thought laws already been passed such as changes to Ofsted) prior to having implementation methods already defined. Talk about chicken and egg Please Keep with you the thoughts you have that reflective practice is about valuing what you already do and the professional attitude you have to making improvements. This I think is why most of us go down the quality assurance route and not because we have been told to. I do agree with you though that the roundabout is still spinning and all we want to do is stop it and be still for a while, or we fear we shall be too giddy to function properly in our daily lives of providing for children and families. I feel I have spent the last decade "reacting" to change for change sake to meet "national" directives, and not therefore having time to be "proactive" for the local needs of the families in my group. Peggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 25, 2005 Share Posted July 25, 2005 Dear Peggy, Very well put - I am just so hacked off with it all at the moment that my communication just seems to come out as verbal diarrohea. There certainly are some interesting points to reply to and I hope everyone makes the time to reply to this consultation. I certainly will. It will certainly shake up the LA's some of whom are very good and some are not so perhaps more pressure will be brought to bear on those that do not perform as well as they should -maybe it will give them the necessary evidence to support the poor service we sometimes get off them. Well, off on holiday Wednesday - Tunisia for a week with a friend - no children, no washing, no cooking, no taxiing, no paperwork, no nothing except I am taking my study books with me - but then as I said before this is something that I really enjoy so it's a bit like relaxing with Mills and Boon - if it's not too academic!! Have a good Summer holiday everyone, and Peggy how is your fostering going - well I hope. Nikki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hali Posted July 26, 2005 Share Posted July 26, 2005 Nikki have a wonderful time on holiday and just forget it all for two weeks...you deserve it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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