For all those who have devoted time and energy to quality assurance schemes, the suggestion that Investors in Children (IiC) should be dropped is nothing short of an insult. And yet this is precisely what the Government has proposed in its consultation on the Childcare Bill, which preceded the publication of the Bill itself last week.
It suggests that the money spent on IiC might be 'better directed elsewhere'. It questions whether the 'plethora of existing schemes are an effective complement to the current regulation and inspection regime', and concludes that resources should be channelled into supporting its new quality framework.
The implication that the new 'package' - comprising workforce reform, the Early Years Foundation Stage and the new Ofsted regime - can be responsible for driving quality, has been vociferously attacked. Anne Nelson, director at the organisation Early Education, believes that even if the Early Years Foundation Stage gives quality an appropriate emphasis, there is still a need for nationally accredited schemes.
'They provide an excellent opportunity for staff, parents and children to be involved in reviewing the quality of the educational experiences offered to children,' she says.
'The willingness of a nursery or setting to undertake a quality assurance scheme is a sign they are reflective practitioners who are committed to continuous improvement.'
Liz Bayram, director of policy and public affairs at the National Childminding Association, echoes her view. 'The NCMA was surprised when the consultation seemed to imply that QA was expensive and unnecessary and no longer needed,' she says. 'The Government's own strategy places self-evaluation at the heart of schools and the inspection of childcare settings by Ofsted in its new-style format, so our view is that there is now more reason, not less, to support IiC and ensure it continues to set standards.'
At the National Children's Bureau (NCB), early childhood director Sue Owen agrees that to rely on the new regulatory framework for ensuring reflective practice is unrealistic.
'Ongoing quality should be the fourth element of the Government's new framework for quality, alongside the single quality framework, improved training and qualifications and registration and inspection,' she says.
'This has been found the most effective way of ensuring that quality improvement is built into the everyday life of settings.'
While many schemes are still waiting for formal accreditation, the achievements of quality assurance should not be underestimated. Mentor and assessor Mavis Diapers supports this view from a hands-on position, having helped to develop North Lincolnshire council's Steps To Quality.
'You don't arrive in this profession, and shouldn't ever feel that you have,' she says. 'Childcare is an incredibly fast-moving sector and the whole point about QA schemes is that they encourage practitioners to continually reflect on practice. The problem with dropping the IiC is that the momentum could be lost.'
Ms Diapers feels strongly that IiC is steadily gaining ground in terms of market recognition. 'Parents can see that QA accredited settings are striving for the very best. These days all parents are more informed about practice, and all want the very best for their children.'
She points out that local areas are happy with their individual schemes and should not be seen as operating in isolation. 'We regularly meet with a wide range of different LEAs to discuss schemes and share information, which enables the schemes to constantly improve,' she says.
Only good enough
Leeds is one area which believes it can demonstrate the positive impact of QA schemes in terms of the quality of provision, staff training, parental satisfaction and child attainment.
Sally Threlfall, head of early years at Leeds, says, 'We recommend the partnership scheme Leeds Quality Assurance, which is accredited with IiC to all providers in Leeds. The abandonment of a national scheme will not change that position.'
Ms Threlfall believes the proposals around regulation and inspection in the consultation on the Childcare Bill do not support the drive to raise standards. She stresses that the Ofsted childcare register will apply 'good enough' standards only.
'The early years service has reservations about the capacity of Ofsted school inspections at this time to assure the quality of childcare or family support services,' she says. 'We feel that in making these rationalisations the Government has placed heavy reliance on long-cycle external inspection to promote positive outcomes for children.'
For the time being, at least, quality assurance finds itself in limbo. As part of its review the DfES has decided to suspend original plans to convene another panel this year to consider new or revised applications for IiC endorsement. The annual review process, which requires endorsed QA schemes to submit annual statements to the DfES, has also been suspended.
Existing endorsements remain valid while it considers the future of IiC.
The review emphasises that its discontinued involvement in the IiC process does not mean a reduction in the current funding provided to local authorities to support QA scheme participation. It states that, on the contrary, starting from 2006, additional funding of up to 125m a year will be made available to support investment by local authorities in delivering quality childcare.
The NCB remains convinced that local authorities will want to continue with the schemes they are already using rather than create new ones, and at the request of the DfEs is now working on an options paper that outlines an alternative endorsement system.
Sue Owen says, 'IiC plays an essential role in benchmarking those schemes and ensuring that all are at a high standard. We would not want to see it dropped, but given the Government's obvious reluctance to continue with it, the sector would be very willing to take on this job. As the new national network covers all endorsed schemes, we feel that we could do this impartially.'
Value for money
At Brighton and Hove City Council, the head of children, families and schools, David Hawker, is pleased to see the NCB taking the lead. He says, 'This is a positive move. We don't want a single national scheme but a way of validating local schemes.'
While the Childcare Bill consultation purports that withdrawing financial support from the IiC would release savings in management and administrative resources, both centrally and locally, many in the sector believe this is a red herring. They feel Government investment so far has not been huge, and point out that many of the schemes are self-financing.
Sue Owen, for one, is not willing to concede that investment in QA would be better channelled elsewhere. 'We don't agree with this,' she says. 'The Network has suggested that the costs to the DfES of running a national endorsement panel are comparatively low and provide good value for money in terms of the positive message that it sends on the Government's commitment to quality.'
At the National Day Nurseries Association, head of workforce development Stella Ziolkowski believes that the Government needs to work closely with scheme providers and that the National Quality Assurance Network provides the ideal means for it to do so. 'QA's effectiveness is not in doubt, but at the same time there has to be some standardisation across schemes. The response to the consultation will point the way forward,' she says.
If the Government intends to remain true to its commitment to quality, then QA schemes are surely here to stay. NW
Further information
For a list of approved QA schemes, see:
* www.surestart. gov.uk * www.ncb.org.uk * www.ndna.org.uk
STEPS TO QUALITY
Ann Hume, manager of the Kingsway Children's Centre in Scunthorpe, says the beauty of a QA scheme is that it engages the whole team and is a spur for staff development. North Lincolnshire's Steps to Quality embraces three stages, beginning with administrative and operational issues and leading on to management strategy, environment and food and equipment policy. By the time a setting has reached the top rung it is in a position to work pro-actively with other professionals and ensure that all children's individual needs are met.
'If staff are continually training and developing, it follows that practice is always improving,' says Ms Hume. 'Six of our 22 staff have now enrolled on foundation degree courses and we are very proud of this.'
Last year the centre scooped Nursery of the Year from local childcare awards body Kidslink and one of its staff won Student of the Year. 'The award meant a lot to us because it was based on parents' nominations.
Working with parents is an important part of what we do and Steps to Quality has played a vital role in sharpening this focus.'
