Of the eight regional managers, two have been heads of inspection with experience of all aspects of daycare regulation. Two are HM inspectors in Ofsted and one is head of Ofsted's contracts division. One of the inspectors is a former early years advisor who has been establishing guidance on the new national standards for daycare, and the other a former assistant director of local authority social services and education departments. The rest are from the Inland Revenue and the Housing Corporation.
Concerns have also been expressed over the breadth of daycare regulation expertise in the 40 or so area manager positions which form the next level of the hierarchy. Only nine have been filled by current heads of local authority registration and inspection units. The posts have been re-advertised externally.
Jack Valero of the Heads of Registration and Inspection National Group said, 'While recognising the impressive credentials of the people appointed from a variety of relevant fields, it is a fact that overall the Early Years Directorate is set to have limited experience and expertise in regulation of children's daycare above senior practitioner or first line management level. This will limit its capacity to draw on current good regulatory practice.'
Alan Jefferson, chair of the National Association of Inspection and Registration Officers, said, 'We're pleased the appointments have been made, when you think there are only four months to go. The senior management team will have an impressive range of skills and experience. Only two of the ten have direct experience of all the aspects of regulation, though some have experience of some aspects. That means the rest are going to be on a very steep learning curve.'
Unison national officer Bruni de la Motte said, 'The majority of those appointed have a civil servant's background. We are concerned there is not enough direct experience of the early years.' Rosemary Murphy, chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association, voiced surprise at the number of senior managers from outside the early years. But she warmly welcomed the appointment of Dorian Brad-ley, currently head of Ofsted's early years programme, as the Early Years Head of Quality.
Denise Hevey, a founding member of the National Childminding Association, becomes the Directorate's Early Years Head of Policy after 18 years at the Open University.
