Health and wellbeing study urges ministers to invest more in the early years workforce

It is one of a number of recommendations from the Children’s Alliance, whose members include academics, voluntary sector and childcare professionals.

The recommendation is outlined in their new report – The Health and Wellbeing of Children in the Early Years, the first of four, which sets out a ‘practical plan for action’ for Government to reverse the ‘serious’ decline in the health and wellbeing of children and young people.

The report warns that Covid-19 is having a continuing impact on babies born before and during the pandemic and children in the early years. It says that the impact has been unequal for children, with a disproportionate number of BAME families, those living with poverty, and children with SEND facing the greatest challenges.

To ensure the pandemic is ‘not the legacy of their future outcomes’, it says that children need to be put at the heart of any recovery plans.

The report goes on to acknowledge how early years settings provided a ‘stable and safe place’ during Covid-19 and continue to play a ‘central role’ in supporting parents, carers and young children. However, it says that the workforce remains underfunded.

Specifically for early years staff/settings, the report recommends:

• Effective and targeted training within the early years sector; with a mandatory Level 7 qualification attainment for all practitioners.
• Training and support on nutrition (to include hydration) be included within the curricula for the early years workforce.
• Oral care be included in ‘core’ training for early years professionals.
• Training in how to support speech and language development to be embedded across all early years and primary education initial teacher training routes.
• All practitioners to undertake CPD in child development.
• Providing funding to enable settings to release staff for training in SEND and inclusion.

Other recommendations include using children’s centres as immunisation centres, reforming the two-year-old check criteria with clear assessment in speech and language, and improving access to and support for migrant and refugee children.

The Children’s Alliance began as an initiative by Water Babies to broaden politicians’ awareness of the health and wellbeing issues currently facing children in the UK and is calling for the creation of a ministerial position dedicated to the health and wellbeing of children.

Honorary president of the Children’s Alliance, Baroness (Frances) De Souza, said, ‘The inequalities besetting our very youngest children do not owe their origin to Covid-19 – but the pandemic has opened our eyes to them. This report and its successors on Physical Health, Mental Health and Family and Community will prove that need for a Cabinet Minister for Children is irrefutable if “the right to thrive” is to be enjoyed by all UK citizens.’

Lead author of the report Helen Clark added, ‘Right now in the UK, the "good childhood" that is a launch pad for some of our children is not available for all, especially those living with disadvantage. Until the current "twin track" experience is replaced by a broad highway of opportunity that every child can travel, the UK post-Covid will itself be moored for the foreseeable future in the slow lane; overtaken by other nations rather than blazing a trail for others to emulate.’

A Government spokesperson said, 'The early years of a child’s life are the most crucial, which is why we are championing Family Hubs, backed by £34 million, where parents can get support from important services for their children from infancy all the way up to age 19.

'We’re also investing millions in early years recovery, with a focus on speech, language and communication skills, and better training for staff.

'Through Dame Andrea Leadsom’s review, we are also encouraging councils to publish a clear "Start for Life" offer for parents and carers so they know what support is available locally – including the free childcare offers, in which we have invested more than £3.5 billion in each of the last three years.'

• The report is available here