Notes from the
Early Years Partnership Awayday Nov. 98
Facilitated by Jean
Erskine of VOSCUR
Aim: To move the partnership forward as a full Early Years
Development and Childcare Partnership
Objectives: By the end of the day participants will be able to:
Describe the benefit to children and parents of
working in partnership (beyond the practical need to respond to a government directive)
Draft "ground rules" that will set a positive "culture" for working
across settings and sectors in the partnership
Clarify the contribution each sector can bring to the partnership
State the expectation each sector has of other partner organisations
List partnership issues to address when the partnership next has time/space
"away" from day-to-day business
What do we mean by "partnership"?
 | shared good practice |
| sharing values |
| talking together/building trust |
| breaking down stereotypes |
| understanding each sector |
| valuing each other |
|
| working together |
| equality between partners |
| sharing responsibility |
| a ticked box on applications |
| opportunity to pool |
| opportunity to improve services |
|
| joined-up thinking |
| making sacrifices |
| remove competition |
| easier for those outside to access |
| meet everybody’s objectives |
| shared focus |
|
Task 2 - Describe the benefit to children and parents if a
genuine partnership approach can be developed (in cross-sector/interests groups) each
group to list the key benefits
| Better signposting and cascading to quality services with
core standards empowering parents and partners to influence local/national/Euro policies |
| Better use of physical and financial resources |
| Services more responsive to children/parents needs |
| City-wide perspective - identify gaps (locality and sectoral) |
| City-wide information for parents |
| Co-ordinated services |
| Uniform quality of provision |
| Direct input by parents (planning) |
| Inclusive and reflective practice across the spectrum of
provision |
| Local provision (small local partnerships), choice -
commitment to chosen provision |
| Easier transition between settings |
| Better information (owned/shared) |
| Easier access to information/services |
|
| Holistic approach starting from the need of the child/family |
| Provides variety and diversity which is responsive to parent
and child |
| More cost effective provision |
| Partnership at a local level = potential for better communication |
| Provides potential for utilising services in a better way |
| Builds parents confidence/empowering |
| Potential to develop wrap-around services |
| Equality (underpinned by the above) and quality |
| Long-term benefits if you get it right in the early years |
| Information for parents, including quality |
| Children/parent/family needs can be identified |
| Relating planning to need, and identifying the consequences of development (and
the lack of provision/comprehensiveness) |
| Feedback to Government |
|
What does each sector a) want to achieve for
children and parents?
Council in our provision:
Voluntary sector
| diversity and choice to meet needs of parents and children |
| provide more provision/places that meet family need |
| inclusion and accessibility (in widest sense) for parents and children |
| empowering parents to make the right choice for their child |
Private sector
| Flexibility - attendance numbers
 | available training |
| releasing workers for training |
|
| Shared training opportunities |
| Affordable childcare |
Development Agency
| Consultation regarding development 0of new provision |
| Provide support and info. to prospective new provision |
| ensure high quality childcare that is affordable with adequate training for staff |
Nursery schools
| offer nursery education to all age children (under 5 or 6?) |
| parents to be listened to |
Parents
| mainstreaming childcare |
| family friendly policy |
| grounding in reality |
| quality assurance |
and b) what can each sector contribute to the partnership to make this happen?
Council
| Quality kite mark |
| Demonstrate by example |
| ££££ |
| professional expertise |
| good whistle-blowing |
| ability to plan across services and in its own settings eg
transport, |
| promotional and developmental duty |
|
| pull in big ££££ eg ESF, SRB, |
| translation services |
| training |
| targeting resources |
| help with partnership to ensure good employment practice |
| stability and smooth transition |
|
Voluntary Sector
| grassroots knowledge of parents and children in their
community including the smallest providers |
| more responsive to needs on the ground |
| experience of working in partnership with parents (managed by parents, day to day
contact) |
| individual sectors links to regional and national networks - widens views,
perspectives, expertise |
| diversity -range of services |
|
| fresh perspective - different from the city council |
| draw down other funding |
| develop and enable parents (build confidence, self-esteem,
empowerment) |
| better/more able to risk take. Don’t have
structures/restraints of most local government |
| flexibility - able to respond to need/times (no
"normal" working hours). |
|
Private sector
| knowledge and expertise of the field |
| raise awareness of issues affecting the private sector |
Development Agency
| develop agenda for consultation - sub-group or not |
| provide knowledge and expertise gained in this field |
| quality assurance and provide training |
Nursery schools
| bring expertise and knowledge of nursery education |
| provide models of accountability |
Parents
"high
expectations" "critical
friends"
Private sector,
Development Agency, Nursery schools, Parents all bring:
| knowledge and expertise |
| issues around quality of provision is high priority for all |
| raising awareness of issues affecting each sector |
| provide models of working to develop best practice |
| the need for training by sector and jointly - qualifications that can be used in
a number of sectors |
| developing understanding of each others fields |
Task 5. What does each sector believe the other sectors
are and could actually bring/contribute to the partnership?
The council
thinks other partners bring:
| diversity, stimulation, parent perspective, professional
expertise, advic3. |
| Delivery of services |
| attract resources |
| sector-specific provision |
| training |
|
expects others could bring:
| Doing (and advising and stimulation), |
| resources |
| delivery of services |
| flexibility |
| development of service and employment standards |
| innovation particularly for hard to reach against the plan so supporting the
targeting of BCC resources |
| training |
| development and support of provision eg PLA, BAND, OSCA |
| pilots |
|
The voluntary sector expects
the council to bring:
| funding |
| co-ordinating role (but this could be done by the voluntary
sector if it was resource for this) |
| linkage to city council - other departments, policies, etc. |
| size of the council gives a range of expertise the vol.
sector may not have |
| practical support that can be trapped into (venues,
translation services etc.) |
| statutory provision and that perspective |
| could open up training they provide to their staff |
|
the other sectors and settings to
bring:
| venues |
| diversity and choice |
| distinct perspective |
| shared good practise |
| national perspective |
| employers perspective |
| accredited training centres (some) |
| parents purchase so may vote with their feet |
|
Task 3. In sectors or settings draft "ground
rules" that will contribute to a positive "culture" for partnership working
(eg, help trust develop, sense of joint ownership, etc.)
The Awayday ended by discussing the ground rules drafted as task 3 earlier in the day.
Several key issues were identified and some actions agreed, with individuals taking some
of these forward. Agreed notes/actions are listed in italics)
| Overall comment added in whole group discussion - Need to sort out relationships /powers - a clear statement. Exec.
group to discuss. |
| Proper resourcing (best value) added note in discussion -
£88,000 available, need to prioritise what to support, eg
co-ordinator for the partnership, inclusively, etc |
| Need to ensure work towards
balanced representation. Target - via organisations involved as
immediate action |
| What about inclusive? Should the partnership be open/closed? Explore
how "representation" functions. |
Clarity and transparency both within the partnership (there are different agendas) and
in relation to the Council.
By end of November -all ideas/comments to Dave S. Also - an additional piece of
work to follow up the Awayday discussion - each setting/sector to identify its agenda for
the partnership, etc.
| Draft an agreement or statement describing the relationship
between the Council and the Partnership. |
| Respect at meetings |
| Information availability - openness |
| Recognising and describing the rights and responsibilities of members |
| Listening to each other |
| Valuing different contributions and perspectives |
| All members decision-taking should take into account others views/contributions, and
their impact . Exec. Group to look at this |
| Involve parents and children in service delivery. Part of the Audit work. |
| The partnership will be a distinct a separate body:
| review representation |
| review constitution |
| working protocols |
|
| The partnership will be fully inclusive and genuinely representative:
| times of meetings |
| childcare |
| format of meeting |
| expenses |
| information |
| communication |
| budgetary control |
| agenda setting |
|
| Equality of Opportunity for all:Partners/Children (forums?)/ParentsInformation
(debate)/Participation/ |
| Consultation (continuous?) |
| Clear lines of communication:Information passed 2-way
| accessible formats |
| papers in advance |
| local links to be identified/used and resourced |
| taking responsibility |
|
| The partnership will draw up a code of conduct for meetings: |
Steve and Patricia to co-ordinate this
minutes
language
decision-making
|
debate and participation open/closed
meetings
working groups |
venues |
Time ran out before identifying key issues for further
future discussions at similar "away" from day-to-day business time, or as part
of a business meeting agenda. However, the following issues were raised during the day:
| inspection units |
| police checks |
| the partnerships strategy/vision - an integrated (generic)
childcare system, locally based, or a range of provision offering choice and
diversity, but probably less local? |
| Issues and problems relating to lack of funding for
developing the partnership and its work |
|