South Dublin County NEYAI Consortium Addressing Gaps between Training & Practice
South Dublin County Partnership – Lead Agency
Why
1995
1996
HSE
Regs
2000
EOCP
2007
2010
Transition
EOCP CCSS
ECCE
CCS
2006
2008
2010
Siolta
CCSS
NEYAI
HSE
Regs
P. National
Standards
Rationale
• Practice based training and work experience
• Training Survey
• 64% or n=48 staff have minimum standard of education
FETAC 5;
• 87% completed work placement (majority 2 weeks)
• 71% reported that the manager supervised their work
placement
• 63% stated they worked beside another staff member
who observed their practice and provided feedback
• 57% did not have visits from the training agency
Partners
• Key Early Years
Stakeholders, SDCP, SDCC,
ECI, DDETB:
•
•
•
•
Young Explorers Pre-school,
St. Mary’s Community Childcare
Tallaght Childcare Centre,
Dublin West:
–
–
–
–
Beechtree,
Limetree,
Kozy Kids pre-school
St Ronans Playgroup;
• Areas of significant socio –
economic disadvantage;
• 75 staff, 411 children;
Action
Mentoring
Process
• Building trust
relationships
• Observing and self
assessing
• Starting with non
threatening
interventions
Pre Development
Planning and
Agreement
• Service Specific
Action plans
• Service level
Agreements
• Negotiating how
and who will be
supported
•Work Plans
•Actioning agreed service specific work plans, setting
goals, using ITERs & ECERs
•Mentoring Tools
•Use of a variety of tools – room observations,
modeling, group and one to one facilitation, review
sessions with managers, use of video feedback and
review of practice with staff;
•Review and reinforcement of input to staff to embed,
to amend or redirect;
• Role of Mentor in Programme
•75% onsite in services
•Linking and informing other project work professional
development, work placement model, parent and
• Creating spaces for learning • Peer Network/Expert Group
•Accessing appropriate external training ;
Implementation
Mentoring Approach
• Using A Common Framework - ITERs/ECERs - Siolta and Aistear, Hanen –
making it meaningful theory to practice;
• Phased approach – related to readiness to engage – relationship building
critical for buy-in but ongoing process;
• A one size fits all approach to delivery of support may not meet the needs
of each service – start at where people can and WANT to engage;
• Small gains greater dividend;
• Facilitative – allowing staff/services to direct their learning and
professional development; ( use of video significant);
• Creating a spaces for learning – The Peer Group and Expert Group;
• Mentoring the mentor – ongoing professional development;
Project Evaluation Findings
Project Evaluation Findings
•Statistically significant increases in all
subscales were observed across time
•Largest effect size observed in the subscale
Interactions, along with language and
reasoning;
In addition – staff survey indicated:
•89% staff stated participation – positive
impact on practice
•85% reported that working with a mentor
was beneficial to their development as early
years professionals
Emergent Learning - Mentoring
•
•
Practice based experience:
practical skill set + knowledge + confidence
‘Art’ of bringing people on board:
•
•
•
Un-intrusive on site presence which gradually builds trust,
respect and growth of learning
Flexible approach – not a one size fits all
Mentor as ongoing learner
•
•
Review and refine
Supervision – ‘Mentor the Mentor’
- Broad knowledge base or a separate parallel process?
HR, Leadership/management, Corporate governance, Organisational change
Emergent Learning - Change
•
Voluntary engagement essential = genuine buy in
• Readiness for engagement and change?
•
Effecting change at what level?
-
•
Staff practice level
Management/Leadership level
Board /Owner level
Whole company
Realistic time line for change
-
18mths – 3 years – 5 years
Emergent Learning - Quality
• A consensus on quality and making it tangible
- Use of standardised tools - shared language
- Evidencing quality through video feedback, role modelling and peer to peer
exchanges
• Continuous professional development
- Peer to peer onsite and off site for managers
- Staff support and supervision and leadership training
- Board buy in – reflect where possible in policies
• Non – Contact time
- Challenges to deliver v’s benefits
- Board/owner buy in
- Funders buy in
• Role of board or off site owners in quality
- How to engage? Role of a Mentor in working with board/owners
- Boundaries and who is mentor’s key stakeholder
South Dublin County NEYAI - Legacy
•
Informing the Mainstream
– Consortium Submission to Departments on the National Early Years
Quality Support Service
– Influence local Area Based Poverty Initiative
– An Implementation Guide for Quality Mentoring
– A Proposed Model of Workplace Learning for Early Years Students
• Peer Group Network - South Dublin County Childcare
Committee
• Improved quality in 7 Early Years Services
South Dublin County NEYAI - Legacy