Early Years: Driving Quality and Challenging Poverty, · 2019-03-19 · Early Years: Driving...

Early Years: Driving Quality and Challenging Poverty,

an ABC early years practice to policy event

Dublin Castle Conference Centre

17th February 2016

Welcome and introduction

Eleanor McClorey, CEO, youngballymun

Laura Dagger, Early Years Mentor, Clondalkin Blue Skies Initiative

Early Years: Driving Quality and Challenging Poverty, an ABC early years practice to policy event

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Background to the ABC Programme

• €30 million funding by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and The Atlantic Philanthropies (2013-2017)

Irish initiative to break cycle of child poverty

• Evidence-informed interventions and approaches, embedded in mainstream services

• Local consortia to co-ordinate planning and delivery of services

Improving outcomes for children and families across 13 Areas of greatest disadvantage in Ireland

• CES providing implementation support, evaluation, facilitation of Learning Community

• Pobal responsible for governance and funding

Jointly programme managed by Pobal and CES


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ABC Programme Outcomes

Parenting

Child health and

development

Children’s learning

Services embedded in mainstream

delivery

Integrated service delivery


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13 Areas in the ABC Programme

Area, Name of Initiative Lead Agency

Tallaght West, CDI Tallaght Tallaght West Childhood Development Initiative Ltd. (TWCDI)

Dublin Northside, Preparing for Life Northside Partnership

Ballymun, youngballymun youngballymun

Clondalkin, Blue Skies Initiative Archways

Knocknaheeney, Young Knocknaheeney Northside Community Health Initiative (Cork) Ltd. (NICHE)

Louth, The Genesis Programme Louth Leader Partnership

Midlands HSE Midlands Area

Bray, Supporting Parents and Early Childhood Services (SPECS) Bray Area Partnership (BAP)

Finglas, Better Finglas Barnardos

Dublin Docklands and East Inner City Early Learning Initiative, National College of Ireland

Ballyfermot/Chapelizod, Family Matters Ballyfermot/Chapelizod Partnership

Grangegorman, Vision Beyond Poverty Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT)

Limerick City, Start Right People Action Against Unemployment Ltd. (PAUL Partnership)


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9:30am Registration, tea/coffee Lobby

10:30am Welcome and introduction Eleanor McClorey, CEO, youngballymun Laura Dagger, Early Years Mentor, Clondalkin Blue Skies Initiative

Main Hall

10:45amThe impact of poverty on children’s outcomes in the early years Dr Dorothy Watson, Associate Professor, The Economic and Social Research Institute

Main Hall

11:05amImproving quality in early years settings in areas experiencing disadvantage Professor Nóirín Hayes, Visiting Professor, Trinity College Dublin

Main Hall

11:25am Break Lobby

11:40amPolicy developments to support early years practice Bernie McNally, Assistant Secretary, Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Main Hall

12:00pm

The local experience of early years practice in the ABC Programme Sharon Byrne, Early Years Mentor, Better Finglas Kelda Barnes, Manager, Darndale Belcamp Integrated Childcare Service Ltd., Preparing for Life Karen Barrett, Key Worker, St Margaret’s Pre-School, youngballymun

Main Hall

12:45pm

Panel discussion Chair: Toby Wolfe, Policy and Research Officer, Start Strong Dr Dorothy Watson, Associate Professor, The Economic and Social Research Institute Professor Nóirín Hayes, Visiting Professor, Trinity College Dublin Bernie McNally, Assistant Secretary, Department of Children and Youth Affairs Sharon Byrne, Early Years Mentor, Better Finglas

Main Hall

1:15pm Lunch Castle Hall

2:00pmBreakout sessionsDriving quality and challenging poverty - implications for practice in the ABC Programme

3:20pm Close and feedback Main Hall

4:00pm Close Main Hall

The impact of poverty on children’s outcomes in the early years

Dr Dorothy Watson, Associate Professor, The Economic and Social Research Institute

Child Poverty in the Early Years: Impact of the Recession

Dorothy Watson, Bertrand Maître, Christopher T. Whelan, James Williams

Early Years: Driving Quality and Challenging Poverty

(Area Based Childhood Programme)

Dublin Castle17 February 2013

Importance of Child Poverty

Child poverty is not just an immediate issue of the well-being of children,

It has long term effects, so implications for ...

future of the economy

future demand on public services

important in breaking the cycle of disadvantage.

How has child poverty been affected by the Great Recession and what were its consequences?

Outline

1. Data and Measures

2. Economic Vulnerability dynamics

3. Consequences for children’s socio-emotional development in the early years

4. Conclusions and Implications

1a. Data

Growing Up in Ireland Survey (GUI) – survey of families with children. Two waves and Two cohorts.

Early childhood: children born in 2008

Child aged 9 months at first wave in 2008-9

Child aged 3 years at second wave in 20119,793 families responded in both waves

Middle-childhood – children born in 1998

Child aged 9 at first wave in 2007-8

Child age 13 at second wave in 2011-12; 7,423 families responded in both waves

1b. Measures

Economic Vulnerability: people living in families with a disadvantaged risk profile in terms of low income,

household joblessness and

economic stress

Identify the vulnerable group using latent class analysis.

Socio-emotional Problems: Emotional and conduct problems, hyperactivity/ inattention and

problems in relationship with peers

Strengths & Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ, Goodman et al, 1997)

completed by the child’s mother

Identify children with the ‘worst’ 10 per cent of scores

2a. Economic Vulnerability (EV) in Irish families

• Difference between the cohorts mainly due to timing of 1st wave (before vs. at start of recession).

2b. Economic Vulnerability Dynamics –Did the same families remain EV in both waves?

• There was persistence and also movement

• into EV (‘Recession EV’)

• out of EV (‘Transient EV’)

Change in the profile of the EV group – economic stress more central in recession

2c. Risk factors for Economic Vulnerability

Family type: higher rate of economic vulnerability for

Lone parent families

Larger families

Cohabiting couples vs. married couples

Education: mother has lower education

Age of mother - younger at child’s birth

Differences by whether EV Persistent or ‘Recession’

Associations are strongest with Persistent EV

Associations somewhat weaker for ‘Recession EV’

Those becoming EV in recession were a broader group More couple families, more adults with higher levels of education

2d. Economic Vulnerability changed in the Recession

General fall in living standards was inevitable, given the scale of the recession

Housing and debt were a feature of the Irish recession

Some groups were particularly affected (EV increased)

Working-age who had been at work affected by job loss

House purchasers who bought at the ‘peak’ - burden

people setting up businesses – the ‘middle income group’

households at the family formation stage (older adults relatively protected)

Vulnerability changed in composition

economic stress and household joblessness became more important while low income per se became less important.

3a. Consequences for Children

How did economic vulnerability affect children’s socio-emotional development in the second wave?

Use a statistical model to examine the adjusted risk of socio-emotional problems by economic vulnerability

‘adjusted risk’ = the level of socio-emotional problems we would expect to see for different groups if they were the same in all other respects

‘Other respects’ = child gender, whether early or mid-childhood, family type, mother education, mother age at child’s birth, change in family composition (e.g. separation, additional children)

3b. EV & Socio-emotional Difficulties

•EV has similar association with socio-emotional problems for

•the two cohorts and

• for boys and girls.

3c. Protective Factors

There are ‘protective’ factors for both EV and non-EV children

Children less likely to have socio-emotional problems where ...

Mother in 30s at child’s birth

Mother not emotionally distressed

Good relationship between parents in couple families

Some protective factors differ by presence/absence of EV:

Mother education - even more important in EV families (Lower education has more negative impact in EV families.)

Lone parent families: risk of socio-emotional problems whether or not family is EV

4a. Summary Economic Vulnerability (EV) increased for families during

recession (reaching 25%)

Risk factors for EV include: lone parenthood, low levels of education

Risk factors more strongly related to persistent EV

Those becoming EV in recession had less disadvantaged profile

EV associated with higher risk of child socio-emotional problems

Except in lone parent families where risk was high with/without EV

Protective factors: parental emotional wellbeing, parental higher level of education, mother in 30s at birth of child, good relationship between parents in couple family

4b. Implications Attention to economic vulnerability of children needed

Especially persistent vulnerability

But even non-persistent EV linked to negative outcomes

Core policy issue is to find the optimal mix of income support, education/training & support for employment

Child care likely to be particularly important for lone parents

Interventions to enhance the protective factors – mother mental well-being, family relationships

A broader group became vulnerable in recession

Need for policies to address wider issues

Not just income support but childcare, housing

Thank You.

GUI – Timing of Fieldwork & Recession

Improving quality in early years settings in areas experiencing disadvantage

Professor Nóirín Hayes, Visiting Professor, Trinity College Dublin

Nóirín Hayes School of EducationFebruary 17th 2016

Improving quality in early years settings in areas experiencing disadvantage

ABC Learning Community EventDublin Castle

Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin

Presentation Outline

Definition and language

The mercurial concept of quality

What the research says

What policy says

How the current policy structure impacts on quality

Improving and supporting quality early years services to enhance child

development


Definition and Language:

Improving quality in early years setting in areas experiencing disadvantage

Early Years Settings:

The home

Relatives/grandparents

Childminders

Nurseries/creches

Free Preschool Year

Infant classes


Understanding the narrative

All early years setting are sites of early learning for children.

Period referred to as Early Childhood Education and Care [ECEC]

Internationally ECEC recognised as the first stage of education [ISCED, 2011]:

ISCED level 0 programmes target children below the age of entry into ISCED level 1 [primary].

There are two categories of ISCED level 0 programmes: early childhood educational development

and pre- primary education.

The former has educational content designed for younger children (in the age range of 0 to 2

years), whilst the latter is designed for children from age 3 years to the start of primary

education.


Terminology Matters

An Irish difficulty with language and auspices

– Childcare

• Early childcare [0-3]

• Out of school care [4-12]

– Early Education

• Inside school system - junior/senior infants [4-6]

• Outside school system - creches, nurseries, preschools [limited recognition of childminding] [birth – 6]

Conceptual and structural distinction between education and care – in flux. Privileging education over care

Emerging use of Early Years serves to confuse


Defining Quality

‘Literature indicates that to monitor quality, a country or programme needs to define quality…

Policymakers and programme administrators need to be clear about the … purposes for which

they are developing monitoring systems … Different views on what should be monitored and

what constitutes quality may arise at different levels.’(OECD, 2014)

Core Report (2011) identified four levels of competence necessary to facilitate quality ECEC: (i)

individual level; (ii) institutional level; (iii) inter-institutional level and (iv) level of governance

OECD (2014) has identified four levels of quality: i) service quality; ii) staff quality; iii) child

development and outcomes iv) curriculum implementation


European Quality Framework (2014)

Accessibility - Available, Accessible, Affordable, Useable, Desirable

Workforce - Qualifications; specialist pre-service training and CPD

Curriculum - Integrating care and education

Monitoring - Process rather than outcomes focus; positive and supportive

Governance - Coherent and enabling


From the IDG report

Identifies two policy drivers:

• Recognition of the value of early years provision in ensuring that children get the best start,

• Recognition that the availability of affordable childcare is either a barrier to or incentive for labour

market participation.

Explicit aims of the Government’s current investment in early years:

• To promote optimal development for all children and to narrow the gap in attainment between

more and less advantaged children, through the provision of quality early childhood care and

education services – through FPSY

• To enable parents to prepare for a return to paid employment by participating in training, education

and other activation measures - through TEC


From the IDG report

• To support families, particularly those in low paid employment, in making

work pay through the CCS.

• Implicit in these objectives is a further objective of poverty reduction.

‘The IDG is of the view that these four objectives are all valid and are interrelated

…. and that these objectives can and should work in a complementary way …

However …there is an inherent tension between the objectives relating solely to

child development, as compared with those that relate solely to the issue of

affordability and activation’.


[Unrealistic?] expectations of early education

Economic

– End poverty

Social

– Improve labour market participation

Educational

– Combat educational disadvantage

– Improve literacy and numeracy

Not a magic bullet and cannot function in isolation


The Child at the Centre – our duty of care

The child develops in midst of society

The child affects and is affected by it

Children are individuals – in context

They grow, develop and learn within their societies and cultures

Government policies impact on children more strongly than on any other group in

society


Early Childhood Education and Care

ECEC one of a number of impacting factors on early child development and

learning

Quality ECEC provides rich, responsive learning environments which enhance

child development and provide stability and intergenerational benefit

Quality ECEC can only exist within a supportive, integrated and ‘competent’

system from individual level through to the level of governance


Early Childhood Education and Care – what do we

mean?

Early Childhood Education has a history that – in modern terms - goes back to

the mid nineteenth century but, in fact has it’s roots in ancient philosophy…. And

the message from the earliest scholarship is that:

‘early childhood education is different from the concept of traditional education’

and has ‘transforming potential … in relation to sociocultural reform and the

rights and wellbeing of children’ (Giardiello, 2014:2)

.


The Policy Space

– Childcare for working parents

– Capital investment in childcare places – exponential increase in private services

– Structural supports – local childcare committees

– Focus on cash payments to parents

• Fee Subsidy [CCSS]

• Child Benefit

• Early Childcare Supplement

– Prevention and Early Intervention Programme and ABC

– [Expansion] Free Preschool Year [ECCE scheme]


How does Irish policy fare internationally?

Comparatively Ireland ranks poorly

Investment is complex – child spend often subsumed into family spend

Most countries spend more on cash transfers and tax breaks than services. Ireland

ranks among the highest with almost 75% of child/family spend cash transfer and

tax breaks.

Investment in ECEC is between 0.2%/0.4% - OECD average is 0.8%;

Scandinavian spend is 1.0%+.

Research tells us that direct cash payments and tax breaks do nothing to support

affordable, quality ECEC services.


The Outcomes Discourse

Agenda for Children’s Services (2007)

7 National Outcomes for children

Better Outcomes Brighter Futures (2014)

5 National Outcomes for Children

IDG report on Future Investment in Childcare (2015)

Supporting National Outcomes

Outcomes - a useful framing concept for policy… but distract from the

importance of considering opportunities in the child’s day-to-day early learning

experiences and central role of quality staff [Hayes, 2015]


What does the research tell us?

From the moment of conception … early childhood development takes place at a

rate that exceeds any other stage of life. ………. The capacity to learn and absorb

is simply astonishing in these first years of life (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000)

If we don’t invest in young children, we’re going to have a less productive work

force, we’re going to have a less healthy population, and whatever we’re not

willing to spend today we’re going to spend a lot more of later on. (Shonkoff, 2008)


Research on ECE and child development

What seems to be most important for quality, effective early years for children

[and society] is the quality of:

– Relationships between child, children, adults and the learning environments

– Interactions - critical spaces for learning in the individual but also in groups…. The crucial

‘in-between’ particularly in interpersonal interactions

– Everyday intentional interactions matter

– The process of Play

The Primacy of the Ordinary


Why relationships and interactions matter?

The brain is partially mature at birth and continues to develop over the first years

of life.

Early brain research confirms the interconnected nature of social, emotional and

cognitive capacities

Babies and young children require stable, caring interactive relationships for

healthy brain development

Social brain development depends on and enables complex social interactions.

The quality of early experiences can determine how sturdy or fragile the

foundations are for learning and behaviour over time.


Quality of relationships

To be effective interactions must be positive and occur on a fairly regular basis

over extended periods of time.

Young children benefit most from these relationships when they occur within

stable, caring and interactive learning environments.

Research has found that the quality of interactions is closely related to the

development and sustaining of dispositions, which can be either positive

[generative] or negative [disruptive].


Learning to learn

The quality of early experiences can determine how sturdy or fragile the

foundations are for learning and behaviour over time….. particularly the

integrating function of the pre-frontal cortex

The skills necessary to control and coordinate information are developed in the

early years and provide the foundation for all later learning and development.

These skills are known as Executive Functions


Executive Functions

Elements of executive functions include:

working memory and recall [plan-do-review]

activation, arousal and effort [willing and able]

mental flexibility [see possibilities]

self-control [manage impulsivity, stay focused]

Research finds that children with developed executive functioning and self-

regulation do better in both the academic areas such as literacy and numeracy and

in general social adjustment.


Impact of ECEC on child development

The Effective Provision of Preschool Education [EPPE] project reports that:

From age 2 all children benefit from ECEC.

The quality of Early Years settings matters.

The duration of ECEC matters

Part-time has equal benefit to full-time.

High quality of ECEC effects persist until at least the end of

primary school.

High quality ECEC can protect a child from consequences of attending

low effective school


Effective ECEC – five key factors [EPPE]

Quality of the adult-child [verbal] interaction.

Knowledge and understanding of the curriculum.

Knowledge of how young children learn.

Adults skill in supporting children in resolving conflicts.

Helping parents to support children’s learning at home.


What EPPE study found

Integrated services development difficult, importance of joining up

Tensions in policy: optimal child development vs. flexibility for parents

Pilot interventions much easier to implement than systems reform but are sometimes hard to scale up;

Community programmes shift the curve but may miss most disadvantaged

Common feature of all successful programs is the quality of staff: well trained, motivated, and clear in their purpose.

Staff investment is least appealing, delivering more is always more attractive than delivering better.


Supporting Quality in Irish Early Years Settings

We have no systematic data on the quality of ECEC services

in Ireland

We have no evidence, for instance, on the quality of

provision across the 4,000+ Free Preschool Year services

It is virtually impossible to give a strategic and realistic

overview of how to support quality in the absence of

evidence from a nationally representative study into ECEC

quality

Coming - as we do - so late to this issue we can draw on a

number of instruments which could be used to assess the

quality of young children’s early education experience


Supporting Quality in Irish Early Years settings?

Síolta- Quality Framework (DES, 2006)

Aistear – Curriculum Framework (NCCA, 2009)

Aistear Toolkit and AisterSíolta Practice Guide

County/City Childcare Committees

National Voluntary Bodies

Better Start

Many isolated examples of good practice

Established political commitment


However - - -

No implementation strategy for frameworks

No strategic investment in training for staff

No career or professional structure

Insufficient funding to facilitate on-site quality supports

Poor conditions of service/high expectations

Increased inspection – TUSLA and DES

Increased administration – POBAL


Barriers to supporting quality in EY settings

ECEC poorly defined and understood

Emerging split between early education and childcare

Insufficient [and inappropriate] investment

Precarious position of early years settings

Fragmented departmental responsibility

Outside mainstream education

Outside family support

Outside community development

Outside mainstream health

Outside mainstream social protection


Power of Learning Community in areas of disadvantaged

Harness collective energy to build a sustainable Learning Community and

strengthen sectoral learning

Network across projects/CCCs e.g. SLT and Mentoring

Share and synthesise the data – qualitative and quantitative

Link Better Start [evaluations] with the NEYAI and ABC project learning

Build pedagogical leadership as the basis for professionally led, locally

sustainable quality ECEC provision

Review role of POBAL and CES in facilitating the harnessing of existing learning


To conclude

More children are spending more time in early childhood settings from a younger

age.

ECEC has a profound impact on children’s development

Quality ECEC has a positive effect on all children with a differentially positive

effect on disadvantaged children

Quality ECEC requires investment and support in services

Quality staff the key feature in providing and sustaining quality and effective

ECEC provision

Pedagogical leadership necessary to maintain quality ECEC

Currently ECEC in Ireland is varied in quality and unlikely to meeting the

expectations of policy makers and parents

Thank You

[email protected]




17th February 2016

Policy developments to support early years practice

Bernie McNally, Assistant Secretary, Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Policy Developments toSupport Early Years Practice

Bernie Mc Nally, Assistant Secretary General

Policy Developments

• Better Outcomes Brighter Futures

• Inter-Departmental Group Report on Future Investment…

• Inter-Departmental Group report on Supporting Access to ECCE for

Children with a Disability

• Early Years Strategy under development

Childcare Package

The European Quality FrameworkEuropean Commission Quality Framework for Early Years Care and Education:- The 5 essential components

Access (available, accessible, affordable, useable, desirable)

• ECCE 96%, CCS 48,000 places, 5000 others• 2017:- 0.5% GDP (goal 1%)

Workforce (Quals and CPD) • All at level 5 by end of 2016• 12% graduates• Learner Fund, new Level 6 Inclusion• CCC and NVCO training

Curriculum • Aistear and Siolta• EYSS (30 wte up to 80 with EYISS)• 500K for Síolta / Aistear initiative

Monitoring • Tusla and Educ Focussed Insp.s• Alignment Group

Governance • DCYA, Pobal, Better Start, DES,

Imminent shapers

1. Policy Development from the ABCs

1) Mainstreaming the Learning Task Group

2) EU Peer Review

3) Development of the Quality and Capacity Building Initiative (QCBI).

2. Review of DEIS

The local experience of early years practice in the ABC Programme

Sharon Byrne, Early Years Mentor, Better Finglas

Kelda Barnes, Manager, Darndale Belcamp Integrated Childcare Service Ltd., Preparing for Life

Karen Barrett, Key Worker, St Margaret’s Pre-School, youngballymun

A Focus on Early Years Early years initiatives operating through the area based childhood programme


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• Sharon Byrne, Early Years Mentor, Better Finglas

• Kelda Barnes, Manager, Darndale Belcamp Integrated Childcare Service, (Preparing for Life)

• Karen Barrett, Early Years Practitioner, St Margaret’s Preschool, (youngballymun)

Introduction


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• Research tells us that the quality of early childhood education and care has a direct impact on the developmental outcomes of children, this is particularly true for disadvantaged children.

• The provision of mentoring and training supports targeted at early years professionals enhances the quality of early years experiences for children in these settings.

• Aistear and Síolta, our National Early Childhood Frameworks, support and guide the work of Early Years Mentors in ABC areas.

• All ABC programmes deliver evidence based and evidence informed interventions.

Quality Early Years Practice


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• Mentoring is not a new concept, but the introduction of formal mentoring programmes within the early years sector is a recent development.

• EU report on Competence Requirements in Early Childhood Education and Care identified ‘continuous pedagogical support’ as a means of improving the competence of teams working with young children (2011).

• ‘Ten Years Of Learning’ CES report on prevention and early intervention initiatives found that it is vital formal training be combined with workplace coaching and mentoring to support professionals working with children and their families (2014).

Early Years Mentoring


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Profile of Early Years Provision in ABC Areas

ABC Areas 13

Settings 144

Practitioners 1235

Children 6528


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Interagency Initiatives

Transitions Programmes

Referral Pathways

Implementation

Teams

Parenting Supports

Parenting programmes

Parent Care Facilitators

Informal Supports

Incredible Years

Onsite Mentoring

Aistear

Síolta

High Scope

Training & Development

Incredible Years

High Scope

FETAC

Infant Mental health

Speech & Language

Oral Language Supports

Speech & Language Therapy

Chatter Matters, Hanen,

Elklan

• A Focus on Early Years • Early years initiatives operating through the area based childhood programme

‘It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men’ Frederick Douglass


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• Largest community childcare setting in Ireland– 260 children (Birth-12 years )– Full and part time day-care

• Facilities – Indoors: 13 children’s rooms, 2 indoor play

areas, a sensory room– Outdoors: 3 garden spaces

• Employ 95 staff (46 core, 49 CE/ Tús)• High Scope Curriculum linked to Aistear

and Síolta

Darndale Belcamp Integrated Childcare Service


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• Prior to ABC – Síolta Quality Assurance Process

• Training and mentoring – Aistear induction (17)– Language for Life (10)– Aistear Environments (8) – Aistear Planning and Assessing (5 and

18 currently in training) – Leadership (2)

• Provision of resources• Featured on aistearsiolta.ie

Support provided by PFL


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• PFL supports us to – Meet the requirements of the

National Frameworks– Train all staff members (directly or

indirectly) to use Aistear– Provide financial support for 3 staff

completing Early Years degrees– Adapt and improve the learning

environment– Create a curriculum statement

Impact of ABC


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• PFL supports us to – Foster links and build relationships with local

EY centres, staff and managers– Develop children’s oral language by providing

Hanen training for staff and a personal link with a speech & language therapist

– Build a legacy through leadership training– Build our confidence

Impact of ABC


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• The demands on time (staffing, ratios, learner fund and ongoing CPD )

• Implications of government schemes (paperwork and returns)

• The ongoing concern around work life balance for staff and managers

• Leading a community workforce • Financial challenges and

sustainability

Ongoing challenges


78


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• St. Margaret’s Traveller PreSchool, Ballymun– 24 children aged from 2&1/2-5 years of

age– Staff team of 6

• Mentoring & Coaching from youngballymun

• Using Síolta, Aistear and High Scope• Investment to support

implementation

My role and involvement in Mentoring & Coaching


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• The Learning Years Programme• Mentoring, Coaching & Training:

– High Scope Training – Aistear training and implementation support– Infant Mental Health Training & Mentoring– Core Health & Safety Training– Management & Leadership training &

mentoring– Investment in Equipment & Resources– Mentoring support through the Síolta QAP– HANEN training– Ongoing onsite Mentoring & Coaching

Supports from youngballymun


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Impact of Mentoring & Coaching: Learning Environment

Before After


82

• More Integrated• With other local practitioners & Managers

through training, visits and other meetings

• With organisations like schools, HSE etc.• In the local community e.g. visits with

children to the library or park • Parents more aware of and involved in

services locally• Our Mentor is an important link between

all of the early years settings

Impact of Mentoring & Coaching: More Integrated


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• Better Teamwork• Clearer about different roles and

responsibilities• Communicate better together e.g.

team meetings• Consistency• Key worker system• Strong leadership

Impact of Mentoring & Coaching: Better Teamwork


84

• Working with parents • Much better relationships with

parents• Key worker system helps

communication• Parents much more involved in the

setting• Attendance improved

Impact of Mentoring & Coaching: Working with Parents


85

• On professional and personal development

• Child led instead of teacher led in the past-reduction in conflict

• More tuned into the children's needs and interests

• Much more confident as a professional and less stress

• Observation & feedback• Ongoing training and development• Positive external validation

Impact of Mentoring & Coaching: Professional & Personal


86

THANK YOU

Panel discussion

Chair: Toby Wolfe, Policy and Research Officer, Start Strong

Dr Dorothy Watson, Associate Professor, The Economic and Social Research Institute

Professor Nóirín Hayes, Visiting Professor, Trinity College Dublin

Bernie McNally, Assistant Secretary, Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Sharon Byrne, Early Years Mentor, Better Finglas


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Breakout Sessions

Breakout sessionsDriving quality and challenging poverty - implications for practice in the ABC Programme

Breakout Session 1Facilitator: Catherine O'Brien, Childcare and Community Services Manager, Co-operative Housing Ireland (Docklands and East Inner City)

Ground Floor (main room)La Touche Room [D105]

Breakout Session 2Facilitator: Joanne Murphy, Co-ordinator, Louth Children and Young People’s Services Committee (Louth -The Genesis Programme)

Ground Floor (inner room)La Touche Room [D106]

Breakout Session 3Facilitator: Maria O’ Dwyer, Project Manager, ABC Start Right (Limerick City)

First FloorChesterfield Room [C209]

Breakout Session 4Facilitator: Marie Cuddihy, Development Officer (North Wicklow), Wicklow County Childcare Committee, (Bray - Supporting Parents and Early Childhood Services)

First Floor (main room)President’s Suite [D205]

Breakout Session 5Facilitator: Fiona Hassett, Local Childcare Resource Service Co-ordinator, Family Matters(Ballyfermot/Chapelizod)

First Floor (inner room)President’s Suite [D206]

Please check your name badge for information on which session you have been allocated to.




17th February 2016

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