Clause 79 - Information to be included in annual reports
Childcare Bill
9:45 am
Annette Brooke (Shadow Minister, Education & Skills; Mid Dorset and North Poole, Liberal Democrat)
In the Christmas spirit. Given the consensus in the Committee about the need to monitor the professionalisation of the child care force, I hope that the Minister will accept the amendment.
I am not sure why we are dealing with new clause 17 here, but I am grateful that we are dealing with it. Originally, it was tabled after clause 34, and I am not sure how it applies to clause 79. However, it is important. It is supported by several organisations, including the National Childminding Association, the Pre-School Learning Alliance and the Daycare Trust. The Minister might suggest that it would create an onerous requirement, but it has widespread support among providers and experts in the field. My hon. Friend the Member for Brecon and Radnorshire (Mr. Williams) will be interested in it, as pre-registration training is mandatory for child minders in Wales. Standard 12.4 of the Welsh Assembly Government—let us get that right—publication “National Minimum Standards for Child Minders” states:
“From 1 January 2003, the childminder has successfully completed a pre-registration course before registration.”
I am arguing for the requirement on an equality as well as a common-sense basis. The new clause would achieve the same in England as in Wales and ensure that in the future child minders are required to undertake further accredited training.
In recent years, the training and development of the child minding work force has been a credit to everybody concerned: local authorities, the Government, child minders and the NCA. Obviously, the pre-registration course could be part of the accumulation of units towards a full qualification, and that, of course, relates to the development of a professional child minding work force. The NCA’s experience is that most child minders in England already undertake accredited training as part of their induction as new child minders. The introduction to child minding practice, which is a level 1 qualification, encourages many of them to continue with further training in their later career.
The NCA believes that the new minimum requirement for training would not act as a barrier to people registering as child minders. We have discussed barriers, and I am mindful of them, but I believe that the new clause is totally in the spirit of what has been happening in the work force—the recent trends in qualifications and training for child minding—which is greatly to be commended.
I would like to make a point on the clause, as I do not believe that I will be able to raise it anywhere else in the Bill. I have referred to quality assurance on many occasions. In his reports on particular child care settings and providers, it may be fitting for the inspector to pick up on how many inspections involved settings where there is quality assurance.
In the original consultation before the Bill, a specific question was asked about whether funding should remain for Investors in Children. Although I have mentioned this several times, I have not had a commitment regarding what is happening to the recognised kite mark of Investors in Children. The responses have been published and there seems to be a great deal of support for the matter, but will the Minister comment on the future of quality assurance?