Early years and childcare workforce

This page contains information specific to early years and childcare workers.

Investing in quality to improve outcomes for children

Bristol wants all children to have the opportunity to access timely, appropriate, well resourced and integrated early education and childcare within our private, voluntary, independent and maintained provision. All children should be able to enjoy their play and learning, grow up healthy and achieve to the best of their potential, wherever they live in the city.

Investment in workforce development is therefore vitally important. We are fully committed to enabling playworkers and early years practitioners to continue to develop their knowledge and skills to meet children's unique needs, play and learning styles and to improve their work with parents, carers and the wider community.

Bristol’s early years and childcare workforce

The early years and childcare workforce includes:

• Practitioners working in early years and childcare settings in Bristol
• Childminders (or people considering childminding as a career) working in  Bristol
• Playworkers working in out of school childcare schemes in Bristol
• Providers wishing to develop or sustain registered provision in the city

Support and resources for workforce development 

Workforce development training, advice, guidance and support is delivered by the Early Years and Childcare service in partnership with colleagues in the private, public and voluntary sectors in Bristol.

Find out about financial support for qualifications.

Workforce development: roles and contact information

Set out below are details of teams and partner organisations who provide training and support to the early years and childcare workforce:

The teams within Bristol City Council are:

• Early Years Consultant Team
• Early Years Training Network Coordinators
• Early Years Portage and Inclusion Service
• Childminding Support Team

Our partner organisations are:

• PEYTU
• BAND (Bristol Association for Neighbourhood Daycare)

Early Years Consultant Team

Who we are:
Early Years Consultants and Advisers - for a full list see page 15 of the Early Years, Inclusion & PEYTU - Continuing Professional Development Programme 2012/13 (pdf, 3.2 MB) (opens new window)

What we do:
Support practitioners working with children from birth to the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) across all sectors.

Contact us:
tel: (0117) 9031397

Early Years Training Network Coordinators

Who we are:
The coordinators include nursery school and children’s centre Head Teachers, children’s centre lead teachers and practitioners with early years professional status. For a full list and contact details see the Early Years Network Training Coordinators list in related documents on the right.

What we do:
Coordinators arrange events (training, sharing information and resources) for their area throughout the academic year in consultation with the settings in their area.

Early Years Portage and Inclusion Service

Who we are:

• The Early Years Inclusion Team
• The Portage Home Visiting Team
• Educational Psychology input

What we do:
The Early Years Inclusion Team provides support, advice, resources and training to settings and childminders delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) in the following ways:

• Modelling inclusive practice
• Providing city wide and in-house training
• Making resources
• Providing a resource library
• Writing Individual Education Plans (IEP’s)
• Completing Early Years Special Educational Needs Funding and Annual Review paperwork
• Supporting transitions into new settings/schools
• Advising on legislation and requirements in respect of disability equality, the inclusion of disabled children and children with additional/educational needs

The Portage Home Visiting Team delivers an educational home visiting service for early years and preschool children that live in the city of Bristol and who have special educational and/or additional needs. Please see: http://www.bristol.gov.uk/page/disabled-children

Contact us:
tel: 0117 353 4625

Compass Point,
South Street Primary School & Children’s Centre
South Street
Bedminster
BS3 3AU

Childminding Support Team

Who we are
1 x Childminding Network Coordinator – sharon.mcdonald@bristol.gov.uk and 3 x Childminding Support Workers who specialise in:

• Recruitment – denise.tovey@bristol.gov.uk
• Advice and support to network childminders – joanne.dennis@bristol.gov.uk
• Advice and support to network childminders, accreditation and children’s centre liaison – vanessa.rawlinson@bristol.gov.uk

What we do
The team supports all childminders both in groups and individually. Services that are available include:

• Pre-registration business support
• Home visits, telephone and email advice
• Training programme
• Pre-Inspection visits
• Regular newsletters
• Advice and support in working within the EYFS, completing a SEF, risk assessments, policies and procedures and the Bristol Standard

Contact us:
tel: 0845 129 7217 (Family Information Service)

Early Years & Childcare Service,
The Woodward Community Resource Centre,
Alexandra Park,
Fishponds,
Bristol BS16 2BG

The Play & Early Years Training Unit (PEYTU)

Who we are
PEYTU is a registered charity based in Bristol. Our aim is to improve outcomes for children and young people by providing training, information, consultancy and support for those working with and/or caring for them. 

What we do
We are an accredited CACHE Study Centre working in partnership with the Early Years and Childcare Service and BAND to deliver a wide range of continued professional development courses and relevant qualification programmes to meet the needs of practitioners, leaders and managers in the early years, child care and play workforce.

We also offer advice and guidance (Matrix accredited) relating to entry and progression within the sector.

Contact us:
For information about courses and bookings please:
visit our website: www.peytu.co.uk 
email: admin@peytu.co.uk
tel:  0117 908 0601 

Bristol Association for Neighbourhood Daycare (BAND Ltd)

Who we are
BAND is an umbrella organisation which supports and develops childcare provision in and around Bristol. We provide services to childcare providers, people working with children, families and employers.

What we do
We provide training on a variety of subjects to play/childcare workers, managers/owners and management committee members. This includes briefings/training for new or existing providers on registration and quality requirements. We also provide support on through a comprehensive package of business planning to groups We also and work in partnership with PEYTU to deliver play, early years and childcare training.

How to contact us:
For information about courses and bookings please:
visit our website: www.bandltd.org.uk
email: admin@bandltd.org.uk
telephone our general information line: 0117 954 2128

New Training Opportunities

Bristol City Council and City of Bristol College are together offering in November 2012 free training to all Early Years Practitioners in Bristol who wish to complete a 24 week course in GCSE English or Maths. Attached is a GCSE in English and Maths for Early Years Practitioners poster (pdf, 177 KB) (opens new window) providing further information including details on how to apply.

In addition, the Early Childhood Organisation (ECHO) is providing a half day workshop on 10th November 2012 for Early Years Practitioners focusing on ideas for play using natural and recycled materials. Attached is a "Placing & Arranging, No Glue" workshop poster (pdf, 55 KB) (opens new window) advertising the event. Cost is £10. To book your place email pruewillmott1@yahoo.co.uk.