STRATEGIC CONSULTANCY CASE STUDIES

June 2009: MEETING THE RECRUITMENT CHALLENGE

One of our most recent projects has been to support a Local Authority project to manage its CWDC WSPP funded project when additional capacity within its team was needed. This project has been to engage a wide range of stakeholders from the early years and childcare independent and voluntary sector with workforce development strategies for improved recruitment. We've managed across a three year period to initiate, develop and deliver a recruitment programme that supports applicants interested in working with children and young people understand what's needed to be a professional engaged in the new agenda and enable people to understand the range of roles that could be open to them and where there are recruitment gaps. What's made us successful in this project is that:

• We helped a group of stakeholders write the bid to attract the funding at the start
• We have created opportunities for voluntary and private organisations to contribute their expertise to and benefit from the project throughout
• We've met all our reporting and funding claim deadlines
• We've enabled a range of stakeholders to come together and work collaboratively to initially write a recruitment programme and then develop an outcomes framework for providers to deliver against
• We've met and dealt with a range of challenges from integrated working that have enabled everyone to learn
• We've helped stakeholders understand the need to set a recruitment programme in the context of a needs analysis
• We've helped the Local Authority develop its commissioning process to ensure a process supportive of all
• We've set the local issues for stakeholders within the wider national context of Change for Children
• Individuals have been supported to enter the sector with a realistic understanding of what their career journey will include
• Marketing materials have been developed that reflect early years and childcare as a career that offers real opportunities for graduates to make a contribution in ways that have credibility and offer personal fulfilment
• All stakeholders have a better understanding of the recruitment changes that need to be made in the sector to ensure all children's development can be supported

June 2009: CONSULTATION, COLLABORATION, COMMUNICATION

One of our key projects last year was to support a Local Authority to spread the message about nursery education funding to more parents and carers through the development of a guide. Our approach was to look at what was available first of all in other counties. We identified that most of the information being used was neither engaging nor written from a parents perspective of either never having heard about the funding or not knowing what they could expect from providers. We went out and talked to parents of children at toddler groups to find out what they did need to know. We wrote it, rewrote it, double checked it with providers, with benefits advisors, with Local Authority staff and worked alongside a design team to ensure that the finished product was high quality, capable of helping parents understand the funding better and so help the Local Authority ensure better outcomes for all the children in its area.

At the same time as we were doing this, we were writing the quality standards to support the same Local Authority drive up the quality of its nursery education provision. Making clear the expectations was our starting point. Consultation with providers identified that they needed a usable guide, with easy to find information to support them understand what was expected and source further support where needed. The quality standards were agreed and a guide written to explain what was needed.

Overwhelmingly, provider's feedback has been really positive about the 'FREE FOR 3&4' Guide and now there are clear standards to help them meet the terms of their contract. We supported the launch of the Guide and associated Parent Information leaflet by facilitating events for providers aimed at both further consultation and helping them to see the context for the Guide.

What practitioners said:

'It has reinforced the point that continuous improvement in quality of care is the driving force behind the whole package.'

'I have never had a clear knowledge of nursery education funding before this event because I was unaware any previous documentation was available. This guide is a very valuable tool.'

'This introduced improvement and opportunities for our setting that we wouldn't have considered before tonight.'

'The pack is fantastic and will be a great resource guide for delivering the free funding. The event has re-enforced the guidance and was extremely useful to have facilitators on hand to talk through issues/queries. Great to have face-to-face communication. Nice to know that discussions were being noted to take back.'

'A clear, reasonable, concise and useful document (the Guide) and the parent information leaflet will be a huge help.'

'Superb guide and parent information leaflet and well-organised event thank you.'