Quality Assurance Schemes For Early Years Providers
We recommend that, as Early Years Providers, you register to a Quality Assurance (QA) scheme.
What is Quality Assurance? QA schemes will allow Day Nurseries, Pre-schools, Out-of-School/Holiday Clubs and Childminders to celebrate their good practice.
QA identifies quality and provides a framework within which to develop further. It will encourage and allow your staff to reflect on their own practice and create a culture of continuous improvement.
We recommend the following schemes that are endorsed by the DfES 'Investors in Children' award:
- National Day Nurseries Association 'Quality Counts'
- Pre-school Learning Alliance 'Aiming for Quality'
- 4Children 'Aiming High'
- National Childminding Association 'Quality First' (Individual Childminders) and 'Children Come First' (Network Childminders)
Benefits to Parents: QA accreditation will provide a kitemark to inform parental choice of childcare, reassurance and quality. It will encourage and assist partnerships with parents in the care and early education of their child. Parents are reassured that your setting is actively reviewing its practice.
Benefits to Providers: You will build a portfolio of evidence and review your practice. The QA process will improve your staff's understanding of quality, raise awareness of how individual staff members impact on quality in the setting and encourage teamwork.
QA will promote co-operation between you (as early years practitioners) and other agencies to share expertise and good practice. Your setting achieves a kitemark, through 'Investors in Children' endorsement, that assists you in promotion and marketing.
The Localities and Childcare Team can support settings throughout the QA process. Please contact the Childcare Team for further details
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