On Monday 22 April, the Department for Education (DfE) launched two new consultations for early years providers in England.

1. Strengthening EYFS safeguarding requirements

The DfE has detailed its proposals to strengthen safeguarding requirements under the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) in England. PACEY, along with other stakeholders, has been engaging with the DfE on shaping policy development in this area to ensure children in early years settings are kept as safe as possible. 

The new consultation proposes changes to both the childminder and group and school-based versions of the EYFS to strengthen and clarify safeguarding policy. Changes include:

• Amendments to ensure safer recruitment including new requirements to obtain references and requiring safeguarding policies to include procedures to follow to ensure recruitment of suitable individuals.
• Creation of new requirements for following up if a child is absent for a prolonged period of time and amendments to ensure providers hold additional emergency contact details.
• Creation of new requirements to ensure safer eating.
• Creation of a safeguarding training criteria annex and a requirement for safeguarding policies to include details of how safeguarding training is delivered and how practitioners are supported to put it into place.
• Amendments to clarify that early years students and trainees are required to have paediatric first aid (PFA) training.
• Amendments to ensure children’s privacy when changing nappies and toileting is considered and balanced with safeguarding need.
• A small number of other minor changes to the structure and wording of the safeguarding requirements to improve clarity.

 You can read the full table of proposed changes on gov.uk.

The government is seeking views on the new proposals from anyone with an interest in early years and childcare. PACEY will be engaging with members to gather your views and insights to inform our consultation response. More details on this will be shared soon.  

If you would like to respond to the consultation directly, please do so by Monday 17 June to ensure your views are considered.

2. An experienced-based route for early years practitioners in group- and school-based settings

On 22 April, the Department for Education (DfE) launched a new consultation on an experience-based route for early years practitioners to gain approved status to work within staff:child ratios. This follows positive responses to the proposal in last year’s Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) consultation in England.  

The experience-based route would apply to practitioners in group-based and school-based providers only. It would give providers more flexibility to include practitioners who do not hold full and relevant qualifications, but have the necessary practical skills and experience to count in staff:child ratios. Under the new proposals, early years managers would assess their staff’s knowledge, skills and experience against the level 3 EYE criteria.

The DfE noted that some providers previously voiced concerns about how this route might impact the quality of early years provision and care.  The technical consultation document details the proposed model, eligibility criteria and process requirements and the DfE is keen to hear a broad range of views from anyone with an interest in the sector, including early years and childcare professionals.

Helen Donohoe, Chief Executive at PACEY comments:

“We know from our members that their years of experience and dedication are priceless in their delivery of first-class early education and childcare and there is certainly a case for valuing and respecting experience more in terms of what roles practitioners can fulfil. However, that principle only works within a strong and stable workforce and setting, where an established body of professionals ranging from graduate to entry level, with the appropriate pay, can provide a balanced and enriched learning environment. It should never be used as leverage for shortcuts and cost saving, and so for it to work a comprehensive workforce strategy must be in place.”

PACEY will be engaging in the consultation on behalf of our members. You can submit your own consultation response online.

Please respond before Monday 20 May 2024 to have your views on the proposals considered.