Our Spotlight on early years Stronger Practice Hubs in England will provide you with an insight into what the hubs do, and what this means for you as a early years practitioner. We will also share how to find your local hub and what support you can access through these hubs.
What are early years Stronger Practice Hubs?
Early years Stronger Practice Hubs provide advice, share good practice and offer evidence-based professional development for early years practitioners in England. They form part of the early years education recovery support package, which has been implemented to support early years practitioners to upskill and develop their knowledge as well as providing access to mentoring and support. The programme is funded for two years, until late 2024, and is being delivered nationally by the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) on behalf of the Department of Education (DfE). PACEY are working in partnership with NCB to support the hubs with work in relation to childminding specifically.
What do the Stronger Practice Hubs do?
The aim of the Stronger Practice Hubs is to support practitioners to develop their knowledge and understanding of early years and upskill in this area.  This will be done by
- establishing local networks  to share knowledge and effective practice,
- sharing information and advice on evidence-based approaches, providing bespoke advice and signposting to other funded support
What does this mean for me?
As an early years practitioner, you are able to access the support provided by your local Stronger Practice Hub.
Key benefits for early years practitioners can include:
- access to mentor support
- being part of local practitioner networks
- access to bespoke advice
- access to online resources and best practice guides
- access to webinars and CPD training
- access to the Evidence Store (see links below)
- access to the professional development programme
How do I find my local SPH?
There are 18 hubs in total across England. You can find out more about your local Stronger Practice Hubs by visiting the website.
How are PACEY involved?
As a voice for childminders, PACEY are working closely with NCB and the Stronger Practice Hubs to ensure that childminders specifically are included in the programme and that the support being offered meets their unique needs. We have provided, and continue to provide, bespoke advice to hub representatives and delivered webinars to support childminder engagement and share good practice.
Further support
We hope this resource and the links provided have been informative. If you would like to discuss any aspect of this topic, or would like additional support or guidance, then please get in touch with PACEY by emailing kelly.alexandre@pacey.org.uk
PACEY Blogs
- Stronger Practice Hubs- sharing evidence informed practice
- Stronger Practice Hubs-supporting children’s learning in home-based childcare
- Stronger Practice Hubs- supporting your childminding assistant’s professional development