A fresh workforce strategy is vital

It is also affected by the degree to which professional groups work effectively together to meet children’s needs and reduce the impact of deprivation and inequalities on their future lives.

When the National Children and Young People’s Workforce Partnership was wound up last month, few people outside its immediate circle will have been aware of its work, even though its vision was an impressive one. The group was set up under the last government to oversee the development of a sector-wide children’s workforce strategy by 2020. Last year, we saw the closure of the Children’s Workforce Development Council, established to oversee and support workforce improvement for an estimated 2.6 million people. These included those working in early years and childcare, the youth sector, education welfare and social work.

Bringing all aspects of the workforce for children together is challenging. But we need a sector-wide workforce strategy if we are to effectively support the introduction of education, health and care plans; to foster better transitions for children and young people in care and the youth justice systems; and make effective provision for children and young people with disabilities and health needs.

There have been developments in certain disciplines. The government has established the College of Social Work to raise professional standards and ensure a commitment to continuous professional development. It will support both the expectation and provision of career-long professional development.

In recent years, the Training and Development Agency for Schools and the National College for School Leadership have been subsumed within the Department for Education as executive agencies, and the General Teaching Council for England has been closed. But the education select committee has called for the establishment of a Royal College of Teaching to ensure that professional standards, qualifications and training are set and led by the profession.

For the early years workforce, Professor Cathy Nutbrown’s report identified the need to simplify and improve the quality and qualifications of the workforce. She recommended the development of a qualified teacher status (QTS) for early years. The government’s response acknowledges the importance of a better skilled workforce for the early years. However, the Early Years Teacher qualification, as it is currently proposed, is not aligned to the QTS standards. If the qualification is to carry the title “teacher”, it should reflect the same expectation of meeting national standards in the understanding and practice of teaching and learning as other teachers. A Royal College of Teaching could lead and support the development and implementation of this new category of teacher.

In health, we have the Royal colleges, and for children, the Royal College of Child Health and Paediatrics plays a vital role in leading professional standards, training and access to registration. The Royal colleges are respected and provide public confidence and professional credibility for health professionals. They have an unrelenting focus on ensuring the workforce is well qualified, trained and kept up to date. That focus is vital for all those professionals and practitioners who work with young people.

Across the sector, the children’s workforce relies on rigorous professional development to do the best job it can. Professional standards need to be based on evidence and research and those standards need to be nationally and internationally recognised and credible.

While in health and social care we are seeing a stronger professional leadership and voice, for early years and education we risk losing consistency in expectations about qualifications and standards. Similar concerns exist for professionals in youth work, education welfare and the youth justice system. Career-long professional development is at the heart of an effective workforce delivering better outcomes for children and young people. We need to build common understanding across these professional groupings and bring workforce organisations together to develop a workforce strategy that supports a shared understanding of children and young people and how we meet their needs by working effectively together.

Dr Hilary Emery is chief executive of the National Children’s Bureau