Without appropriate training it will not be easy for the new world of integrated children's services to become fully functional, which is why the approval of new national occupational standards in children's care, learning and development is such an important step (Children Now, 11-17 May).
The 87 "units of competence", which update and add to the old standards in early years care and education, will form the basis of National and Scottish Vocational Qualifications and for continuing professional development in the children's sector, primarily in childcare.
They apply to people working in a wide variety of settings, from Sure Start and children's centres to extended schools and hospitals. They do not, however, apply to playworkers or teaching assistants, for instance, although 22 units referring to other disciplines have been imported into the standards to reflect the multi-faceted roles of some children's workers.
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