Embodying professional development, workplace mentoring and parental engagement in the form of an Interim Preschool Practice Manager

Start Right’s model area 3 communities on Limerick’s Southside 9 early years settings 5 primary schools & 1 after-school project 724 (887) children (0-6 years) 2322 family units (97 inter-generational) 393 children in EY settings EY staff Objectives: (1) Enhance the capacity of parents, families, and services to work collaboratively in the best interests of children (2) Develop integrated work practices and resource-sharing in the early years across statutory, community and voluntary agencies

What. Improve child outcomes through the provision What? Improve child outcomes through the provision of high quality ECCE Why? Existing practice was not child-centred Where? A school-feeder preschool How? Through the creation of an on-site EY position where quality is the central focus What? (i) Enhancement of provision and practice (ii) Up-skilling and mentoring of practitioners When? Over a full preschool year: August 2012 – June 2013 Who? An experienced Early Years manager, with a ‘warm and caring personality – friendly and approachable to families’

The Before Picture Structural Principal - legal manager Two EY staff (mid Level 5) Parents – expectations around paperwork & timekeeping Ad-hoc management committee & policies and procedures Operational Practice – adult-directed, activities inconsistent with childrens’ interests, little opportunity for children to engage in play, lack of awareness of Síolta & Aistear , little awareness of speech and language development Interactions – raised voices, reactive language, lack of capacity to interact with the children in a way that reflects the child’s needs for warm, responsive relationships ‘The amazing case of the magically appearing small people’

Meet the Interim Preschool Practice Manager... Recruitment process: An enlightenment in the context of (mis)perceptions of ECCE & highlighted the lack of sectoral confidence Successful candidate: Montessori trained Background in play consultancy Preschool management experience Very focused on environments / outdoor play A man

The After Picture: ‘If children play, they’ll thrive’ + Síolta & Aistear – following the child’s lead Outdoor play environment Meeting children’s needs Speech and language development Parental engagement Understanding of child outcomes - Practitioner capacity Stakeholder disengagement

Partnership requires time, role clarity, open channels of communication & a dual approach to needs identification On-site guidance and mentoring by a qualified and experienced professional is core in enhancing quality practice and facilitating the professional development of EY practitioners Changes in practice and implementation of Aistear & Síolta require a unified and reflective approach between managers and practitioners Mentoring approaches & strategies need to be specific to the needs of individual practitioners and rooted in trust and meaningful consultation Early intervention (i.e. SLT) in the form of assessments and service allocation needs to begin in the actual EARLY YEARS ‘Parents as partners’ is the pivotal component of effective & sustainable early intervention and prevention work Key Learning