ASPECT meets DCFS over Early Years Professionals’ pay and conditions
24 July 2008
Aspect today welcomed a “developing positive climate”” over the pay and conditions of Early Years Professionals following an Aspect delegation to the Department for Children, Families and Schools.
The DSFS received an Aspect paper outlining a national framework for pay and conditions.
John Chowcat, Aspect general secretary said: “Strengthening the national system of early years provision depends upon a stable career structure and measures to guarantee pay and conditions that reflect the training and professional skills of Early Years Professionals.
Rosie Bloomfield EYP national committee chair said: “We are encouraged by our meeting with the DSFS and welcome this developing positive climate. Progress to establish a coherent framework of pay and conditions is essential if we are to achieve the government target of an EYP curriculum leader in every children’s centre by 2010 and in every early years setting by 2015."
John Chowcat said: "The national mix of statutory, public, voluntary and private sector provision is a challenging environment and it may be necessary for the government to consider a system of public subsidy for elements of the voluntary and private sectors if we are to achieve coherence." ENDS
Note to editors
1 The Aspect delegation including general secretary John Chowcat, deputy general secretary Nelly Takla-Wright, EYP national committee chair Rosie Bloomfield and Stacy Randall met with Helen Walker and Barry Warwick of the DSFS on Monday 21 July. 2 Aspect is the only professional association and trade union exclusively representing professionals working in educational improvement and children’s services and is the biggest union represented in the Soulbury negotiating framework. These professionals play a vital role in shaping and influencing the lives of millions of children and young people. Aspect members include advisory headteachers, directors and managers of children’s services, school improvement and early years advisers, education welfare officers, 14-19 coordinators, heads of Sure Start, Ofsted inspectors, parent partnership staff and self-employed consultants as well as Early Years Professionals. Over the past five years membership has doubled and Aspect now represents over 4,000 professionals working in the field.
