1. Managing Quality Outcome 3

2. Week 7  Assessment 2 (LO3/4) requirements  LO3-Current policies  Purpose and aims of policy  Why we revise policy  A good policy  Effects of policy  Policy and practice

3. Current policies in EE and CC Task: What policy documents are there currently in your setting? List their titles below.

4. Purpose and aims of policy  The provision of written policy statements in Early Education and Childcare settings is a crucial and integral part of quality provision. Task: Consider and identify the various areas which require policies within the sector.

5. Purpose and aims of policy  Policies should be viewed as working documents which inform practice and should not be seen as paper documents which are filed and stored neatly for inspection purposes.

6. Purpose of policy SSome of the purposes served by policy may include: Meets legal /national/local requirements Promotes professionalism Guides activities within setting Clarifies roles and responsibilities Highlights culture and ethos of setting Standardises procedures and practice Reinforces aims of service provision Acts as common point of reference Justifies approaches Serves as accountability mechanism Re assures parents/carers and others Provides meaningful induction Protects children/staff/parents/carers Auction task: You will now investigate these purposes in small groups.

7. Why we revise/ create new policies.  Changes to legislation or national policy  Changes to funding mechanisms/resources  Changes to structure or staff allocation  Result of a specific incident  Identification of gaps in policy/procedure/practice  Outcome of monitoring/reviewing existing policy

8. What makes a good policy?  In groups of 4, look at the policies you have brought with you today. Task: Using these policies as a springboard, compile a checklist of requirements for formulating a ‘good policy’. Record your checklist onto the poster paper you have been provided with and be prepared to share your checklist with the class.

9. What did you include in your checklist?  Include aims of policy  Link to aims of provision  Consider target audience  Have appropriate discussion, consultation agreement with others  Use uncomplicated plain language  Include any legislative requirements  Structure of policy  Consistent with/complement other policies  Take account of resource implications  Translation into first language of users  Procedures linked to policy  Accessibility/whereabouts of policy  Evaluation and monitoring of policy  Date of last review and source/author

10. Effects of policy  What are the effects of having formal written policies?

11. Are there any negative effects of policy? If too many, could lose their significance Could result in lack of flexibility May be open to misinterpretation Practice could become out-dated and unresponsive Staff / children could lose sense of spontaneity/creativity May become more policy-centred and less child-centred May restrict practice as no policy to support certain activities Task: How do we minimise/counteract potential disadvantages.

12. Policy-practice and practice-policy Task: In groups of 4, identify and reflect on times when;  1. you have witnessed practice which has/could have informed policy, and,  2. incidents where you have witnessed policy having direct impact on practice.

13. Next week  Outcome 4 (Debbie)  Any questions?