Responses from my International contact.

Hello classmates, here are the responses I received to the following questions from my International contact Karen.

1. What issues regarding quality and early childhood professionals are being discussed where you live and work?

I am chairing a national review related to Registration, Regulation and Inspection of the workforce in Wales. This is important because it brings together inspection and quality standards. It raises questions about how inspection is a driver for quality. Consistency and standardized understanding of national standards is a key to this and is the current focus of the workforce who thinks interpretation of national standards varies too much.

2. What opportunities and/or requirements for professional development exist?

 Professionals can undertake qualifications from entry level to level 5 (Foundation Degree) through work-based learning programmers and can go to University for a degree program, follow the link for the content of level 5, you will also find other levels of CCLD here too.
http://www.ccwales.org.uk/qcf-level-5-diploma-in-leadership-for-ccld-advanced-practice-wales-and-northern-ireland/
 

3. What are some of your professional goals?

 I would like to see Wales recognized for its work in relation to the UNCRC and to see the outcomes for children in our poorest communities improved through tackling poverty and low levels of education attainment. My role is helping to make those improvements through conducting evaluations and reviews, as above, and making recommendations for change and through working at community level. For example, I deliver programs to people who work with some of our most disadvantaged parents. These are my goals and challenges professionally too.

4. What are some of your professional hopes, dreams, and challenges?

 I would love to see a global community of people working to the same end. We all work to the same issues on the same trajectory and are in different places on that trajectory but it would be, and is, fantastic to share practice globally. In this way we learn from each other’s mistakes and experiences and improve the world we live in.

I run the Centre for the Child, Family and Society. You may find out more about this if you google Professor Karen Graham, UK.

Kind regards and Merry Christmas for when it comes.

Karen