Welcome - Donegal County Childcare Committee
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APRIL 2018
Update..
In case you missed
something!
Welcome
Welcome to Donegal County Childcare Committee's Spring 2018 Newsletter.
In this edition, you will find updates on recent training and events, the Access and Inclusion
Model (AIM) updates and some newly launched resources.
It also features some helpful updates and reminders from Canavan & Byrne’s facilitated HR and
Data Protection workshop.
This newsletter is interactive the TEXT HIGHLIGHTED IN GREEN is linked to external website
pages for further information.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Recent Training and Events
AIM Updates
New Resources
New Training Opportunities including:
RSA Training, LGBTI Training, Children
First Child Protection Training, EDI
Training, Lamh and Hanen Training.
The National Siolta Aistear Initiative
(NSAI)
Tusla - 7 Key Parenting Messages
Points to Note
Recent Training and Events
HR & Data Protection Workshop
The HR and Data Protection Workshop facilitated by Canavan & Byrne took place on Saturday the 24th of
March 2018 in the Mount Errigal Hotel, Letterkenny. On the day, there was a full house of 50 participants in
attendance.
The first half of the day provided practical advice on the many HR Challenges facing Early Years childcare
providers. The second half of the workshop focused on the changes in General Data Protection Regulation
(GDPR) which come into force in May 2018.
DCCC has developed a document containing some helpful
updates and reminders from the workshop which can be
found at the following link:
LINK TO TIPS SHEET
AIM, LINC & EDI Information Session
Many thanks to everyone who attended the DCCC AIM
Information Session facilitated by Paula Harte (Linc Tutor)
and Nicola Kee (National Service Coordinator with Better
Start-AIM) and Emma Wasson (Early Years Specialist
Better Start-AIM) on the 21st of March in Letterkenny.
Information on the AIM and LINC Programme, including
entry requirements and other elements of relevance, were
discussed by the speakers on the night.
This is the last time the LINC Course will be run in
Donegal and we are hoping that many of the participants
who attended the information session will be part of the
new 2018/2019 cohort.
AIM Updates
When applying for supports for children under AIM, please note
that a full diagnosis does not need to be in place in advance of
making an application. AIM supports are needs led rather than
diagnosis led.
For children already allocated additional supports under Level
7, a reapplication process will not be needed. However,
services will be asked if a child who is in receipt of level 7
funding will be returning in September.
Services will be notified in due course.
Eligibility for the INCO capitation has slightly changed
from previously (whereby only ECCE-contracted settings
were eligible):
The capitation is payable for all ECCE-eligible
children in a pre-school room whether the child is on
an ECCE, CCS or TEC programme.
AIM Inclusive Play Resource Packs and Website
AIM Inclusive Play Packs will be delivered daily to ECCE settings nationwide over the coming weeks.
These packs contain a set of sensory and educational play resources to support inclusive practice within
pre-school settings. These resources, which include equipment, toys and materials, also support the
development of coordination, audio, visual and tactile skills among all children, particularly children with a
disability.
An accompanying website has been specifically designed
which supports the appropriate and effective use of these
resources.
Click on the link to access the website which can be found at
the following address http://play.aim.gov.ie/
The resources section of this website allows you to select the
type of skill that you wish to improve on such as Cognitive,
Language, Literacy and Communication, Physical, Sensory,
or Social/Emotional. The most appropriate
resources/equipment for each of the skills appear when you
select the skillset you are looking for. Details of how to use
each of the resources are also available here.New Resources
Sammy the Caterpillar
Donegal Youth Service (DYS), Donegal County Library Services and HSE Health Promotion recently
launched an information booklet called Sammy the Caterpillar. The booklet is designed to support
parents and guardians to have healthy conversations with children and teenagers about their bodies,
sexuality and relationships. It also signposts adults to age-appropriate books in their local library which
have been specially selected to support adults and children to facilitate these conversations.
The booklet is broken into age groups of 0 – 5 years, 5 – 8 years, 8 – 12 years and 13 – 19 years and
contains helpful tips, age-appropriate information and relevant books that can be found in your local
library. The resource will be of benefit to both parents and educators alike.
Click on the link below to access the booklet.
SAMMY BOOKLET FRONT
SAMMY BOOKLET BACK
Babbling Babies
The Babbling Babies nursery rhymes booklet was launched in the
Letterkenny Central Library on Wednesday the 18/04/18.
This booklet includes favourite nursery rhymes in a number of
languages and will be given to all families of young children when
joining the library.
Studies show that if babies and children are read to at an early age,
they will enjoy reading and learning more, and do better in school.
The aim of the booklet is to encourage language and reading
development, and to promote the importance of reading to children.
Rhymes and songs in English, Irish, Polish, Romanian, Hindi and
Kenyan are all included in the booklet and it will be available
throughout the county libraries.
DCCC will also be posting hardcopy versions to all participants who
have completed the Diversity Equality and Inclusion training to date.
This is an initiative involving the Education & Learning Sub Committee of Donegal
CYPSC - the County Library Service, HSE Health Promotion and Lifestart Services.Training Opportunities
FREE training and supports offered by the RSA
Louise from the RSA is available to visit your group, club or event or SUMMER CAMPS and can deliver
a talk and offer an interactive games session to the children.
A wide selection of safety materials for the group including a free High Viz Vest can be supplied (upon
request).
Courses include:
• Simon & Friends/Simon agus a Chairde – for staff in preschools/childcare settings (1-hour training)
Irish language tutor available upon request.
• Summer Activity Camps – 40 min/ 1hour sessions per group for primary school aged children that
includes indoor/outdoor games, quiz questions, and prizes.
For more information or to book a visit:
Contact: Louise McGeever on (087) 6274779 or lmcgeever@rsa.ie
LGBTI Training for Early Childhood Educators
LGBTI Training for early childhood educators is being held in the
Radisson Blu Hotel Letterkenny on the 14th of May 2018 from
7.00pm to 9.00pm.
This is an extremely beneficial training which will help educators to
further promote the values of Diversity, Equality and Inclusion
throughout Donegal's early childhood care and education settings.
The training is free for early childhood educators and aims to provide you with
the knowledge and skills to be able to practically support LGBTI people and
create a safe and supportive environment.
The session will be facilitated by Sinead Murray-Lynch who is the Break-Out
Youth Worker for Donegal Youth Service. Sinead is a champion for LGBT
issues and has expertise in the field of one to one work.
Click on the link to Eventbrite to book your placeTraining
New Revised Children First Child Protection Training
Always Children First Child Protection training has been reviewed and
updated to support the commencement of the Children First Act 2015.
The dates for the training are:
• Wednesday 9th & 16th May: 2.00 - 6.00pm
• Saturday 12th May: 9.30 - 4.30pm
• Wednesday 6th & 13th June: 2.00 - 6.00pm
The Always Children First Child Protection Training aims:
• To create an awareness of child protection and welfare issues.
• To help participants to understand how to safeguard children and report child protection and welfare
concerns.
Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Training (EDI)
The 15 hour EDI programme for early childhood educators
centres around the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Charter
and Guidelines for Early Childhood Care and Education. It
explores a wide variety of challenges facing early childhood
services that can inhibit or prevent services operating in a
fully inclusive manner.
Participants from the current Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Training in Donegal Town
(Pictured above)
DCCC has completed a total of 12 EDI roll-outs with a total of
158 early childhood educators taking part in the training to
date.
An additional 3 courses are planned over the next few months
in Letterkenny, Ballybofey and Inis Eoghain. Details of future
rollouts nationally have yet to be announced.
Please see the link to the DCCC Training calendar for training
in your area.
Participants from the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Training in Letterkenny, March 2018
(pictured above)Training
AIM CPD Training Funding for Lamh and Hanen Courses
A CPD fund for Early Years settings to contribute to costs of staff attending AIM L3
Hanen and Lámh training has been announced as a pilot project by Minister
Katherine Zappone.
Payment of €13 per hour, for up to 18 hours training will be payable on completion of
one or both of these two courses, currently being offered by Better Start. In order to
be eligible for payment, the courses must be fully completed (all modules) and
attendance certified.
Details on how to apply for payment and the payment process will be provided over the coming weeks.
Participants who attended the first round of training in March and who go on to complete the training in April
and May will be eligible, as will those starting in April and finishing in June.
National Síolta Aistear Initiative (NSAI)
What is the NSAI?
The National Síolta Aistear Initiative has been developed to provide central support and coordination,
around the implementation of Síolta The National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and
Aistear The Early Childhood Curriculum Framework, across the early childhood sector. NSAI is a
collaboration between DCYA, DES and NCCA.
The initiative has two main strands. The first will focus on Síolta, including the introduction of Síolta
awareness raising workshops and the expansion of the Síolta Quality Assurance Programme (QAP).
The second strand relates to Aistear and will see the development of workshops and coaching to support
educators to use the Aistear Síolta Practice Guide in their setting.
Síolta Awareness Raising Workshops are currently being delivered across the county by DCCC in
Letterkenny, Creeslough, Inishowen and Killybegs / Dungloe.
Each rollout is made up of 4 workshops exploring common standards of Síolta and how it looks in our early
childhood services and for our practice.
There are limited places available in some of the rollouts with more to be delivered in Autumn / Winter.
Please click on the link to our training calendar to check availability in your area.
An evaluation of Aistear workshops is currently being carried out by
the Early Years Policy Unit. It is hoped that the updated workshops
will be available for Early Childhood Services in Donegal from Autumn
/ Winter 2018.
If you require any additional information on the NSAI, please feel free
to contact DCCC to further discuss it.Tusla - 7 Key Parenting Messages
There are seven evidence-based key messages on what works best to support children and families at
different stages of childhood and in different situations.
These messages cover topics such as food, safety and relationships. Please see the list below for more
details.
1. The Parent-Child Relationship is key
A child’s relationship with their parent has a significant impact on their well-being and future Potential. The
more communication there is between parents and their children, the more likely they are to share values
and opinions. Good communication helps to prevent high risk behaviours. Professionals working with highly
resistant families need to focus on the relationship between the parent and the child, rather than focusing
too exclusively on the relationship between the parent and the professional.
2. Buy well, Eat well, Be well
In relation to good dietary habits, information on its own is not enough; it needs to be supported by skill-
building and offering parents meaningful help in food purchasing and preparation.
3. A Positive parenting style works
Positive parenting practices create positive outcomes for children and young people. The link between
authoritative (not authoritarian) parenting and child and adolescent adjustment is well established.
4. Child Safety
Child safety practices reduce injury. In terms of child injury, it has been estimated that if strategies currently
known were to be uniformly implemented, approximately 90% of injuries could be prevented.
Child Safety Awareness Programme (CSAP)
The HSE’s Child Safety Awareness Programme is delivered by Public Health Nurses at child health
surveillance visits in line with Best Health for Children Guidelines. It targets parents and carers of children
aged from birth to five years.
Information is available under specific headings including:
• Falls • Burns • Choking • Drowning • Poisons • Other Dangers
as well as information on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, Child Safety on the Farm and Basic First Aid
Treatment.
5. Baby see, Baby do
What parents do with their children has a significant impact on child outcomes, particularly when children
are young.
6. Name it & tame it
Parents who are able to solve problems, without anxiety are able to provide an ‘optimal parental
environment’.
7. Parents need good social networks
Parenting is easier when you can talk with other parents.
Check out the link to the Tusla Parenting24seven website for
a more in-depth look at these messagesPoints to Note
Capital Funding 2018
DCCC would like to take the opportunity to wish services the best of luck with their Capital 2018
Applications. DCCC acknowledges how hard services were working on their Capital Applications and the
team look forward to the Capital announcements which will be released in May 2018,
First Aid Response (FAR) Training
First Aid Response (FAR) Training Certification requirement date has
been extended to the 31st of May 2020.
Regulation 25: First Aid of these regulations require that a registered
provider ensures that there is a person trained in FAR available at all
times to the children attending the service.
The Early Years Inspectorate recognise FAR Training approved by
the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC).
Garda Vetting
If a visitor is coming to service on a one-off occasion i.e local
nurse/postperson/parent they do not need to be Garda Vetted by the
service, for example, a local librarian coming to read a library book.
However, no visitor should be left alone with children.
Vetting should be conducted when a person has a contract of
engagement with the service, for example, a GAA or football trainer
delivering a 4-week programme or a dance teacher delivering weekly
classes for an on-going period.
The Early Years Service Profile 2017/2018
is now LIVE on the PIP portal
The Early Years Service Profile is an annual survey completed by early years service providers.
The data provided is critical to understanding and mapping trends in the sector and is used by Government
to inform future policy and planning at both local and national levels.
Services are asked to complete the service profile for each facility (i.e. one for each DCYA Reference
Number).
You can access the survey by logging into the PIP portal. The ‘Service’ page contains a link to the ‘Early
Years Service Profile 2017/2018.’
Guidelines for completing your survey are found at the following link The Early Years Service Profile
(2017-2018)
The deadline for completing your survey is 5pm on Friday 27th April.Points to Note
Tusla Early Years Inspectorate Newsletter
The Early Years Inspectorate has released it's third newsletter. This edition is
found at the following link and covers topics such as information about the
registration office, the serving size of food (how much is too much or too little),
safe sleep and food allergy training for childcare providers.
It also contains the following Questions and Answers Document which contains information on Questions
frequently asked to the Registration Department of Tusla Early Years Inspectorate. These questions
relate to new applicants and existing registered providers wishing to make a change to their service.
Further Information
If you would like any further information on any of the topics included in
this newsletter, please contact the DCCC office at 07491-23442 or email
info@donegalchildcare.com.You can also read
