Childcare Support Team

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The Childcare Support Team offers advice, guidance, support & training for all Kingston’s Childminders, Out of School Clubs and Holiday Play schemes. We are based at Guildhall 1, High Street, Kingston, KT1 1EU.

Aileen Steward and Jill Anderson are the childcare support team providing advice and support to all registered Childminders in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and for those in the process of registering as a childminder.

For anyone considering becoming a Childminder, Briefing Sessions are run every other month and the dates of these sessions can be found on the Briefing Sessions page, please see the link below.

They are run in two parts and provide detailed information on Ofsted Regulations, the roles and responsibilities of registered Childminders, the registration process, training requirements and start-up costs.

For more information or to book your place on the Briefing Sessions, please contact Aileen Steward on 020 8547 6578   Jill Anderson on 020 8547 6584 :or by email at aileen.steward@rbk.kingston.gov.uk or jill.anderson@rbk.kingston.gov.uk

This service is available to all out of school childcare providers including afterschool and breakfast clubs, holiday play schemes and play activities, these may be managed by private or voluntary providers or one of Kingston’s Primary Schools. We also hold regular Out of School Network meetings to which all play workers are warmly invited.

To contact me please call 020 8547 6585 or email me at: wendy.holland@rbk.kingston.gov.uk

If you are considering starting a new club or playscheme we can offer support with setting up a new provision,site visits,help with Ofsted applications, business advice, programme planing and staffing issues.

To contact me please call:020 8547 6585 or email me at: wendy.holland @rbk.kingston.gov.uk

The Workforce Development team consists of Neil Blumsom, Workforce Development Officer and Chris Dickson, Training Administrator. The Workforce Development Officer can provide guidance on qualifications training; which qualifications are most suitable, how they will support career development, where courses can be accessed and whether there are any funding opportunities to help pay for the course.  

They also produce an annual directory of Continuous Professional Development opportunities (short courses and workshops) which are available to the private, voluntary and independent registered early years and childcare workforce. See directory below. The Directory for 2011/12 is now available, please see below

Early years is a dynamic and vitally important sector which needs high quality staff at all levels. Those who work in it play a crucial role in shaping the lives of future generations. It is a career that you can rightly be very proud of.

A career in early years is rewarding, enjoyable and profoundly important. Most people who work in the sector love their jobs and look forward to going to work every day. Not only do you get to enjoy playing and having fun with children but you are also helping them to develop and learn. Children will use some of the skills they learn with you, such as how to get on with other children, for the rest of their lives. There is no other career choice which will provide you with as many laughs and smiles during the working day.

There are many different roles in the early years sector with opportunities for everyone to start a career, whether you want to work full time or part time and in a range of roles. If you are interested in management, you could end up being your own boss, running your own nursery - with responsibility for staff, budgets and building effective relationships with parents. As you progress your early years career, you could aspire to become an early years professional, combining both high level practitioner skills and leadership in a variety of settings.

There are lots of places where you can work with children: nurseries, pre-schools, breakfast/after school clubs, holiday playschemes and creches. Or you could consider becoming a registered childminder as detailed above.

The Workforce Development Officer works with local training providers, school’s careers advisors and through recruitment events to help bring new people into the early years and childcare workforce. We are keen to hear from under represented groups such as men, minority ethnic groups and those who are over forty. If you want to know more about the career options available to you and how to get started, please contact the Workforce Development Officer, Neil Blumsom, using the details below.

There is also a free service for registered providers to advertise their vacancies on this website. If you wish to advertise a vacancy, contact Neil Blumsom, Workforce Development Officer on 020 8547 6503 or email neil.blumsom@rbk.kingston.gov.uk

The inclusion development adviser can offer you support and guidance about inclusion issues including guidance with a particular child with disabilities at your setting, advice on how to make your building inclusive and accessible, confidence building for staff and ideas for strategies, recourses and activities for disabled children.

Related Documents:

The Childcare Support Team are located at the:

Room 16 Guildhall 1
High Street
Kingston
KT1 1EU