Written answer
Early Childhood Care and Education
651. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the verification and assurance process that is implemented in the Department to ensure that continuing professional development standards are met in the early years sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47841/26]
Comment on this
The Department recognises that high-quality Continuing Professional Development is essential to supporting a highly skilled early learning and care workforce and to improving outcomes for children.
The quality assurance process is informed by the Continuing Professional Development Oversight Group which has an important role in guiding the development of new publicly funded continuing professional development training programmes for the Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare sector. Continuing Professional Development resources and programmes will be subject to quality assessments and review mechanisms to ensure that they are evidence-based, relevant to practice, aligned with national policy objectives, and responsive to the needs of educators and practitioners.
Aligned to the commitment to develop a national Continuing Professional Development system, the Department is conducting research and consultation with key stakeholders, educators, practitioners, childminders and relevant organisations within the sector to gain a full overview of current Continuing Professional Development provision and identify any areas where there is a gap between skill requirement and Continuing Professional Development topics.
A key element of the approach of quality assurance for educators and practitioners is the development of the Nurturing Skills Learning Hub, through which the sector will access quality training and resources. Only resources and programmes that have successfully undergone the relevant quality assurance processes will be made available on the Learning Hub providing assurance to educators, practitioners and employers that the Continuing Professional Development being quality accessed.