Siolta and Preparing for Life
Preparing for Life is a unique early intervention initiative that focuses on outcomes for children. It aims to help parents do the best that they can for their children by offering them additional support. It is hoped that this extra help will make it easier for parents to bring up healthy, happy children, who are better prepared for school.
The quality of early years settings can have a significant influence on the child’s cognitive, emotional and social development, which in turn affects the child’s school readiness. Studies show that high quality care and education lead to higher cognitive test scores, better school achievement, less special education placements and higher school completion rates.
In light of this, Preparing for Life is promoting the use of Síolta, the National Quality Framework for all services for children from birth to six years. This Framework helps services to assess and improve their quality. Since the publication of Síolta, many early childhood settings and individual practitioners have engaged informally with the Framework. This informal engagement has been supported by the dissemination of Síolta documentation and a large number of Síolta information workshops across the country. This informal engagement is quite different from early childhood services participating in the formal Quality Assurance Programme (QAP). This ‘structured’ implementation of Síolta began in three Dublin based Prevention and Early Intervention Programmes: 'Preparing for Life', and 'Young Ballymun' on the Northside of Dublin and the 'Childhood Development Initiative' in Tallaght.
Preparing for Life was the first project to employ a Síolta coordinator to support services to work through the Síolta Quality Assurance Process back in October 2008. The methodology deployed and the personnel involved in the implementation of the Síolta Quality Assurance Programme have been endorsed by the Early Years Education Policy Unit.
Role of the Síolta Coordinator.
Services who wish to take part in the Síolta Quality Assurance Process must have the support of a Síolta coordinator. This is a key role in the Síolta QAP and involves supporting practitioners as they use the Síolta components and standards to reflect upon their practice and ultimately advance the quality of early childhood education settings in Ireland.
The role of the Síolta coordinator includes:
• Helping services become familiar with the Síolta framework and the QAP
• Supporting self reflection to improve practice
• Conducting observations/ Giving supportive feedback
• Setting up networks/ Cluster groups
• Mentoring staff
• Facilitating group work
• Ensuring programme fidelity
• Helping services access training opportunities
• Supporting services to write and evaluate action plans
Although Síolta coordinators may work independently or as part of a National Voluntary Childcare Organisation, all are provided with Continuing Professional Development by the Early Years Education Policy Unit on a regular basis to ensure consistency of service and programme fidelity.