You can download a link to the awards book here
The Early Years Emotional Health and Wellbeing Award has been developed by SIL – Liverpool, with the aim of providing early years practitioners with holistic knowledge that will equip them to support the emotional health and wellbeing of the children, families and staff they work with.
The training programme was funded by the Public Health Department at Liverpool City Council in response to the pandemic, when the emotional health and wellbeing of children and families in the early years was prioritised within the city, which has high levels of deprivation. The award was developed in collaboration with health and education partners.
SIL’s award content is enhanced through the inclusion of guest speakers, research and resources from a range of local and national organisations. This vital element strengthens partnerships, as well as ensuring a shared vision for health, education and economic improvement.
Since its launch, more than 60 early years practitioners have been involved from almost half of Liverpool’s settings. The award enables practitioners to be confident in a range of areas, including practical methods to support and promote positive emotional wellbeing and how to create and implement emotional wellbeing action plans for children, families and staff.
They also gain knowledge of how to best engage and work with families to make a positive impact in their lives andthe confidence to know how and when it is appropriate to signpost individuals to national and local support services and to other professionals within the sector.
Practitioners who have completed the programme are known as ‘Emotional Health and Wellbeing Champions’. The award also supports them to achieve NCFE CACHE’s Level 4 Award in Early Years Emotional Wellbeing, a new qualification that SIL – Liverpool approached NCFE CACHE to create, assisted in the development of and now endorses.
Course participants report increased confidence to support families in emotional health and wellbeing. Quality assurance, undertaken by SIL, at the beginning and end of the programme demonstrates engagement with the training has led to improved outcomes for children. Importantly, subsequent audits and visits after the training also show improved outcomes for children, with settings involved noting significant improvements in both socio-emotional wellbeing and children’s language use.
After completing the programme, settings have also received external validation of the improvements they have made to their provision and practice as a result of their newfound skills and knowledge, as evidenced, for example, by feedback from recent Ofsted inspections.
FINALISTS
• Bright Horizons – Nationwide
• Eagley School House Nurseries – Bolton
• Edufeel, Enya’s Childcare – Lincolnshire
• The Old Forge Day Nursery – Derby
CRITERION
Open to early years settings, services and projects that have shown excellence in prioritising and improving the physical health and/or emotional wellbeing of children, families and staff.