The Scottish Out-of-School Care Network (SOSCN) has questioned whether the new care standards will apply to all children, including those residing in Scotland as refugees and asylum seekers. A section of the draft standards states, 'Children and young people, workers, parents/carers are treated with respect and in a fair and just manner giving due regard without discrimination to disability, gender, religious persuasion, racial origin and cultural and linguistic backgrounds.' But the SOSCN points out that refugee and asylum seekers are currently not eligible for pre-school funding.
SOSCN national information officer Shirley Norrie welcomed the draft standards but said, 'It is a sad fact that the children of refugees and asylum seekers have no right to any form of nursery provision while residing in Scotland. Such children then start school without the crucial foundation of the early years about which the Government has been so vocal recently. Will this new care standard really apply to all children without discrimination? We hope so, because at the moment Scotland denies most refugee children basic play and learning activities while, due to the lack of local interpreters, expecting them to interpret for their parents at legal interviews and medical exams.'
Commenting on the publication of the draft standards Anne Rae, Early Education Scotland, said, 'We welcome the inclusion of terms such as "Workers interact effectively and enthusiastically with children"; "children are nurtured"; "safe, smoke-free pleasant and stimulating environment" and "competent and confident workers". But in terms of comprehensive documented plans and policies there seems to be an omission of a behaviour policy to give clear guidelines to promoting positive behaviour among children.'
Early years consultant Margaret Edgington said, 'The Scottish care standards take a much more sensible line on the issue of smoking and smacking but they have not looked at qualifications yet, so there are pros and cons for both the Scottish and the English care standards.
'At least the English ones look at qualifications, which is good, whether or not we like what they say. Staffing is crucial because that is where the quality comes from - the staff are the main quality indicator for a provision, and the higher the level of qualified staff, then the higher the quality of the provision.'