The Children's Workforce Strategy sets out plans for reform at local and national level and includes ways to take forward the development of a joined-up, professional framework for early years workers and how to increase the professional support available to early years staff.
In the foreword to the document, children's minister Margaret Hodge says the strategy identifies 'four major strategic challenges' to tackle. These are the recruitment of high-quality staff, their retention and career development, the strengthening of inter-agency and multi-disciplinary working, and the promotion of stronger leadership and management.
The strategy asks for views on a new qualifications framework encompassing early years, schools, social care and youth services and based on six 'ranges of work' - strategic leader; senior practitioner/consultant/ service manager; professional/ graduate practitioner; senior support worker; support worker; and entry level.
It says this proposed single qualifications framework for the children's workforce should be 'a key factor in promoting skills acquisition and career progression' in the early years sector.
In addition, it identifies the pedagogue, and the 'new' teacher models of early years professional, as having the potential to raise the quality of early years provision, and asks for views on this.
The consultation is proposing that there should be an 'early years professional' in all 3,500 children's centres by 2010, increasing to one in every full-day care setting by 2015, with a long-term aim of one in every Foundation Stage setting.
It also looks at the role that a graduate manager would play in full-day care settings.
The consultation seeks views on how to achieve a balance between graduates and non-graduates in the early years workforce.
The consultation also includes examples of good practice that are already in place. It says, 'There is much good work on which to build, and considerable resources are already devoted to workforce development. One key challenge is to harness these resources in the most effective way.'
Paul Ennals, chief executive of the National Children's Bureau and interim chair of the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC), the body which will be responsible for taking forward the plans, said the strategy was 'a vital step in creating joined-up services that meet the needs of children and families, and ensuring the success of the Government's Every Child Matters agenda'.
He added, 'The strategy sets out challenges for all those working with children, young people and their families - challenges we hope they will take up. Furthermore, it lays out the route to a profession which will be higher valued, more attractive to those wishing to join it, and better suited to meeting needs.'
Mr Ennals added that the CWDC would also be looking at how to increase the number of social workers involved with children and how to increase support to foster families.
The CWDC is one of five bodies that will form the federated UK Skills for Care and Development Sector Skills Council. It will be launched fully this spring and recruitment is underway for a permanent chair, who will be announced later this month, and a chief executive to be announced in May.
The Children's Workforce Strategy: A strategy to build a world-class workforce for children and young people can be downloaded at www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/key-documents. The closing date for submitting views is 22 July.