Written answers

Wednesday, 11 December 2013

Department of Social Protection

Community Employment Schemes Data

Photo of Robert TroyRobert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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90. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the proposed changes to the community employment scheme; the implications these changes will have on the sponsoring bodies, participants and the communities in which they work; the level of consultation her Department has had with the relevant stakeholders; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53309/13]

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Department of Social Protection (DSP) is consolidating and improving the provision of training and work experience for CE participants in particular for those who wish to pursue a career in childcare.

For CE participants who work directly with children, a dedicated programme comprising formal learning and supervised work experience will become a mandatory part of participation. This formal learning programme will lead to a FETAC Level 5 Major Award in Early Childhood Care and Education. This is the minimum entry requirement for a Childcare Practitioner. The duration of this programme will comprise of 2 years in which the Major Award will be completed and one year work practice leading to a maximum 3 year programme overall.

This programme involves defined standards of achievement, a career progression path, and a structure for CE participants in Early Years Services. These changes are designed to provide a more tailored and valuable support to the provision of community childcare and to achieve greater coherence between participation on CE and the job market.

The objectives of this policy are:

- to ensure that all Community Employment schemes with childcare places will, in the future, operate under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Framework and use the Síolta standards (the quality standards in childcare) as a developmental tool;

- to provide CE participants on childcare places who work directly with children with quality work experience, training, a clear progression path and qualifications in the childcare sector; and

- to re-align the allocation of CE childcare places under dedicated childcare schemes with the standards outlined by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.

There will be no reduction in the number of childcare places supported under CE. The locations where CE participants currently work will not change, but their employer will now be the dedicated childcare scheme. Where a sponsor loses childcare places to the dedicated childcare scheme, these places can be back-filled with non-childcare related CE places provided that there is an appropriate work programme available.

The above improvements have been informed by consultation with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, County Childcare Committees and representatives of Scheme Sponsors and Supervisors.

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