Barnardos Knowledge Bank
Barnardos Knowledge Bank is an online service hosting full content materials produced by Barnardos Ireland. It contains the full text of booklets, journals, reports, research papers and more. Barnardos Knowledge Bank is an open access platform, with the aim of making Barnardos output as widely accessible as possible. Use the browse functions above for an overview of relevant materials. Barnardos is Ireland's leading children's charity and is also a National Voluntary Childcare Organisation whose work is part funded by Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
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Item Quality Adult-Child Interactions in Early Years Services(Barnardos, 2014)This book aims to support early childhood practitioners to explore current theory and best practice on the central core role of their profession: relationships and interactions, quite simply on ‘being with’ young children. It will guide you, as an early years practitioner, in your day-to-day practice and can be used as a tool for continuing professional development. Before we can know ‘how’ to do something, we need to understand the reasons ‘why’ we should do it. It is essential, therefore, that you understand the theory behind successful relationships and interactions in order to apply and implement this knowledge into your practice. In this book, practitioners are encouraged to reflect at various levels, first as an individual and also as a member of a team. While both managers and practitioners can use this book on an individual basis (as can students of early years care and education and those who are supporting services), the book can also be used in team discussions and many of the areas covered should be considered as a team. Each section covers a number of different topics or concepts. In the early sections, the theory behind a concept is explored and the implications it has for practice and how it relates to practitioner experience is then examined. You can read through the theory and consider how it relates to your work with the children in your care over a period of time. Ideas for practice can then be implemented – consider whether these should be done at a certain time of the day, with which child or children, and how you can observe and reflect on the outcomes.Item Empower Kids: Our Vision for Change(Barnardos, 2024)Booklet outlining what children are saying about living with domestic violence and abuse and how Barnardos wants services to respond.Item Item Human Resource Management in Early Years Services(Barnardos, 2010)The early years sector in Ireland has undergone significant changes in recent years, impacting employment and service provision. The economic downturn led to increased redundancies, reduced working hours, and lower wages. The introduction of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) free pre-school year necessitated contract renegotiations, often resulting in term-time work arrangements. Regulatory oversight has intensified, with inspections by various authorities ensuring compliance with employment rights, health and safety regulations, and childcare standards. The Child Care Regulations 2006 address employment issues, and the National Standards for Pre-school Services (2010) cover organization and management. The Workforce Development Plan for the ECCE sector aims to support a qualified workforce and implement the free pre-school year. These developments have increased employers' responsibilities in the sector. Employers face challenges in managing services, caring for children, working with parents, and supporting staff while complying with legislative requirements and promoting best practices. Síolta, the National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education, provides 16 standards for service delivery and quality improvement. Ensuring quality standards extends to staff employment and working environments. Employers can implement best practices in Human Resources through various means, including benchmarking and quality marks. Managing staff and navigating employment legislation is complex. While early years services may differ in structure and delivery, employee treatment should be consistent, emphasizing respect, fairness, equality, and well-being. Employers must stay informed about legislative changes and updates in employment, health and safety, and childcare to effectively manage their services and staff. This publication is not a comprehensive guide to all areas of Human Resource Management. It is more an information resource to assist and guide in the broad range of issues pertaining to the employment and retention of staff.Item ChildLinks Issue 3: Early Learning and Childcare in Ireland(Barnardos, 2024)Early Learning and Childcare has been the subject of significant policy development over the years. From the introduction of the first set of Early Years Regulations in 1996 and the Síolta quality framework in 2006, to the development of regulations for childminders, the launch of Equal Start and the update of Aistear, the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework, in 2024, so much has been accomplished. There has also been the recent milestone news that more than 1 million children in Ireland have enrolled in the free preschool programme since it was first introduced, with current uptake rates at 96%. It is also heartening to see a strategic pathway in place for the development of the sector with documents such as First 5 and National Action Plan for Childminding 2021- 2028 setting out clear goals for the future. The tangible improvements for children and families across Ireland that these developments have brought are to be welcomed, but change rarely comes about without challenge and many providers, educators, school age childcare practitioners and childminders have faced difficulties along the way. For this final issue of ChildLinks, we asked key stakeholders from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Department of Education, NCCA, Tusla, Dublin City University, Early Childhood Ireland and Barnardos, as well as an early years provider, to reflect on the changes in the sector over the years and to consider their vision and recommendations for the future. While priorities may differ, in this issue it is clear that there is a collective determination to provide quality services that support each child in Ireland to reach their full potential. With ChildLinks, we in Barnardos have aimed to inspire, provoke and engage all those whose primary goal is to support the learning, development and wellbeing of our country’s youngest citizens. We have learned so much from the contributors over the years and want to thank each and every provider, educator, policy maker, researcher and academic, both nationally and from all around the world, who have shared their research, their knowledge and their experience with us and with our readers. And this final issue cannot pass by without us acknowledging the dedication and commitment shown by all those working with children in settings across Ireland to providing the best possible start in life for each and every child.
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