Hi, my name is Lisa Boa and I have been an Early Years Pedagogue with Falkirk Council since April 2020. In August 2021, I was successful in being seconded to Falkirk Council’s new Early Intervention Team.  I am passionate about Getting it Right for Every Child, ensuring children and families get the right help, at the right time, from the right people.  A huge part of my new role is fostering and developing inclusive and equitable spaces, interactions, practices, and initiatives.  For me it’s all about reflecting on our values, visions, and practice.  We need to reflect upon and ask the why/ why not questions, tune into our children, analyse our observations and create supportive environments.  We also need to consider meeting children’s individual needs by ensuring a right-based approach which helps to celebrate diversities, cultures, and uniqueness.

 

My Early Intervention Role and Responsibilities include:

• Pedagogical support to ELC teams, childminders and partner settings regarding inclusive experiences, spaces, and interactions. Coaching and mentoring, supporting with implementation of strategies and identifying and supporting training that may be helpful.
• A point of contact to source information on partnership agencies, what they can offer, referral processes and contact information.
• Supporting the delivery of family work, including the set up and facilitation of Falkirk’s Peep network.
• Supporting the connection of Falkirk’s SEYO’s that are supporting under 3’s. Encouraging the sharing of best practice and identification of training needs.

As a team we are continually using the model for improvement to measure and analyse the impact we are having.  It is important to us, as an Early Intervention Team that we have direction and clear aims to work towards.  Our aims for this year are:

• By June 2022 the CARE group will allocate the best support and interventions at the right time, to 100% of the referrals discussed by the group.

So far: Vicki and the CARE Group have supported 53 children and families through a variety of early support and interventions. Positive feedback about the group has been given from a wide range of partner agencies.  I was delighted to read the positive outcomes within the reviews from parents/carers and support services; “I think the intervention/extra support will make an incredible difference to this family”, “I appreciate the time you have taken to consider this referral”, “The impact that it will make to the family will be of great support and allow them to get back on track”.

 

The Childcare Allocation, Review and Evaluation Group (known as the CARE Group) is a multi-agency group, which is led by Falkirk Council Children’s Services.  The group allocates support to children and their families during the Early Years.  If you would like to know more about the CARE Group, the leaflet can be found on the FC Glow website or contact Vicki Muir.

 

• By December 2021, 100% of establishments with a Scottish Government funded PEEP trained practitioner, will have led at least one PEEP session and gathered feedback using the evaluation tools

So far: 71% of Peep trained practitioners have delivered a Peep session through SWAY, virtual online sessions, outdoor sessions and 1:1 sessions.  Remember you don’t need to be Peep trained to deliver family learning sessions they can comprise of varying experiences; rhyme times, Bookbug, storytelling sessions, outdoor play and stay, buggy walks, walk and talk, sharing link resources through social media and so much more.  Learning from and with our parents/carers and creating those invaluable relationships are key to providing the best opportunities for our little people to be the best they can be.

 

• By June 2022, 40% of targeted ELC practitioners will have developed their confidence and knowledge of ASN, reducing the requests for exceptional SfLA hours by 30%

So far: 60% of our nurseries have attended the in-service training.  44% of the practitioners that attended the training have increased in confidence and knowledge in supporting children with ASN.  We have also had good examples of the impact the training has made on practitioners’ practices eg. creating team agreements around consistent language and strategies, child behaviours changing because of strategies suggested at the training and the benefits of open and honest dialogue within teams.  I would also like to thank our colleagues in Inclusion & Wellbeing and Aberlour for the fantastic input they provide at the training, they are invaluable.  If you haven’t already signed up, please sign up for the May In-service, it is one of Falkirk’s BIG priorities this year and has had great feedback.

 

By Lisa Boa