My name is Margaret Aitken, and I am one of the ELC Training and Improvement Officers within the EY central team. I have been in post now for just over 3 years and throughout this time I have worked closely with my colleagues across the central team. To date my remit has mainly involved working with partner childminders, Forth Valley College and the SVQ programme.

More recently my remit has been extended to offering advice around the different aspects of Care & Support across our ELC settings.  As part of the suit of support offered by the ELC central team I will be available for in person visits to all of Falkirk Council’s ELC settings and Partner Providers. These support visits will be scheduled in clusters and planned on a date that best suits your setting.

The intention of the visit is to offer support and advice around best practice, legislation, and guidance.   This will involve open discussions around the importance of routines and documentation within settings as part of a health check that is led by the setting itself.

What will our open discussions focus on and what can I support you with?

If more targeted support is requested by the setting at the end of the visit, this will be recorded on an action plan and where possible further inhouse support offered.  Support with the implementation and evaluation of the action plan may be from the settings cluster link teacher or from me if it is felt more intense support is needed.  This will ensure a whole team approach to any support offered from the central team.

As part of this work, I have also been working on documentation and resources to support settings.  There will also be opportunities for further discussions around care & support scheduled into cluster meetings periodically as well.

Should you have any questions in relation to any of the above, please do not hesitate in contacting me to discuss in more detail – margaretd.aitken@falkirk.gov.uk

I look forward to working in collaboration with you all.

Margaret