Hi I am Claudette Wright, an Early Years Pedagogue (Equity Data Coach).

As many of you know I am a data enthusiast and love all things data! I have been very fortunate to get to share this passion with 12 other ELCC settings across Falkirk. We are now a year into our ‘building quality improvement capacity initiative’ and have 10 high quality equity based initiatives up and running across 12 of our ELC Centres. Our 12 Centres who embarked on their Quality Improvement journey are; Abottsgrange, Bonnypark,  Borrowstoun, Camelon, Glenburn, Kinnaird, Langlees, Inchlair, Myotview, Parkhill, Woodburn, Woodlands. These projects have been designed using a data based approach, this enabled us to use quality improvement methodology to identify where our equity gaps were and supported the richness of planning initiatives which would improve outcomes for our children and families who required this the most.

*Scan the QR code to explore the different equity based initiatives across our centres, some of our initiatives focus on cooking with families, cooking at home, cooking on a budget, transition, enhanced transitions, outdoor family engagement, wellbeing/involvement, early language development, early mathematic developments *

 

Quality Improvement Methodology

Quality Improvement Methodology is a fundamental aspect to improving outcomes for children and ensuring equity across our ELC settings. Quality Improvement Methodology is often looked at as a ‘managers’ job, however finding the magic within this methodology and using this effectively as a whole staff team makes a huge difference! Being creative with the tools, and finding the ones that work for you and your setting, this is what makes the difference. There are a range of Quality Improvement Tools to support with:

• Creating conditions for change, understanding current systems, gathering baseline data, gathering equity based data, identifying change ideas, PDSA’s, implementing improvement, sustaining improvement, data analysing and spread/scale.

Ensuring Equity

We hear the word EQUITY flowing around often but do we know what equity really means and, do we know how to really embed this within our settings, to ensure the very best outcome for or children and families who require this the most? The most important part of your jigsaw is ‘understanding and identifying’. You must be able to identify where your equity gaps are, and who is most affected by these gaps. Often these gaps aren’t always clear, we need to construct a contextual analysis, to really get to know our children, families and communities.

 

‘In early childhood settings equity means providing high quality education and care to diverse learners. Each child has a unique learning and development trajectory that may require individualised or additional support for them to be fully engaged in quality education and care.

What’s next?

Quality Improvement and Equity should be at the forefront of everything we do.

Would you like to learn new skills, collaborate with other QI exerts and begin to unpick a range of outstanding tools, which will help you improve outcomes and ensure equity within your setting?

• ‘TOOL OF THE MONTH’ Keep an eye on twitter for our ‘tool of the month’ we will be showcasing individual quality improvement tools across twitter. Along with PowerPoint training, helpful tips, videos and examples in practice.
• ‘QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PRACTITIONERS PROGRAMMME’– We will be delivering another 2 cohorts of quality improvement training, this will be delivered to HOC’s, Central team and the equity leads within settings. We will be adding more dates during the years for practitioners at all levels.
• ENSURING EQUITY THROGUH QUALITY IMPROVEMENT METHODOLGY GLOW’– on the Falkirk early years’ glow page, under the management and leader section you will find a range of QI support, blank templates and training PowerPoints.

 

Further Quality Improvement / Equity Support

Glow page: https://glowscotland.sharepoint.com/sites/FalkirkCouncil/staff/Falkirkearlyyears/SitePages/Leadership%20and%20Management.aspx

Twitter: @MisswrightEY

Falkirk Early Years Blether Platform