Ceredigion Information Service

For people working in childcare

First Aid, Child Protection and Basic Food Hygiene courses are organised by the Ceredigion Training Sub-group. Please note that in order to access this training, you must already be working within an early years or childcare setting in Ceredigion.

To find out about future courses, please contact the appropriate Development Officer for Ceredigion.

• Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids' Clubs - Tel: 01792 462502, website: http://www.clybiauplantcymru.org
• National Childminding Association (NCMA)
• Day Nurseries - Tel: 01239 654461
• Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin - Tel: 01545 570336
• Wales Pre-school Playgroups Association - Tel: 01437 769077

Opportunities with NCMA

The National Childminding Association (NCMA) offers lots of opportunities for new and existing childminders to develop their career.

The new level 3 Diploma in Home-based Childcare (DHC) was launched in January 2006, and is made up of 5 units:

DHC Unit 1:

Introduction to Childcare Practice (ICP).

DHC Unit 2:

Childcare and Child Development in the Home-based Setting.

DHC Unit 3:

The Childcare Practitioner in the Home-based Setting.

DHC Unit 4:

Working in Partnership with Parents in the Home-based Setting.

DHC Unit 5:

Planning to meet Children's Individual Learning Needs in the Home-based Setting.

DHC Unit 1 (ICP) is a 12-hour course suitable for anyone starting out in home-based childcare. When you are registering as a childminder, it is compulsory that you undertake this FREE course, which is usually offered as a daytime or evening course with students travelling to a venue in Aberaeron. At the end of the course, candidates take a multiple-choice exam to complete the unit.

After this introductory unit, 4 further units - which can be taken in any order - make up the full DHC award. Each of these units is assessed through an assignment.

DHC Unit 2 looks at child development, including working with disabled children. DHC Unit 3 focuses on childcarers' business practices, including marketing, finances and policy writing. DHC Unit 4 considers the elements of building a good relationship with the families that childcarers work with, and includes elements on data protection and confidentiality. DHC Unit 5 covers the skills needed to develop plans for both individual, and groups of, children including observation and assessment.

If you are thinking of becoming a registered childminder, the Childcare Information Service can send you a Childminding Information Pack. This will include details of the next ICP course, and the Briefing Sessions available at CSSIW to give you information about the registration process.

For more information about the Diploma in Home-based Childcare, please contact Helen Eakins - Tel: 01545 572649 - or the NCMA area Office on 01792 324454

Opportunites with Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids Clubs

As part of CPCKC New Opportunities National Training Programme, training is offered to all those connected with an out of school club in Ceredigion. Staff from other childcare provision can also book a place. For further details, please contact the Ceredigion Information Service or Gill Byrne on 01974 202002.