Children's Care Learning and Development
(formerly Early Years Care and Development)

The components required to complete a Modern Apprenticeship are known as the Framework, click here for the Modern Apprenticeship Framework or click here for the Foundation Modern Apprenticeship Framework.

Caring for Children and Young People NVQ Level 2 & 3

This award is suitable for people who work directly with children and young people aged 0 to 16. It is the preferred award for workers in this sector and demonstrates to employers and inspectors that you have the practical skills and specialist knowledge to work effectively and safely with young people. This award equips you to work in a range of settings, from foster care to family centres to residential group care.

Q. Why has the Early Years and Education title changed to Children's Care Learning and Development?

A. The title was changed because the qualifications now apply to workers with children aged 0 - 16.

Previously, the Early Years Care and Education qualifications applied only to people working with children aged 0 to 8 years. Research found that this age range may have been too restrictive. People who particularly expressed this view were child-minders; individuals working with children whose chronological age was higher than their developmental age; people working within the new "integrated provision"; people working with families in community-based provision of primary care and those who worked in a range of different settings.

Moreover, it was felt that the name "early years" was acting as a barrier to access for those parts of the workforce which needed flexible transferable skills to enable them to work with older children, but lacked the knowledge and understanding of children's development across an expanded age range. The name "Children's Care, Learning and Development" was felt to offer the best description of the established and evolving workforce. It was also felt there would be less confusion with other sets of standards e.g. for those designed for teaching assistants.

Q. I only work with children aged 0 - 5 can I still get the new qualification?

A. Yes. The new qualifications are for everyone working with children and young people aged 0 - 16. This is to reflect the increasing flexibility of the children's care, learning and development workforce, many of whom do not work in a single age range, but move between settings catering for different needs. However, if you only work with children within a single age range, you can still gain these qualification by demonstrating competence with the age range with which you work. However you will need to demonstrate that you have the knowledge appropriate for responding to other age ranges, even though you do not need to demonstrate competence working with any other age range in order to achieve this.

Contact your nearest Powys Training Centre, phone Freephone on 0800 382 0881 or use the contact details on this site to ask for more information.