Sector issues New Year resolutions for Children's Secretary
Charlotte Goddard
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Children's Secretary Ed Balls should resolve to cut down on new initiatives in 2009 while boosting the morale and pay of the children's workforce, according to sector leaders
While most people are cutting back on smoking or alcohol, Balls should give up launching new initiatives, suggested John Dunford, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders and Maggie Atkinson, president of the Association of Directors of Children's Services.
Dunford said: "Ed Balls' New Year's resolution should be to give schools and colleges a year with no new initiatives, so that they have a fighting chance of integrating and assessing the countless initiatives launched in 2008." Atkinson urged Balls to slow down: "maintaining a steady pace of improvements will be more effective than a barrage of initiatives that leaves everyone involved feeling dizzy," she said.
Pay was an issue early years professionals thought should be on Ball's list of resolutions. Dwynwen Stepien, director of the Early Childhood Unit, said the minister should resolve to "ensure parity of pay and esteem of all early years practitioners with other professionals such as those in schools and health services." Steve Alexander, chief executive of the Pre-School Learning Alliance, said Balls must lead the government in accepting that low pay is its responsibility and "not a hallmark of market forces." And Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association, said: "NDNA's New Year's resolution for Ed Balls is to ensure that all settings receive a fair and sustainable level of funding for delivering the Free Early Years Entitlement."
The sector also felt Balls should resolve to improve morale after a tough year for social workers. 4Children called for the minister to "rebuild confidence and faith in social care following the controversial media reports of recent months". Paul Ennals, chief executive of the National Children's Bureau, said Balls' resolution should read: "I will find ways to bolster the confidence of staff working with troubled families on the frontline of child protection."
Click here for the full list of resolutions from the sector.
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