Practitioner Portal
CALA Practitioner Portal
The purpose of this dedicated portal is to provide a one-stop ‘shop’ to enable all CALA practitioners to access the latest guidance, childcare related news, information, useful weblinks, CALA blog, twitter feed, CPL opportunities and national guidance documents to ensure you are appropriately supported, well informed and empowered to keep up to speed with key information for childcare practitioners. Your portal will be updated frequently, therefore, we recommend you visit on a weekly basis.
Click through the slides below for our current ‘Practitioner Picks’
CALA Twitter
CALA Blog
Current updates
COVID-19
Current Guidance to support the re-opening of Early Learning and Childcare in Scotland
Practice guidance
Highland and National practice guidance and support tools for practitioners.
Consulting with our youngest children toolkit
Consultation with young children is more than just asking their views, it is about really listening to and responding to them. It’s also about facilitating their ability to influence things that affect them and help adults to know and understand their concerns or worries through the child’s eyes enabling adults to help protect them from harm.
The strategies in this tool can be used by adults working on an individual basis with a young child for a specific purpose or by adults who have significant contact with young children on a frequent basis embedding meaningful consultation in daily practice.
An e-book guidance document is also available to support implementation and for those seeking some further guidance on using the toolkit – CLICK HERE to access
Use the tabs on the left side of the information board below to access the documents.
Pre-birth to three
Pre-birth to Three: Positive Outcomes for Scotland’s Children and Families
Supporting our youngest children. Guidance for those working our youngest children and their families which remains highly relevant.
Play Types Toolkit
Play Types Toolkit
Based on the Taxonomy of Play, Play Scotland’s Play Scotland’s Play Types Toolkit is for schools and education professionals, and others working with children in various settings to help you provide a breadth of play every day to support children’s all-round development.
Loose Parts Play
Loose Parts Play
Play Scotland’s toolkit aims to support adults in the play, early years and education sectors to feel more comfortable and confident about introducing loose parts play within their settings early learning and primary settings.
Curriculum for Excellence
Curriculum for Excellence
Curriculum for children aged 3- 18 years in Scotland featuring principles, of curriculum design, outcomes and experiences across 8 key areas and broad general education
Click here to access
Self Evaluation For Improvement
Self Evaluation For Improvement – Your Guide
Care Inspectorate’s generic guidance to embedding self-evaluation in practice in to support continuous improvement for care service providers
Setting the Table
Setting the Table
NHS Health Scotland’s nutritional guidance and food standards for early years childcare providers in Scotland is a guidance publication for food provision in early years childcare provision. The aim is to ensure that children aged 0–5 in childcare settings across Scotland are offered healthy and nutritious meals, snacks and drinks
Food Matters
Food Matters
Care Inspectorate’s resource packed full of good practice examples of how to support children and families to develop positive relationships with healthy eating.
Bringing Generations Together
Bringing Generations Together
Care Inspectorate’s resource is full of good practice examples to give care services ideas on how to bring generations together in a variety of care settings in a way that improves the quality of their lives through meaningful relationships and a rich variety of experiences.
Infection Control
Infection prevention and control in childcare settings daycare and childminding settings
National Standard
Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Act 2019: Changes to Legislation
On Saturday 7th November 2020, The Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Act 2019 (Equal Protection Act) will become the law in Scotland. This means that all forms of physical punishment of children will be against the law in Scotland, and children will have with the same legal protection from assault as adults.
The following is guidance from the Scottish Government and Police Scotland to:
- raise awareness and understanding of the new legislation for those of us working with and for children and families
- resources to use with children and families to help raise their awareness of the new legislation
Click on the tabs below to access the information and resources.
Equal Protection - Letter to statutory bodies providing services
Equal Protection Information
The Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Act 2019 (EP Act) received Royal Assent on 7 November 2019 and will be implemented on 7 November 2020. The purpose of the legislation is to assist in ending the physical punishment of children by parents, carers or the person who has charge of them. It removes the statutory defence of ‘justifiable assault’ under Section 51 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003.
Equal Protection Act - Framework document for statutory bodies
Equal Protection Act - Frequently asked questions
Click on the image to access and download the full document.
Resources to use with parents
Equal Protection Factsheet
Click on image to access and download a copy.
Equal Protection ‘Frequently Asked Questions’
Click on image to access and download a copy.
Resources to use with children and young people
Equal Protection – Poster for children and young people
Click on the image to access and download a copy.
Equal Protection -‘Frequently Asked Questions’ for children and young people
Click on the image to access and download a copy.
Continuous Professional Learning
CALA E-Learning zone
Click on the logo to access Education Scotland’s Improvement Hub
Click on the logo to access the Care Inspectorate Hub
Click on the logo to access the SSSC Learning Zone
NEW - Pinky Promise
Pinky Promise
In October 2016, Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, promised care experienced people that Scotland would do better. She said Scotland wouldcome together and love it’s most vulnerable children and give them the childhood they deserve. To figure out how to do this, she said the Independent Care Review should be set up.
The Care Review had to hear everyone’s voices. It needed to hear from the children and families who knew the ‘care system’ best – the people who had experienced it.
Healthy eating in schools: guidance 2020
Healthy eating in schools: guidance 2020
Statutory guidance supporting the implementation of the Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2020.
CLICK HERE to access
Vitamin D Guidance - Scottish Government
Vitamin D Guidance – Scottish Government
This guidance was updated on 1st Dec to reflect the Coronavirus situation
Introduction
In Scotland, it is important that people maintain sufficient levels of vitamin D. Vitamin D has a number of important functions and is needed to support bone and muscle health.
Our main source of vitamin D is sunlight. In Scotland, we only get enough of the right kind of sunlight for our bodies to make vitamin D between April and September, mostly between 11 am and 3 pm. From October to March, we need to rely on dietary sources of vitamin D. Since vitamin D is found only in a small number of foods, it might be difficult to get enough from foods that naturally contain vitamin D and/or fortified foods alone.
Good food sources are oily fish and eggs. Other food sources include fortified foods such as breakfast cereals and spreads.
Our advice
Everyone (including children) should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D, particularly during the winter months (October – March). It is specifically recommended that groups at higher risk of vitamin D deficiency take a daily supplement all year round. These groups include:
- all pregnant and breastfeeding women
- infants and children under 5 years old
- people who have low or no exposure to the sun, for example those who cover their skin for cultural reasons, are housebound, confined indoors for long periods or live in an institution
- people from minority ethnic groups with dark skin such as those of African, African-Caribbean and South Asian origin, who require more sun exposure to make as much vitamin D
The current guidance on sun exposure should be followed: 10–15 minutes of unprotected Scottish sun exposure is safe for all. Once sunscreen is correctly applied, vitamin D synthesis is blocked. Staying in the sun for prolonged periods without the protection of sunscreen increases the risk of skin cancer.
Further guidance for babies, young children and pregnant women
Babies and young children
- breastfed babies from birth to 1 year of age should be given a daily supplement containing 8.5 to 10 micrograms of vitamin D to make sure they get enough
- formula-fed babies shouldn’t be given a vitamin D supplement until they’re having less than 500ml (about a pint) of infant formula a day, as infant formula is fortified with vitamin D
- children aged 1 to 4 years old should be given a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D
You can buy vitamin D supplements or vitamin drops containing vitamin D (for under 5s) at most pharmacies and supermarkets. Please don’t buy more than you need.
Read advice and support for parents to follow the recommendation for infants from birth to 6 months
For further information from the Scottish Government – click here
Position Statement (Highland Only)
Updated Covid-19 guidance from The Highland Council in response to the Scottish Government updates 30/10/20
Winter Planning for ELC providers including childminders (29/10/20)
Care Inspectorate Chief Executive Peter Macleod has written a letter to providers of early learning and childcare (ELC), including childminders and school-aged childcare, about winter planning during COVID-19.
Weekly Monitoring Form
Help keep children safe – complete a COVID-19 childcare monitoring return.
Scottish Government and Care Inspectorate are requesting all childcare settings in Scotland (some exceptions) to complete ‘WEEKLY MONITORING RETURN’ before midnight each Tuesday.
Click here to access
Scottish Government note to all childcare providers - 7/10/2020
Scottish Government note to all childcare providers – 7/10/2020
The First Minister has announced that, following an increase in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases across Scotland and on the advice of her medical and scientific advisers, further measures were to be introduced across Scotland to slow the spread of COVID-19. The announcement by the First Minister has no effect on current childcare arrangements and childcare providers should continue to operate in accordance with the current guidance.
The Scottish Government Early Learning and Childcare Directorate have issued a ‘note’ outlining this to all childcare providers.
For Highlands Children 5 - Practice Guidance
Highland Children and Young People’s Forum
About HCYPF
Highland Children and Young People’s Forum is a Scottish Charitable Organisation based in Highland.
On their website they state their aim is to:
“To advance human rights, promote equality and diversity and relieve those in need by contributing to towards the provision of highest possible standards of services in Highlands for the benefit of children and young people with additional support needs”
Find out about the excellent work they do by visiting their website.
Tooth brushing Standards
COVID-19 Toothbrushing Standards have been reviewed by the following bodies (24/8/20):
- Antimicrobial Resistance & Healthcare-Associated Infection Group, Health Protection Scotland
- The Care Inspectorate
- Chief Dental Officer
HTSI (Highland Third Sector Interface)
Free online learning for third sector organisations during Covid-19. Courses vary in length (identified at course description) and include some 60-second bitesize modules. Courses of particular interest include:
- Coping with Change, Self-care, Health & Wellbeing, Self-management.
- Cyber Security, Data Protection
- Health & Safety, Food Hygiene, Food Hygiene & Safety
- IT skills, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word
- Literacy Skills
- Teamwork.
Please access via Marion, [email protected] (CALA practitioners only)
Scottish Government e-learning
Scottish Government ELC
Free e-learning for ELC practitioners – more in-depth modules to study over a few weeks
Current modules:
- Understanding the social factors which may impact on children’s outcome in the early years
- Supporting parents to further engage in their children’s development
- Supporting the development and progression of children’s early language and literacy
- Building confidence in identifying and responding to additional support needs
- Staff skills, knowledge and confidence in delivering and learning in STEM subjects
SSSC
Step into Leadership
A new resource, 23 Things Leadership – Useful tool with activities to support leadership development in Social and health services – 23 different ‘things’ looking at all aspects of leadership/management, encouraging self-reflection. Links to the SSSC open badges.
COVID-19 related information
Supporting children’s worry and anxiety
Podcast and Q&A webinar on the impact of COVID with Stan Godek. Useful awareness of common anxieties and strategies for supporting children.
Trauma-Informed
Posters, film for how to talk to parents, stories about COVID to share with children. How to talk about bereavement – and much more.
While we can’t hug
Short film for children explaining other ways to show you care
Leading in a crisis
Particular support for reflection, developing own and other’s leadership capability during crisis e.g. Covid-19: access to a range of existing leadership resources, from a variety of sources, using a simple and accessible format. Learners can access resources designed to support them develop their own skills in leading a crisis, leading with compassion, self-leadership, resilience and wellbeing. There are also resources to support leaders support others in a crisis, and in particular resources related to supporting others to use their own leadership capability, supervision and support, and coaching and mentoring
Child Action Prevention Trust
Free downloads on COVID and child safety
NHS Mental Health & Wellbeing
Mental Health and Wellbeing Hub
Range of support tools including info on children, teens, students. Mood assessment, video guides e.g. anxiety, low mood, low confidence & assertiveness, unhelpful thoughts. Links to therapies available, stress busters etc.
National wellbeing hub
Support page for those working in Health or Social Care in Scotland. Links for individuals, managers/employers
NHS Highland Staff health & wellbeing
For NHS Highland staff – covers issues such as healthy mind, healthy body, finance, etc. Also Moodzone assessment tool
Action for Happiness
Action for Happiness
Action for Happiness state:
“We are a movement of people committed to building a happier and more caring society. We want to see a fundamentally different way of life – where people care less about what they can get just for themselves and more about the happiness of others.
Click here to access more information and their resources.
Just Ask
Just Ask – Highland Children and Young People’s Allied Health Professionals (AHP)
This enquiry line is for our parents, carers, children, young people, and those who work with them
Play – post Covid
Play – post-Covid
An article about getting play right in the early years post-COVID
COVID – 19 play report from Play Scotland
Attachment theory
The psychology of play
The psychology of play
A 2 min video with input from psychologists helping children cope with stress and worry through play – good to share with parents
Action for children
Trauma informed
Coping and resilience
Coping and resilience
A useful infographic to help awareness of coping mechanisms and resilience
Highland Council - CPL via Highland Digital School Hub
Words Up, RTA, access via Highland Digital School Hub
Further learning materials on ELC Highland blog – including planning, SE, literacy, numeracy