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Join us at our National early years and childcare conference!
Event

Join us at our National early years and childcare conference!

Date
17 September 2025, 9am to 4pm
Location
Venue Cymru, Llandudno
Organisation
Social Care Wales

We’re pleased to announce we’re hosting a National early years and childcare conference again this year, on Wednesday 17 September, at Venue Cymru, Llandudno.

The conference is free to attend and is open to anyone who has an interest in early years and childcare.

Come along to hear from national and international early years experts. We’ll also hear from settings, to find out how they put theory into real-life practice. The conference will support networking opportunities and professional learning.

What we’ll cover:

  • The active offer – expectations around implementation and practical tips to demonstrate how this has been pro-actively embedded in exemplary settings.
  • Additional learning needs, including supporting neurodiversity - how this looks in practice in a setting, sharing examples of the difference this approach makes to a child’s experiences.
  • Equality, diversity and inclusion - we’ll be joined by a speaker sharing their own experiences in Wales, and a setting bringing to life the ways in which inclusivity is at the heart of what they do.
  • Leadership and management - what this looks like for the sector and how this is demonstrated in practice, including the difference this approach makes in relation to retention of staff and their well-being.

We hope to see you at the conference!

For more information, please contact eycc@socialcare.wales

The programme

9am: Registration and exhibition

9.30am: Welcome and housekeeping - Gemma Halliday, Social Care Wales

9.45am: Opening speech - Sarah McCarty, Social Care Wales

10am: Message from Dawn Bowden, Minister for Children and Social Care

10.15am: The Active Offer – Expectations and implementation - Care Inspectorate Wales

10.35am: Supporting bilingualism and embedding Welsh language and culture, practical tips and how this has been embedded in an exemplary setting - Corwen day nursery

10.55am: Reflection/table discussion

11.10am: Break

11.30am: Supporting children with Additional Learning Needs - Sioned Thomas, Neurodivergence Wales

11.50am: How does supporting a wide variety of needs look in practice, sharing examples of the difference this approach makes to a child’s experiences - Amanda Calloway, Childminder

12.10pm: Reflection/table discussion

12.30pm: Lunch

1.30pm: Supporting anti racism practice across the early years - Professor Charlotte Williams OBE

2pm: Children’s Rights and equality, diversity and inclusion - Chloe Gallagher, Children’s Commissioners Office Wales

2.20pm: Reflection/table discussion

2.35pm: Leadership and management - Bex Steen, Social Care Wales

3pm: Effective leadership demonstrated in practice, including the difference this approach makes in relation to retention of staff and their well-being - Sam Maitland-Price, Little Lambs day nursery

3.20pm: Reflection/table discussion

3.45pm: Closing remarks - Gemma Halliday, Social Care Wales