Guidance for workers

The all Wales induction framework for early years and childcare (AWIF) is a tool for managers to assess the skills, knowledge and experience of new workers, and will help them to identify, record and plan for the development needs of new workers.

The AWIF can be used as the basis for developing or enhancing the induction process within your work setting.

The AWIF helps managers provide an effective induction by:

• providing a framework that can be used as the basis for the induction or to inform the setting’s induction programme
• providing a clear process and tool to assess your skills, knowledge and experience, and identify your strengths and development needs
• supporting the manager to identify and provide training and development opportunities to enable you to do your job effectively and safely
• making sure that every induction across the sector is of a similar nature, thus providing a benchmark.

The AWIF helps you by:

• making it clear what is expected of you
• providing an opportunity to develop the knowledge, understanding and skills essential for early years and childcare practice; in particular, the principles and values that underpin all care and support
• providing support for new and changing roles and responsibilities
• generating evidence that can be used towards the achievement of the qualifications required for practice
• providing evidence of transferrable knowledge and skills across the sector.

There are five sections within the AWIF that are aligned to the Level 2 Children’s Care, Play, Learning and Development: Core qualification and all should be completed:

• Section 1 – Principles and values
• Section 2 – Health, well-being, learning and development
• Section 3 – Professional practice as an early years and childcare worker
• Section 4 – Safeguarding children
• Section 5 – Health and safety in children’s care, learning, development and play.

Each section:

• identifies the early years and childcare principles and values that you need to demonstrate
• identifies the knowledge, understanding and skills that you need to evidence during your induction period consists of a progress log to record the evidence that you have gathered.

Regardless of whether employed full-time, part-time, sessional or as a volunteer, the AWIF should be completed by any worker who is:

New to the early years sector

All new workers should complete all of the core knowledge learning outcomes, but the practice elements are specific to the your role.

New to an organisation

Workers who are new to an organisation but have evidence they have previously achieved a relevant qualification and/or completed an induction framework, will not need to complete the whole AWIF.

Accredited evidence (e.g. from a qualification) can act as a ‘passport’ and give you confidence that the core learning areas have already been covered.

However, to make sure that they can meet the outcomes, the manager may want to have further discussions with you. You should also be observed how you apply your learning in practice as part of the induction process.

You must still be taken through the organisation’s policies and procedures for your workplace or your role.

Undertaking a new role or has previous experience in a different sector

You should discuss with your manager to find out what learning you have from previous experience in a different sector or if you have already completed the AWIF as part of your qualification or previous induction framework.

The learning should then be mapped against the requirements of your new role to identify any gaps. An action plan on how and when any additional leaning needs to be developed to meet the identified gaps.

E.g. if you move from working in an after-school club to pre-school.

Returning after a career break

It is important that if you are returning to the sector following a career break, such as maternity leave or long-term sick leave, reflect, and have the opportunity to revisit any learning outcomes and identify any gaps in knowledge.

A current member of staff as a tool to support continuing professional development (CPD)

It can be advantageous to use the AWIF as a tool for existing staff in relation to their CPD.

A worker who has completed the Level 2 Children’s Care, Play, Learning and Development: Core qualification before employment

You may be employed having already completed the Level 2 Children’s Care, Play, Learning and Development: Core qualification. The content of the AWIF mirrors that of the core and you can use the accredited evidence from the qualification as a ‘passport’ to give managers the confidence that the core learning areas have already been covered.

However, to make sure that you can meet the outcomes, the manager may want to have further discussions with you. You should also be observed how you apply your learning in practice as part of the induction process.

Your manager should support you to complete the progress logs for each section, making sure that there is evidence to support your knowledge, understanding or practical outcomes.

Your manager will outline the arrangements for your induction. This may involve being assigned a mentor or ‘buddy’ who will be a more experienced colleague to support your learning (e.g. your direct line manager or team leader). You will also be supported by regular supervision which will allow you to reflect on what you have learned and receive feedback on your progress.

The AWIF should only be signed off by the manager once all the outcomes have been achieved.

Your manager can find help and advice on how to support the completion of the AWIF on guidance for managers and employers.

Workbooks

Workbooks have been developed for each section to help put the AWIF into practice and to support new workers generate some of the evidence needed to achieve the core knowledge learning outcomes in the progress logs.

Learning resources

There is also a set of comprehensive learning resources that have been developed by WJEC and City and Guilds that you may find useful as an additional resource.

Glossary of terms

There is a glossary of terms that covers the AWIF and provides some definitions of the terms used. Anything marked in bold in the progress logs will be included.

Links to the practice qualifications

The practice outcomes of the AWIF reflect the content of the mandatory units of the Practice Qualifications (Level 2/3 Children’s Care, Play, Learning and Development: Practice).

Records of observations, supervision notes etc. used for the AWIF may be able to be used at a later date as evidence towards completion of the Practice Qualification. A qualified assessor will provide advice on what can be used.

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