Guidance for mentors to support new early years and childcare managers complete the All Wales induction framework (AWIF) for early years and childcare managers

The Welsh Government’s ambition is to develop a skilled childcare and play workforce that’s highly regarded as a profession and a career of choice, and recognised for the vital role the sector plays in supporting our children’s development. 

As part of wider training support, the Welsh Government’s Childcare, Play and Early Years Workforce Plan  expects every early years setting to provide an induction for new workers. The induction should help workers understand child-centred practice and the values needed to work in early years.  

Under the National Minimum Standards for Regulated Childcare for Children up to the age of 12 years workers must complete, or be working towards, induction training relevant to their role, including the All Wales induction framework.

A well thought out and thorough induction has a positive impact on the quality of the service provided.  

An induction makes sure new staff understand the importance of child-centred practice and the values that support working in early years and childcare. It also helps them settle-in and become more effective in their role.  

An induction makes sure staff know what their roles are, as well as the limits of the role. It can increase employee commitment and job satisfaction and has a positive effect on reducing staff turnover. 

The All Wales induction framework for early years and childcare managers is a set of standards taken from the mandatory learning outcomes of the Level 4 Preparing for Leadership and Management and the Level 5 Leadership and Management of Children’s Care, Play, Learning and Development qualification. 

It sets out the knowledge and practice new early years and childcare managers should show over time.  

 There are two parts to the AWIF: 

 Part A  ̶  knowledge based induction standards 

The knowledge induction standards cover all responsibilities for the leadership and management of early years and childcare services. This includes:  

• leading child-centred practice  

• theoretical frameworks for leadership and management  

• understanding how to lead and manage effective team performance.  

Part B  ̶  competency-based induction standards 

The competency-based induction standards cover a wide range of areas such as professional practice, and leading and managing:  

• child-centred practice  

• effective team performance  

• the quality of workplace or setting  

• practice that promotes safeguarding of children  

• health, safety and security. 

All early years and childcare managers who are new in post should complete the AWIF as a general induction to their role.  

We recommend that all managers complete the AWIF within 12 months of starting a new role. This will give them the opportunity to put their learning into practice and update their knowledge of legislative frameworks, evidence informed practice and specialist areas.

Experienced or qualified managers are likely to already have some evidence of knowledge and practice through previous qualifications completed or previous employment, but less experienced managers may need more support.

Requirements for a Flying Start leader / manager / person in charge

For staff in Flying Start settings, Welsh Government guidelines require managers to have experience working with young children and hold an accepted qualification as outlined in our qualification framework for a Flying Start leader / manager / person in charge.

The following people must complete the AWIF:

1. Individuals with a QCF Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Children’s Care, Learning, and Development (Advanced Practice) Wales and Northern Ireland. These individuals must complete both part A and part B of the AWIF for early years and childcare managers.
2. Individuals with an accepted degree that’s listed on the qualification framework. These individuals only need to complete Part B of the AWIF. Universities have updated their modules to meet the Level 4 Preparing for Leadership and Management criteria needed for the Flying Start Manager role.

Once the manager has included their evidence in the progress logs, they’ll need a mentor to review and confirm that they’ve met each standard.

The mentor can add a brief comment in the provided box, explaining why they believe the manager has achieved that standard. Both the manager and the mentor should sign and date each entry to complete the sign-off process.

The mentor responsible for signing off the standards must: 

• have a working knowledge of the induction standards they’re reviewing 

• be skilled in the area they’re confirming  

• be familiar with the manager’s practice

The mentor can be a variety of people, such as the Responsible Individual, a practice development lead or another manager overseeing the manager’s work. 

The certificate of successful completion should be signed off by the new manager and the mentor. The mentor needs to show that they’ve followed a strong process to meet the induction standards. Sometimes the manager may have different mentors throughout the induction journey.

The AWIF is made up of an agreed set of standards for early years and childcare managers. Managers can also use it as a tool to support them if they hold older qualifications, or need to upskill or update their practice.

Both of the qualifications below have units that are mirrored in the AWIF for early years managers:

• Level 4 Preparing for Leadership and Management

• Level 5 Management Practice of Children’s Care, Play, Learning and Development 

We’ve taken the mandatory learning outcomes from each unit and used these as the induction standards. 

We’ve carried these learning outcomes in the induction standards into the progess logs, into the section where it says ‘this means I have the understanding and ability to…’ We don’t expect the managers to be taken through each of these in detail, but it will give them an idea of evidence needed for the types of knowledge and behaviours.  

Managers can also use the AWIF knowledge workbook to help them cover the gaps in their knowledge. It has a variety of activities they can do to show they have the required knowledge. 

They can also use the competence skills guidebook to give examples of how they can gather practical pieces of evidence to show their managerial skills in their role.  

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Related content 

• Progress logs part A 

• Progress logs part B 

• Part A: Knowledge workbook (for the manager) 

• Part A: Knowledge workbook (sample answers) (for the mentor)

• Part B: Competence skills guidebook (for the manager) 

• Part B: Competence skills guidebook (for the mentor)

• Range of evidence for the All Wales induction framework (AWIF) for early years and childcare 

• Certificate of successful completion 

• Linking the AWIF with QCF Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Children’s Care, Learning, and Development (Advanced Practice).