SCMA has partnered with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) to launch three FREE Accredited Open Badges that will be exclusively doubled badged for their childminding membership. Once awarded these badges are owned by SCMA members and will be available to be downloaded to their personal portfolio ‘Backpack’.
Accredited Open Badges are digital records of accomplishment, skills, qualities or interests that recognise learning and achievement. These virtual badges will allow SCMA members to verify their skills, interests and achievements and will evidence how learning has been put into practice. The three exclusive Open Badges that SCMA and SSSC are jointly badging are:
- Providing the best support for our youngest children
Awarded to childminders who demonstrate an understanding of the Building the Ambition national practice guidance. To earn this badge childminders will need to: have access to and read a copy of Building the Ambition; identify three points from Building the Ambition and tell how these are demonstrated in practice; and tell about something that has been learned from Building the Ambition that has helped to improve practice.
- SSSC Codes of Practice for Social Service Workers
Awarded to childminders who can demonstrate an understanding of the SSSC Codes of Practice. Childminders come under the category of ‘social service workers’ and therefore the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) Codes of Practice (the Codes) apply. Under these rules, childminders are obligated to ‘take responsibility for maintaining and improving their skills’. To earn this badge childminders will need to: have access to and read a copy of the Codes (revised in November 2016); choose three of the six statements from the Codes for workers and, for each of these, tell how these are demonstrated in practice; and tell us what has been done to make sure parents are aware of the Codes.
- Early Learning and Childcare
Awarded to childminders who demonstrate an understanding of the self-evaluation framework for the early learning and childcare sector. How good is our early learning and childcare? (HGIOELC) is made up of 15 quality indicators (QIs), which are organised into key areas. To earn this badge childminders will need to: have access to and read a copy of HGIOELC; identify one quality indicator under each key area and tell how this has been demonstrated in practice; and tell about something that has been learned from HGIOELC that has helped improve practice.
Commenting on the joint initiative, Anne Condie, Head of Childminding Services at SCMA said: “Accredited Open Badges is an exciting development for SCMA and our membership and to launch this initiative we have partnered with the SSSC to deliver three exclusive badges. Once awarded, members will be able to download these badges to their individual backpacks and SCMA will then ensure they are uploaded onto individual Learning logs, which can be found on the “My membership” dashboard.
“When it comes to learning we appreciate that showing evidence of continuous professional development can sometimes be a struggle. Accredited Open Badges will make this easier as they capture indicators of accomplishment, skills, qualities and interests connected across informal and formal learning contexts. As digital records of achievements and skills that are tied to assessment and evidence, they can be built upon, and stacked, to tell the full story of your learning.”
To achieve one of the SCMA and SSSC Accredited Open Badges you will be required to set up a new account on the SSSC Open Badge website and then tell us what your learning means to you. Or what difference your learning experience has meant to your role. The key to this is reflective writing. Further guidance on this is available in the SCMA Open Badge booklet delivered in the Spring edition of the SCMA Childminding magazine. Evidence submitted is then evaluated by the Learn with SCMA team and providing it meets the criteria members, are issued with an SCMA accredited open badge.
To find out more information on one of the exclusive SCMA and SSSC Accredited Open Badges, please call the Learn with SCMA team on 01786 445377 or email trainingbookings@childminding.org.