How are you enjoying your role as Quality Lead with Dingley’s Promise?
I love it! It’s amazing to be part of a team which is so dedicated to children with SEND and their families. I am lucky to be able to see the impact we have on a daily basis and the transformation we can have in improving lives and outcomes for children.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Being around the teams and children daily and seeing the children flourish as a result of the support we give. I love seeing how everything we work on behind the scenes (such as policy, procedures and curriculum input) comes into practice to support the children. I am proud daily of the extra mile the teams go to in ensuring that families feel heard and valued.
What are the challenges our early years teams face in delivering excellence?
It can be difficult to recruit specialist staff to support children with complex SEND needs because it takes a certain type of attitude and approach to working. The staff we recruit are very unique and able to see the potential in every child and are committed to helping them achieve it. Our work can be emotionally challenging for us and our staff. We ensure that we focus on wellbeing and celebrating progress of both children and staff in our settings at every opportunity.
What are the main priorities for our operational team moving forward?
We are committed to working more collaboratively with local authorities who have a shared passion for responding to the needs of children with SEND in the earliest years, and helping them to recognise and assess need and sufficiency levels in their local areas. We are working to embed the Dingley’s Promise Curriculum across our centres, ensuring that it is accessible and meets the needs of all individual children. We are also preparing for expansion by streamlining our systems and processes whilst giving each of our centres the flexibility to respond to the needs of their community of families and children.