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Finding out about early years, children and young people’s services

Entry and progression

All staff working in children’s services and those working with vulnerable adults and in specific roles are required to have a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and for anyone working with children under the age of 18 years, a further check against the Protection of Children Act (PoCA) list is also required.

There are qualification requirements for some occupations and specific roles, for example ‘social worker’ roles are regulated. All qualified social workers have to be registered with the General Social Care Council (GSCC) in England. To register as a social worker, individuals must hold one of the GSCC approved qualifications. These are usually a three year undergraduate degree course, but faster postgraduate routes are available.

For some jobs, there are no specific entry requirements. For example, there are no requirements to work as a nanny (but there is an expectation that they have undergone CRB clearance). However, many employers and employment agencies prefer candidates with relevant childcare qualifications and experience of working with children. Volunteering is considered a good method of gaining experience and learning about the different areas of work in the sector.

There are a number of relevant industry endorsed courses (at foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate level), apprenticeships, vocational qualifications, and training schemes available, which is reflected by the range of entry points into the social care sector. Apprenticeships in Children's Care, Learning and Development are available.

There are opportunities to progress and develop a career in the early years, children and young people’s sector. An individual can develop their career and continue to work directly with people by becoming, for example, a senior care worker, children’s centre worker, outreach worker or social worker etc. Alternatively they can move into other job roles with less direct care involvement, such as team manager, development and training officer, commissioning officer or in inspecting services.

Skills for Care has developed a career pathways tool for those considering a career in social care and for those already working in the sector to show the range of career development opportunities.

For job specific entry requirements, take a look at our job profiles.

Workforce statistics

Employment trends and future prospects

Employment trends for early years, children and young people’s services partly reflect changes in population, social trends and government policy. The total number of children aged less than five years is projected to rise from 3.7 million in 2008 to just over 3.9 million in 2018. Demand for services may rise faster depending upon social trends, such as an increase in the number of lone parent households. However, employment growth is likely to decrease, as a result of the recent recession and anticipated restrictions upon public spending.

The number of personal assistants and other staff providing self-directed care will rapidly increase from 8% of the workforce in 2006 to 29% in 2025. Numbers of care and support workers and other direct care providing roles increase less rapidly. Numbers of professional workers (social workers, occupational therapists, nurses and others) are forecast to increase from 95,000 to 126,000 over the period, but half of these will be nurses in residential settings. The increase in numbers of professionals in community services, which includes council assessment, commissioning and care management activities, is modest from 40,000 to 51,000.

Skill requirements and shortages

There is a shortage of qualified social workers in some parts of the UK, especially those with specialist skills and experience in working with families and children. Current skills needs across the early years, children and young people’s sector as a whole include leadership and management to support new service delivery models and ways of working (e.g. leading multi-agency teams). There are mandatory qualifications requirements for some roles and government policy has been to support the development of a graduate led children’s workforce, as well as encouraging integrated working across different public services and professional groups.

Local authorities have recently reported a shortage of workers with commissioning, procurement and tendering/negotiation skills. More generally, employers report a lack of basic skills, communication skills, and team-working skills amongst new entrants.

Occupational trends

Over the next few years, an increase in the number of people who use social care services starting to employ their own support staff is expected.

Some emerging roles include: personal assistants; support brokers; assessment and enablement officers; co-ordination and brokerage officers; advocates; family support workers; and learning mentors.

Salary levels

Levels of pay vary across the social care sector and are dependent on job role, type of employing organisation and the level experience required. There is also variation in pay levels across public, private and third sector employers. The following only provides an indication of salary levels.

Across children and young people’s services, the following salary information is only a guide to hourly pay for some occupations:

• Full day care – childcare staff £5.60, supervisors £7.00, senior managers £9.30
• Sessional providers – childcare staff £5.80, supervisors £6.80, senior managers £8.00
• Nannies in Primary Schools – early years/foundation stage coordinators £18.20, qualified early years teachers £15.60, nursery nurses £9.50, other staff £7.90
• Children’s Centres – childcare staff £7.00, supervisors £9.80, senior managers £14.00

Portage workers – starting salary for full-time staff £15,000 to £18,000 per year, experienced staff £19,000 to £22,000 per year and senior staff up to £30,000

Salary data for nannies in domestic premises is difficult to collect, so the following only provides an indication of annual gross salaries:

• Live-in nannies – range from £17,908 to £24,545 (in London)
• Daily nannies – range from £22,263 to £33,179 (in London)

Salary ranges for those working in Children’s Services and Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) include:

• CAFCASS – family support worker £19,133 to £22,510, family court advisers £28,137 to £33,765, service managers £34,890 to £37,142, Head of services £40,000 to £45,000
• Residential childcare workers – residential social workers £19,300 to £27,800, agency staff and care assistants £10.48 per hour to £12.20 per hour
• Social work – local authority social workers £22,513 to £30,983, senior social workers/team leaders £33,387 to £37,347
• Children’s Homes (with up to 15 places) – managers £32,279 to £38,381, deputies £26,358 to £30,843
• Family support workers – starting salary circa £16,000, experiences £19,000 to £25,000, Workers assuming additional management roles up to £28,000

The national minimum allowance applies to all foster carers approved by a fostering service registered in England who are caring for a looked after child. The base rate for babies is £100 per week rising to £151 per week for secondary (16-17 year olds).

Salaries for learning mentors range from a starting salary of £11,000 to £24,000, whilst more senior posts range from £23,175 to £24,708.

Educational psychologists have a nationally negotiated pay agreement, salary ranges from:

• Assistant educational psychologist £25,824 to £28,981
• Trainee educational psychologist £21,007 to £28,693
• Scale A educational psychologist £31,302 to £41,001
• Scale B senior or principal educational psychologist £41,001 to £55,835

Experienced education welfare officers can earn up to £30,000, middle managers/senior practitioners £40,000 and senior managers up to £55,000 per year.

Produced Sept 2010, using Skills for Care and Development AACS LMI report (Jun 2010)