Business Management for the Early Years Leader

This module provides the learner with a broad practical insight into some of the business management skills that can be applied by the Early Years Leader within the context of an Early Childhood Service/Setting.

The quality of childcare is an essential component for the Early Years Leader in the effective running of an Early Childhood Service/Setting. Therefore, the aim of this module is to also enable the Early Years Leader to demonstrate business management qualities and skills to ensure that the quality of childcare can be maintained and sustained effectively and smoothly within the context of an Early Childhood Service/Setting.

Leadership in any job role is important. Early Year Leaders in management positions are the facilitators of their Early Childhood Service/Settings success and growth. The aim of this module is to demonstrate how the the role and responsibilities of Early Years Leader is to develop, support, encourage, motivate and measure the performance of their staff, so that staff in turn, can later become Early Year Leaders. In addition, the module also aims to demonstrate how the Early Years Leader will work and develop relationships with staff, parents and multi-agencies to foster, nurture and deliver high standards of practice, knowledge, and quality of childcare within an Early Childcare Service/Setting.

This module introduces learners to the area of work and organisational psychology issues that are relevant to an Early Childcare Service/Setting.

The module also outlines for the learner the process that an Early Years Leader can undertake in the recruitment and selection of staff, training and development, discipline and grievance procedures, employees well-being, health and safety, legislation relating to data, together with the know-how to compile policies and procedure.

In the early childhood education sector, marketing can play an important role in growing and retaining enrolments at centres. But, marketing also plays an important holistic role particularly in terms of incorporating community engagement, parent and stakeholder involvement and brand awareness. First impressions are very powerful and lasting. The perception of a centre is often created from the first contact (usually a phone call or visit) a parent has with the centre. Therefore phone manner, the language used, the presentation of the centre, the information or documents supplied to families during their initial enquiries, are all important marketing tools and promotional activities that contribute to how a parent/customer perceives the Early Year Leaders centre. It is important to consider and evaluate a parent’s journey from the time they discover the Early Year Leaders centre, through their time at the centre till their child leaves their centre. The holistic role of marketing is to create a positive story of the parents and indeed the children's overall experience of the centre. Therefore, the aim of this module is to demonstrate how the Early Years Leader can use marketing tools, promotional activities and social media to create awareness of their centre, to grow enrolments, to retain and create a positive experience for children and families of their stay in the centre. In addition, the module also aims to show how marketing can be used to attract funding and maintain and sustain a quality service to children and to their families.

1. critically evaluate the roles, skills and responsibilities of early year leaders which contribute to the quality of leadership and management within early years provision;
   
   

2. critically evaluate methods of employee supervision, appraisal and development, appropriate to organisational rationale;

3. critique the functional roles of management in the following business disciplines: Human Resource Management (HRM) and Marketing and be cognisant that the practice of marketing can improve sustainability by attracting new users, publishing the early year leader's service and can bring them to the attention of agencies and funders;

4. critically analyse an understanding of multi-agency working and partnerships.