There is an inevitable churn in the stomach when you open the door of your nursery, your pre-school, your home, and see a smartly dressed inspector wearing that badge on the end of their lanyard.
We’re British; when someone offers us nine compliments and one criticism, the only thing we hear is the criticism. We don’t enjoy the scrutiny. Being open to feedback, however constructive, does not come naturally to us. You can find yourself thinking, “This person delivering the feedback has swept in, spent just a few hours in my setting, and here they are telling me what I’m not so good at!”
Here at EY Clinic, we know this. We know it because we have been that person, standing on the other side of the door, wearing the badge. We are acutely aware of the feelings our arrival engendered in providers, however pleasant and upbeat we were during the visit.
The focus of the EY Clinic will be to take the sting out of this process. Some of you reading will be thinking, ‘but it’s not that bad’, others more likely that ‘I dread it every time it comes round’. Whatever your feeling, our belief is that we can help you to make the most of the process.
So here are our five reasons why you shouldn’t worry about your impending inspection:
1. Most inspectors have been a provider at some point in their careers, which means they truly understand how hard it is to maintain high quality provision day in, day out.
2. If you are doing things generally right, your inspection is actually a tool which you can use to bring about further improvement – and a chance for your to blow your own trumpet!
3. If you’re struggling, your inspection will help you clarify and plan your recovery.
4. Being an early years provider is like filming a movie, not taking a photograph. Who you are on one single day is not the whole picture. Inspectors understand the imperfect nature of inspection, but they do what they do because a better method has yet to be uncovered.
5. Inspectors want you to do well! Both you and the inspector are on the same side; they want the best for children, and you want the same. They want to work with you to ensure that our youngest children are getting the best deal possible.
So we’re just getting started, but we plan to blog about aspects of Early Years regularly, and share the knowledge, wisdom and enthusiasm we have for the profession. And we also have a range of services that you can take advantage of, to keep your Early Years business working as well as it can. Just check out our ‘What we do’ page. And then get in touch!
EY Clinic 