University of Sunderland

First North East Regional Early Years Professional Status Conference: a day to remember

On Saturday 4^th July 2009, over 150 delegates made their way to Northumbria University's new City Campus East for the first North East Regional Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) conference. The event was organised by the University of Sunderland and Northumbria University to celebrate the achievement of Early Years Professionals (EYPs) in the area and to begin looking to the future. We wanted to ask some challenging questions about the role of EYPs and to think about how their hard work and professional expertise can be recognised. Above all, we wanted all the delegates who attended to have the chance to tell us what they think about the way EYPS should be supported and developed across the region.  But because it was a Saturday we also wanted everyone to have fun. When the conference opened with a song, the delegates knew that this was going to be something special.

Pauline Jones, Senior Programme Manager Early Years from the CWDC gave the keynote address. She described to delegates the progress made in the development of EYPS since its arrival three years ago. Delegates were impressed by the honesty with which Pauline considered the rapid introduction of EYPS and the challenges and opportunities that this brought with it. She recognised the need for support for EYPs if the role is to be sustainable and emphasised the importance of partnerships in achieving this support. Pauline concluded by reporting comments from parents and children, reminding everyone that what matters is the impact we have as practitioners on the lives of families.

The conference then moved into something completely different: Cue The Panto Company and their performance of `Hardup Hall Day Nursery gets an EYP'.  Matt Lee-Allison and his team treated delegates to a 35 minute pantomime which had delegates wiping tears of laughter from their eyes but which also managed to raise a range of serious issues which face EYPs and the settings in which they work. The performance led into a series of consultation activities in which everyone had the opportunity to express their views and ideas. The conference concluded with a celebration of the achievements of EYPs in the region and an invitation to all delegates to join us for the first meeting of the new regional EYP network on 22nd September 2009.