Children’s Care, Play, Learning and Development: Practice

Qualification overview

The qualification is practice based and assesses learners’ knowledge and competence to practice in employment.

This qualification is primarily for those working in regulated childcare settings with families and children under the age of 8 and NHS children’s services for those working with families and children aged 0-19.

It is designed for learners in work based learning. The qualification will assess learners’ knowledge and practice through their work and will be able to demonstrate that they:

• understand, and apply in practice, the principles and values which underpin children’s care, play, learning and development
• understand, and apply in practice, child-centred approaches to care, play, learning and development
• make a positive contribution to the children’s care, play, learning and development sector through their own practice
• reflect on practice to continuously improve
• understand job roles and functions within the children’s care, play, learning and development sector
• use literacy, numeracy and digital competency skills as appropriate within their role.

It is suitable for:

• learners from 16 years of age who are working in a support role in the childcare sector
• learners have completed Level 2 Children’s Care, Play, Learning and Development: Core
• learners already in work and undertaking Level 2 roles and responsibilities
• learners returning to the workforce after a career break looking to refresh their knowledge and skills in the childcare sector.

Learners are strongly recommended to complete the Level 2 Childcare, Play, Learning and Development: Core qualification before, or alongside this qualification as this will be a requirement for practice set by Social Care Wales. It is also a feature of the Foundation Apprenticeship in Children’s Care, Play, Learning and Development (Wales).

The mandatory content of the qualification is aligned to the All Wales Induction Framework for Early Years and Childcare with a specific practical focus on children under the age of 8yrs supported by knowledge and understanding of child development up to the age of 18yrs. Learners. The following topics are featured as mandatory:

• principles and values
• safeguarding
• health and safety
• health, wellbeing, learning and development
• professional practice.

The qualification contains both mandatory and optional units. The mandatory units provide the essential knowledge, understanding and skills needed to be able to respond to the needs of children up to the age of 8yrs.

The optional units enable the learner to focus their learing and skills develop on key areas of interest relating to the children’s needs, including language immersion and positive approaches to behavioural support.

A range of healthcare units have been included to reflect the complex needs of some children who are accessing community based services.
To achieve the Level 2 Children’s Care, Play, Learning and Development: Practice qualification learners must achieve a minimum of 35 credits in total:

• 25 credits must be achieved from the mandatory group
• A minimum of 10 credits must be selected from the suite of optional units

Learners must successfully complete:

• an externally set, internally marked set of tasks
• a portfolio of evidence
• a discussion with their assessor

Completion of the Level 2 Children’s Care, Play, Learning and Development: Practice qualification enables learners to work as a qualified Level 2 childcare worker in a supervised capacity. The qualification also prepares learners to progress to:

• further education
• Level 3 Children’s Care, Play, Learning and Development: Practice
• Level 3 Children’s Care, Play, Learning and Development: Practice and Theory
• Level 3 Health and Social Care:Practice (Children & Young People)
• Level 4 Preparing for Leadership and Management in Children’s Care, Play, Learning and Development.
• Level 4 Professional Practice in Children’s Care, Play, Learning and Development

Learners will need to fulfil additional age and experience related requirements before being able to progress to some leadership roles in the sector.