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February 2010:. The Scottish Government and COSLA will be hosting a series of roadshows across Scotland in March of this year on implementing the early years framework. More.

February 2010:New scrutiny bodies. Bulletin No 7, about the creation of the two new scrutiny bodies due to start in April 2011 has been published by the Scottish Government. The newsletter provides key updates and developments on work relating to the establishment of the Improvement and Scrutiny Bodies for Healthcare and for Social Work and Social Care.  More information and earlier issues of the bulletin can be accessed at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/Scrutiny

February 2010: £1,000 incentive for new childcare apprenticeships.Scottish organisations of all sizes and in all sectors are to be given the opportunity to receive  £1000 to take on a new apprentice. The scheme is open for all ages of apprentice in both health and social care and childcare, however, it is only available for new employees.

Skills Development Scotland (SDS), Scotland's national skills agency, will play a leading role in taking forward the delivery of the initiatives that ScotAction will deliver for Scotland at this time. Interested,  then contact SDS on 0808 100 8095, for more information, or simply download an application at www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk Successful employers will then be linked with a local training provider who will deliver the modern apprenticeship training for you.

There are 4000 of these apprenticeships available for Scotland, although the scheme is time limited and will run from 11 January to 26 March 2010

January 2010: Safeguarding Children Conference. The Social Services Research Group are hosting a conference on Safeguarding Children: the Effective Use and Dissemination of 'Knowledge' in Edinburgh on April 13. Full details here.

January 2010: Early Years Workshop. A FREE workshop for the early years and childcare workforce will be held in Perth on Tuesday 2 February. More

January 2010: Snow and Ice Advice. As the prolonged cold snap continues, groups should have plans in place to cope with disruptions. More

January 2010: Non Payment of Fees Guidance. SPPA has produced guidelines for member groups experiencing problems with fee collection. More

December 2009: Swine Flu Update. New guidance outlining the steps organisations need to take in the event of a flu pandemic are now available. More

December 2009: SPPA 50/50 Prize Draw: The draw has taken place for SPPA's annual 50/50 Prize Draw. More

November 2009: SPPA National Conference Report: Delegates to SPPA's 'Positive Partnerships:Investing in the Future' conference heard a range of speakers including Children's Commissioner Tam Baillie. Click here for a conference report.

August 2009: New Swine Flu guidelines for SPPA groups

July 2009: SPPA welcome Childcare Apprenticeships expansion: The creation of an extra 170 Childcare Apprenticeships is good news for the early years sector, says SPPA Chief Executive Ian McLaughlan. More.

July 2009: Increase in Disclosure costs: Disclosure applications fees will increase in cost from 1 August 2009 throughout Scotland. For further information visit www.disclosurescotland.co.uk

July 2009: Curriculum for Excellence Events: The Early Education and Childcare Team at the Scottish Government are hosting a series of early years Curriculum for Excellence events over the Autumn. Click here for a registration form.

July 2009: Swine Flu update: The Scottish Government has produced guidance for schools and early years or group childcare settings to assist them to be prepared in advance of an outbreak of Swine Flu. More

June 2009: Help shape the future of Scotland's children's sector workforce: Children in Scotland are publishing a series of newsletters covering developments in the children's sector workforce. More

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