The Mission of the Institute is to:

highlight the importance of the up bringing of children and encourage national commitment of the highest standards of parenting and childcare.

Institute of Childcare and Social Education

A Brief History

This note has not been formally approved by the ICSE, but has been prepared to outline what it has achieved to date. Discussions took place three or four years ago, following a day conference run by CfC, at which it was felt that action was needed to develop a more positive image for those working with children and young people across the whole spectrum of services. A working group was set up to examine the best way of meeting this need - whether an existing organisation could take on the role or whether a new body was required. It was concluded that no existing body was suited to the task, and by the end of the working group's deliberations it had been decided that an all-encompassing body was needed with a title to indicate its standing. It was therefore decided that an Institute was needed to cover both childcare and social education, which between them were meant to include the full range of direct work with children and young people, especially relating to people outside established professions such as teaching, psychology and nursing which also have a bearing on services for children. It was intended to encourage innovative thinking, to develop self-confidence among workers, and thus to enhance their professionalism and standing. The ICSE was set up in November 1997. Its membership is not large, but it has always attracted people from a very broad spectrum of professional backgrounds. It set out initially to work in the fields of training, equal opportunities, membership services, publications and the creation of a National Childcare Register. In the event, real progress has only been made in two of these areas. For some months the ICSE was involved in the publication of Child Care Forum, a magazine which was owned by a private company, but which provided a valuable vehicle for professional thinking and for the Institute to reach a wide readership in the services, as well as its own members. After a number of issues, Child Care Forum ceased publication for reasons unconnected with its effectiveness, and it has been a loss to the service and to the ICSE. The main work of the ICSE has been to develop proposals for the creation of a National Childcare Register for all people working directly with children and young people. Work on these proposals is on-going with parliamentarians and other child-care groups. However, the ICSE now needs sufficient funds to develop systems and commence registration, and preferably Government backing as well. Discussions are continuing on these fronts, and there has been considerable support in Parliament, as well as useful working partnerships with other organisations. Although the ICSE remains a small body, it has the potential for massive growth through registration (which would involve membership) and publications. After all, there are probably about 350,000 people involved in the work in the UK. If it becomes successful on these fronts, it could have a considerable impact on both the profession of childcare and social education and on the services. Underlying the ICSE's activities is a belief that the fragmentation of services for children and young people has been harmful in the United Kingdom and that a more holistic approach is needed. Its hope to see a united profession with a common sense of identity and a common training basis is shared with other organisations, and will be of importance regardless of the impact of the ICSE itself.

David C. Lane
29 February 2000