I need more for this bit
QTask 3
Begin Task 3 by explaining why you thought that each of the pieces of writing you described in Task 2 would be appropriate to assist your workplace understanding and development.
Then go on to examine your organisation and/or your own workplace practice in the light of the content of your two Task 2 pieces:
. to what extent do the concepts, models and theories in your chosen pieces of writing apply to your workplace?
. to what extent can you use them to explain what happens (or predict what will happen) in your organisation?
Draw some conclusions about your workplace and/or practice in the light of the concepts, models and theories you have taken from your pieces of writing.
Draw some conclusions about the usefulness of the pieces of writing you chose to increase your knowledge and understanding of your workplace, or to become more competent in practice.
30 Marks
AThe pieces of writing that I have chosen:
? Chapter 1 from ?Leading Practice in Early Years Settings (Achieving EYPS)?
? ?Raising the bar: What next for the early childhood education and care workforce?
The reason I chose Chapter 1 from ?Leading Practice in Early Years Settings? is that the conflict between leadership and management within Early Years settings is complex and expanding. As with the NHS there is starting to be a differential between managing the day-to-day running of a setting (or healthcare site) and the leadership of practice which is of vital necessity for such hands on professions, this is causing considerable difficulties for the people(s) in charge.
Hopefully by understanding the difference and analysing my strength and weaknesses I will be able to better improve the way in which my setting is both managed and led. Without insightful leadership the high standard of ?Best Practice? we currently display will not be continued which would have direct effects upon our quality of care and therefore the amount of business we can maintain or recruit. Without
strong management skills the smooth running of the setting would not be possible which would lead to a disorganised and inefficient provision of childcare with issues regarding the safety and care of the children.
The second piece is about the factors which affect Early Years Childcare Workers (EYCW) and their job satisfaction. EYCW are unlikely to work ?just? for the money and their relationships with their manager/leader, their colleagues and the children and parents they deal with have a very great influence upon their decision to work at a setting. These interpersonal relationships alongside various hygiene factors (referred to as dissatisfaction by Hertzberg 1959 ) mean that motivating staff is a complex and continual task.
The difficulties in motivating staff combined with the complexities surrounding inspiring them to display ?Best Practice? instigated the search for the sort of article that dealt with Managment/Leadership problem and an analysis of the factors affecting the recruitment and retention of quality staff. As I need highly motivated employees, displaying interest and commitment to their job, but I have a limited budget I was hoping to use the Daycare Trust piece to find ways to reward and inspire my workers without resorting to money.
 
I found the ?Leading Practice? article fascinating as I have been struggling with the dichotomy of leadership and management and the way in which I do this. I get far better results when I am in ?leadership? mode and appeal to the employees better instincts in order to get a task done or a solution to be arrived at, than when I use my management skills. By putting my staff in charge I get a much better ?outcome? as they take ownership of an issue and solve it.
Example: New advice arrived from the Department of Health about making up bottles this was to:
Boil the kettle, allow it to cool for 30 minutes (to 70 degrees),
Add milk powder, shake, and then further cool to the temperature a baby can drink it at.
The staff found this impractical and involved the baby waiting for a long time (crying) before getting their bottle which distressed them (staff & baby both). We had a meeting and I asked the staff to come up with a better method (which maintained the hygiene aim of keeping the mixing of water & powder at 70 degrees to reduce/minimise bacterial growth). They experimented and between them solved the issue.
We measure the water for the bottle using cool boiled water.
Split it between 2 bottles, & heat 1 bottle to 70 degrees using a food probe to check the temperature.
Add the milk powder to that bottle & shake to reduce hot spots. Add the premeasured cooled water. Check the temperature manually before feeding the baby.
As they took control of the issue and created a solution themselves they are quite happy to use it and to explain it to new members of staff, rather than being defensive and resentful of a new ?rule?.
This has lead me to the idea that the leadership skills are the ones I should be emulating as much as possible and only falling back to the management ones for situations where I have been unsuccessful as a ?leader?.
The Daycare Trust report confirmed my previously held views about childcare work and validated my need to find alternative ways of rewarding my staff other than financially. This meshes quite well with the information from the other article because by enabling my staff, giving them responsibility and trust which will lead to empowerment I can give them some of the intangible benefits which will add to their ?satisfaction? and reduce their ?dissatisfaction? (Hertzberg 1959). This of course assumes that their basic needs are met and that despite low pay they are able to move higher up the hierarchy through safety and belonging towards Self esteem and self actualisation (Maslow 1954)
 
In Conclusion I am hoping that by being an inspiring and visionary leader I can move beyond transactional leadership and into transformational leadership (Bass 1990) enabling Walnut Corner to grow and expand to a successful future with empowered and self-actualised staff who create their own future.
HELP what can I add - about 300-400 words?