The Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) is charged with ensuring that those working in education, childcare, social care and children’s health and youth work, are up to speed with policies championed by children’s secretary Ed Balls.
The body intends to double the size of its communications team by the end of the year. It wants to bring in a head of communications, press and PR manager, publications officer, events manager and an internal communications officer.
Janice Collins, acting head of communications at the 100-strong organisation, said: ‘The CWDC has a huge role to play in improving standards, and we need a fully resourced team to support that. The head of comms would be responsible for building awareness of the values of CWDC and its role.’
The comms team will target national newspapers and TV, and trade publications such as Reed’s Community Care and the new Haymarket title Children and Young People Now.
CWDC was established in 2005 to help the Government identify skill shortages among people working with children and young people and to help improve training and qualifications.
The body’s £30m government funding for 2007-08 is double that of the previous year, reflecting the Government’s determination to drive through reforms such as Sure Start children’s centres and extended school hours.
The Conservatives have called for a re-evaluation of Sure Start while a number of teaching unions remain sceptical about extended schools.
