Never Say Never Jane Boulton


I completed my NPQICL in 2012 and throughout the course I learned and developed, but it is since the course that I felt my true learning has really happened.


enabled me to understand what


I am a manager and service leader for Springboard Opportunity Group, a district specialist centre. Similar to many of my children’s centre leader colleagues I am managing and leading a team through many changes and cuts to service, so not easy times. The one thing that since my NPQICL days I find myself drawing on is working from my value system. The learning process within the fish bowl experience (Module 4)1


really


drives me in my work - the criticality of child and family-centredness - and how I use this to raise the quality of our provision.


I always recognised that I worked in the early childhood sector because of my genuine love and interest in children and the worlds that they construct for themselves. As a manager dealing with endless


people-management, and budget issues I wondered how I would ever be able to stay in touch with these instincts. When I studied for my degree I felt that it was a process that ultimately would take me into


paperwork, “ 1 Ensuring the child and mother are central to any activity


roles where I had less involvement with children and their families and initially this was the case. I realise now that it was a learning process that went on to act as a gateway to new opportunities. Each opportunity brought new involvement but it was not until I studied for my NPQICL did I undergo such a transformative experience.


and family- centredness


the criticality of child


I now know how to lead


look at service plans from a child- centred point of view. All of these things are integral to the work that we do and not one thing can be


my team from a child-centred point of view. I know how to


and manage


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