Local Authorities, Education and Early Years Settings

Developing a confident, connected children’s workforce across the North East

The Children’s Workforce Foundation Degree offers local authorities, schools and early years settings a structured and sustainable way to develop and retain skilled practitioners, while strengthening practice across services that support children, young people and families.

Designed for staff already working in frontline roles, the programme enables employees to gain a higher‑level qualification alongside their existing responsibilities. Learning is directly applied to day‑to‑day practice, helping organisations build capability, confidence and consistency within their workforce, without losing valuable staff from the frontline.

Designed To Fit Within Service Delivery

Teaching takes place:

• One evening per week
• Wednesdays, 4.00pm–8.00pm
• Term time only

This delivery model supports workforce development while minimising disruption to:

• School timetables
• Early years provision
• Local authority services and caseloads

Staff remain in role throughout the programme, applying learning directly to their day‑to‑day practice.

For further information about the foundation degree content and how it is delivered, please click below.

Benefits for Local Authorities

Local authorities supporting staff on the Children’s Workforce Foundation Degree benefit from:

• A workforce with strengthened safeguarding knowledge and professional judgement
• Improved multi‑agency communication and collaboration, aligned with statutory expectations
• Practitioners with a clearer understanding of thresholds, roles and responsibilities across services
• Increased staff confidence, retention and progression, supporting continuity across teams
• Enhanced recruitment and retention, by offering clear development pathways that attract and keep skilled practitioners
• Investment in a sustainable pipeline of practitioners equipped for integrated, family‑focused working

The programme supports strategic priorities relating to early help, partnership working, workforce sustainability and the development of a stable, confident workforce able to meet ongoing service demand.

Benefits For Schools and Educational Settings

Schools and academies supporting staff on the Children’s Workforce Foundation Degree benefit from:

• Teaching assistants and support staff with enhanced understanding of child development, safeguarding and inclusive practice
• Increased confidence and capability in multi‑agency working, including information sharing and early intervention
• Staff who can contribute more effectively to pastoral, wellbeing and inclusion‑focused roles across the school
• Clear progression pathways that support staff retention, morale and long‑term workforce stability
• Improved recruitment and retention, by offering meaningful development opportunities that attract and keep experienced staff

Learning is purposeful, practice‑focused and immediately transferable to classroom and wider school settings, strengthening day‑to‑day provision while supporting schools to grow their own future leaders and specialists.

Benefits For Early Years Providers

Early years settings supporting staff on the Children’s Workforce Foundation Degree benefit from:

• Practitioners with stronger foundations in child development and inclusive, child‑centred practice
• Improved reflective practice and leadership capacity within settings
• Clear progression routes supporting staff to move into room leader, deputy or wider leadership roles
• Workforce development that aligns closely with Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) principles, statutory expectations and real‑world early years practice
• Increased staff confidence, motivation and retention through meaningful professional development

The programme’s flexible, work‑based structure makes higher‑level study more accessible in a sector where progression opportunities can often feel limited, helping providers grow and retain skilled practitioners from within.

Built on Partnership Working

What sets this Foundation Degree apart is its early and sustained focus on partnership working across the children’s workforce.

Learners study alongside colleagues from a wide range of settings, including:

• Education
• Early years
• Local authority services
• Family support and related services

This shared learning environment builds early understanding of:

• Different professional roles, perspectives and responsibilities
• Shared safeguarding duties across services
• Collaborative approaches to supporting children, young people and families

For employers, this means practitioners who are better prepared for multi‑disciplinary working, confident in professional dialogue and more effective in joined‑up practice, strengthening outcomes and collaboration well before crisis points arise.

A Unique Investment in Workforce Development

Investing in workforce development inevitably comes with a financial commitment. However, the Children’s Workforce Foundation Degree offers a level of value, reach and impact that is rarely available through other routes.

There is currently nothing comparable that combines:

• Local, in‑person delivery
• Cross‑service learning across education, early years, local authority and family support settings
• A work‑based foundation degree that enables staff to remain in role
• National academic recognition, underpinned by consistent quality assurance
• Early and sustained focus on partnership working and integrated practice

Unlike short courses or isolated training programmes, this degree develops depth, progression and long‑term capability. Staff learn alongside professionals from different parts of the children’s workforce, building shared understanding, professional confidence and collaborative skills that directly strengthen practice across services.

For local authorities, schools and early years providers, the programme represents more than a qualification. It is a strategic investment that supports recruitment and retention, strengthens safeguarding and early help practice, and builds a pipeline of practitioners equipped for joined‑up, family‑focused working.

While the cost reflects the quality, structure and level of the programme, the return is a more confident, connected and sustainable workforce, with learning that translates immediately into better outcomes for children and families.

To learn more about potential funding options, click below:

Find Out More 

Gosforth Group is proud to deliver this foundation degree locally for learners across the North East. All course enquiries, applications and information sessions are coordinated by the Centre for the Children’s Workforce, who manage the programme nationally.

To find out more about the course, register your interest or book an online information webinar, please click the Start Your Journey button below. You will be directed to the Centre for the Children’s Workforce website, where their dedicated team will respond to enquiries and guide you through the next steps towards enrolment.