Diversity Equality & Inclusion Training October 2025
    
Session 1 & 2: Saturday 11th October 2025; 10am – 4.30pm; Kerry CCC office
Sessions 3: Â Tuesday 14th October 2025, 7.00-9.30pm ONLINE
Session 4: Tuesday 21st October 2025, 6.30-9.30pm, Kerry CCC Office
**All 3 dates must be attended to receive certificate of attendance**
Diversity, equality, and inclusion are fundamental characteristics of quality early learning and care and school age-childcare provision. Many of you have selected this as part of your Quality and Inclusive Practice Plan (QIPP) or could link to Equal Start.
Programme Aim:
The aim of the training programme is to support educators to engage with the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Guidelines. The training aims to foster awareness about Diversity, Equality and Inclusion and to encourage and support those working in the sector to actively advocate for inclusion for all children and their families within the setting.
This training is designed to support and empower you to explore, understand and develop inclusive practices for the benefit of all children, and their families. The training is designed to complement the work of SĂolta and Aistear and will offer practical examples of Inclusion in practice. In addition, the training will equip you with practical tools to develop your own Inclusion policy for your service.
DEI Feedback 2025:
“All the staff got involved with DEI training in May 2025 it was one of the most enjoyable and interesting courses to date and I would highly recommend everyone that plans to go into childcare should complete this course it made all the staff reflect on their actions or what we could do better to improve the quality of our setting when it comes to equality”
“I have completed Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Programme with Kerry County Childcare and received my certification I am now dedicated to embracing and celebrating differences. This initiative is integral to shaping a culture of respect and equity within our Montessori, ensuring that all stakeholders—children, parents, and staff—experience an environment where diversity is not only acknowledged but cherished”.
“Myself and my staff team thoroughly enjoyed this training and the journey it took us on, we really understood the diversity of ALL children in our service and greatly appreciated the follow up support received with our Inclusion policy and embedding diversity, equity and inclusion in our service and the starting point the resource box gave us”.
Also, larger services can avail of the option of Diversity, Equality & Inclusion training as a full staff team, or services can come together as a cluster group for training in their localities – please talk to me if you want to discuss this training option.
**Each service will receive a DEI resource pack to support their work in this area**Â
Please note that if your Service has participated in this training in programme years 2022 to 2024 you will have already received this resource pack.
For bookings further information please contact Kathryn on  066 7181582 / 087 2751760 / kathryn@kerrycountychildcare.com
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“Embracing the Outdoors in the Updated Aistear” with Dr. Sharon Skehill
We are excited to provide the opportunity for ELC and SAC Educators to attend a free seminar with Dr. Sharon Skehill on  the topic of “Embracing the Outdoors in the Updated Aistear”.
Event Details:
Date: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Thursday 25th September 2025
Venue:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â The Killarney Heights Hotel (V93 XKR4)
Schedule:      6.00pm – 7.00 pm: Registration, food, refreshments and networking opportunity.
7.00pm – 9.00 pm:  “Embracing the Outdoors in the Updated Aistear” Dr. Sharon Skehill including Q&A session.
 Dr. Sharon Skehill is an Early Years Educator and Researcher at her full daycare outdoor service in Galway. She has been working with babies, toddlers and young children for over 20 years and is a passionate advocate for early childhood education and care. Sharon has been working with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) as an Education Officer updating Aistear, the early childhood curriculum framework, taking a lead role in the consultation, development and dissemination of the Framework.
If you are interested in attending, please email eilish@kerrycountychildcare.com and provide the name/s and email address for staff who wish to attend. Places are limited so please book before Thursday 18th September 2025.
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Updated Aistear Workshops
Updated Aistear Workshop Autumn Training – Update 26/09/2025 – All dates fully booked
An extra Aistear workshop date has been added – Tralee Thursday 2nd October 2025 – now fully booked.
The information session in Waterville on Thursday 18th September 2025 is now fully booked.
The workshop in Tralee on Tuesday 16th September is also fully booked.
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Always Children First:Â Child Safeguarding Awareness Training for Organisations: Â Foundation Training
 Autumn dates
Saturday 20th September 2025, 9.30-5.00pm – Kerry CCC Offices, Tralee  – Kathryn O’Donnell kathryn@kerrycountychildcare.com
Saturday 18th October 2025, 9.30-5.00pm – Kerry CCC Offices, Tralee – Kathryn O’Donnell kathryn@kerrycountychildcare.com
Always Children First is a standardised child protection training course which is available to Early Years Practitioners. This training programme is delivered by the Childcare Committees.
The training has been developed by the Tusla in partnership with the National Early Years Children First Committee. This co-ordinated approach to child protection training aims to provide access to a standardised training course for everyone working with children and families in the early years sector as well as promoting consistent implementation of child protection policies and procedures across the sector.
Always Children First – Child Safeguarding Awareness Training: Foundation Level:Â Â This is a quality assured child protection training course tailored for the Early Years sector. Kerry County Childcare staff deliver training to practitioners working in preschools, full-day care services, afterschools and childminding settings. The training is delivered in Irish through Forbairt Naionrai Teoranta and Comhar Naionrai na Gaeltachta. Â The 6 hour workshop is usually delivered over one full day or over two consecutive evenings. Â Attendees at the workshop receive a certificate of participation. Childcare practitioners are required to renew their Always Children First certificate every 3 years.
For further information on Always Children First Child Safeguarding Awareness Training, please contact  Kathryn at Kerry Childcare Committee on (066) 7181582.
If you want to book a place please contact the relevant trainer and provide a copy of your E learning certs for Children First and Mandated Persons E Learning Programmes, dated within the 12 months prior to the training date. It is now a prerequisite that both courses must be completed and copies of the certs forwarded to us prior to the full day training (See links below). Places are limited to 2/3 per service and priority will be given to Designated Liaison Persons and Deputy Designated Liaison Persons or new staff who have never completed this training.
Links to E-Learning programmes are below:
Children First can be accessed here
Mandated Persons E-Learning Programme here
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Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Training
     Please check back for Autumn Training Dates      Â
This training programme was developed to support educators to engage with the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Charter and Guidelines for Early Childhood Care and Education published in 2016. The training aims to foster awareness about Diversity, Equality and Inclusion and to encourage and support those working in the early years sector to actively advocate for inclusion for all children and their families within the ECCE setting. It explores the key issues surrounding Diversity, Equality and Inclusion and promotes good practice in terms of supporting Diversity, Equality and Inclusion in an early childhood education and care setting.
This training programme is 15 hours and is delivered by Kerry County Childcare staff. ECCE staff members from each childcare setting are invited to attend the training programme. Attendees receive a certificate of participation.  Participants must attend all sessions.
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Responding to Critical Incident Training
***Email: info@kerrycountychildcare.com to be placed on the waiting list for the next session which will take place online***
All Early Learning and Care (ELC) and school Age Childcare (SAC) services are required to have a service level Critical Incident Plan as part of their Safety Statement  ( as outlined in the Tusla Quality and Regulatory Framework (QRF) and the National Quality Guidelines for School Age Childcare Services).
A guide has been developed from previous guidance on critical incidents planning, including the Critical Incident Plan Toolkit and the extensive work of the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS), to support ELC and SAC services to think about and plan for critical incidents and to have practical supports in place should it be necessary to respond to a critical incident.
Briefing sessions on outlining the requirements and to consider the guidance will be scheduled regularly. Please check back for the next available date.
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Pathways to Wellbeing for Children and Educators
We are delighted to invite ELC & SAC providers and educators to our free summer seminar “Pathways to Wellbeing for Children & Educators”.
This is taking place in the Rose Hotel, Tralee on Saturday the 7th of June 2025 from 9am – 4pm.
Keynote speakers on the day include Dr Mary O’Kane, Edel Lawlor and Dermot Rafter.
Places are limited, so we are initially taking bookings of two people from each service with two in reserve should places become available. Bookings will be taken on a first come first served basis.
Bookings for your service can be made via the link: https://forms.office.com/e/4SjiRyXm3z
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Supporting Positive Behaviour in ECCE Settings.
Thank you to everyone who attended the webinar.
Dr. O Kane will be in Kerry in person in June looking at the topic of Supporting Anxious Children.
Please check back for further details on this event.
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Everyday Spaces training for Early Years Educators
This training focuses on how The National Participation Framework can enhance your work on involving babies, toddlers, and young children in decision-making in your everyday practice. This training refers to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and explores practical approaches that can be applied in everyday decision-making in your early learning and care services.
Kathryn O’Donnell and Rachel O’ Mahony from Kerry County Childcare Committee deliver this training and both have been trained by Hub na nĂ“g to provide training on the National Participation Framework and Children’s Participation in Decision Making in ‘Everyday Spaces’.
Contact Kathryn or Rachel for further information:
Kathryn@kerrycountychildcare.com / rachel@kerrycountychildcare.com
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AIM Information Session for Providers
Kerry County Childcare Committee together with the Better Start AIM team are hosting an online AIM information session for Providers on Thursday 3rd April 2025 between 4.00pm – 5.00pm
To secure your place please email:Â eilish@kerrycountychildcare.com
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Core Funding Income & Expenditure Report (Year 2) Information Session
The deadline for submission of the Income & Expenditure report for Core Funding Year 2 is Friday, 28th February 2025.
Kerry County Childcare will host an online information session on Wednesday, 12th February from 3.30 pm – 4.30 pm for those who are new to Core Funding financial reporting this year, or if you need a refresher.
If you are interested in attending, please email eilish@kerrycountychildcare.com to book in and receive the link.
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Compliance Workshops
This workshop is aimed at ELC/SAC managers and staff who have a responsibility to ensure adherence with programme rules and contract conditions. Our workshop aims to support services to become more confident with the compliance process and to reduce levels of non-compliance.
Kerry County Childcare Committee Compliance Workshop – check back for 2025 dates
Bookings: please email eilish@kerrycountychildcare.com
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Tusla On Line E Learning Programmes
Continuing professional development resources for practitioners are available on the Tusla website, you will have access to free E-Learning courses
Children First can be accessed here
Mandated Persons E-Learning Programme here
Early Years Providers Programmes here
Quality and Regulatory Programme here
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 First 5
Continuing professional development resources for practitioners are available on the First 5 website. The Free E-Learning courses available can be accessed here.