024 Play & Early Years; World Autism Day

The guest this week is Sandra Trotman Meadows – the Chief Executive Officer of PEYTU, a Bristol based charity providing training and consultancy to the Children & Young People’s workforce. The interview focusses on early years and the influences of the voluntary and charity sector and the importance of early years professionals – and possibly naming them as early years educators. We discuss the changes and impacts in the children’s workforce and the play sector, Sandra’s experiences, her frustrations such as the perceived negative image of those working with children, the needs of children and much much more. Sandra is a former Voluntary Sector Advocate to the Bristol Safeguarding Children Board and Chair of the BSCB Training Sub Committee.  She has also served on the Children & Young People’s Outcomes Board and Bristol’s Strategic Workforce Group.  She is currently a Governor at the City of Bristol College and a representative on Bristol’s Women’s Commission. Through her paid and voluntary work, she has lobbied locally and nationally on behalf of the children’s workforce and supports the drive towards increased professionalism and the recognition of skills and qualifications.  I also discuss World Autism Day and the issues surrounding children and families coping with autism.   Thank you to: Mike and Isabella Russell who hosted the first UK Podcasters meet  up – an excellent event in London and I am looking forward to being a part of the movement towards podcasting in the UK. Jonathan Singer for inviting me onto the Social Work Podcast to discuss the similarities and differences in social work practices in the US and UK, a really interesting discussion.