Babywearing Books

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Babywearing Books

Looking for something to read or a present idea for a babywearer this Christmas? We have just updated our lists of Babywearing Books and Babywearing Books for Children. Let us know if we’ve missed any that you know about.

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500th Trainee Competition – Prizes worth £500

500peopleThe School of Babywearing started training babywearing professionals in 2011 and we are just about to meet our 500th trainee!

We are so proud of this achievement that we are offering an amazing prize worth £500 to one lucky babywearing advocate.

Find out more and enter this babywearing competition here.

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Babywearing Reading List

readinggirlThere is no compulsory reading for our courses but if you’d like to read more about babywearing, you may be interested in these books and articles. If you’re more interested in books for children, see our Babywearing Books for Children page. Some of the links on both these pages are affiliate links that will generate some money for Babywearing UK which will be used for projects that support the production of more free babywearing resources.

Please visit Babywearing UK’s research pages for further details of articles & research too. Know of a book that we’ve missed? Use the comments section below to tell us about it.

Practical Skills of Babywearing

Maria Blois (2005) Babywearing: The Benefits and Beauty of This Ancient Tradition

Manuela Favreau (2009) L’art de porter bébé – Nouages et positions

Evelin Kirkilionis (2014) A Baby Wants to be Carried: Everything you need to know about baby carriers and the benefits of babywearing

Rosie Knowles (2015): Why Babywearing Matters

Ingrid Van Den Peereboom (2017) Peau à peau : Technique et pratique du portage

Tummy 2 Tummy the Babywearing Instructional [DVD] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

Principles of Babywearing

Cécile Cortet & Céline Guerrand-Frénais (2013) Porter mon bébé

Claude-Suzanne Didierjean-Jouveau (2006) Porter bébé : Avantages et bienfaits

Katie Allison Granju (1999) Attachment Parenting : Instinctive Care for Your Baby and Young Child

Mei-Ling Hopgood (2013) How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm: Parenting wisdom from around the world

Jean Liedloff (1989) The Continuum Concept

Lynne Murray (2014) The Psychology of Babies: How relationships support development from birth to two

Regina Schön (2007) Natural Parenting: Back to Basics in Infant Care Journal of Evolutionary Psychology 5(1)

William & Martha Sears (2013) The Baby Book Revised edition, Chapter 14 Babywearing

LC van Hout (2011) Beloved Burden: Baby Carriers in Different Countries(unrevised reprint)

Aradia Wyndham (2015) The Evolution of Babywearing: Europe: Medieval and Early Modern Infant Carriers

Anatomy, Physiology & Development

Maria Blois (2007) Hold Me Close: Encouraging Essential Mother/Baby Physical Contact

Carol Chamley, Pauline Carson, Duncan Randall, Winifred Mary Sandwell (2005) Developmental Anatomy and Physiology of Children: A Practical Approach

Lise Eliot (2001) What’s Going on in There?

Sue Gerhardt (2014) Why Love Matters: How Affection Shapes a Baby’s Brain

Lynne Murray & Liz Andrews (2005) The Social Baby: Understanding Babies’ Communication from Birth

Margot Sunderland (2016) What Every Parent Needs to Know: The incredible effects of love, nurture and play on your child’s development

Kerstin Uvnas-Moberg (2011) The Oxytocin Factor: Tapping the Hormone of Calm, Love and Healing

Hetty van de Rijt & Frans Plooij (2013) The Wonder Weeks

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Policy on assessment malpractice

Policy on Assessment Malpractice

Malpractice consists of those acts which undermine the integrity and validity of assessment, the certification of qualifications and the authority of those responsible for conducting assessment and certification.

The School of Babywearing does not tolerate actions (or attempted actions) of malpractice by learners or by staff, in connection with any of our qualifications.

Awarding bodies may impose penalties and/or sanctions on learners or centres where incidents (or attempted incidents) of malpractice have been proven.

Learner malpractice may include:

• Plagiarism by copying and passing off, as the learner’s own, all or part of another person’s work, of any kind and, in particular, items from a website, without the originator’s permission and without appropriately acknowledging the source (Please see also the School of Babywearing Plagiarism Policy)
• Collusion by working collaboratively with other learners to produce work that is submitted as individual learner work. Teamwork is valuable and an essential key skill in many sectors and must be evidenced appropriately
• Impersonation, by pretending to be someone else
• Failing to abide by the instructions or advice of an assessor or awarding body regulations
• Misuse of assessment material
• The alteration of any results document, including certificates

Centre staff malpractice may include:

• Alteration of the awarding body’s assessment and grading criteria
• Allowing evidence, which is known by the staff member not to be the learner’s own, to be included in a learner’s portfolio
• Producing falsified witness statements, for example for evidence the learner has not generated
• Misusing the conditions for Reasonable Adjustments or Special Considerations such that the support has the potential to influence the outcome of the assessment
• Failing to keep learner computer files secure
• Falsifying records/certificates, for example by alteration, substitution or fraud
• Fraudulent certificate claims, by claiming for a certificate prior to the learner completing all the requirements of assessment
• Maladministration, by failing to keep the required records and documents and failing to adhere to awarding body administrative procedures

Preventing Malpractice and Maladministration

It will always be preferable to prevent malpractice and maladministration than to deal with it once it has occurred. In order to do this, the School of Babywearing will:
• Ensure our Centre Administrative contact understands what activity constitutes malpractice or maladministration; their role in preventing it and the need to communicate relevant points to all members of centre staff.
• Develop qualification delivery and assessment systems and procedures that are clearly laid out and communicated to Centres in plain English.
• Communicate any changes to systems and procedures to Centres in a clear and timely manner.
• Monitor the in-Centre procedure for preventing and dealing with malpractice or maladministration is clearly defined and communicated within the Centre.
• Ensure that quality monitoring of all centres is carried out regularly and thoroughly by appropriately trained awarding organisation staff / representatives.
• Ensure that quality monitoring activity (Quality Reviewer/ External Verifier visits for example) include the opportunity to review how the in-Centre procedure for preventing and dealing with malpractice or maladministration is working and identify improvements, where necessary.
• Ensure that the Sanctions Policy is clearly documented and communicated to all Centres to clearly state what the repercussions of malpractice or maladministration could be.
• Provide support to ensure all Centre staff understand their role and responsibility fully.
• Assess the risk posed by each Centre in relation to potential for malpractice and maladministration and taking appropriate steps in response to that level of perceived risk.
• Identify and share good practice.

Investigation

The fundamental principle of investigations is to conduct them in a fair, reasonable and legal manner, ensuring that all relevant information is considered without bias. In carrying out investigations, TQUK will usually aim to deal directly with the Head of the School of Babywearing or their nominee.

TQUK may decide to:
1. Instruct the School of Babywearing to conduct an investigation; or,
2. Conduct an investigation itself; or,
3. Nominate a third party to carry out the investigation on its behalf.

Where TQUK instructs the School of Babywearing to conduct an investigation. The investigation should be carried out by the Head of the School of Babywearing or their nominee as quickly as is possible in accordance with the School of Babywearing policy and procedures, and should be consistent with a fair and thorough investigation.

Where TQUK decides to carry out the investigation itself (where the School of Babywearing does not have the capacity to conduct an investigation, or where the issue is very serious) it should do so in line with its stated policies and procedures.

Where an awarding body appoints an investigator they should be independent of normal or day-to-day working relationships with the centre or individual(s) under investigation. They should also be fully informed about TQUK policies and procedures.

During the investigation

Where the School of Babywearing undertakes the investigation, the investigation of the alleged malpractice or maladministration should:
• Establish the facts, circumstances, and scale of the alleged malpractice or maladministration.
• Identify and, if necessary, take action to minimise the risk to current learners and requests for certification.
• Identify evidence to support any action/decision to be applied.
• Show that discussions have been conducted with individuals-learners and/or staff- in accordance with the School of Babywearing’s own policy and procedures.

When the School of Babywearing conducts the investigation the following principles should be adhered to:
• Confidentiality – all material collected as part of the investigation must be kept secure and not normally disclosed to any third parties (other than regulator or police).
• Rights of individuals –where an individual is suspected of malpractice they should be
o Informed of the allegation made against them (preferably in writing) and the evidence that supports the allegation.
o Provided with the opportunity to consider their response to the allegation and submit a written statement or seek advice, if they wish to.
o Informed of what the possible consequences could be if the malpractice is proven and of the possibility that other parties may be informed e.g. the regulators, the police, the funding agency and professional bodies.
o Informed of the School of Babywearing’s appeals process.
o Advised where the School of Babywearing staff members are interviewed during an investigation that is being carried out by the School of Babywearing, these interviews should be carried out in line with the School of Babywearing policy and procedures (the School of Babywearing’s policy for conducting disciplinary enquiries).
o Advised that they are accompanied by a friend or colleague and these requests should be processed in line with the School of Babywearing and/or TQUK’s policy.
• Where a learner is to be interviewed and they are a minor or vulnerable adult, the School of Babywearing and/or awarding organisation should consider the need to have a parent or guardian or carer present or to have the permission of a parent or guardian or carer prior to the interview taking place.
• Where legal advisors are to be present during interviews this must be made known to other parties involved to give them the same opportunity to be similarly supported.
• Retention and storage of evidence and records – all relevant documents and evidence should be retained in line TQUK’s Malpractice and Maladministration Policy.
• Decisions and action plans – all conclusions and decisions should be based on evidence. A course of proposed action should be identified, agreed between the centre and TQUK, implemented and monitored by TQUK to the point of completion. The actions should address the improvements that are required to the centre’s policies and procedures as well as any action that is related to staff or other resources.

Report
Where the investigation into the alleged malpractice has been carried out by the centre, the Head of the School of Babywearing or their nominee should submit a written report to TQUK.

The report should be accompanied by the following documentation, as appropriate:
• A statement of the facts, a detailed account of the circumstances of alleged malpractice, and details of any investigations carried out by the centre.
• Written statements from the School of Babywearing staff and learners who have been interviewed as part of the investigation.
• Any work of the learners and internal assessment or verification records relevant to the investigation.
• In the case of learner malpractice, any remedial action being taken by the centre to ensure the integrity of certification now and in the future.
• Any mitigating factors that should be considered.

In those cases where TQUK carries out its own investigation, the Head of the School of Babywearing or their nominee should be provided with an opportunity to comment on the factual accuracy of the investigation report before it is finalised

The Decision
Gateway Qualifications will follow its specific procedures for arriving at a final decision on the malpractice investigation, as set out in the Malpractice and Maladministration Policy.

The decision stage should aim to:
• Identify the regulatory/centre approval criteria which it is alleged have been compromised.
• Consider the facts of the case.
• Decide, on the facts, whether malpractice has occurred.
• Establish who is responsible if criteria have been compromised.
• Determine an appropriate level of remedial action to be applied.

In the event of malpractice by a centre, TQUK would consider action to:
• Minimise the risk to the integrity of certification now and in the future.
• Maintain public confidence in the delivery and awarding of qualifications.
• Discourage others from doing likewise.
• Ensure there has been no gain from compromising standards.
• Advise the regulatory authorities of the outcome, where relevant.

In the event of malpractice by a learner, TQUK would consider the remedial action being taken by the School of Babywearing, and advise on its appropriateness.

TQUK’s decision to take further action following the outcome of the investigation will be based only on the evidence available. The decision must be justifiable, reasonable and consistent.

Dealing with cases

The School of Babywearing will implement a system and procedure for recording all suspected or alleged instances of learner malpractice. This will be reviewed by Quality Reviewers as part of their Centre monitoring activities.

If the School of Babywearing staff suspect there has been learner Malpractice before claims for certification are made, or before a monitoring visit, they will:
• Familiarise themselves, and follow TQUK’s procedures for amending results and returning certificates.
• Ensure learners are aware of the School of Babywearing’s policy on Malpractice.
• Conduct an investigation in accordance with the School of Babywearing’s policy and procedures.
• Ensure learners results are not submitted to TQUK during the course of the investigation.
• Apply an appropriate action/decision when a case of suspected learner malpractice is upheld.
• Review the School of Babywearing’s internal quality assurance procedures to minimise the risk of further malpractice.
• Advise TQUK to withhold certification for the qualification or unit where the outcome of the investigation merits it.
• Report the matter to TQUK and to the police if you consider, before or during the investigation, that a malpractice case involves a criminal act.

TQUK will try to minimise any disadvantage to learners in dealing with invalid certification.

In conducting an investigation, the School of Babywearing is required to retain records and documentation for five years. In an investigation involving a criminal prosecution or civil claim, records and documentation should be retained for five years after the case and appeal has been heard. Records should include:
• Report of the facts, account of circumstances and details of investigation carried out by the School of Babywearing.
• Written statements from staff and learners.
• Any learner work, assessment and internal verification records.
• Details of actions taken to ensure the integrity of certification claims.

Policy Reviewed October 2019

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Feedback on our courses

Want to hear from some of our previous course participants? See our new Feedback page to read what they thought of their training with us.

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Gentle Dance taster sessions in London, 18 – 19 October 2013

You are invited to a unique DEMO of GENTLE DANCE, a new program being introduced slingdanceby its creator/choreographer,  ALYSARA GREEN (of Israel and NYC).

Please select one of the following Demo Dates and reply ASAP directly to Aly at alymgreen@gmail.com.  These are the availabl

FRIDAY, 18th of OCTOBER, 1:00 – 2.30pm

SATURDAY, 19th of OCTOBER, 1:00-2:30 pm

Aly will be introducing both of her class offerings:

GENTLE DANCE for WOMEN of all ages

GENTLE DANCE for New PARENTS w/INFANTS in Safe Baby Wraps

Following the Demo, we will discuss the possibility of holding an inaugural GENTLE DANCE INSTRUCTOR-CANDIDATES Workshop in London in early 2014!  (Please Note:  GENTLE DANCE  is NOTa franchise program.  Aly is offering a certification course that would allow successful candidates to become Gentle Dance Instructors according to its course guidelines.

Both GENTLE DANCE classes incorporate Positive Touch and Rhythmic Movement and are designed to de-stress, relax, and connect participants.  The instructor-led, low-impact dance-exercises have all been created  and choreographed by Aly and incorporate a wide selection of music genres.

A bit about Aly:

Dance Background:

Creator/choreographer of Gentle Dance

Instructor of dance (all ages) and toddler movement over many years

A life-long student of dance (first recital at age 3!)

Degrees:

M.S. degree: Training Design,  NEw York Inst. of Technology, NYC

B.A. degree:  New School for Social Research, NYC

Certification:

Instructor of Infant Massage (CIMI)

IAIM (International Association of Infant Massage)

Member: IAIM – Israel Chapter

Instructor of Massage in Schools Program (MISP)

MISA (the Massage in Schools Association)

Member: MISA-EWNI (England, Wales, and Northern Ireland)

Cross-Cultural Train-the-Trainer Workshop Participant

SIETAR and Georgetown University, Wash., DC, USA

Member: SIETAR (Society for Intercultural Education and

Research) – UK Chapter

Classroom Teacher in various grades/subjects/settings

NYC Department of Education

(Retired) Member: UFT (United Federation of Teachers), NYC

CONTACT INFO:

ALYSARA GREEN

alymgreen@gmail.com

SKYPE: alysaramg

+ 972 (0)54 240 1322   (main mobile)

+     1  646 522 0368        (when in the USA)

+   44 (0)7949 924867  (when in the UK)

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Wrap Design Competition

Design the first School of Babywearing teaching wrap

We are very excited to announce that Bebe Sachi will be making the first ever School of Babywearing wrap. Bebe Sachi is a Malaysian based social enterprise which produces hand loomed woven wraps in Bangladesh that help to support the local economy and works with local artisans to produce beautiful wraps. Bebe Sachi started this project with the aim to build a community of people who share our passion for sustainability, preserving cultural craftmanship and art forms, and giving weavers the dignity of work. Read more about the enterprise here.

We’d like you to help us design the wrap, which we’ll use in our training courses (and which will be available to all trainee & qualified School of Babywearing Consultants. The design can be as imaginative as you like as long as it fits these criteria:

  • The wrap length will be 4.6m
  • The wrap should include a way of distinguishing between the rails
  • The width of the wrap should be divided into three in some manner, to make it easy to use as a teaching wrap.

The competition rules are as follows:

  • Only two designs may be submitted per person. They should be sent via e-mail to victoria@schoolofbabywearing.com or by post to Babywearing UK, 16 Pelham Way, Cottenham, Cambridge, CB24 8TQ by the 15th of October 2013.
  • All designs will become the property of Babywearing UK once submitted.
  • The initial short list of designs will be selected by the Directors of Babywearing UK. The short list will then be shared via the School of Babywearing website and social media for public vote. Because we need to check out designs with the Bebe Sachi weaving team, the final decision will rest with the judging panel (Babywearing UK Directors and a representative of Bebe Sachi).
  • Entrants may encourage people to vote in the competition but should not encourage people to vote for a particular design.
  • The winner will receive two woven wraps in their design and will be credited as the designer of the wrap.

Do contact us with any questions about the competition or ask on our Facebook page.

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Babywearing Trade Associations and Babywearing Insurance

bciaWe are keen supporters of the trade associations within the babywearing and nursery industries and an active member of the Baby Carrier Industry Alliance (BCIA) and Center for Babywearing Studies, through which we work with other babywearing schools to discuss continuous improvement within babywearing education.

We’ve been asked recently why we have not applied for membership of the British Association of Babywearing Instructors (BABI). When BABI was setting up in 2011, shortly after we’d announced the launch of the School of Babywearing, we were excited at the prospect of a group representing babywearing consultants and were involved in the original BABI Yahoo group. BABI admission criteria included a requirement to have been running courses for two years which the School of Babywearing had not.

The new BABI proposals for Babywearing Schools and BABI members involve all BABI members voting on an application before a School is admitted and the right of the Board to veto any request (from a school or an individual) to join even if members have voted in favour. [Excerpt shown below is from the BABI School Admission Policy: http://babi.me.uk/babi-school-admission-policy/] This is out of keeping with our values of inclusion and transparency, both as a social enterprise and an adult learning provider.

BABI policy

We believe that trade associations should either, like the BCIA, warmly welcome anyone connected with the Babywearing industry (practising as a Babywearing Consultant in the case of BABI) or should have clearly defined, fair and reasonable entry requirements which, once met, can’t be overruled by members. To allow existing members to exclude prospective members who meet requirements is unfair in our view and we won’t be applying to join BABI while this practice continues.

For those babywearing educators looking for a professional association to join, we can highly recommend the BCIA and will shortly have news of how groups of educators can join together to share the membership costs.

Anyone keen to access insurance may be able to access one of the schemes that we have set up. Our original Babywearing Consultants insurance, set up in 2011, costs £62 per annum (£52 on renewal) and offers cover for those who have a qualification accredited by an educational body (of which the School of Babywearing is the only provider). But we have also set up another policy which is open to all qualified Babywearing Consultants and which costs £69.50 per annum and £29.50 while the Consultant is a trainee. All School of Babywearing courses include time as a trainee while the Consultant completes coursework and carries out evaluated consultations. The new policy, though offering lower levels of cover, does offer a reduced price option for this period and can then be upgraded to full cover. We also have a sling libraries insurance policy which has been operating for over a year now and can be tailored to fit the needs of individual sling libraries.

Please contact us for further details of any of our insurance policies or view our available training courses.

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London Babywearing Training February 2013

We’ve just added dates for a London Peer Supporter & London Babywearing Consultancy course to our calendar. Come & join us if you can…

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