Pearson Emma Claire, Opoku Maxwell Peprah
Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland.
College of Education, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
BMC Health Serv Res. 2025 Jan 22;25(1):118. doi: 10.1186/s12913-025-12297-5.
Community-based para-professionals are trained or untrained professionals who assist in the delivery of health-related care in communities where they live. The role of community-based para-professionals in supporting early childhood development (ECD) supports has attracted increased attention recently, particularly in the context of severe constraints in the global health workforce. However, these practitioners face challenges associated with low status and poor working conditions. In response, the study reported here aimed to gather expert views on essential knowledge, skills and competencies for this workforce, to contribute to strengthened recognition of their unique role in supporting ECD.
The objective of the study reported here was to contribute to evidence that provides insight into essential training needs of professionals and para-professionals providing ECD services to families and children in low-income contexts. This paper focuses specifically on findings related to training needs of community-based para-professionals.
A Delphi study was conducted to reach consensus among 14 global experts around essential training needs of ECD workers delivering nurturing care in low-resource contexts. Three rounds of open-ended and rating scale data were collected.
Strong consensus was found among experts around a unique set of Skills; Knowledge and Dispositions that should be supported through training for community-based para-professionals. A key feature threaded across these three training components was strong emphasis on effective communication and relationship-building with families and communities, to ensure that early childhood development programmes are culturally-responsive and authentic. This supports previous work that has highlighted the important 'bridging' role of community-based workers, particularly in communities at risk of marginalization.
The findings provide a basis for supporting and strengthening this important workforce, through advocacy around (i) their unique contributions in supporting contextually-sensitive, responsive ECD, (ii) training approaches and strategies that support and build on these contributions, and (iii) mechanisms to support stronger recognition through career pathways and training needs that are shared with other ECD cadre groups (including health and education professionals).
社区准专业人员是经过培训或未经培训的专业人员，他们在自己居住的社区协助提供与健康相关的护理服务。社区准专业人员在支持幼儿发展（ECD）方面的作用最近受到了越来越多的关注，特别是在全球卫生人力严重受限的背景下。然而，这些从业者面临着地位低下和工作条件差的挑战。作为回应，本文所报告的研究旨在收集关于该劳动力所需的基本知识、技能和能力的专家意见，以促进对他们在支持幼儿发展中独特作用的更强认识。
本文所报告研究的目的是提供证据，深入了解为低收入环境中的家庭和儿童提供幼儿发展服务的专业人员和准专业人员的基本培训需求。本文特别关注与社区准专业人员培训需求相关的研究结果。
进行了一项德尔菲研究，以促使14位全球专家就为资源匮乏环境中提供关爱护理的幼儿发展工作者的基本培训需求达成共识。收集了三轮开放式和评级量表数据。
专家们就一套独特的技能、知识和素养达成了强烈共识，这些应通过对社区准专业人员的培训来加以支持。贯穿这三个培训组成部分的一个关键特征是，强烈强调与家庭和社区进行有效沟通和建立关系，以确保幼儿发展计划具有文化适应性且真实可靠。这支持了先前强调社区工作者重要“桥梁”作用的研究，特别是在有边缘化风险的社区。
这些研究结果为支持和加强这一重要劳动力群体提供了依据，具体方式包括围绕以下方面进行宣传：（i）他们在支持因地制宜、反应灵敏的幼儿发展方面的独特贡献；（ii）支持并基于这些贡献的培训方法和策略；（iii）通过与其他幼儿发展干部群体（包括卫生和教育专业人员）共享的职业发展途径和培训需求来支持更强认可的机制。
