1. Working together to help children and
young people achieve their full potential

2. Welcome to Grow-wise™!
Whilst Grow-wise™ is essentially an E-learning programme, it offers more robust options
for you, the employer, to ensure that the learning provided is then embedded into frontline
practice – something that is seldom built into other E-learning courses.
It will enable frontline staff within your organisation to take a more confident and informed
view of child development, but – importantly – it allows you the opportunity to consolidate
this learning within the context of the service your organisation provides, and our “Putting
Knowledge into Practice (PKIP) options will give you ideas about how to do this most
effectively – depending on the training infrastructure available within your organisation.
So, whilst Grow-wise™ can be undertaken by individual staff, it can also be used as a joint
resource for a whole team or cohort of staff – who can each undertake the programme and
then reflect on the programme’s case studies afterwards, as a team or as a group. Thus
providing time for practitioners to think about each case in turn, and consider together how
the situation would be dealt with by your organisation – who would be involved, who might
you refer to, how would the family be supported etc.
In creating the resource in this way, we have recognised that it is not sufficient simply to
teach practitioners about child development per se, they then need to develop an
understanding – within the context of the families they work with, and the context of their
own role – of what developmental issues may be indicative of, what else to be looking for,
and how best to address those issues.
Please use the link below to take a closer look at our Foundation Module – which will
provide you with a brief overview of the content and structure of the Grow-wise™
programme:
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/helmopen/rlos/child/foundation/

3. Grow-wise is the result of a collaboration between Nottinghamshire County Council and the
University of Nottingham, and combines our respective expertise in child development education
and workforce training.
An increasing proportion of community-based agencies are now involved in direct work with families,
and find themselves needing to take a more integrated “whole family” approach. These families –
who can often be at threshold, and complex – present professionals with a broad range of issues,
and it is paramount that they are in a position to make well-informed assessments of need whenever
they engage with a family – particularly with regard to children’s welfare.
However, staff from frontline agencies are not always adequately equipped to make such
assessments – given that their professional training may only have covered child development at an
elementary level. Historically, they have not been required to take account of developmental issues,
given that their own professional focus may have been limited to health issues, early years,
adolescence, criminal justice etc., but the drive towards a more integrated approach to work with
families means that we need to enhance our professional’s understanding of child development –
from pre-birth through to 19 years.
The Grow-wise E-learning programme provides a solution to this gap in frontline knowledge, and
does so in a format that is accessible to, and easily understood by, a variety of frontline professionals.
Nottinghamshire County Council’s Corporate Director of Children, Families and Cultural Services
describes the programme as:
“an innovative and much needed resource that will equip our
workforce to safeguard the healthy development of children
of any age, and ensure that referral for early intervention
happens as soon as it possibly can”
It has also been highlighted in recent research, conducted on behalf of the Department for
Education that those professionals working with children and families:
“should be able to recognise patterns of overall development, to promote
optimal child development and to detect when such development may be
going off track.’ 1
The six serious case reviews considered within the research each identified that a lack of
understanding of “normal” child development, coupled with a poor appreciation of what
developmental issues might be indicative of within the wider context of the child’s world, lead to
key indicators being missed/left unchallenged by those professionals working with the families.
This was an issue also highlighted in the Munro Review2
So, whilst some of our frontline agencies may not have a professional “child” focus per se, and
even those that do will seldom have received developmental training for the whole of the 0 – 19
age range, as professionals engaging with families – they are, nonetheless, all ideally placed to
identify potential issues early, and therefore will benefit from having their understanding of child
development enhanced – so that they can communicate their concerns clearly, and knowledgably,
to the appropriate agencies within their community.
1
Reference: Child and family practitioners’ understanding of child development: Lessons learnt from a small sample of serious case
reviews (Marian Brandon, Peter Sidebotham, Catherine Ellis, Sue Bailey and Pippa Belderson, UEA, 2011,p.22)
2
Reference: Munro Review of Child Protection (DfE, 2011, p75, 4.66)
Why Develop Grow-wise?

4. Is there a limit to the number of staff I can enrol for the Grow-wise Programme?
No – we have subscription packages to suit workforces of all sizes, and significant
discounts for bulk subscriptions
Can I enrol individuals onto the Grow-wise Programme?
If you only have a small number of staff, or just one member of staff who needs to
undertake the Programme, we are able to accommodate individual requests.
How long does the whole Programme take to complete on average?
We estimate that each age-band may take around 2 – 3 hours to complete (potentially 10 –
15 hours to complete the whole programme), but staff may wish to allocate slightly more
time to consider and respond to the case-studies at the end of each age-range. The
programme will retain a learners’ progress, ready for the next time they login.
Do staff have to undertake the assessments?
If you wish your staff to obtain a certificate of successful completion, and have evidence of
their learning, then they do need to complete all the assessments (with a pass mark of 80%
for each)
How is payment made, and when is payment expected?
Once you have decided upon an appropriate subscription package, and a provisional
enrolment date for your workforce, we will send your organisation an invoice for the full
subscription amount – which must be paid in full prior to your staff accessing the
Programme
How long do I have to ensure that all my staff complete the Programme?
We allow organisations a 12-month period in which to ensure that all learners who have
been included in your subscription, have accessed and completed the Programme
What happens if some of them don’t complete the Programme in time?
We realise that individual learners may encounter work-related or personal challenges
whilst undertaking the programme, so we will consider these situations on a case by case
basis, and may allow a short extension to the subscription period
If I don’t manage to enrol the number of staff I’ve paid for, can I get a refund?
Having chosen a subscription package that suits your size workforce, it is your
responsibility to ensure that all learners enrol and complete the Programme. We will,
however, consider individual difficulties – as detailed above
How will I know that my staff have been successful in completing the Programme?
You will be provided with a detailed report of all staff who have completed the Programme,
and their certification scores
What follow-up consolidation of learning is available?
We provide a Managers Handbook that will provide your senior staff with a range of ideas
for reinforcing learning back in the workplace. Alternatively, we are happy to provide on-site
PKIP facilitation for your groups of staff as an optional extra should you require this.
Frequently Asked Questions

5. Option One Option Two Option Three Option Four
1. A group of learners, or an individual, will be allocated an
age band to complete - including the assessment and
the case study (and questions 1 & 2) – in a given period of
time
2. This is followed by a group or 1:1 learning event,
focussing on that age band - discussing questions 1 & 2
and exploring, as a group, the local and organisational
responses to questions 3-5
3. This cycle is repeated by the group or individual, for each
age band in turn, until the whole programme is
completed.
4. The organisation can decide on the time allocated to each
age band (e.g. 2 weeks or 1 month)
5. There is an individual or locality based consolidation per
age range – to embed into practice and agree local
responses.
6. This highly structured approach will enable learners to
develop their confidence in applying their learning,
and embed child development conversations into team
culture, within a governable period of time.
1. A learner undertakes all the
learning modules for each age
band in turn
2. Learner passes the assessments for
each age band
3. Partial online completion of the
PKIP – learner reads all the case
studies, and completes questions 1
& 2 for each case study
4. Learner then participates in an
organised group follow-up
discussion or reflective session – to
discuss questions 1 & 2, and
explore local & organisational
responses for questions 3-5
5. There is a co-ordinated
consolidation of learning across
groups of practitioners – to embed
into practice, and agree
appropriate responses
1. A learner undertakes all the
learning modules for each age
band in turn
2. Learner passes the assessments
for each age band
3. Partial online completion of the
PKIP – learner reads all the case
studies, and completes questions
1 & 2 for each case study
4. Learner then participates in 1:1
session with manager/mentor to
discuss questions 1 & 2, and
explore local & organisational
responses for questions 3 – 5
5. There is an individual/ locality-
based consolidation of learning –
to embed into practice, and agree
appropriate local responses
1. A learner undertakes all the
learning modules for each age
band in turn
2. Learner passes the assessments
for each age band
3. Learner completes all Case
Studies and all PKIP questions
independently online
4. Learner only involves their line
manager/ mentor or buddy on
a needs basis
5. There is no requirement
for formal consolidation of
learning, from PKIP case
studies, with colleagues or
managers
6. This approach would suit
organisations with or without
existing in-house development
arrangements
Grow-wise Implementation Options

6. We have drawn up the options detailed below in a way that will allow commissioning organisations
to decide for themselves which package will suit their workforce’s needs and their budgets – but
we are happy to discuss individual training proposals should your requirements differ from those
outlined below.
Organisations will have 12 months, from the point of sign-up, for their designated staff to complete
the Grow-wise programme. Staff can commence the programme at any point during the 12-month
period, but will need to have completed it before the 12-month deadline (see Terms & Conditions
for full details)
Options for larger organisations:
Up to 150 Staff Up to 300 Staff Unlimited Staff
Private/Profit Making
£3,750 £7,500
£10,000
Statutory
£3,000 £6,000 £8,000
Voluntary/Non-Profit
£1,500 £3,000 £5,000
Purchasing in bulk generates a saving of £5 per head compared to individual Per Head costs
below
Options for smaller organisations (less than 100 staff):
Per Head 20 Staff 50 Staff
Private/Profit Making
£30 £540 £1,350
Statutory
£25 £450 £1,125
Voluntary/Non-Profit
£15 £270 £675
Purchasing for a group will generate a 10% reduction
For further details, or to discuss your organisations specific needs, please contact:
Liz Maslen, Children’s Workforce Development Manager
Nottinghamshire County Council
T 0115 977 3004
E Liz.Maslen@nottscc.gov.uk
Subscription Packages

7. We thought you might like to have a go at some of the assessment questions that are used within
the Grow-wise Programme – so here’s a selection to get you thinking!
1. When might you expect a baby to begin showing separation anxiety?
a. 3 months
b. 8 months
c. 12 months
2. Which of the following skills should be attained by a baby who is 9 months old?
a. an ability to sit and lean forward
b. an ability to use a cup
c. an ability to walk independently
d. an ability to crawl upstairs
3. How many words would typically be seen in the vocabulary of an 18 month old?
a. 5
b. 20
c. 500
4. How long is the typical attention span of a three year old?
a. 6 minutes
b. 9 minutes
c. 12 minutes
d. 15 minutes
Test Your Child Development Knowledge!

8. 5. By what age does a child develop an ability to understand another person’s perspective
(known as Theory of Mind)?
a. 2 years
b. 5 years
c. 11 years
6. Zac has an autistic spectrum disorder. Which of the following difficulties is he most likely to
have?
a. Difficulties in socialising, communicating and interacting with other people
b. Difficulties in writing his name
c. Difficulties in processing numbers and co-ordinating movements
d. Difficulties in saying words, resulting in him stuttering
7. By the age of 11 years, how many words would you expect a young person to string
together in a sentence?
a. 4 words
b. 5-7 words
c. 7-12 words
d. 20 words
8. Teenagers are increasingly listening to noise, whether in a loud, noisy environment, e.g. in
a shop, or via their ear plugs or headphones when playing music. Hearing loss is an
increasing issue for the adolescent. How many teenagers are said to be showing signs of
hearing loss?
a. 1 in 3
b. 1 in 6
c. 1 in 12
d. 1 in 50
Answers:1.b2.a3.b4.b5.b6.a7.c8.b

9. Legal statements:
1. 'Grow-wise' is a product jointly created and owned by Nottinghamshire County Council and
the University of Nottingham.
2. 'Subscriber' is the individual or organisation subscribing for the provision of training via the
Grow-wise programme and 'Staff' includes nominated employees of the Subscriber.
3. 'Registered User' is the individual or organisation registering to use the Grow-wise
programme.
4. The copyright in all material shown on this site, downloaded from it or provided by Grow-
wise belongs to Grow-wise unless otherwise stated by the owners, and may not be used
except as provided by the terms of the relevant subscription.
5. Grow-wise is entitled to require that any user of the programme enters a password [and
username] provided or approved by Grow-wise before being able to access the information
contained on it or to download information or documents from it.
6. Registration details will be provided by Grow-wise and may not be used by anyone other
than the person or people entitled to them by virtue of the subscription paid. Use by any
unauthorised person will entitle Grow-wise to terminate the right to access the site and the
right to use the material obtainable from it of the individual or organisation whose
registration number has been so used.
7. Passwords and/or usernames may not be used by anyone other than the person entitled to
them by virtue of the subscription paid. It is the responsibility of the individual subscriber to
keep such details confidential. Use by any unauthorised person will entitle Grow-wise to
terminate the right to access the site and the right to use the material obtainable from it of
the individual or organisation whose password and/or username has been so used.
8. Details of the subscriptions available and the entitlement to access this site and the
information available from it are shown under the heading 'Subscription Options'.
9. In the event that the subscription is by way of a number of payments or by periodic
payments, then non-payment of any amount due will entitle Grow-wise to withhold provision
of any material or updates to the Subscriber unless and until that payment is made. The
obligation to provide material or updates or any other service to a Subscriber will be
suspended during such time as the Subscriber is otherwise in breach of the Subscriber's
obligations.
10. 'Material' means documents/materials created, owned and copyrighted by Grow-wise.
Material downloaded from the programme may under no circumstances be used other than
as authorised by the subscription paid to Grow-wise.
In particular, the subscriber is responsible for ensuring that:
i. no material is provided by them directly to a non-subscriber unless that person,
although a Subscriber is expressly given the right to use the material by virtue of the
terms of the subscription;
ii. material is not used by the Subscriber to provide training to any third party, except
with the written authorisation of Grow-wise or where the terms of the subscription
permit such use. Otherwise, an individual is entitled to use material only for his/her
own training and an organisation is entitled to use it only for the training of its own
employees.
Terms & Conditions of Use

10. The registered user is responsible for ensuring that:
iii. no material is provided by themselves directly or indirectly to a non-subscriber
unless that person, although not a Subscriber is expressly given the right to use the
material by virtue of the terms of the subscription ;
iv. material is not used by themselves to provide training to any third party, except with
the written authorisation of Grow-wise or where the terms of the subscription permit
such use. Otherwise, an individual is entitled to use material only for his/her own
training and an organisation is entitled to use it only for the training of its own
employees.
11. Except to the extent that a specific statement of suitability is made on this programme or
otherwise in writing by Grow-wise, in respect of the material to be downloaded, the
Subscriber is responsible for ensuring that it is suitable for the Subscriber's purposes and
no warranty as to its fitness for any purpose is given by Grow-wise or any liability for any
loss is accepted by Grow-wise as a consequence of its non-suitability.
12. Regardless of and without prejudice to any other remedy available to Grow-wise, Grow-
wise will be entitled after becoming aware of any breach of these terms by the Subscriber
to terminate its agreement with the Subscriber and will have no obligation to refund any
amounts paid by the Subscriber to Grow-wise. Such termination will be notified by Grow-
wise in writing to the Subscriber within 14 days of that termination.
13. The business address for Grow-wise is: Children’s Workforce Development Team,
C.F.C.S., 3rd Floor (Centre), County Hall, Loughborough Road, West Bridgford,
Nottingham NG2 7QP
Subscriptions:
Allowing nominated members of staff/learners within an organisation access to/full use of the
Grow-wise programme, and materials for the subscription period. The number of staff/learners
allowed access, as advised by the subscribing organisation, is shown above (see “Subscription
Options”). Dependant on the type of subscription taken out, if the number of staff/learners
requiring access increases, Grow-wise should be informed and will require payment of an
additional fee proportionate to the increase in the numbers of staff/learners for that subscription
period.
It is the responsibility of the subscriber to ensure that all staff nominated to undertake the
programme have done so, and to check that they have completed the course fully. There will be no
refunds for staff who fail to access or complete the training within the 12-month subscription period.
Should a subscriber fail to complete the programme with 12 months and wishes to complete, then
another 12month subscription will be required in full – however, subscribers will not need to repeat
modules already completed.
Subscribing organisations will be provided with a full list of all staff who have completed the
programme, and those who have accessed the programme but not completed it.
Website Links:
Grow-wise is not responsible for the contents or reliability of linked websites and does not
necessarily endorse the views expressed within them. Grow-wise cannot guarantee that these
links will work all of the time.
General:
We will try to ensure that our programme is always available for your staff. In the event that the
programme is unavailable at any time and for any period up to 10 working days (for whatever
reason) we shall not be liable even if this means you cannot access the programme during that
period. Should the programme be unavailable for a longer period because of an event outside our

11. control, we shall not be liable. If however, access is restricted longer than 10 working days,
because of a technical fault with our own e-learning platform, we will compensate subscribing
organisations at a fixed rate of 5% of their per head fees for any staff currently registered and using
the programme.
An Event Outside Our Control means any act or event beyond our reasonable control, including
without limitation server failures, software failures, strikes, lock-outs or other industrial action by
third parties, civil commotion, riot, invasion, terrorist attack or threat of terrorist attack, war (whether
declared or not) or threat or preparation for war, fire, explosion, storm, flood, earthquake,
subsidence, epidemic or other natural disaster, or failure of public or private telecommunications
networks.
Should access be restricted towards the end of a subscriber’s 12-month period, an extension to
that period will be provided in line with the number of days access that was lost.
Placing an Order:
You may place an order with us either by phone, or by email. We will then send you an email
acknowledging your order, which will confirm the order details, and details of how to access the
purchased Grow-wise programme. A binding contract will only come into force between us once
you have received this confirmation email.
Please take the time to read and check our confirmation of your order and notify us within 24 hours
if any of the details need amending.
If we reject an order (for whatever reason) we will inform you as soon as possible.
Description:
All descriptions, specifications, advertising, and overview information displayed on our website,
and within our marketing materials, in relation to Grow-wise, are issued or published for the sole
purpose of giving an approximate idea of the training to be provided. They will not form part of the
contract between us. The programme delivered may differ in non-material respects from the
information provided on our website.
We may make any change to the specification or design of the programme which is required to
conform with any applicable safety, statutory or regulatory requirement, or does not materially
reduce its quality.
Price of the Services:
The price(s) for the programme will be provided prior to you placing an order with us. Unless stated
otherwise, all prices stated are exclusive of value added tax (will we be charging this?)
All prices are subject to change without prior notice.
Payment:
We must receive payment in full for your agreed subscription before your staff can access the
Grow-wise programme. Payment for the programme will be taken by card payment, or by invoice.
Cancellation:
You may cancel any order you place with us, and receive a refund in respect of such, at any time
before staff have been granted access to the programme. You will not be able to cancel an order
once they have been given access.

12. If you do not access the programme during the twelve (12) months following the date on which
your order was confirmed, we reserve the right to cancel the order and withdraw your access to the
programme. You will not receive a refund if the order is cancelled as described in this paragraph.
The programme will be deemed to have been “accessed” when the relevant online course is
commenced or any associated materials are loaded or viewed by someone utilising your account.
These terms and conditions (including in relation to any non-contractual obligations) shall
be governed by and interpreted in accordance with English law and subject to the exclusive
jurisdiction of the English courts.