THE happiness and emotional wellbeing of young people was the focus of a childminding convention which gave carers a lesson in looking after little ones.

Around 60 childminders from County Durham took part in the ‘Feel Good Factor’ winter event, hosted in Spennymoor by Durham County Council’s Early Years Team.

Attendees heard from keynote speaker Tom Robson, an educational consultant who spoke passionately about how adults can support children to develop a love for learning.

Informative workshops held throughout the day included a motivational session around happiness, led by early years teacher Gavin Salmon, and other sessions exploring sensory play and music, led by the Early Years Team.

Helen Nixon, Early Years Lead at Durham County Council, said: “We are thrilled to have hosted such a thought provoking and inspiring day for our childminders in County Durham and we know they really value these events as part of their continuing professional development.

“Feedback from this event has been fantastic, with attendees telling us that they learnt a great deal on the day and will take a lot of new ideas forward.”

For more information about childminding and how to become a childminder visit the council's website at durham.gov.uk/childcare