Tips on recruiting and retaining staff in nurseries

Over the last few years it has been widely documented that recruitment and retention within childcare is reaching crisis point; the catalyst appears to be the change in GCSE requirements which has not rebalanced since reverting back to functional skills.

The consensus is that staffing issues are impinging on settings being able to meet the increasing demand for childcare places compounded by the 30hrs funded childcare.

The NDNA childcare workforce survey 2018, produced some worrying statistics, with the number of level 3 qualified staff in settings falling to 66 per cent, a decrease from 75 per cent in 2016/17 and 83 per cent in 2015/16.

Thirty-four per said they were considering leaving the sector and 66 per cent of employers said they struggle to employ level 3 staff.

Main reasons given for leaving the sector:

• Salaries

• Not suited to the childcare sector (51 per cent of unqualified and apprentice level personnel entering the sector had not been retained)

• Loss of passion for the sector due to government policy changes

• Stress

• Too much paperwork

• Demands and responsibilities of the job

• Lack of career progression

Bamboo Childcare, a childcare recruitment agency, has the following tips to help nurseries recruit and retain staff

Become an Employer of choice

Salary is a major issue for many in the sector so wherever possible it is best practice to be competitive in your area, however this may not be an option, so additional benefits can both attract and retain staff:

• Benefits scheme – healthcare, high street discounts etc

• Recommend a friend scheme

• Free lunch and uniforms

• Additional days off – birthdays, long service

• Discounted childcare

• Staff surveys

• Mentoring schemes

• Reward days and staff development days

Continuous professional development

Many people are leaving the profession as they feel they cannot progress. Career options are often not discussed as settings are afraid of losing staff. It is important to look at the bigger picture of keeping people within early years. Discussing options such as community nursery nursing, family intervention work, and teaching may keep people engaged for longer whilst they study.

Running regular internal training sessions, mentoring schemes and bringing in external trainers delivering inspirational courses can have a huge impact on staff morale and spark those ‘lightbulb moments’.

It is worth noting that ‘Apprenticeship funding’ can be used for both new employees as apprentices and to upskill existing staff including; team leading, management, higher level Early Years qualifications, and Early years Teaching. Utilising the apprenticeship funding demonstrates commitment to the development of staff. This will be extremely beneficial to your employee’s long-term career prospects, but also the benefits to your nursery will outweigh any cost implications; long-term succession planning and a highly trained motivated team creating best outcomes for children in all areas.

Employing Apprentices

The NDNA survey highlighted that 51 per cent of unqualified staff and apprentices did not stay the term. Hiring an apprentice should be part of succession planning, however many apprentices leave as the pressure of the sector is too much. The initial recruitment process should be as thorough and the demands of the job should be highlighted before any hire. Ongoing support for an apprentice is essential to ensure they complete the qualification and then stay in the sector. Working a 40hr week on a shift basis is difficult for anyone new to work, with additional study on top is almost ‘setting people up to fail’. Providing apprentices with 20 per cent off the job training is mandatory but also enables the learner to have quality time completing assignments, shadowing, mentoring and reflecting.

Flexible working

A huge barrier to recruitment is the lack of flexibility from the sector to accommodate shorter working hours or job shares. Initially implementing part-time working or set shift patterns can be challenging, but once in place remunerations of being able to hire and retain quality staff with a work life balance will redress this preliminary challenge. Many nurseries are now implementing this with success rates including the Elmscot group and Little Garden Day Nurseries.

Lobby government, join campaigns, attend school careers fairs

With a collective voice, change can happen. The #saveourearlyyears campaign was proof that support in numbers really can support a change in government policy.

Government policy changes have contributed to the crisis the sector is now facing so lobby your local MP to highlight the issues facing the sector which are potentially crippling the growth of many nurseries and impacting the availability of childcare provision (this in turn affects the economy and the educational development of children). Support the #MITEY (men in Early Years) campaign.

The above is not a guarantee of an instant fix for the issues many settings are facing but can be a step in the right direction. For many people working in childcare is still a fantastically rewarding vocation, and the majority are very happy in their roles, it is up to those of us still passionate about the sector to spread the message as far as possible.

Bamboo Childcare is a specialist permanent recruitment company supporting nurseries to find quality staff in an increasingly demanding sector. We are also aware of the perceived negative cost implications of recruiting staff through a permanent recruitment agency. However actually utilising our service can actually reduce costs as having an ongoing vacancy significantly outweighs a permanent placement fee; ongoing cost of temp staff, operating below occupancy levels, unable to give existing staff time off for CPD, Managers being ‘in numbers’ Our ethos has always been to work in partnership with nurseries through our services and we provide much more than a basic recruitment service;

We work with local schools and colleges speaking with young people about career paths to raise the profile of the sector. Bamboo Training and Apprenticeships is hoping to make a small difference in addressing the shortfall of qualified staff through quality apprenticeship delivery and short courses such as paediatric first aid, safeguarding, wonder of babies etc.

We run Early Years networking events for managers and owners and have online forums for nursery staff to share best practice.

There is also in house training for our recruiters such as First Aid, Safeguarding, Prevent, British fundamental values, Ofsted requirements

For more information on our recruitment, training and apprenticeship services please contact: Eleanor@bambooresourcing.co.uk, 08448225727, www.bambooresourcing.co.uk