CYP Now - How to adjust ratios and maintain quality

There is little doubt that the recruitment and retention issues facing the sector continue to cause concern and are impacting on the ability of more and more providers to meet the needs of children and parents.

June O'Sullivan is chief executive of LEYF. Picture: LEYF

This problem started to emerge in 2015 when completion of the Level 3 award fell from 83 per cent to 75 per cent in 2016.

In 2018. the Education Policy Institute predicated that it would get steadily worse and suggested that this downward trend may be down to the increasing financial strains on the sector, increasing cost of obtaining qualifications and lack of financial and status incentive to pursue higher qualifications.

The government, led by Liz Truss thinks that we can solve the problem by increasing the child to staff ratio. I disagreed with her in 2012 when she was the childcare minister and I still disagree with her now as Prime Minister. However, in the interest of survival I think we need a discussion to look at some solutions.

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