The grim reality is that the sector is finding it hard to recruit and retain quality staff and the latest statistics about staff shortages are startling. In fact, up to 90 per cent of nurseries are struggling in the UK. In Australia, they call this the big resign!
Whilst there is much discussion about the causes of this ‘big resign’, the issues can be simplified into three reasons:
Salary
Status
Support
Salary
Like many others in the sector, I looked at what I could do for each of these elements. As a social enterprise I spend every penny we make on staff and children. Often the children win out with so many in need. 77 per cent of our nurseries are located in areas of deprivation and we know that poverty is one of the biggest barriers to children’s success. The pandemic has made this even worse and so we have too many children who need extra support to help nurture their development. All the relevant reports bear this out, including the most recent one from Ofsted.
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