Falling qualification levels, increased demand, and slow recruitment are converging to jeopardise the 30-hours offer, finds the youth charity, which also runs dozens of childcare settings, often in communities with high deprivation and complex needs.
Providers across the country are increasingly reliant on agency staff, many of whom do not have the qualifications needed for settings to meet legal ratios, it says, adding that this is an issue “especially in low-income communities served by YMCAs”.
Many YMCA settings have struggled for more than a year to recruit qualified staff, it adds.
In its report, Training for the Future: Qualifications in Early Years Education, the organisation highlights a 28% decline in level 3 qualified staff since 2018/9.
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