Behind the Rating: Valued staff make the difference

17 February 2012 3 mins read Tristan Donovan Early Years Ofsted Inspections

With a fifth of Braintree's under-fives living in workless homes and entering early years provision with skills, knowledge and abilities below the national average for their age, the Carousel children's centre is not short of work. But despite the challenges of operating in a highly disadvantaged area, the Essex centre is thriving, and gained a coveted "outstanding" rating in its latest Ofsted assessment.

For Ofsted, much of the centre’s success is down to the leadership of manager Teresa Brown. In its report the inspectorate highlights her "extraordinary enthusiasm and drive" and "unrelenting focus on improving outcomes for all".

Brown’s willingness to delegate responsibility to staff also gets a special mention. Delegation, explains Brown, not only empowers employees but encourages them to strive to deliver the very best.

Empowered workforce

"It’s important to let the staff know that they are valued and that you trust the work they are going to do," she says. "I make sure the goals are explained clearly first time round and that they know they can come to me with questions. I will check the work is being done but I’m happy to empower them to learn new skills and to run with things."

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