Help! My practitioners are under performing
Underperforming practitioners can be incredibly frustrating for managers and room leaders and this can often lead to a feeling of low morale across the early years setting. If one practitioner is seen to be getting away with underperforming it may cause other practitioners to follow their lead. It is for this reason that underperforming practitioners need to be supported in practice.
Ensure practitioners are high performers from the start
When employing new practitioners, to help them feel positive, talk to them about what qualities they can bring to the team. To ensure this happens during the employment processes follow these helpful tips –
- A clear job description – This will set the standard before a practitioner even joins the setting. This can also be referred to at any time to highlight to a practitioner what is expected of them and also maybe to highlight areas that they are not fulfilling
- Strong interview questions – This will ensure the practitioners you employ can meet your standards and understand what a childcare job entails. This will be the proof that your practitioners can all perform and meet their job roles before you even employ them.
- Safeguarding – Although not something you automatically think of when you think of a practitioner’s ability to meet their job roles it is a crucial part of the recruitment process.
- Probation periods – Ensure all new practitioners are contracted on a probation period and have both three and six-month reviews on their practice. This encourages practitioners to keep their practice outstanding and allows managers more options when dealing with an underperforming practitioner.
For a full list of resources to support managers through the recruitment process click here
Well established members of staff
Practitioners who have been part of the company for a while may for one reason or another start to let their levels of practice slip and may begin to underperform. These may be practitioners who you know can perform at outstanding levels. Practitioners who are well established may also be the ones who can quickly impact on the morale of a team, so it is particularly important to deal with these types of underperforming practitioners quickly. Often if the complaint about an underperforming practitioner has come from another practitioner may not be taken seriously by management and if this is the case read this article to find some support on how to make a manager listen
For underperforming practitioners, you can –
- Hold regular workshops and training
- Keep training records up to date and ensure everyone gets the opportunity to attend courses where possible
- Complete supervisions and appraisals so strengths weaknesses and any issues can be addressed
- Have a strong room leader who can confidently manage their practitioners
- Offer support and guidance
- Lead by example and ensure all practitioners can see examples of what is expected
- Complete peer to peer observations
- Have clear policies and procedures and follow these quickly when practitioners are not doing what is required of them
- Keep safeguarding children’s welfare at the top priority
- Boost morale and keep practitioners engaged in the company, setting and team
It is best to address any practitioners who are not underperforming as soon as possible as it can be difficult to address when left for a long period of time.