Could changing your staffing models save your childcare setting money?
The Department of Education has suggested that settings look at their staffing models to help them run their business more effectively. For childcare settings what will this mean and how will this work in practice?
It has been suggested that childcare providers can make a potential saving by adhering to statutory minimum ratios, looking at what qualifications the team has and using variable staffing models. These staffing models may include nursery workers working part time hours or being on flexible contracts. By changing staffing models to meet the needs of the business, this will address the peak times and help with spikes of occupancy.
Will increasing flexibility with staffing really help meet the needs of the nursery and help managers with staffing rotas? or will this create more issues for nurseries? At present how do nurseries address this, do they rely on bank staff to help out as and when needed?
Many nurseries that are open all year round offer full-time contracts as this offers consistently to children and many nursery managers find it easier to manage full-time staff rather than part time contracts. But will using a more flexible approach save the nursery money? Having term time and part time workers mean nursery can be more productive in managing peak times and the demand for child places.
How will changing staffing models affect the workforce?
Many nurseries focus on providing a qualified workforce that offers family’s stability and continuity of care, by changing staffing models this could deeply affect the relationship between nursery and home.
Along with changing staffing models, problems can arise in recruiting, as many nursery workers will be reluctant to accept a flexible contract. Leaving many nurseries having to turn to using an agency, which this can be costly to the business.
The suggestion of adhering to statutory ratios, relying on temporary staff and using agencies is yet again government’s answer to cost cutting over quality. This isn’t what nurseries want to hear why would they want to risk the high quality of care they provide.