Do people agree that Nursery Managers need just as much support as practitioners?
Running a nursery is far harder than many people realise, Juggling staffing, meeting Ofsted standards, talking to parents and making sure staff and children are happy are just a few jobs nursery managers have to do on a daily basis. Some days can be very stressful and at times, managers may need to turn to someone for support. If you are the owner of the nursery as well as the manager where do you turn to for support?
Many settings today consist of a nursery manager, a deputy, and senior practitioners, these core people are often the ones that will group together to support the management team. However what about settings who are only small and have a manager and practitioners then what?
There may be times when nursery managers feel like everything is getting on top of them, and the paperwork is mounting up, having some support can help during these difficult times. Running a nursery should be a happy time for both the nursery manager and the team as they get to see the children come through the doors as a baby and leave to go to big school. Yes there are many challenges along the way, and many managers feel like throwing the towel in at some point, therefore having support from someone can make all the difference.
Who do nursery managers turn to for support in your setting?
Some settings which are part of a chain, have other managers to contact for support, This is often very successful as you sometimes find that things that are talked about are occurring in both settings.
Talking things through with another person can often help nursery managers look at things differently.
Nursery managers need not forget that they need support just as much as practitioners do. Finding the balance can contribute to running a successful nursery.