CEY0836

Written evidence submitted by Crigglestone Daycare

This evidence is submitted as an Early Years Professional in a deputy manager role with 15 years’ experience post degree.

The challenges faced by the early year’s sector and providers are extensive.  As minimum wage increases the cost must be passed on to parents.  The cost of childcare is extremely high but the valuable, highly skilled and highly qualified workforce are gaining no benefit from this.  It is highly publicised that birth – 5 years is the most valuable and crucial time in a young person’s life and recent research suggests that children who have attended a pre-school provision actually go on to achieve higher GCSE scores than children who did not attend an early years setting.  A delay in language skills in early childhood is shown to affect future achievement and that ‘gap’ is never bridged.  However, despite all this evidence, Early Years Professionals are not valued as much as teachers or even seen in the same category.  A highly qualified staff team directly leads to better outcomes for our children and their futures and therefore, the future of the labour force.  There is no appeal to the highly qualified and skilled individuals as it is, by enlarge, a minimum wage career.  This is poor when the impact of quality early year’s care is clearly evidenced.   The reality is that the work force is both poorly paid and undervalued.  Add in to this equation poor holiday entitlement that doesn’t go above or beyond the legal requirements, no sick pay, no flexibility, only Statutory maternity pay etc. it comes with very little benefits.  It feels very much like the sector is getting left in the dark ages.  Therefore, people explore other options.  And there are multiple other options available for these professionals in numerous other sectors and roles.  It seems the only thing keeping professionals in this sector is a genuine care for children and their futures and a desire to improve outcomes for the next generation.   

The funding is in need of a huge overhaul.  Ratios and turnover do not make for a sustainable setting.  Turnover from a baby room with a ratio of 1-3 does not contribute to fixed indirect costs such as rent, utilities, insurance or management costs.  There is no free childcare funding paid towards children under the age of 2.  There is little incentive to offer care for under 2’s.  If the minimum wage continues to increase at the same rate it has in recent years then nurseries may have no choice but to only offer care for children aged 3 and over.  This would force a lot of parents out of work.

Funding for 2 year olds should extend to working parents, parents who are trying to maintain careers.  High childcare costs mixed with a cost of living crisis is only forcing more families in to poverty.     

The rate per hour that PVI settings receive per child is low which means that a PVI has to charge parents for the cost of meals and continue to increase the cost for private places to cover overheads and minimum wage.  Early Years Professionals cannot continue to be paid the same as baristas and waitresses.  These are professionals that have gained qualifications.  I, for example have a degree with Early Years Professional Status.  I worked hard to gain my qualifications, knowledge and skills to effectively support children in their learning and development.   

Covid-19 has had a huge impact on staff and their mental health and wellbeing.  Staff who contracted Covid-19 are still struggling with the effects of long Covid-19 and their health and immune systems effected.  A lot of highly qualified and highly skilled practitioners left the profession during this time to seek roles with more job security.  Staff didn’t feel safe working in such an environment, in a role that is so face to face with no support from the government.  There were numerous concerns over job security and whether the setting would survive during Covid-19.  Covid-19 meant that practitioners were continually having to isolate because of being in contact with other individuals with the infection.

A lot of Nurseries (including ourselves) have long waiting lists.  This increases the pressure on providers.  The sector has to appeal to skilled and qualified staff.  Investment is needed from the government to provide affordable, purpose built premises.  Investment is required to upskill staff through the use of qualifications, training and wellbeing support.  Incentives should be provided for quality childcare settings to be able to expand.    

We are a non-profit organisation which runs from a community centre so Covid-19 has massively affected the settings sustainability going forward.  This uncertainty means that professionals are seeking roles in other sectors.  In a cost of living crisis people need to know that their roles are secure.   

The days are long and inflexible adding pressure and a lack of work/home balance for early year’s professionals.  Staff can earn minimum wage in a far more flexible workplace meaning they can better meet the needs of their families and themselves personally.  There are little benefits to draw a person to this career. 

The effects of Covid-19 have led to a huge increase in developmental delays for children.  It has also highlighted safeguarding issues for numerous children, only made worse by the cost of living crisis.  Parents have very few options for where to turn to for help with this.  There are still extensive waiting lists for multi-agency help.  The burden is therefore again falling with early year’s practitioners to support families.  We are not resourced or funded to do this effectively. 

Government subsidies are massively flawed and leave a lot to be desired.  Working families are struggling to make ends meet and their monthly wages are barely covering the cost of having their child in childcare.  Parents are paying more in childcare fees each month than they are on their mortgage.

There needs to be more subsidising from the point parental leave ends.  It should not be a case that families are worse off working than not.  The cost of living crisis is actually a ‘cost of working crisis’. So many countries have got this so right and the benefits are evident.  It is difficult to understand why our government aren’t turning to these countries to learn how to improve our own system.

There is a huge delay in SEND children being able to access the help and support required.  It is impossible to meet the needs of these children on existing ratios (never mind the discussion on changing ratios).  There is a discrepancy between private paying parents and government funded children when it comes to SEND.  Children on 2 year offer hours can access additional funding up to a year earlier that the children of parents who fund their child’s place privately.  

Children’s centres were a vital part to many families parenting experiences.  Help and support provided locally for the families most in need.  These are no longer available to signpost families to. 

The benefits of Early Years Settings to adequately prepare children for school has been mentioned at the start of this document.  Early Year’s professionals who have completed higher level education are trained and have the knowledge in this early stage of development and its value.  Therefore, why are they not viewed in the same light as teachers and education from age 5 upwards?  Why does the government not understand the value of this time period and want to do more to support this sector? Birth to 5 are the foundations for the rest of a child’s life.  Neurological connections are formed during this time period.  90% of a child’s brain is developed by age five.  I am puzzled as to why we are in a situation where we are having to submit evidence on our Early Years sector crisis.  All families should be able to access high quality care for their children for FREE or at least well subsidised.

In an Early Years Setting children are given the foundations, the support and the nurture they need to gain all the skills to lead a fulfilled life.   It is a career that should be celebrated, valued, supported.

January 2023