blog

Measles epidemic

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:53:33 +0100

Measles epidemic is feared as nursery children are hospitalised

By Melanie Defries, Nursery World, 27 May 2009

Outbreaks of measles among children in England and Wales have raised fears that the UK may be facing an epidemic.

Four children from a nursery in south-west Wales have been treated in hospital for the disease and a further 123 cases have been reported.

In England, 53 people in the north-east have caught measles since January and over 100 more cases are under investigation.

The number of cases is already more than four times the total in Wales last year and far exceeds the total number last year in the north-east, when only 17 cases were reported.

The four nursery children, who are all aged under two and attend Hapus Dyrfa, a 58-place nursery in Burry Port, were too young to have received both the MMR jabs that are routinely given at the ages of one and before children start school. The four have now been released from hospital and were due back at nursery on Monday (25 May).

Sioned Saer, one of the nursery's owners, said, 'When we were told that one of the children had measles we got in touch with the National Public Health Service in Wales and followed the advice that they gave us. They visited the nursery on a Friday evening to talk to the parents and immunise the children. By the end of the evening 40 children had been vaccinated.

'We think we are over the worst of it now. It was quite frightening, especially when we realised that four children had been affected - we wondered how bad it was going to get.'

Health officials are urging parents to ensure their children are fully protected against the disease by taking up the MMR jab.

Dr Roberta Marshall, Acting Regional Director for the Health Protection Agency in the north- east, said, 'The measles outbreak is very alarming, especially as the majority of these cases in England could have been prevented, since most were in children who were not fully protected with MMR.

'There are still many children out there who were not vaccinated as toddlers over the past decade and remain unprotected. Unfortunately, this means that measles, which is highly infectious, is spreading easily among these unvaccinated children. Many of these children are now teenagers and still remain at risk.'

To successfully eliminate measles, 95 per cent of a country's population needs to be immunised with two doses of the measles vaccine. Figures show that in Wales only 86 per cent of two-year olds have been given the MMR vaccine, compared with 95 per cent in Scotland. Take-up is even lower in England, where only 85 per cent of two-year-olds have had the MMR.

Nursery Nurse pay to be cut

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:52:55 +0100

Nursery nurse pay to be cut by third

By Catherine Gaunt, Nursery World, 27 May 2009

More than 100 nursery nurses in schools in Devon are set to lose up to a third of their salaries under council plans to bring their pay in line with other council workers.

If it goes ahead, the proposal will mean that nursery nurses' pay will be calculated in the same way as teaching assistants and administrative staff in schools.

Nursery nurses and teachers held a protest meeting last week at Pynes Infant School and Nursery at Bideford with representatives from unions, including Unison.

Under plans currently out for consultation, the council wants to bring in a new job description of Early Years Assistant from 1 September for nursery nurses who are qualified to NVQ level 3 or equivalent, which has been evaluated by the council as 'JE grade C'.

Under the proposals, nursery nurses will no longer qualify to be paid during the school holidays but will have to take a paid 20- to 25-day allocation in that time.

Roger Spackman, Devon County Unison branch secretary, called the council's plans 'atrocious'. He said, 'They're trying to change the job title, but it's the same job. Teachers are paid year-round. There's a disparity between teachers and other staff paid to work alongside each other.

'The council has got everything the wrong way round; it's term-time working that causes the inequality. It's about keeping low-paid women on low pay. It's a cheap way to get round not having a national agreement. If teachers have separate terms and conditions, why shouldn't nursery nurses?'

Based on current terms and conditions, nursery nurses in Devon are considered full-time employees and paid an annual salary if they work 32.5 hours per week during term-time.

The council consultation said, 'The salary paid to a full-time nursery nurse is equivalent to staff employed elsewhere in Devon County Council who work 37 hours per week and all year round. This undermines the requirement for an employer to have equal pay and conditions for staff undertaking work of equal value and could lead to a successful legal challenge.'

The council claims that in effect, full-time nursery nurses are being paid to work 66 per cent of the time of other full-time local government staff paid the same annual salary.

A council spokesperson said, 'We are carrying out a review of the method of calculation of pay for nursery nurses working in maintained schools, in order to harmonise them with council staff on the same grade. Similar reviews have been or are being carried out by local authorities nationally, to address an historic disparity of pay across this sector. We have consulted with trade unions, headteachers, teachers and staff who will be affected and will be reviewing the comments made before making a decision later this month.'

Mr Spackman also queried why the council was making the move at this time when the Support Staff Negotiating Body is set to look at the pay and conditions of all school support staff (Analysis, 5 November 2008).

'There's the new negotiating body which will set pay and conditions in the future. Isn't it a bit short-sighted to make changes now?' he said.

Undiagnosed autism

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:52:15 +0100

Survey finds many young children have undiagnosed autism

By Judith Napier, Nursery World, 29 May 2009

A new study reveals that one in every 64 primary schoolchildren may need help because they have some form of autism, but have not been diagnosed.

Researchers who surveyed children aged five to nine years in the Cambridgeshire area say the findings should help education, health and social services prepare for the future.

Their figures confirm that one percent of primary school aged children currently have an existing diagnosis of autism, but also suggest that there may be many more currently undiagnosed and in need of support.

The National Autistic Society has called for the research to be replicated more widely, to confirm the figures on a national level.

The research team, led by Professor Simon Baron-Cohen at the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge University, used three different methods to estimate the prevalence of autism-spectrum conditions in children attending 79 schools in and around Cambridge.

They surveyed children using the Special Educational Needs registers, then surveyed parents of 11,7000 children in the area. Of the 3,373 completed surveys, 41 cases of autism spectrum conditions were confirmed. Finally, the same parents were asked to complete a Childhood Autism Screening Test, to help identify any undiagnosed cases - this found an additional 11 children.

Researchers calculated that, if the figures were extrapolated to the wider population, for every three cases that are known, there may be a further two undiagnosed cases.

While figures for autism are significantly higher than 30 years ago, increases may be explained by improved awareness by both parents and professionals, increased diagnostic services, and a widening of the criteria to include related conditions like Asperger Syndrome, which did not enter the diagnostic manuals until 1994.

The causes of autism are unknown, although it affects four times as many boys as girls. Diagnosis is rarely detected before the age of three, although screening toddlers at 18 months can indicate those who are at risk for a social communication disorder.

Professor Baron-Cohen said the study, detailed in June's British Journal of Psychiatry, was particularly significant because it did not rely on a single source of information, but instead combined information from three different sources.

He said such studies were important to help society put plans in place for the future. ‘The relevant services, including education, health and social services, can plan adequate provision for all those children and adults who may need support.'

Welcoming the report, the National Autistic Society said an accurate figure for the number of people with autism across the UK was vital to ensure that there is a sufficient level of services and support in place to meet their needs.

NAS chief executive Mark Lever said, ‘This is important research, which for the first time gives us an estimate of the number of people who don't have an autism diagnosis but may be in need of support. Getting the right support at the right time is vitally important and access to appropriate diagnostic services is crucial'

A unique child:

Sun, 24 May 2009 21:09:13 +0100

A unique child: Cleft lip and palate

Nursery World, 20 August 2008

Children born with cleft lips or palates can undergo surgery throughout their early years, and staff need to know how best to offer them support, says Viv Hampshire.

About one in every 700 babies in this country is born with a cleft lip and/or palate. The word 'cleft' simply means 'split' or 'separation'. During early pregnancy, separate areas of the face develop individually and then join together. If some parts do not join properly the result is a cleft, the type and severity of which can vary.

Although we don't know why, the condition occurs more often in boys, and there is a slightly higher incidence in Asian children. The condition can also be hereditary, but in most cases it occurs randomly with no obvious contributing factors.

A cleft lip is usually repaired surgically by the time a baby is two to three months old, and a cleft palate is usually repaired when the baby is around six to nine months old. The next major operation is when children are eight or nine years old. An alveolar bone graft may be necessary for a cleft of the gum. This provides a platform for adult teeth to come through. After this the child may need further treatment or operations at 16 to 18 years old for jaw revisions and sometimes cosmetic surgery.

Treatment is provided by a cleft lip and palate team. These are made up of specialists working together to ensure the best possible treatment and outcomes are achieved. The teams may include plastic surgeons, speech and language therapists, maxillofacial surgeons, orthodontists, audiologists and psychologists and specialist cleft nurses.

Feeding problems

Babies with only a cleft lip or with just a narrow gap in the palate can usually manage to breastfeed, but most clefts of the palate make breastfeeding impossible. Expressed or formula milk can be fed using a special soft squeezable feeding bottle and a shaped orthodontic teat, which allows the flow of milk to be regulated.

Sipper spouts are also available to aid the transition from bottle to cup. Parents will be able to supply whatever is needed to help nursery staff.

Older children who have had corrective surgery should be able to eat normally, but may eat more slowly and carefully than others.

Speech and language development

A cleft palate, even after surgery, is likely to cause some degree of speaking difficulty or delay, although good speech should develop over time. A repaired palate can make it harder to pronounce certain sounds clearly and may result in a nasal tone. Such children will be referred to a speech and language specialist, and may need an additional operation to reduce the amount of air going into the nose.

When a child is having trouble making themselves understood, they may resort to a more tactile or aggressive form of communication to gain attention, so it is important to watch out for any signs of pushing, fighting, biting and so on.

Hearing difficulties

Because the ears, nose and throat are so closely connected, clefts often lead to middle-ear infections, catarrh or 'glue ear'. Because good hearing is necessary for concentration and to aid speech development, the child's hearing is likely to be closely monitored throughout infancy, and the insertion of grommets or the use of hearing aids may be necessary.

Being aware of any hearing reduction problems should enable nursery staff to hold the child's attention by speaking more clearly and face to face, and by sitting the child at the front for story times.

Teeth

Teeth often emerge a little later than normal in the cleft palate child, and teeth which would usually appear near to the site of the cleft may be missing, twisted or misshapen. It is possible that extra teeth may appear or that the upper and lower teeth do not meet properly when biting together.

Again, such a child will receive regular monitoring and orthodontic treatment involving retainers and fixed braces. Oral hygiene is especially important so the child may also want to brush his teeth after snacks or meals.

Confidence

Perhaps the most difficult thing for both child and parents to deal with is the appearance of the face. The nose may look squashed or lop-sided, the lips and teeth not quite straight, and surgery is likely to leave scars. The child's voice may sound different from those of other children and they may find that they are not easily understood.

Feeling that they are different from other children can lead to embarrassment, shyness, low confidence and self-esteem, a reluctance to speak up in class, and the possibility of being teased or bullied. Prolonged and frequent absences for hospital and dental visits can make a child feel left out and can affect the making of friendships adversely.

It is, therefore, important to explain the child's condition and to discuss feelings with all the children in the nursery, to promote a positive self-image and to encourage the child to participate as fully as possible in nursery life. A regular catch-up chat with the parents should help to keep everyone informed and provide the opportunity to discuss any behavioural or developmental concerns that nursery staff may have.

CASE STUDY: HEATHER AND AMY POWNALL

I found out that I was expecting triplets early in my pregnancy, which was a shock. At all the scans they were able to determine that we were having two boys, but couldn't tell the sex of the third baby.

At 29 weeks, my beloved Dad collapsed with an inoperable brain tumour, but hung on until the week after the triplets were born. I was devastated, but I think this terrible tragedy helped me to put what was to follow into perspective.

The triplets were delivered by caesarean at 35 weeks. Amy was the first baby out and even in that instant I knew something was wrong. Harry came next and finally Jack.

They prepared the babies and brought Harry over first, then came Amy, along with the words, 'Here's the deformed one, as you know.' We didn't know; nothing had ever been picked up on the scans.

Andy, my husband, looked as though he was about to collapse, but I looked at my beautiful daughter and thought she was just perfect. A girl at school had a brother with a hare lip, as it was called in those days, and he looked good, and compared to my Dad dying, this was okay, and I knew Amy could be "fixed".

The triplets stayed in the special care baby unit for two weeks, where Amy had her first impressions for her plastic plate, and then we were home, one big happy family, with their older brother John, aged two.

Amy had her first operation when she was four months old - we had to wait until she was 9.5lb (about 3.8kg) and her birth weight had been only 3lb 12oz (1.5kg).

The operation was a success thanks to our wonderful surgeon, Brian Sommerlad, although I must confess to missing her cleft. She had such a cute little smile, and she sounded very different after the first operation, too.

The next operation, the palate repair, was at six months, and Amy has had on average one operation a year. She has had grommets, as 'glue ear' is common in cleft children, she has had teeth removed, and at eight years old, she had her alveolar bone graft done - normally this is done at around 11, so Amy was very young.

We keep in regular contact with St Andrew's Centre, at Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, and Amy has recently had her ten-year audit.

I feel really privileged that Amy is my daughter. She is funny, beautiful, clever, happy, clefted, outgoing and very, very confident.

Having a cleft is just one small part of her. I wouldn't change a thing, as it has made Amy into the kind, compassionate and understanding little girl she is today, and I love her more than anything.

More information

- www.clapa.com - The website of the Cleft Lip and Palate Association offers support, information and practical advice for parents and professionals on all cleft lip and/or palate issues

- First Place by Kate Gaynor (Special Stories Publishing, 2008) - A useful picture book designed to help young children understand and accept the speech and language effects of cleft lip and palate, and how best to overcome them.

Childcare Providers

Sun, 24 May 2009 21:06:00 +0100

Analysis: Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey - The sector in numbers

Nursery World, 20 August 2008

The latest Government research on early years provision reveals a complex picture, with better qualified staff, more loss-making providers, but a rising numbers of places, says Ruth Thomson.

The total numbers of providers, places and children attending childcare and early years provision all continued on their upward trend in 2007, according to the Government's latest providers' survey. But loss-making settings, and problems in delivering the extended free entitlement, still threaten the long-term success of the Government strategy.

The oint chief executive of Daycare Trust, Alison Garnham, says, 'Issues of quality and sustainability leap out from these figures, showing a high proportion of providers merely breaking even or operating at a loss, and although it is great to see more staff gaining qualifications, pay levels remain a scandal, acting as a break on quality in the childcare and early years sector.'

Here, we offer a snapshot of the sector and highlight some of the most significant findings.

FULL DAYCARE AND CHILDREN'S CENTRES

Less than a third (30 per cent) of full daycare providers made a profit or surplus in 2007, well below the 43 per cent figure for 2003. The worst affected were providers within children's centres, with only 7 per cent of these making a profit, and 52 per cent operating at a loss (up from 37 per cent in 2006).

To blame, says Pre-school Learning Alliance chief executive Steve Alexander, is 'inconsistent intervention in the childcare "market"'.

Most children's centres (77 per cent) are in deprived areas, where, says Mr Alexander, 'the policy drive of getting parents into work through the provision of childcare has not yet resulted in demand for the large amounts of additional childcare being established in areas of deprivation. This challenges the sustainability of the provision and is a prime example of market interference.'

SESSIONAL CARE PROVIDERS

The decline in sessional care continued in 2006, with provider numbers falling 9 per cent, children numbers dropping by 8 per cent, and staff numbers decreasing by 7 per cent. This latest fall brings the total decrease in provider numbers between 2001 and 2007 to 39 per cent.

The survey notes that in 2007 a quarter of full daycare providers (24 per cent) said that they had changed from offering sessional care, and two-thirds (64 per cent) said the decision was due to parental demand for longer hours of childcare.

Sessional providers, however, managed to buck the trend in profitability, with 30 per cent operating at a profit in 2007, compared with 25 per cent in 2006.

Mr Alexander challenges the report's conclusion that sessional care is in decline, arguing that many sessional pre-schools are adapting to meet the needs of local families by becoming full daycare providers.

He says, 'The popularity of this type of provision among parents of three-year-olds who only want to use the free entitlement is clearly shown by the high percentage of income for sessional groups from local authority sources.

'Ongoing demand for sessional care is further evidenced by it showing the greatest improvement in profitability and the least number of vacancies.'

HOLIDAY CLUBS AND AFTER-SCHOOL CLUBS

After a massive expansion between 2003 and 2006, when holiday club numbers rose by 129 per cent and place numbers by 117 per cent, the rise turned to a fall in 2006-07.

Decreases were registered in the numbers of providers (down 9 per cent), places (down 13 per cent) and children attending (down 16 per cent). The number of vacancies for children averaged 30 per cent, and that of paid and unpaid staff dropped by a quarter.

An upward trend in after-school care continued in 2007, though staff numbers (paid and unpaid) fell 8 per cent and vacancies for children averaged 25 per cent.

The number of loss-making after-school clubs rose to 24 per cent (from 17 per cent in 2006), while those in profit remained stable at 24 per cent. Holiday clubs making a profit rose to 27 per cent (up from 19 per cent in 2006).

Ms Garnham says, 'Hot on the heels of local authority sufficiency assessments, both the lack of, and even the noticeable decline in, holiday provision jump out from these figures as a worrying new trend and confirm everything that parents have been telling us in Daycare Trust's recent Holiday Costs Survey 2008. This is not good news for the parents and children who desperately need there to be more places.'

CHILDMINDERS

The number of working childminders increased 3 per cent in 2007, raising the total from 57,900 to 59,800. Much greater, however, was the number of registered childminders, though it fell 3 per cent from 71,500 to 69,200.

Also rising were the number of registered places with childminders, up from 275,600 in 2005 to 291,500 in 2007 - an increase of 6 per cent. This brought the average number of places per childminder to 4.9, but childminders reported the highest proportion of vacancies for children nationally, at 29 per cent.

MAINTAINED SCHOOLS

The survey reports huge increases in staff numbers in schools in 2007, with rises ranging from 9 per cent in nursery schools to 24 per cent in schools with both reception and nursery classes. The number of children attending also increased, reversing the 2003-06 trend, when overall staff and child numbers both fell.

Surprisingly, given nursery school closures over the past decade, the survey found that between 2003 and 2007, their numbers had remained stable, while place numbers rose by 6 per cent.

PAY

A predictable divide between rates of pay emerged between those working in schools and those in a childcare setting. Children's centre staff averaged £9.30 an hour, compared with £6.90 in all full daycare settings (only a 1 per cent rise on 2006), while the all-staff average for nursery schools was highest at £13.00 (and nursery nurses averaged £10.40 an hour). Senior managers averaged £9.80 in full daycare settings, £14.30 in children's centres and £8.70 in sessional providers.

Notably, a link has emerged between the rates of pay and qualification of the most senior superviser, with staff in graduate-led settings enjoying higher average hourly rates than those working under non-graduate senior supervisors. In children's centres this translated to £10.30 an hour compared with £8.70, while in all daycare settings, the averages were £7.80 and £6.80.

Chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA), Purnima Tanuku, says, 'It is interesting to see that in graduate-led settings other staff enjoyed higher salaries. Although increased pay is to be welcomed, NDNA does question how private and voluntary nurseries will be able to afford the cost of a graduate, and higher salaries for the rest of the team, without large fee increases.' More direct investment will be needed, she says.

QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING

The number of full daycare staff with a level 3 qualification rose sharply between 2003 and 2006 (from 52 per cent to 64 per cent). That figure then dipped by 3 per cent in 2007 (to 61 per cent), but rose by the same amount for childminders (up from 33 to 36 per cent). The survey also found that one third (32 per cent) of daycare staff and one fifth (21 per cent) of childminders are working towards a qualification.

Commenting on the level 3 increase for childminders, a National Childminding Association spokesperson says, 'This is an encouraging result, but support from local authorities and funding would help to increase the numbers of registered childminders achieving a level 3 or above, as would increasing childminders' access to dedicated quality improvement networks.'

As for nursery schools, Early Education chief executive Anne Nelson says, 'I believe that the statistics in the report reinforce what we knew already - that quality early years education is dependent on a well-qualified workforce.'

The survey also confirmed the shortcomings of the Transformation Fund. Most full daycare providers (83 per cent), sessional providers and childminders were aware of the money to help staff achieve a full level 3, 4 or 5 qualification. However, only 31 per cent of full daycare providers received this funding. For sessional providers, the figure was 27 per cent and for childminders, 18 per cent.

FREE ENTITLEMENT

Full daycare providers have proved their flexibility, with most already offering the entitlement over three, rather than five, sessions. Percentages ranged from 83 per cent (for voluntarily run full daycare settings) to 75 per cent (for local authority run settings).

In contrast, only 25 per cent of nursery schools and 18 per cent of primary schools with nursery and reception classes said sessions could be taken over three days.

A similar divide emerged over the extended free entitlement of 15 hours a week, for 38 weeks a year. While most full daycare and sessional providers (90 per cent and 67 per cent) said they could offer this entitlement, the figures for the maintained sector were only 58 per cent for nursery schools (down from 64 per cent in 2006) and 53 per cent of primary schools with nursery and reception classes (down from 65 per cent in 2006).

Ms Tanuku says, 'NDNA welcomes how this survey shows the strong position of full daycare providers in being able to deliver a flexible 15-hour offer. However, with providers still facing issues with underfunding in this area, NDNA is concerned that only 30 per cent of full daycare providers are making a profit, and 33 per cent are just covering costs. This is not sustainable for the sector.'

More information:

Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey 2007, produced by the British Market Research Bureau on behalf of the DCSF, can be downloaded in full from: www.dcsf.gov.uk/research/

CHILDCARE AND EARLY YEARS PROVIDERS SURVEY
YOUR AT-A-GLANCE GUIDE TO THE EARLY YEARS SECTOR

PROVIDERS Full day Children's
care centres
No of providers 13,600 950
Rise/fall in providers +7%/+36% +18%/NA
2006-07/2003-07

PLACES
No of Ofsted registered 596,500 51,100
places (2007)
Rise/fall in registered +10%/+38% +36%/NA
places 2006-07/2003-07
Mean no of Ofsted registered 44 54
places
Ownership of Ofsted registered private 70% private 16%
places among childcare providers voluntary 16% voluntary 18%
maintained* 11% maintained* 61%
No of children attending 820,100 68,400
Rise/fall in no of children +7%/+26% +71%/NA
attending 2006-07/2003-07
Average % of vacancies for 18%/15% 17%/18%
children 2007/2006
* Maintained - local authority,
school/college, other

STAFF/PAY
No of paid staff 154,600 13,300
% rise/fall in no of paid staff +7%/+39% +42%/NA
2006-07/2003-07
Average hours worked per week 33 34
Average hourly pay (all staff) £6.90 £9.30
% rise in average hourly rate +1%/+20% 0%/NA
2006-07/2003-07
Average hourly rate by £6.80/ £8.70/
qualification of senior manager: £7.80 £10.30
graduate led/graduate led
% staff with level 3 qualification 61% 61%
% staff with at least level 5 6% 14%
qualification
% receiving Transformation Fund 31% 31%
money to help staff achieve
levels 3-5
Staff turnover rates 15% 11%

PROFITABILITY/FUTURE
Average hourly fee £3.20 £3.00
% providers receiving fees paid 85% 82%
for in part or full by parents'
employers
% offering free entitlement over 80% 75%
3 days
% that can provide extended 90% 85%
entitlement
% with business plan 2006/2007 80%/76% 87%/86%
% that have expanded in last year 16% 19%
% that plan to expand in the next 16% 8%
year
Profitability 2007/2003: making a 30%/43% 7%/NA
profit
Covering costs 33%/27% 24%/NA
Operating at a loss 18%/12% 52%/NA
Don't know 19%/18% 17%/NA

PROVIDERS Sessional After-school
clubs

No of providers 8,700 8,500
Rise/fall in providers -9%/-26% +11%/+87%
2006-07/2003-07

PLACES
No of Ofsted registered 248,100 259,000
places (2007)
Rise/fall in registered -11%/-24% +1%/+57%
places 2006-07/2003-07
Mean no of Ofsted registered 28 31
places
Ownership of Ofsted registered private 28% private 44%
places among childcare providers voluntary 65% voluntary 24%
maintained* 6% maintained* 33%
No of children attending 356,800 414,300
Rise/fall in no of children -8%/-24% +2%/+52%
attending 2006-07/2003-07
Average % of vacancies for 13%/11% 25%/21%
children 2007/2006
* Maintained - local authority,
school/college, other

STAFF/PAY
No of paid staff 54,200 46,100
% rise/fall in no of paid staff -7%/-22% -5%/+81%
2006-07/2003-07
Average hours worked per week 18 18
Average hourly pay (all staff) £7.00 £7.60
% rise in average hourly rate +6%/+30% +5/+29%
2006-07/2003-07
Average hourly rate by £6.80/ £7.30/
qualification of senior manager: £8.60 £9.50
graduate led/graduate led
% staff with level 3 qualification 52% 43%
% staff with at least level 5 6% 7%
qualification
% receiving Transformation Fund 27% -
money to help staff achieve
levels 3-5
Staff turnover rates 11% 23%

PROFITABILITY/FUTURE
Average hourly fee £2.30 £2.60
% providers receiving fees paid 44% 77%
for in part or full by parents'
employers
% offering free entitlement over 37% -
3 days
% that can provide extended 67% -
entitlement
% with business plan 2006/2007 56%/53% 70%/71%
% that have expanded in last year 12% 16%
% that plan to expand in the next 14% 19%
year
Profitability 2007/2003: making a 30%/28% 24%/29%
profit
Covering costs 47%/56% 42%/42%
Operating at a loss 14%/11% 24%/19%
Don't know 9%/5% 11%/10%

PROVIDERS Holiday Childminders
clubs (working)
No of providers 5,800 59,800
Rise/fall in providers -9%/+108% +3%/NA
2006-07/2003-07

PLACES
No of Ofsted registered 230,300 291,500
places (2007)
Rise/fall in registered -13%/+89% +7%/NA
places 2006-07/2003-07
Mean no of Ofsted registered 40 4.9
places
Ownership of Ofsted registered private 42% -
places among childcare providers voluntary 29% -
maintained* 29% -
No of children attending 297,700 278,500
Rise/fall in no of children -16%/+27% +4%/NA
attending 2006-07/2003-07
Average % of vacancies for 30%/29% 29%/24%
children 2007/2006
* Maintained - local authority,
school/college, other

STAFF/PAY
No of paid staff 45,400 -
% rise/fall in no of paid staff -18%/+107% -
2006-07/2003-07
Average hours worked per week 29 -
Average hourly pay (all staff) £7.60 -
% rise in average hourly rate +3%/+23% -
2006-07/2003-07
Average hourly rate by £7.40/
qualification of senior manager: £8.70
graduate led/graduate led
% staff with level 3 qualification 40% 36%
% staff with at least level 5 10% 3%
qualification
% receiving Transformation Fund - 18%
money to help staff achieve
levels 3-5
Staff turnover rates 22% -

PROFITABILITY/FUTURE
Average hourly fee £2.20 £3.60
% providers receiving fees paid 81% 55%
for in part or full by parents'
employers
% offering free entitlement over - -
3 days
% that can provide extended - -
entitlement
% with business plan 2006/2007 80%/76% 26%/38%
% that have expanded in last year 15% 12%
% that plan to expand in the next 17% 17%
year
Profitability 2007/2003: making a 27%/27% -
profit
Covering costs 39%/42% -
Operating at a loss 24%/22% -
Don't know 10%/8% -

PROVIDERS Nursery Schools with Schools with
schools nursery and reception but
reception no nursery
No of providers 450 6,800 8,900
Rise/fall in providers 0%/0% +4%/+7% -3%/-3%
2006-07/2003-07

PLACES
No of Ofsted registered 28,400 533,000 306,300
places (2007)
Rise/fall in registered +1%/+6% +12%/+7% +7%/-5%
places 2006-07/2003-07
Mean no of Ofsted registered 65 79 35
places
Ownership of Ofsted registered - - -
places among childcare providers - - -
- - -
No of children attending 38,300 517,800 263,200
Rise/fall in no of children +6%/+7% +2%/+9% +5%/-5%
attending 2006-07/2003-07
Average % of vacancies for 5%/7% 11%/10% 14%/15%
children 2007/2006
* Maintained - local authority,
school/college, other

STAFF/PAY
No of paid staff 5,000 52,300 38,600
% rise/fall in no of paid staff +9%/+15% +22%/+19% +24%/+13%
2006-07/2003-07
Average hours worked per week 31 29 27
Average hourly pay (all staff) £13.00 £12.70 £12.70
% rise in average hourly rate +6%/- +2%/- +5%/-
2006-07/2003-07
Average hourly rate by - - -
qualification of senior manager:
graduate led/graduate led
% staff with level 3 qualification 44% 35% 22%
% staff with at least level 5 36% 40% 49%
qualification
% receiving Transformation Fund - - -
money to help staff achieve
levels 3-5
Staff turnover rates 5% 6% 5%

PROFITABILITY/FUTURE
Average hourly fee - - -
% providers receiving fees paid - - -
for in part or full by parents'
employers
% offering free entitlement over 25% 18% -
3 days
% that can provide extended 58% 53 -
entitlement
% with business plan 2006/2007 - - -
% that have expanded in last year - - -
% that plan to expand in the next - - -
year
Profitability 2007/2003: making a - - -
profit
Covering costs - - -
Operating at a loss - - -
Don't know - - -

Exemption from EYFS

Thu, 21 May 2009 16:24:43 +0100

Exemption from EYFS learning goals is rejected

By Catherine Gaunt, Nursery World, 20 May 2009

A childminder from Warrington is believed to be the first person to have her application for exemption from the EYFS early learning goals turned down.

Pat Adams, a childminder for more than 20 years, said she still wanted to continue childminding and would be 'very sad' if she had to give up, but felt that she had to make a stand because she objects to the EYFS being statutory and believes it should be used only as guidance.

She said she had seriously considered giving up childminding before the EYFS was brought in last September, but with the full backing of the parents of the children she cares for had decided to apply for exemption from the EYFS learning and development requirements instead.

Mrs Adams heard that her application had been rejected in a letter from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority two weeks ago. Her application was turned down because the evidence she provided was not considered sufficient to show that her beliefs about young children's early education were in conflict with the EYFS early learning goals.

The QCA stated, 'In your case you have not been able to demonstrate that you are unable to secure that your early years provision meets the early learning goals because it is governed by established principles relating to the learning and development of young children which cannot be reconciled with the early learning goals.'

The letter said that she should inform parents of QCA's decision.

Mrs Adams told Nursery World, 'I am not giving up childminding immediately but will continue working in the same way and will wait until my next Ofsted inspection and see what the outcome of that will be. If Ofsted downgrade me to inadequate I will be extremely upset, because I know their decision will be based on paperwork and not on the quality of my childcare.'

She said she knew of at least three other childminders with similar views to herself who would be prepared to leave the profession if they are downgraded in their Ofsted inspections.

She added, 'Parents just want someone to look after their children and know that they are safe and cared for. They don't want formal learning - they want a home-from-home environment.'

'There's too much written assessment in the EYFS,' she added. 'I'm doing all the paperwork that I feel is necessary. I'm continually observing the children, but I'd rather tell the parents than write it down. Parents tell me that they can see their child is doing well and don't need a piece of paper to tell them.'

Mrs Adams said she intended to submit another application for exemption.

The QCA confirmed that it had received three applications for exemption so far and none had been granted to date.

A spokesperson said, 'We aim to respond to providers with a decision within 12 weeks. Most decisions will take less time than this, but very complex applications may take longer.'

A DCSF spokesperson said, 'Childminders have a vital role to play, and we know they are valued by many parents for the unique type of childcare they provide. The EYFS is based on the advice of qualified early years professionals and we consulted widely on it - and it’s supported by the National Childminding Association who say the EYFS is a positive development.
'The EYFS is not about paperwork and bureaucracy it does not prescribe how anything should be recorded. The EYFS expects practitioners to observe children's progress and respond appropriately to help them to take the next steps in their development and make progress towards the early-learning goals. Observational assessment is something a good practitioner will already be doing as part of their everyday practice.'

Funding Crisis

Thu, 21 May 2009 16:23:44 +0100

Funding crisis hits work-based childcare training

By Sue Learner, Nursery World, 20 May 2009

Childcare training providers are warning that up to 15,000 people applying for childcare work-based courses and apprenticeships from 1 August will not get a place.

The Learning and Skills Council, which distributes funding for further education training, has informed providers it will have to cap the number of apprenticeships and workplace training places it funds, due to severe overspend.

As Nursery World went to press it was expected that shadow skills secretary David Willetts would raise the issue in the House of Commons on Monday.

Childcare training providers were told earlier this year, in line with Government policy, to increase the amount of training they offered.

Kate Stock, managing director of Smart Training, one of the largest childcare NVQ training companies, said, 'All the providers have been under enormous pressure to provide more training. We have all responded and now the LSC has said, "oops, we have run out of money, as we have overspent".'

Students aged between 19 and 25 on the Train to Gain programme and people over 25 wanting to take up apprenticeships could find it difficult next year, as it is funding for these that will be capped.

'We get a lot of women wishing to retrain after having a family and we find nurseries like employing older people. It is these people who are going to suffer,' said Ms Stock. 'The Government wants people in the childcare sector to be better qualified, yet it is preventing this happening by not providing enough funding.'

Sally Eaton, education director for the Childcare Company, another big training provider, called it a 'very serious situation' and said, 'Childcare practitioners are getting mixed messages. They are being told it is important to upskill and now they are told there is no funding and they will have to fund any training themselves. It is a huge disappointment, as we are really making headway and this will put us back as a profession.'

A spokeswoman for the LSC said, 'It is clear that growth in demand continues to grow for both Train to Gain and 25+ Apprenticeships. However, left unchecked, Train to Gain and 25+ Apprenticeship activity will exceed the budget allocations we have available in the 2009/10 financial year and create further pressures in future years.

'The LSC will take action now to agree with colleges and training providers who offer high-quality provision against agreed priorities, contracts that enable growth in Train to Gain and Apprenticeships to continue, but within the levels of investment that we have available.'

From April 2010, the LSC will be replaced by two new agencies, the Skills Funding Agency and the Young People's Learning Agency.

Database of all children...

Mon, 18 May 2009 01:25:45 +0100

Database of all children launched

The database was proposed after the death of Victoria Climbie

A controversial database which holds the details of every child in England has now become available for childcare professionals to access.

ContactPoint was a response to Lord Laming's report following the death of Victoria Climbie, who was abused by her great aunt and the aunt's boyfriend.

But the system, costing £224m, was delayed twice amid data security fears.

The government says it will enable more co-ordinated services for children and ensure none slips through the net.

But in 2007, a report into the project by auditors Deloitte and Touche said it could never be totally secure.

Last summer ministers delayed the database, admitting there were some "issues" identified in testing.

It says 390,000 people will have access to the database, but will have gone through stringent security training.

'Save time'

The system will be available to workers in 17 local authorities in the north west of England, before eventually being rolled out across England.

More than 51,000 children deemed vulnerable will have their identities and information shielded, the government says, after fears were raised that information about children's whereabouts could fall into the wrong hands.

CONTACTPOINT DATA

Name, address, date of birth, gender and contact details for parents or carers

Each child also has a unique identifying number

Details of the child's school and GP practice and for other practitioners or services working with the child

Whether the practitioner is the lead professional for that child

Source: DCSF

The government said the database was vital to prevent any child slipping through the net, and would enable professionals to see quickly and easily which other services and people were in contact with a child.

England's children's minister, Delyth Morgan, said: "Under current arrangements if a practitioner believes that a child is at risk or may need additional support, for example if they have a disability, they may have no way of knowing whether other services might already be in contact with that child.

"We estimate that ContactPoint, when fully operational, can save at least five million hours of professionals' time, freeing them up from trying to track down other practitioners and enabling them to spend more time on the child."

The Liberal Democrats have previously called for the project to be scrapped, calling it "intrusive", and the Tories questioned its security.

But it has been welcomed by the chief executive of children's charity Barnardo's, Martin Narey, who said it "would make it easier to deliver better-co-ordinated services".

Free early years

Wed, 06 May 2009 12:42:11 +0100

Free early years entitlement fails to rise enough to plug gaps, market analysis shows

By Catherine Gaunt, Nursery World, 22 April 2009

Funding for the free early years entitlement for nurseries rose by only 11 pence an hour last year, with local authorities failing to plug the shortfall, claim market analysts Laing & Buisson in their report 'Children's Nurseries 2009'.

The average level of nursery education grant funding went up to £3.41 an hour from £3.30.
Although local authorities were required by the Government last year to carry out a cost analysis of childcare provision to determine gaps in funding, the report said that 61.5 per cent of nurseries could not meet their costs – the same number as last year.
Author of the report and economist at Laing & Buisson, Philip Blackburn, predicted this would lead to 'heavy casualties' in the nursery sector.
'Although an increase of 11 pence an hour is in line with inflation, no real increases in the entitlement means there has been no change to the current loss-making position reported by most nurseries,' he said.
The recession is also starting to have an impact, with 53.5 per cent of the nurseries surveyed* predicting their businesses would suffer this year.
The National Day Nurseries Association is calling for interim funding for the nursery education grant.
Chief executive Purnima Tanuku said, 'Although there have been recognised issues with funding for the free entitlement for a number of years, we are concerned that there does not appear to be a step-change in funding levels that providers need.'
She added that despite reforms to be brought in, such as the single funding formula, an increase of 11 pence an hour was not sufficient to cover providers' costs.
'NDNA is urging Government to consider additional interim funding, perhaps through allowing flexibility in existing early years funding streams held by local authorities.'
* Laing & Buisson surveyed 6,000 full daycare nurseries in November and December 2008 with a 15 per cent response rate.
Children's Nurseries 2009 is available for £595 from www.laingbuisson.co.uk.

staff shortage

Wed, 06 May 2009 12:40:46 +0100

Staff shortage hits expansion

By James Tweed, Nursery World, 12 November 2002

The planned expansion of the childcare sector in England could be held back by the combination of low pay and increasing demands for staff by other public sector employers , a major Government report warned last week.

Plans to create at least 250,000 new childcare places by 2005-06, on top of the Government's earlier target of new places for 1.4 million children by 2004, may be 'constrained' by the childcare workforce, according to the report, Delivering for Children and Families, published by the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit.

The report said that although there had been 'significant growth' in the childcare workforce between 1998 and 2002, day nurseries and out-of-school clubs in particular were having problems in recruiting staff.

The report said, 'There is evidence that the workforce could act as a constraint on the growth of the childcare sector. Half the nurseries and out-of-school clubs interviewed as part of research on the workforce reported problems in filling staff vacancies in 2000-01.' It said that almost one in four (23 per cent) of nurseries and just over one in six (16 per cent) of out-of-school clubs had vacancies in spring 2001, and that another survey last year found two-thirds of nurseries had recruitment difficulties, particularly in the north-west, Midlands, London and south-east.

The report acknowledged that salaries were a problem for the sector and that they are 'low relative to other occupations, including domestic cleaners and checkout operators'. It pointed out that other public sector employers 'will be looking to recruit large numbers of individuals as nurses, teachers, healthcare assistants and social carers (and that) some of these workers are likely to come from a similar pool to people who might join the childcare sector'.

Both the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) and the Daycare Trust called for the Government to offer more support to the childcare sector over the issue of pay in order to help it meet the Government's ambitious targets. The Daycare Trust warned that unless the workforce was better paid and trained, 'the expansion of quality childcare services will be thwarted by problems recruiting and retaining staff'.

NDNA chief executive Rosemary Murphy added, 'Growth will not continue unless the crisis in recruitment and retention of staff is resolved.' She pointed out that like the parents of the children they cared for, day nursery staff also needed their own work-life balance, as they often worked from before 8am to 6pm and later to ensure all the children were looked after until their working parents could collect them.

The report said that the Department for Education and Skills had 'run a successful recruitment campaign' in England to encourage people to become childcare staff, yet it noted that the recruitment problem was in getting enough workers into the childcare sector rather than difficulties in getting qualified staff. It said, 'Where problems were reported, childcare employers were almost twice as likely to mention a general lack of applicants as opposed to shortages of qualifications or experience.'

A DfES spokeswoman said the Government was aware of the issues around pay in the childcare sector and that they 'present a challenge'. She added, 'We are looking to develop a pay and workforce strategy.'