Staff shortage hits expansion

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.'