CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR EARLY CAREER?
After gaining my NNEB in 1977, I worked in a residential school for children with additional needs. I first worked for Gloucestershire County Council after I married and had children, when I worked as a nursery nurse in a day school for three- to 16-year-olds with additional needs. While I enjoyed the work, I was always keen to progress my career.
After several years I was appointed as a registration officer – with Social Services – who at that time was responsible for the registration and inspection of daycare services for children. I was the first non-social worker to undertake this role in my local authority, and worked with other colleagues to implement the 1989 Children Act, which brought in the regular inspection of all childcare providers.
When the registration and inspection function moved to Ofsted, I remained with the local authority, working as a childcare business and funding manager. As the role and responsibilities developed – finally becoming a childcare commissioning manager – my responsibilities included the childcare sufficiency assessment, management and co-ordination of the development of Sure Start programmes and establishment of Neighbourhood Nurseries. I also managed the early education funding programme, including the expansion of the original programme for two- and three-year-olds initially as part of national pilot programmes and roll-outs.
WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO MOVE FROM YOUR LOCAL AUTHORITY JOB TO VOICE IN 2012 WHEN YOU WERE ELECTED GENERAL SECRETARY?
Having been on the PAT (Professional Association of Teachers) council, and before that PANN (Professional Association for Nursery Nurses) council, for 25 years, including holding the office of national chairman, I realised that as a volunteer for the union there was a limit to what I could do in my spare time and if I wanted to make more of a difference for our members and the children they cared for and educated, I had to work for Voice. To do more, I had to be able to dedicate all my working time.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY WERE THE MOST CHALLENGING POINTS OF YOUR CAREER?
Change of any sort can always be challenging and I have experienced many changes throughout my career, whether taking the decision to move out of direct, hands-on work with children in the nursery and classroom, implementing policy change at local level or negotiating policy change which directly impacts on members and children in all of the home nations. Change should represent progress, and in order for it to be accepted by those it impacts directly, they must be part of the process. Encouraging such participation can be challenging at times, especially when those you need to hear from are those working directly with children and who always, rightly, prioritise that work.
WHICH ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?
Having been elected for two consecutive terms as general secretary of Voice. It was humbling and a privilege to receive the confidence of Voice membership through the democratic process and an honour to lead and represent Voice and our members at the highest level. I am also extremely proud to have successfully led the transfer process which enabled Voice to become a section of Community Union, a move I am confident will result in growth of membership and influence.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE ANSWER TO THE EARLY YEARS FUNDING AND RECRUITMENT CRISIS?
Funding and recruitment were issues before the pandemic and are now exacerbated. Qualified and experienced early years staff must be properly rewarded financially, their knowledge and ability properly recognised and respected and acknowledgment of early years as a distinct, crucial and fundamental foundation upon which children’s future education is based is essential. Funding and recruitment and retention go hand in hand and the caring nature of the profession has been taken advantage of for too long, but funding alone is not the answer.
GOING FORWARD, WHAT STRUGGLES DO YOU ENVISAGE FOR THE SECTOR?
The current financial climate and the fact that the early education entitlement is not really free will pose problems for parents and providers. The free entitlement needs to be properly funded in a way that enables all providers to pay staff a wage that retains them in the workforce and reflects their qualification, experience and ability without having to cross-subsidise the funding from parental fees. Until the early education entitlement is truly free and properly funded, I fear that current struggles will prevail.
IF YOU HAD A MAGIC WAND, WHAT CHANGES WOULD YOU PUT IN PLACE TO HELP?
Capacity-building is essential for growth, and without funding and support, many early years providers may lack the capacity to take advantage of additional funding, so funding alone is not the answer. Therefore, I would put in place a capacity-building programme to enable providers to grow the workforce, improve quality through access to training and grow the graduate workforce. This would help recruit and retain staff while improving the quality of provision and enabling all children to access high-quality early education. I would also, with the help of the sector, put career, pay and conditions structures in place to complement this. Additionally, I would make early years and childcare an infrastructure cost that recognises the role of early years in enabling parents to work and contribute to the economy and lessens the burden on benefits.