Findings from a survey by the Early Years Alliance of 1,400 nurseries, pre-schools and childminders reveal the extent of staff shortages in the sector and the impact on the ability of children and families to access childcare and early education.
More than 8 in 10 (84 per cent) are finding it difficult to recruit staff.
The reasons mostly commonly given by these respondents were a lack of applicants for roles (87 per cent), applicants lacking full and relevant early years qualifications, (70 per cent) and an inability to meet the salary demands of applicants (52 per cent).
Staff shortages are having an impact on the number of childcare places settings can offer, with around half of respondents (49 per cent) having had to limit the number of, or stop taking on, new children at their setting over the six months prior to the survey.
Indeed, staff shortages are so dire that one in six (17 per cent) have been forced to temporarily close their entire setting, with a similar proportion fearing that they will lead to them having to close their setting permanently within a year.
In response to staffing challenges, half of all settings (49 per cent) said that they had been forced to use temporary staff over the previous six months to remain operational. Of those experiencing staffing shortages, six in 10 (61 per cent) said that this had negatively impacted the quality of provision at their setting.
According to the findings:
- A third (34 per cent) had been forced to temporarily limit the number of children able to attend their setting on a particular day or days
- A quarter (24 per cent) had been forced to temporarily close a room or multiple rooms at their setting
- One in five (21 per cent) had been forced to reduce or restrict opening hours.
Leaving the sector
Over a third (35 per cent) of respondents are actively considering leaving the sector (with a further 3 per cent having already confirmed they are leaving and 1 per cent having already left).
More than three-quarters (77 per cent) of those considering leaving the sector cited ‘feeling undervalued by government’ as a reason for this.
Inadequate pay was also identified as a common challenge for both recruitment and retention: 57 per cent of those considering leaving the early years sector cited poor pay as a contributing factor, while 52 per cent of respondents struggling with recruitment said an inability to meet the salary expectation of applicants was a contributing factor.
Responses suggest that those feelings were exacerbated by the lack of support and appreciation shown to the sector during the pandemic, and particularly when early years settings were asked to remain open while schools and colleges closed.
Two-thirds (66 per cent) of those considering leaving the sector stated that their experience of working in the early years during the pandemic had increased the likelihood of them doing so, while eight in 10 (82 per cent) respondents with staff who have left the early years sector over the past six months said that the number of staff members leaving the sector is higher today than it was two years ago.
The survey, which focused on recruitment and retention in early years settings, was carried out online between 21 October to 5 November and received 1,395 responses.
Most respondents were nurseries (43 per cent) and pre-schools (48 per cent), with only a small number of childminders (3 per cent). Other respondents included maintained nursery schools (1 per cent), out-of-hours clubs (2 per cent), children’s centres (1 per cent) and specialist early years providers (1 per cent).
The survey findings are summarised and analysed in a new report, entitled Breaking Point: The impact of recruitment and retention challenges on the early years sector in England.
Commenting on the findings, Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance said, ‘It is incredibly concerning, and yet sadly unsurprising, to hear not only how difficult early years settings are finding it to recruit suitable staff, but that so many dedicated, committed and experienced early educators are considering leaving the sector themselves.
‘The figures in this report show we have nothing short of a sector-wide crisis on our hands. Parents are already experiencing temporary and permanent closures as a result of these challenges, and ultimately it is families and children who will suffer if this crisis continues.
‘There is no single quick-fix on offer. Early education and care has the potential to be one of the most fulfilling and rewarding careers in any industry or sector, but for this to be a reality, there needs to be a complete overhaul of the way that government views, treats and ultimately funds early years providers in this country.’
The Early Years Alliance is making a number of recommendations to government in its report.
They are:
- Determine and publish a set of pay ambitions for the early years sector in England, setting out what it considers to be suitable salary ranges for each role level in the sector – and to ensure that early entitlement funding is set and maintained at an adequate level to enable early years settings to meet those salary expectations.
- Value and promote the early years sector as an education profession. This includes:
- ensuring that the early years is included in all education announcements, debates and discussions, and that any support schemes or initiatives rolled out to the schools and further education sectors are also rolled out to the early years sector, where appropriate and relevant.
- reviewing the use of language when discussing the sector, with an emphasis on early years provision as ‘early education’ and on the workforce as ‘early educators’.
- In the medium-to-long term, running a high-profile campaign to encourage talented and dedicated professionals into the sector.
- Ensure there are clear and consistent career pathways into and through the sector, as well as funded training and CPD opportunities.
Leitch added, ‘The early educators I speak to every day are passionate advocates for the work they do, but they are tired: tired of being overworked, tired of being underpaid and tired of being undervalued. We urge the government to act on the recommendations in our report and work with the sector to improve the status of early years as a profession and help build and maintain a dedicated, stable workforce for this vital sector, both now and in the future.’
Community assistant general secretary (Voice Section) Deborah Lawson said, ‘The Alliance’s report gives a stark warning of the sector’s staffing crisis.
‘We know that, despite being skilled professionals, many staff are leaving for low skilled but better paid jobs elsewhere.
‘Early years professionals shouldn’t be leaving the sector to stack supermarket shelves, in order to make ends meet. They should not be underpaid and undervalued by government and society, but given appropriate pay for the incredible work they do, with a proper career development structure.
‘The sector should not be overlooked by government, scraping by on inadequate funding, unable to pay the salary levels that are required to end this recruitment and retention crisis and to implement the measures necessary for the long-term recovery.
‘The new education secretary and his team have given some indication that they appreciate the problems the sector faces, and we will continue to work with them to seek resolution to those problems.’
A Department for Education spokesperson said, ‘We recognise recruitment and retention are key issues for the Early Years sector. We are increasing the hourly rates childcare providers will receive from next year, reflecting the costs many employers face, including rising wages for their staff.
‘We have not seen councils reporting any significant number of parents unable to secure a childcare place since early years settings re-opened fully in June 2020.
‘Millions of pounds are also being invested in early years recovery, to not only address the impact of the pandemic on the youngest children’s skills, but also to build a stronger, more expert workforce with a focus on leadership and better training.’