Reviewed by Sian Nisbett, Nursery Director, Dizzy Ducks Day Nursery, Billericay, Essex
Wow! This website is amazing. Never before have I seen such a comprehensive site, offering up-to-date information on current legislation and industry standards.
The site offers model policies and procedures that would be beneficial to any nursery whose operational plan is in need of updating. There are also model procedures for dealing with any HR issue, such as recruitment, termination of contracts and maternity leave, and even remote issues such as how to deal with an employee undergoing gender reassignment!
There are model guides to parent handouts, such as Parent's Guide to Behaviour Management. All policies, procedures and handouts are in a really user-friendly format.
Regular updates are published on the site, ensuring that subscribers are kept up to date with current legislation and developments in the nursery industry.
Overall, this is the best HR site I have ever used. As owner of a small nursery chain which employs 46 practitioners, I can see how my life would be made easier by using this site. I would recommend it without hesitation to other nursery owners.
Subscription to the site costs £495 plus VAT, plus a £10.95 annual fee. Go to www.croner.co.uk/earlyyears
Small Steps Forward: Using games and activities to help your pre-school child with special needs
By Sarah Newman (Jessica Kingsley, £13.99, ISBN 0781843106937)
There is much that parents and carers can do to help when children are diagnosed with conditions such as Down Syndrome, autism or other forms of developmental delay. This book provides a host of ideas to encourage a child's development. The suggested games and activities use toys and materials that most children will already have, and involve no special preparation. They are also fun! General issues such as behaviour management and toilet training are also addressed. An outline of child development is given so that parents can place their child's progress in context.
Changing Children's Services: working and learning together
Edited by Pam Foley and Andy Rixon (Policy Press, £19.99, ISBN 9781847420602)
This book focuses on the fundamental changes to children's services that have been associated primarily with the drive towards increasingly integrated ways of working. It examines why it is so important for practitioners and agencies to work together and looks at how this can be achieved. It also explores the role of learning in this changing environment.