Cash incentives to boost nursery staff numbers
NORTHUMBERLAND County Council is offering cash incentives to new workers in nurseries and early years providers in a bid to boost staff numbers.
The council is one of 20 local authorities across the country where eligible childcare workers will be paid a £1,000 sign-on bonus. The council is facing a desperate need to increase childcare provision in light of new Government legislation.
From April, working parents of twoyear-olds will get 15 hours free childcare per week during term time. In September, this will be extended to children from nine months old, while in September 2025 the number of hours will be increased to 30 hours.
However, there has been concerns raised about the workability of the scheme due to a lack of places across the country. Data from the education watchdog Ofsted showed that, in the year to December 2023, 3,320 of the 62,300 nurseries and childminders for under-fives in England closed their doors for good.
This has meant there are already 17,800 fewer childcare places available nationwide. In December, Northumberland County Council’s education director David Street said there was a need for “hundreds” more early years providers than were employed in the sector, adding it would be a “challenge” to recruit the number of staff needed.
Coun Guy Renner-Thompson, Northumberland County Council’s cabinet member for young people, believed it was an “exciting time” for the sector and that the council was on the lookout for “passionate” staff.
He said: “The impact of the learning and development a child experiences during their first five years will last a lifetime.
The quality of early years provision in Northumberland is excellent with 97% of early years providers rated Good or Outstanding.
“This year will see the biggest expansion to childcare support that the country has ever seen. This is creating lots of opportunities for children, for families and also for people looking for rewarding careers. Our early years and childcare providers are the absolute cornerstone of our education system, laying those vital foundations so that children will be ready for school.
“As a council, we are supporting the sector at this exciting time, and we are looking for people with a wide range of experiences who are passionate about giving children the best start in life to join us.”
The council has said that the latest figures show 102,480 children have been registered on the system nationally, reflecting the strength of demand across the country. Jobs and apprenticeships will be available in preschools, nurseries and out-of-school clubs across Northumberland, while there is also “funding on offer” for entrepreneurs to set up their own child-minding businesses.
Sam Neil is a senior early years worker at Cubs & Kits Daycare Nursery based at Northumberland County Council’s Berwick Family Hub. She said: “I just think it’s one of the most rewarding jobs you can do – you come into work and these kids amaze you: they do something they’ve never done before, and you feel that you’ve made an impact.
“It’s so rewarding, and they put a smile on my face all the time. I started on a temporary seven-hour contract then became a full-time member of staff and now I’m a senior early years worker. Once you are in a job like this, the opportunities are endless.”
The council’s Early Years and Childcare team provide staff development and training opportunities across the sector in Northumberland.
Kay Summers, Early Years Adviser for Northumberland County Council said: “This is a really exciting time for the early years sector and is creating so many new opportunities. “Whether you are at the start of your career, looking for your next steps – or maybe a career change – we’d love to hear from you and can offer advice on jobs and apprenticeships available now as well as training opportunities.”
The Government has described the move as the “biggest investment by a UK Government into childcare in history” with investment doubling from around £4bn to £8bn a year.