Recruitment and Retention
* New page under construction *
Recruiting and retaining skilled, knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff is undoubtedly the most important factor influencing the quality of early years provision.
Recruitment and Retention advice and information
Click the links below for further information
- Solihull Early Years Team Training
- Free Child Development Training (GOV.UK)
- National Careers Service GOVU.UK - Find a course
- Work as a childminder
- Apprenticeships GOV.UK Early Years Educator
SEND
Apprenticeships
Department for Education’s early years recruitment campaign.
The aim of the campaign is to promote early years and childcare careers by highlighting the huge difference early years professionals make to young children and how rewarding working in the sector can be. The campaign, with its own dedicated website, will direct potential applicants to use DWP’s Find a Job vacancy platform to search for early years, childcare and wraparound roles in their area.
If you have any current or upcoming roles in your setting, please watch these video tutorials to help you create an employer account and post your jobs. Please click here to visit the Employer Account Webpage You should use the term ‘early years’ in the title of your job adverts and select ‘Education jobs’ for the job category.
- Journal Article: Balancing Numbers or Addressing Needs? Meecham (PDF)
- Child to Adult Ratios, Practitioner Well-being, and Quality of Provision in Early Years Settings in England Balancing Numbers or Addressing Needs? Child to Adult Ratios, Practitioner Well-being, and Quality of Provision in Early Years Settings in England
- The early years workforce: recruitment, retention, and business planning (PDF)
- High-quality early years provision is a key mechanism for closing the gap between disadvantaged children and their peers and for supporting maternal employment. The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the provision of childcare and early years and led to a change in parental demand for childcare, which in turn has affected the financial viability and business planning of settings. This report examined pay, work hours, recruitment, retention and business planning at early years providers in England.
A well-supported team of staff can improve effectiveness and job satisfaction, reduce absence, and strengthen employee retention. Positive practitioner wellbeing also supports positive personal, social, and emotional development in children.
- Solihull Early Years Wellbeing at Work Survey Results (PDF)
- We carried out a survey asking early years practitioners and teams how they look after their wellbeing at work in Solihull. Please find resources below to support further.
Resources, Toolkits and Templates
- NDNA - Wellbeing policy template
- Help for early years providers : Early years practitioner wellbeing support
- Early years staff wellbeing resource - Anna Freud et al
- Anna Freud - Wellbeing measurement for early years settings
- Anna Freud.org - Practitioner wellbeing in the early years
Guidance and Research
- https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/minds-still-matter
- Journal Article -Balancing Numbers and Needs Meecham
- https://www.annafreud.org/resources/resources-for-professionals/expert-advice-and-guidance-videos-for-nursery-staff/
- https://www.annafreud.org/resources/under-fives-wellbeing/early-years-staff-wellbeing-a-resource-for-managers-and-teams/
- https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/mental-health-and-early-years-workforce
- https://www.foundationyears.org.uk/2022/07/foundation-years-vodcast-on-staff-mental-health-and-wellbeing/
- https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/happy-staff-happy-setting