Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

Nursery workers

62 replies

Geneva1994 · 03/01/2021 18:59

I hope when people are saying how risky it is for teachers and to vaccine teachers first, people are also thinking of nursery staff, especially those looking after the babies. My daughter works in a nursery baby room dealing with snot, spit, children sneezing and coughing in their faces, changing nappies, dealing with accidents and sick every day. It’s impossible to social distance as most the children need carrying as they are non mobile and also need comforting.

I don’t see any nursery staff saying they aren’t going to work? Or demanding the vaccine. Yes it’s obviously hard for teachers but any children in primary school are capable of wiping their own arses and blowing their noses.

OP posts:

Original poster

Geneva1994 · 03/01/2021 19:53

My intention here wasn’t a teacher bashing thread, just a bit of appreciation for those who don’t get mentioned but also do a hard, very risky job!

OP posts:

Katjolo · 03/01/2021 19:53

EYFS staff, thank you for all that you do.

Ansterdame · 03/01/2021 19:54

@Geneva1994

My intention here wasn’t a teacher bashing thread, just a bit of appreciation for those who don’t get mentioned but also do a hard, very risky job!

It’s not you that’s derailing it op. Your post was nice and people appreciated it. Teacher bashing from pp is the problem here

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Childcare & nursery Families

brittanyfairies · 03/01/2021 19:57

I caught covid from one of the children in my setting he'd been with his grandparents who had both tested positive but work let him back in early because his parents tested negative.

applesauce1 · 03/01/2021 19:57

@HellooGenie please indulge me and give me examples of all the screaming teachers.
The unions are loudly demanding safe working environments for their members, and rightly so.
It has never been a race to the bottom. Teachers aren't and never have said they have it worse than others.
They are highlighting their present conditions and the resulting issues.

But you are derailing the thread and, I suppose, so am I.

To the OP: I agree. No one is talking about nursery workers. I wrote a letter to my child's nursery this morning thanking them for what they are doing in the current circumstances. I'm beyond grateful for what they do for the pay they receive in normal times. I think they're all heroes.

applesauce1 · 03/01/2021 20:00

@Geneva1994

My intention here wasn’t a teacher bashing thread, just a bit of appreciation for those who don’t get mentioned but also do a hard, very risky job!

Sorry, @Geneva1994 you weren't teacher bashing at all. I clicked on your thread because I completely agree with everything you said.

OverTheRainbow88 · 03/01/2021 20:00

@brittanyfairies

That’s disgraceful and negligent, I’m
Sorry

Musicalmistress · 03/01/2021 20:02

Part of the difficulty, in Scotland at least, is that early years staff don't have a dedicated union. Most staff here are members of Unison who are spread pretty thin across several sectors. Local early years staff were royally shafted over the introduction of 1140hours& the subsequent changes to complete contracts snuck in below the radar. They are equally forgotten about now. School nursery staff are likely to be included in the same arrangements as teaching staff but practitioners in private settings have no such luck!

Musicalmistress · 03/01/2021 20:03

@HellooGenie DFOD!

Bonkerz · 03/01/2021 20:04

Don't forget us childminders who are opening our homes to up to 6 children under 4 on a daily basis that can't social distance. It's not just the child we care for it's everyone that child has been in contact with too technically and this is our home.

LemonDrizzles · 03/01/2021 20:05

I'm so grateful for nurseries. My fees are crazy but I can't see that it goes as take home salary for the staff. They have a hard job.

Original poster

Geneva1994 · 03/01/2021 20:06

@Bonkerz sorry I should have said all early years providers in my post! You are just as at risk and doing an amazing job.

OP posts:

Pugdoglife · 03/01/2021 20:11

I'm not sure why anyone thinks teachers have any support. Basically one teaching union has told it's members not to go to work, what hasn't been reported however is that if those members follow that advice they will face disciplinary action from their employer. Just the same as if a staff member from a nursery didn't turn up to work.

Lavanderrose · 03/01/2021 20:30

Nursery workers have been utterly ignored by the government and its outrageous! Schools have been receiving COVID funds, and nursery’s haven’t been given a penny. I think the schools and teachers have been massively supported but the big unions as well. Of course, teachers are working in massive schools with hundreds of children and nursery’s are a lot smaller, but still it’s really sad to see how ignored they’ve been.

gymbummy · 03/01/2021 20:36

Our nursery are bloody brilliant. They were fantastic before covid but they are just superb throughout. The ladies who work there deserve far more than they are actually paid. I'm trying to think of a way to say thank you to them all that doesn't involve massive amounts of junk food in case that's not appreciated after Christmas. A card doesn't seem enough

milliememum · 03/01/2021 20:39

Nursery staff are always forgotten about, especially those of us who work for private nursery chains, whose main priority, is the fee's coming in, understandably so, they are a business at the end of the day, but there is generally no recognition of the work we do every day, with minimal ppe and ever changing policies and procedures that we have to adhere to, we love the children and want to do our best for them and their families, but we do all have lives and families outside of nursery!!

Toocold · 03/01/2021 20:41

I think about them and you too Yogaposer as a pharmacy assistant, I also think of the police and army.

Justjoinedforthis · 03/01/2021 20:43

Just wanted to say there is a huge push from EY professionals to close nurseries where primaries are shut, large industry petition and there is a meeting due with dfe. Sadly we have no coherent union!

Original poster

Geneva1994 · 03/01/2021 20:44

Of course, teachers are working in massive schools with hundreds of children and nursery’s are a lot smaller

That depends. Primary schools near me (North Yorkshire) are fairly small with around 100 students, where as my daughters nursery setting can hold 130 children a day throughout 3 age ranges, it’s huge!

OP posts:

Someaddedsugar · 03/01/2021 20:47

@gymbummy

Ours are the same @gymbummy - the staff and management have been incredible. They've dealt with my tears and DS' tears, the love and care they give the children is second to none and DS is thriving. I put together a hamper of goodies for Christmas and sent individual emails to the management team saying just how great the team are. All have said these messages are appreciated. DS will be returning tomorrow as I can't parent and work full time in my role, and I am forever grateful that they're looking after him.

A huge thank you to all early years staff

LetsGoFlyAKiteee · 03/01/2021 20:49

@Rosebell100 you can only do what you feel best and comfortable with. Think far as we know and manager has been in today,most of our children will be in. We'll be ready and waiting and all.

AliMonkey · 03/01/2021 21:07

I'm on the committee running a pre-school. Really difficult to decide what to do - do we stay open for the parents that need us and continue making huge losses (despite furlough of some staff) due to being only half-full as so many parents not sending their children? Some parents have said we are the one thing keeping them sane. Or do we close for the safety of our staff, furlough them all and reduce the losses in short-term but make it more likely that those still using us will switch to somewhere that has stayed open, thus increasing losses in the long term? Either way I think we are unlikely to survive financially, so our staff lose their jobs and the community loses its pre-school. The staff mainly want to stay open as they are so committed to the children who do come (though some aren't able to work until primary schools go back), so at the moment we are listening to them but I'm not entirely comfortable with it.

Lavanderrose · 03/01/2021 23:47

* Nursery staff are always forgotten about, especially those of us who work for private nursery chains, whose main priority, is the fee's coming in, understandably so, they are a business at the end of the day...*

Yes they are businesses but they do receive government early years funding and are regulated by Ofsted in the same way as Schools and local authority’s work them. They should be given covid funding the same as schools have been, and they should be acknowledged more.

TotorosFurryBehind · 04/01/2021 00:29

Agreed. Nursery workers are just getting on with it despite the risk. They are essential to working parents being able to work and I feel like they deserve to be higher up the list for priority of vaccination.

This whole situation has made me feel very strongly that they need to be recognised for the important work they do and paid much more. Same with care workers doing intimate care for older people.

ramblingsonthego · 04/01/2021 06:51

@AliMonkey are you not still receiving funding for your pre-school? Most will be on funding rates surely? If you are open and parents are choosing not to send them in, you should still continue to charge the parents (I say this as a parent not an eyfs worker). If you close then you can't charge (although I did pay full fees throughout lockdown 1 to my provider as I was still getting paid myself) but some parents may still pay. Furlough as many staff as you can with the private funding you receive and then keep open for funded children.

Flip

1 2 3