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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to be pissed off at the 4th nursery closure in two momths

78 replies

KodakNancyEurope · 19/02/2022 16:57

Hello

Short one: my kids’ (private) nursery is going into its second week of total closure due to staffing levels being massacred with covid absence.

They just confirmed the earliest date they’ll be open is the 24th and the last day they were open was the 11th.

This is after preschool was closed for a week in December and the baby room for a separate week.

I feel like I’m going out of my fucking mind and kissing the ground every time they actually go into nursery for a full day.

AIBU? Is this what it’s like nationwide?
Help me understand wise ones.

OP posts:

Ohlalaohlala · 19/02/2022 18:54

i would be annoyed to OP. Repeated closures suggests a high number of unvaccinated staff. I work in education and the number of covid absences now is few and far between because most staff are vaccinated

What rubbish! Vaccinated people still catch covid and still need to isolate. Everyone I know that’s had covid has been vaccinated except for 2 people. Either way, they were all expected to isolate as per the rules.

sofakingcool · 19/02/2022 19:00

I work in a nursery, we've been really lucky with cases, in fact we haven't had one member of staff off pre vaccinations.. so I don't buy the "unvaccinated ones fault!" line.

Nurseries are on their knees. They have a duty of care to the children and cannot open unless safe to do so. It's crap for parents, no doubt of that, but if they are short staffed then it's the way it is. We have a couple of bank staff, but they don't sit around waiting for the rare call..

MarshaBradyo · 19/02/2022 19:01

That is so tough op

We’ve managed to get through the last year or so since first lockdown without nursery closure

ContadoraExplorer · 19/02/2022 19:05

We're in a big private nursery near Glasgow. Thankfully no full closures, they've just kept the provision for smaller class sizes/no mixing introduced in August 2020 which helps stop the spread and really enforced masks if staff are going into rooms they don't normally work in. They are also outside a lot (but think that was pretty standard before covid anyway).

There have been a couple of classroom closures when a case was detected but thankfully no evidence of local transmission - was more to do with one case, assumed to have been caught externally and they did close those classes for a few days for deep clean and any close contacts tested.

When they closed for the 2020 Christmas lockdown, because it had been announced so late, they asked everyone to pay the January fees but they were then used against the first month the kids went back.

All in all I'm really pleased with how they've dealt with the whole thing.

It doesn't sound so good for you OP, I'd definitely be looking for some answers as to why they've been unable to better control it - it does seem it is possible if they put good controls in place and enforce them like our nursery has done.

Bollix · 19/02/2022 19:08

I would be annoyed to OP. Repeated closures suggests a high number of unvaccinated staff.

Total BS - staff working in close contact with children are incredibly vulnerable to catching Covid despite being masked double vaxxed & boostered 🙄

The Early Years setting in which I work has narrowly escaped being closed on a couple of occasions but we've kept open. We've only shut the rooms where staff members/children have tested positive & actually in dome cases the remaining staff have been doing the work of 2 people for the same pay (when SNA off for example) apparently it's impossible to get cover for us (too expensive more likely).

If all parents were responsible and kept children at home when they have symptoms it might help 🤨

MaryShelley1818 · 19/02/2022 19:16

I don't blame you at all for being frustrated OP. I certainly wouldn't be paying them for closures.

I have 2 at nursery, age 4 and 1 and luckily have a flexible job where I can manage my own diary and work from home but home working is virtually impossible with the little one.
We've had no closures at our private nursery but I know they've struggled and they do operate above the minimum staffing ratios so more wiggle room for absences.

Franca123 · 19/02/2022 19:27

We've had closures this week. We lost 4 days of nursery so on top of our full time jobs we've been looking after our two pre school children. We're dead on our knees. Our children our bouncing off the walls. It's hellish and we don't know what we're meant to do about it.

surreygirl1987 · 19/02/2022 19:30

That's ridiculous. If this is a regular thing then they are not managing staffing levels well. They need to ensure there are cover staff. As a one-off it is acceptable (our nursery had to shorten its hours for a few days a couple of weeks ago - but apart from yesterday's storm that's the only 'closure' they've had). I'd be furious - how can anyone go to work in those circumstances? I'd be looking for another nursery and explaining why.

Original poster

KodakNancyEurope · 19/02/2022 19:42

I’ve seen a few posters on here saying “if parents didn’t send their kids in sick….”

I’m sorry but this isn’t the reason closures happen. It’s threadbare staffing levels and an endemic crisis in Early Years provision that’s the problem, not little Hugo coming in with the trots or as an asymptomatic case.

OP posts:

Original poster

KodakNancyEurope · 19/02/2022 19:52

maybe it is, I dunno

either way - stop blaming parents for this. This is not the fault of parents.

OP posts:

ChuckMater · 19/02/2022 19:56

Ds Preschool has only closed for 1 day since September. I think we're quite lucky by the sound of things

Woahthehorsey · 19/02/2022 20:30

We've been really lucky in that we've only had 1 total closure, but we had two weeks of shorter hours.

Bank staff are difficult to get, but also, you need at least one employee at all times, you can't staff a whole room with bank staff.

Geezabreak82 · 19/02/2022 20:49

In Scotland I think a lot of the staffing issues are still linked to the expansion of free childcare to 1140 hours. There has been a huge increase of demand for staff and an exodus of staff moving from private to council nurseries because the terms and conditions are a bit better. There’s clearly not been enough new staff trained and the wages are so low across the sector that lots have people have given up during the pandemic too. The expansion really couldn’t have come at a worse time. Our newly opened council setting also isn’t fit for purpose during a pandemic. 60 kids in one big room with 15 plus staff and no space to bubble. It’s like a purpose built covid breeding ground.

Freddiefox · 19/02/2022 21:00

I’ve been looking for nursery staff for the past 3 months. On person turned up to interview. I’ve Increased the salary twice to get people more interested. But it’s hard and unforgiving work and no one wanted to do it, I can’t Increase it any further. 90% of my children are funded.

I’ve decided to lower the number of children I can take now, and see what happens over the next couple of months, We are looking at closing, but it’s would be a shame.

Freddiefox · 19/02/2022 21:04

@KodakNancyEurope

I’ve seen a few posters on here saying “if parents didn’t send their kids in sick….”

This is true, there hasn’t been enough people being trained, partly I think due to the need to have a GCSE in maths and English, it has put off a lot of really good workers. The government has now removed this requirement but you can see the gap it’s left.

The problem also is that nursery sit in this part private, part state funded mess. Often meaning parents with young children and babies subsidise Pre schoolers.

Darbs76 · 19/02/2022 21:11

They could at least ask if any parents can keep children at home / make alternative arrangements to allow those parents who need to physically go to work priority. I know I’d have struggled years ago as I didn’t work at home back then and even if I did not easy to do that with young children. Mine had to have 5wks off once with E-coil and it was a complete nightmare juggling between us and work with no family

Jobseeker19 · 19/02/2022 21:17

I am a nursery agency worker and nursery staff are leaving in droves.

Almost every placement I go to they ask me if I'm looking for a permanent placement? Can I stay etc.

The pay, the hours, the annual leave, the paperwork and the parents are just a few of the reasons people are leaving. I have seen people who were in childcare 20 years leave and the placement unable to fill the vacancy.

People don't want to be bank staff to these big chains they would rather be agency staff. Where they have little responsibility and options as to where and when they want to work.

addictedtotheflats · 19/02/2022 21:21

I'd be fuming (as would my workplace). My DS nursery has not closed once during the pandemic, not even a room. The only thing that happened due to staff absence because of covid was they shortened the day from 7-6 to 8-5

OfstedOffred · 19/02/2022 22:01

Our setting has a Covid policy which all parents are aware of which prioritised which kids get spaces in the event of staff shortages.

Eg children of 2 key workers
Children with 1 key worker & 2nd working parent
Children with 2 working parents
Children with 1 key worker parent 1 sahp

Basically ranks based on who desperately needs the childcare. We've only had a couple of 1 day closures - the staffing rota is designed with plenty of part times willing to work an extra shift or two in a crisis.

I would also say a setting regularly having to fully close may well have unvaccinated staff which would concern me.

OfstedOffred · 19/02/2022 22:04

I'm sorry but this isn’t the reason closures happen. It’s threadbare staffing levels and an endemic crisis in Early Years provision that’s the problem, not little Hugo coming in with the trots or as an asymptomatic case.

I'd say this too. Our setting most of the kids have had it yet the staff didnt catch it from them. The staff who have had it all caught it at home from their own children.

Letsallscreamatthesistene · 19/02/2022 22:39

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Goldenbunny · 19/02/2022 22:40

DS nursery that is part of a primary school closed for 2 days a few weeks ago due to staffing issues. The rest of the school was open.

safclass · 19/02/2022 22:41

DH is a HT and they are struggling day to day to get any agency staff from nursery to y6 and all other schools are also struggling as well!

madamegazelle1 · 19/02/2022 23:09

I work in a preschool and we have been open the whole time through Covid apart from when closure was enforced at the beginning. Early Years is ridiculously underfunded and staff pay is low despite the huge levels of responsibility and workload- you literally have to love this sector to work in it. If your nursery has had to close so many times they need to rethink their provision- this isn't sustainable as a business or for parents

Original poster

KodakNancyEurope · 20/02/2022 07:29

Thanks everyone and this thread has been an eye opener.

Tomorrow I’m going to ask for evidence of what they’re doing to mitigate against a massive closure like this ever happening again and what support they’re receiving from HQ.

If the answer isn’t going to fill me with joy, it’s onto the other nursery waiting lists we go.

It’s a real shame but this can’t go on.

OP posts:

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