Childcare is not a dumping ground for the unemployable

[UnsolvedMysteriesRobertStack]

AIBU to feel frustrated with the new staff in childcare?

I don’t want to sound harsh, but I’m seeing more and more new staff who are simply not suited for childcare, and I’m wondering if they're being sent here because the job centre is forcing them into work. I'm talking about staff with complex ASD needs, and some who haven’t worked since their early 20s but are now being placed into jobs. There are staff who can't read or write, and they expect to just sit or tidy up all day. My colleagues and I are picking up the slack, feeling understaffed, and having to tiptoe around these situations. It’s never been this bad before.

Some staff won’t touch certain fruits due to sensory issues, can’t read a book, can’t communicate effectively, can’t lift, can’t change nappies, and struggle to talk to parents. And they’re all getting paid the same as the rest of us. I’m just wondering where these people are coming from, as it feels like there’s no industry standard anymore. It makes me feel like my qualifications and experience are being devalued. We’ve been patient, but the burden feels heavier each day.

I worked in childcare for years and this has never been an issue in any of the places I’ve worked. Most of my colleagues at my previous employment also worked in childcare prior to working there.

Watching this thread with interest…

Well where are they coming from OP? I'm assuming they're taking part in recruiting interviews? Maybe ask your boss why they're hiring unsuitable people?

Surely it's your company's fault?

I feel your pain. Not that we have staff that unsuitable but all new staff are unqualified so the few qualified are spread very thin and working a lot of overtime. I should have finished at 5 tonight but got out at 6 as no qualified to relieve me. It's like that all the time and just not sustainable. I'm very worried as I love our nursery but we just can't get staff.

I'm assuming they're taking part in recruiting interviews? Maybe ask your boss why they're hiring unsuitable people?

The Nurseries are so desperate for staff that "a body" in the room means they don't have to close the room and say to parents they can't leave their dc.

This has been the case for a few years.

I thought it was the care sector that had this issue, the staff were moaning about this at my local care home last week, also crazy turnover rates

No one wants to work in nurseries anymore. It’s hard work, stressful and a thankless task, add to that the stress of ofsted and owners wanting to make a profit.

The quality of people coming for interviews is terrible, and most of them don’t even turn up. Any level 3’s can have their pick of where they want to work. The government has quite a big campaign to recruit more people, so I guess the job centre send people that way.

Well it's more important that these unqualified and unsuitable people are in employment than the quality of care they provide, got to get people in jobs, can't have disabled scroungers pilfering benefit money can we.

It's the same in adult social care.

We should be ashamed as a society that we devalue caring for the most vulnerable to the extent we feel it's a suitable place to send anyone who can't get a job elsewhere to.

Oh my.

Also watching with interest.

Given the number of threads baying for the unemployed for any reason, including disability, to be forced into work, any work, it's a useful barometer for how people really feel about the new proposals when reality hits in the workplace.....

My friends adult daughter has learning disabilities, to me she's the equivalent of a 14 year old. She loves kids and has had semu_funded jobs in nurseries and care homes BUT it is specified that she's there for enrichment - to help out, to chat, to play not to do specific care.

These roles only last a few months, nursery workers need to progress through their qualifications else they're out.

YANBU if the staff are doing duties they are not fit for.

This is the result of punitive benefits systems. These people will score low on PIP assessments etc because they can leave the house, dress themselves, etc., but as you're seeing, that doesn't mean they can cope with work. But at least they're not claiming benefits 🙄

Like care work it's not a job for just any old person to do, not if it's done properly. You need to genuinely like small children and enjoy being with them. I love it, it's endlessly fascinating and I'm always learning something new but it is hard work, physically and emotionally demanding. Many people start and find it boring or the children annoying and it shows. It's very unfair on children to have staff who are disinterested because they know who cares and who doesn't. It's also unfair to have a parade of unfamiliar people (agency, staff from other nurseries) because they need consistency and continuity to flourish.

At the other side of the process ‘modern apprenticeships’ in childcare and adult care are pushed on 16 year olds looking for training and employment (as well as older groups).

To be clear, I don’t blame the individuals themselves — I think a lot of them are being misled. It feels like they’re being told childcare is an easy option to get them into work, but anyone in the sector knows that’s far from the truth. Childcare is physically and emotionally demanding. You need energy, patience, and proper training. I had to complete coursework, study child development theory, learn about the early pioneers of child psychology, attend regular Saturday training sessions, and stay up to date with safeguarding and health and safety. It’s not just playing with kids — it’s understanding how to support their development and keep them safe.

But now we’re getting people placed who clearly aren’t prepared. Some can’t read a book to the children or write notes in their learning journals. My friend’s nursery had an elderly woman who could barely walk and was expected to manage toddlers — it’s just not practical.

The problem is, while these staff are often kind or well-meaning, they’re not able to do the job properly — and the rest of us are left to pick up the pieces. We’re all scared to speak up in case it’s seen as discriminatory, but surely there has to be a basic standard? It's disheartening for those of us who’ve worked hard to be here, and it’s no wonder so many good people are leaving the sector.

My children aren’t in nursery yet (and tbh experiences like this put me off sending them even more!) BUT what I will say is I have heavily engaged in children’s services and activities (council funded) since my first was born, and I have noticed a marked decline in the quality of the staff at stay and plays or particular groups that we attend.

Most of it is free so I have nothing to complain about really, but I have been wondering to myself where they’re finding these people and lamenting the palpable dip in quality.

I don’t know about this as I know people looking for work who are qualified (level 3) and have worked in schools who aren’t even getting interviews when applying for nursery jobs! When ringing employers they are being told that they are inundated with applicants. Maybe it’s area specific.

This is in London.

My sympathies. This is being done to you by your leadership because they think that your job is an easy one that anyone can do and be slotted into.

It's the same with public libraries - I know workers who've had to deal with utterly useless or unsuitable people there. Higher management think that all they do all day is sit at desks and sip cups of tea whilst talking about their favourite books with the public.

I started working in nurseries several years back but ended up leaving because of this. Absolutely adored the role, the children and the staff who wanted to be there but we found that 50%, if not more, of the staff were people who were there because it was an ‘easy’ profession to access. Although our issue was more commonly with school leavers.

Its gotten worse where we are to recruit childcare staff and I actually removed my daughter after some of things I saw in my role from staff who didn’t really want to be there!

This is going to sound awful but im just being honest. When i left school in the 90’s childcare was one of the courses that the less intelligent or ambitious students did at college. I don’t know if times have changed in that regard.

This is the crux of it. It’s all, “people need to work regardless of their situation,” until the people in these difficult situations are working in jobs that impact everyone else. Do we want them working or not?

People who are illiterate absolutely shouldn’t be doing childcare work. I have sympathy for those people, but surely it’s a basic health and safety thing?

When my DC's were at nursery there were a couple of members of staff who struggled with reading and writing but were absolutely brilliant with the children, would lead the play, encourage the toilet training and self-care, encourage the children's speech and were "loved" by the children.