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.

There was a member of staff at the first nursery my DS went to who could barely read a children’s book. I have found school nurseries better because at least the staff are qualified.

This chimes with my (rather limited) experiences so far. I have a toddler who we have been looking to place in a nursery, and most of the nurseries we've seen are filled with people who look totally disengaged with no interest in children, and who dont look like the brightest bunch. Among the dross, we found one great nursery which is part of a primary school, which is maybe why the staff look like actual childcare professionals and not McDonalds rejects. There's no way I'm paying thousands to leave my child with people who don't look like they have either the will or the ability teach a child or engage with them.

Either the people doing the recruiting aren't that bright and have interpreted it being illegal not to employ someone because of disability as you can't say if someone's disability makes them totally unsuitable for the role.

Or there's simply no-one else applying so it is do your job and pick up the pieces they can't do, or do both jobs fully.

But if they don’t work because of their disabilities, they’re benefit scroungers. It’s very predictable that people are going to complain about disabled people claiming PIP and then complain about disabled people being in the workplace.

YNBU
This is what childcare workers have been speaking out against for years. It's a low paid job with shitty hours and very high level of responsibility, that apparently anyone with a clear background check can just walk into.

Many, many good and fully qualified childcare workers who genuinely love the children have left the sector because of how badly treated, unsupported and undervalued they were. I, myself, left last year after almost 17 years in the job.

Now the industry is on it's knees struggling to fill the rooms with suitable, appropriate staff because they've all been driven out.

OP what your describe is certainly not representative of the staff at the pre-school our DC attends, they are amazing. Might you consider looking for a new job in a better nursery? Sounds like your skills might be in demand.

No-one is unemployable these days, no matter how disabled. Haven’t you heard about all these people gaming the system who should be in work? Now they’re in work and paying taxes. Happy now?

Yep. I imagine lots more posts like this from all sorts of sectors coming up in the next few years. If people don’t want their taxes to pay for benefits, they have to accept these “McDonald’s rejects” (as a PP referred to them!) in their places of work.

Shocker.

This. There's a chronic shortage of staff. I suspect people who aren't of a high standard are being helped along to pass for the same reason. I know quite a few people working in the industry, and from what I hear it is getting worse. Anecdata and all that, but if you hear something often enough . . .

There some other factors at play as well. There aren't many options for young women (or not so young career changers) looking for a good job without a degree. Hairdressing, healthcare assistant, and childcare are the big ones. But being female-dominated professions, the pay tends to be low, which doesn't exactly motivate people to do a good job. Again, I know people who say they would rather go back to retail or waitressing, because it's less stress for the same money. Some have. The ones that stay either don't want to throw away their qualification, or feel too guilty to leave the kids.

And then you've got the ones who are only doing childcare as a stepping stone to something else. Wiping bottoms is beneath them and they're trying to get through a certain number of hours and do as little of the mucky work as possible.

I know a girl who refused to take off her two inch fake nails, even though it was supposed to be a requirement for the childcare course she was doing. She still passed. She went on to work in a childcare setting, where she point blank refused to change nappies. Not only did they not fire her - they gave her a pay rise, let her pick her own hours and the work she wanted to do, and begged her to take another contract with them.

She's 24, behaves like an overgrown teenager, and has been rewarded for it at every turn. The situation must be dire.

Never had any issue at my DC’s nursery and we’ve been sending our kids there for years. Niece and nephew go to a nursery in the same area and they’ve never had an issue so I think may be where you work x

Exactly.

The issue is, that nurseries are often included in people's "investment portfolios". Really common. So they are run to make a profit and not for the welfare of the children. I've known nurseries with extra money for SEN children, syphon the money off, rather than use it for anything that might help the child (they bought the child a cheap "sensory lamp"). Another where management didn't want to pay a plumber, so there were weeks on end where the children and workers had no access to hot water, and as a result of the poor hygiene facilities, they seemed unable to collectively shake a sickbug which was going round. I reported that one. All in nurseries where parents were paying £80 odd a day for their children to attend.

Edited to say, my point is that they want to pay the absolute least, regardless of experience. Including as many "apprentices", who they can pay a few quid an hour.

Ours go to a Children's Centre. It is amazing, can't rate it highly enough. The staff are brilliant and I trust them completely to look after my 2.5 and 4.5 year olds. But nationally most have been closed down, and have been replaced by sub-par facilities. We are lucky we have our Children's Centre in our area.

We are very lucky with our pre school,but the nursery dd went to ( for about three sessions) was similar to what you’re describing.

If they can't read how do they have the relevant qualifications? Who is your boss employing?! People don't get placed, they apply interview and are offered a job by the management of your organisation.

Bravo

This is why the absolute best nurseries are the rough around the edges, pack-away, church hall style nurseries. Their money goes on staff not on fancy gimmicky products to entice parents in.

I tried three nurseries for my DC. In the first one they left my DC screaming all day with a high temperature - that was DC’s first and last day there. The next one was a little better and I made my expectations clear about being called out of work if my DC was ill. The third one was well-staffed and DC was happy there. I was not interested in staff qualifications. There is absolutely no reason why disabled staff can’t be good with small children. There should be a nursery manager who models play, personal care etc.

Everywhere is a dumping ground, not just in your line of work.

that's terrifying
no way would I want someone like that caring for my child or elderly relative!
Full of respect for genuine carers and childcare workers. Their jobs are very difficult.

Well tbh if they’re actually in the workplace, even though they aren’t suitable for that particular job, clearly they’re able to do something if they physically get themselves there. Are you suggesting that they should be sat at home on benefits rather than out doing some type of work?

See also "The unemployed should be made to do 'voluntary' work for the old and disabled."

Noooo!

If they're honest & competent, I'll happily pay them proper wages (or go through some organisation which can).

If they're not honest and competent, I don't want them on my premises.

I'm not compos mentis enough or mobile enough to run round after them checking they haven't done something stupid or riffled through my drawers or picked up my laptop when I've left a banking window open. If I were well enough to supervise marauding groups of scallies... I'd be doing it as a job and being paid myself. And even then I wouldn't let them in my home.

Being illiterate shouldn’t exclude them from working. But it certainly should exclude them from working with children in a capacity where they’re teaching them. They could do manual jobs, such as factory work, where literacy may not be a requirement. But they shouldn’t be classed as ‘disabled’ and be allowed to opt out of working fgs.

I support disabled people working. My objection is to people who call them “unemployable” when they clearly are employable and employed. I believe in an inclusive society.

That may be a reflection of how little you do when you get to your workplace, that actually arriving there is the most taxing part of your day, but every job I've ever done we were expected to actually be productive after we arrived...

I'd imagine they need to have training and qualifications, even if it's level 2 only?
It seems a bit of a sweeping statement to claim everyone who goes into childcare is unemployable. You must just have bad luck at your provider.
I guess not everyone had twenty grand a year to spend on training to become a Norland Nanny?
The ones you say haven't worked since they were in their 20s, maybe they brought up children after that? So that should give some experience you'd hope.