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.

This obviously due to the DWP drive to get people off benefits and back into work but if I had a child in a nursery under those circumstances I would have concerns for my child’s well being. Are these people properly qualified, are the DBS checked, have they any knowledge of paediatric first aid?
I think OP needs to express their concerns to management and the sooner the better.

I love this post - and totally agree.
Children know the good ones and gravitate towards them.
They do an amazing job and we absolutely know and see who the good ones are, as do the children. Xx

It is the same in the care industry and due to the incoming benefit changes and rhetoric I imagine it will only get worse.

I've seen situations where the care staff are almost as disabled as the people they are caring for, but because they don't score highly enough in PIP descriptor they are forced to work. And the care industry is where they will be thrown in to.

It's an awful situation. If we as a society can't support these people who are often unemployable through no fault of their own, then we will just have to accept substandard and potentiallly dangerous care for our children, elderly and disabled adults.

YANBU.

I know someone who hates spending time
with their own kids let alone other peoples kids, when they did a TA placement and appiled for a job afterwards the school quickly declined as they spent most of the time moaning about the kids.
Yet now works in a nursery. childcare is like the new retail.

Interesting, maybe SAHP will get the credit they deserve if more people have to start doing this themselves. It's not surprising since so many on here anyway seem to think it's such an easy "job", I can't believe some of the attitudes I read on here from other mothers

I know the council run nurseries have staff with BSc degrees in childcare studies equivalent qualifications employed there. Others have lower qualifications but still need to be able to cope with the demands of caring for preschool children.

No mention of the attitudes I read from SAHMs to other mums though?

Thanks for proving my point 🫣😆

Whatever that was.

Having been on both sides you never ever can tell unless you have eyes inside the nursery and work there or have someone you trust working in there.

Working with babies and small children is grueling, relentless and incredibly hard work especially when they're not your own.

Imagine some nursery today in this heat without air cooling systems.

The government wanted children in nursery and there is a huge early year's push and getting staff teaching early year's . It's an excellent course and covers a lot but if your student has no compassion or empathy that's not going to make them a good person to be around children.

Re the person OP describes as a work colleague I can imagine that would be frustrating. As a parent I wouldn't mind as long as they were gentle and kind toward my child

Do you not need any qualifications to work in Early Years in the UK?

Guess Sahms will be doomed to be Sahms forever if people keep moaning about "some who haven't worked since their early twenties but are now being placed in jobs"

Now we can see why its so hard to get back into the workplace after having a few years out for the kids 😒

Twice 🤣

I’m confused… what is your point? That SAHPs work harder than other parents?

You realise that there isn’t £23 billion sitting there waiting to be claimed. If it was claimed, it would have to be cut from something else. Everything else has already been cut which is why people get frustrated because their kids are in unsuitable schools, they can’t see a doctor and they are still waiting for their rapist to be sentenced. Apparently they are being selfish though and don’t know how lucky they are.

It could be argued that if it isn’t being claimed then it maybe it isn’t needed.

Yes this, when I worked at a college all the school dropouts could only access childcare/social care and hair/beauty courses. It is an easily accessible course for someone without gcses.

You'd think at least liking children should be a prerequisite. I'd hate the thought of children being cared for by people who are disinterested in them, it can't be good for their development either. Hopefully this won't be a continuing trend, as then all the decent ones will leave. Disturbing of they can't even read a book!

@Livelovebehappy Illiterate people can not do factory work because there isn’t any factories that could employ them . those jobs are long gone along with manufacturing
it’s all been closed/ made abroad

You might want to pop over to one of the many benefit bashing threads and share your story there OP. It would be helpful for people insisting everyone needs to work to see the real life impact when people are in jobs that their abilities, health conditions, age and aptitude make impossible for them. Because we should expect to see a lot more of this when the government inevitably starts to pay employers to take on the long term unemployed. People will be pushed into low paid roles they can't do and the government subsidy, plus the extra pool of 'bums on seats' to fill the roles will keep wages low. I'm not suggesting for a moment that people with disabilities and health conditions should be excluded from the work place, sometimes all that's needed are the right adjustments. But realistically, as your experience demonstrates, employers don't make them properly to enable their staff, they often either leave them to struggle or off load their work onto other people.

Realistically there are lots of people who are / are not disabled but don’t have the correct attitude and motivation for work. We have all had lazy colleagues but there are some people that are a lot worse than that. There are many people who have been out of work for years for lots of different reasons.

Sorry that this has happened to you OP, it’s awful getting the same pay as someone who is not pulling their weight.

Please don't turn this into another thread where we start criticising SAHM Vs Working Mum's.
I've done both. Both can be difficult. As parents we just have to do what is right for our particular families.

No 50% of staff can be unqualified. We've had unqualified staff who work harder and better then ones who are qualified.

I think though some people do come into the role thinking be a easy job just play all day and then reality it is a lot harder and you have to constantly push them or remind them to do things. Some do tend to click into place however and others eventually leave.

If people place so little value on it, it's not surprising that it's translating to paid childcare work 🤷🏼‍♀️ I know not everyone has that attitude but it is quite prominent on here.

Same in schools. Almost half of our staff is supply - permanently. Some are really unsuitable and we've had some really nexperienced/unsuitable supply turn up who then get paid more than qualified and experienced staff. One lady couldn't speak any English whatsoever - and this is a SEN School.

This is so true. I’m an MSc qualified professional with a 20 year background in a high profile public role. I’m also autistic. My first job on leaving college was customer service at M&S. There is simply no way I could work in a supermarket now. The technicalities and technology would completely bamboozle me. If I didn’t have my qualifications, I’d find it almost impossible to access the majority of ‘entry level’ roles these days.