Ratios Matter
Why increasing child to adult ratios is a non starter.
The news is awash with reports that Boris Johnson has personally requested that the Early Years child to adult ratio be relaxed as a solution to the ongoing cost of childcare crisis, exacerbated by the equally terrifying cost of living crisis. If it gets the go-ahead it could mean less adults working with more children.
Current regulation stipulates 1 adult:4 2 years olds, the proposal will increase this to 5. At Playhood our ratios are always 1:3, sometimes 1:2. We’re not saying this is possible across the sector but it’s what we’ve found to be the optimal structure for us.
Deregulation isn’t a new idea, Liz Truss proposed the same in 2013, when it was overwhelmingly rejected by the sector and kicked out by then Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg.
Will Quince, the Minister for Children, has announced a consultation, citing higher ratios in France, Sweden and the Netherlands as his inspiration. Granted, ratios might be higher in these countries, and in some cases the quality of care is very good (arguably better than ours), but with a system as complex as childcare, it’s dangerous to overlook context and how childcare reflects wider societal norms. Certainly in the Netherlands and Sweden the importance of the Early Years are understood, valued and funded accordingly. This means staff are more highly educated (often to Degree and Masters level) which brings with it parental and societal respect and associated salaries. These professionals are assisted by teams of support staff (crucially, often not included in ratios). A direct comparison to the UK system is a pointless exercise.
Ofsted’s recently published 5 Year Strategy has a focus on mitigating the negative impact of the pandemic on our youngest children and so it’s mind boggling that a proposal to undermine quality, experience and safety is being debated.
To me, the Early Years workforce are the unsung heroes of the pandemic. I’ve heard countless stories of professionals placing children’s mental health concerns and their parents' need to work, above their own families and health concerns. Yet morale is at an all time low. The lack of recognition and the ongoing rhetoric from Ministers on the ‘crucial Early Years’, especially in closing the gap between poor and wealthier children, is galling. Their policies have grossly underfunded and overstretched the sector.
Here’s our view in a nutshell.
Costs
Even if you ignore the effect on quality, safety and staffing, the simple fact is that the policy won’t achieve its objective. The sector is so strongly against it, and with no mandate to enforce a loosening, most settings won’t increase their ratios. In a recent Nursery World survey only 2% of providers felt the rule change would enable them to lower fees.
Despite the staggering cost of childcare to parents, many group based providers and childminders struggle to stay afloat. Government underfunding has destabilised business models, pushed down wages and fuelled a nationwide recruitment and retention crisis. It’s a sad day when talented teachers abandon their careers to work in retail where hourly rates can be considerably more.
With more pressing concerns, why would a setting pass on cost savings to their parents?
Safety
Even the most talented practitioners can’t see and hear everything happening around them. They’re human. With less supervision comes higher risk of accidents and a downgrading of more ‘risky’ (and therefore brilliant) activities and outings.
The parents of Oliver Steeper, who died from choking on lunch at an Ashford nursery, are leading one of the many petitions against the proposals.
Practitioners
The impact of the pandemic and Government policy has had a brutal effect on staff well-being and retention. Asking them to care for more children, write more reports, hold more feedback meetings and plan for more children’s development, with no further reward or recognition will be the straw that breaks the camel's back. I predict brilliant Educators will leave the sector in droves.
What’s the good of cheaper childcare if here is no one to deliver it?
Experience
Parents will baulk at receiving a downgraded service, for the same price. As staff leave we’ll see an increase in the use of agency staff, often on minimum wage, with fewer qualifications and without the secure relationship to our children we know is crucial. Settings in higher income areas will continue to charge higher fees and provide higher quality provision, whilst those where the cost of living is biting the hardest, will be forced to lower ratios, fees and quality.
The divide will only grow.
Karen Partridge
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