Who Is The Manager In Committee Run Pre Schools?

[Guest]

Just out of interest is the Playleader the manager (or your named equivalent) or the Chairperson?

 

(I mean in your setting)

 

ppp

Edited April 21, 2010 by Guest

[Rea]

The playleader is the manager, I'm the Chair, the employer and happy face of the group

Why??

[diesel10]

The manager is in charge of running the setting, but the chairperson is in charge of running the business and therefore above the manager.

[Guest]

I am the playleader-manager, but my boss and everyone else's boss is the Chair. However as we are qualified the chair doesnt make any decisions that affect the education side of the setting, but does make decisions about pay rises, funding etc. We are jointly responsible for hiring staff, and letting them go etc

 

Just to give an example, we had an outbreak of mice in our cupboard once, the Chair said we must open and clean resources as we went along. I refused to open the setting until all resources were steralised and pest control were called in, I explained what welfare requirements we woud be in breach of if we just opened the door, she still tried all be it nicely to say that we must open, but I stood my ground, phoned Ofsted, let the staff go home and informed the parents. we laugh about it now, but should anything go wrong its the playleader/manager who is held responsible and not the Chair.

 

Hope this helps

[finleysmaid]

The legal responsibiity for the pre-school stands with the elected committee and the supervisor/playleader. You would all be legally responsible if found to be negligent. Hence why we all have liability insurance to cover us in this eventuality

[Guest Spiral]

Although the committee are the business side, I find that my role is increasing taking over from theirs.

 

Ofsted call me the 'manager'. When inspected the chair couldn't be there and they didn't bat an eye! Proceeded to state that the chair wasn't doing their role properly and asked me to personally oversee that they did in future.

 

It is increasingly difficult to find a committee these days - they either panic at what they've taken on (usually thinking they are going to be making tea at the summer fair) or they want to come in and make changes that they feel are necessary (such as altering the layout on one occasion)!

 

Either way, I'd rather be without if I'm frank, I've had so many negative experiences.

 

Spiral.

[Guest]

I am the manager and my Chair is my boss.....I run the setting by I have to report to him with all the nitty gritty....he is the registered person and so ultimate responsiblity lands on him if the wotnot hits the fan...does that make sense?

[Inge]

I too was manager and basically ran the setting, employed by the committee who did the business side of wages etc..

 

my job description stated I was responsible for ensuring the standards were met, and act as advisor to the committee.

 

Ofsted never saw the chair nor asked to... even when we were 'investigated' for a complaint it was always my responsibility to deal with them, but I was always fully supported by the committee and staff and in all the issues we had the parents as well.. ( particularly the one which was directed at me personally.. )

 

Inge

[Guest]

Thanks everyone...I shall explain.

 

As Playleader I see myself as manager as I manage the setting (and committee! ahem)

 

I attended a course last week where beforehand I was told I had to bring my manager. I told the course tutor I was the manager to which she asked if we were run by a committee. I said yes and she said to bring the chair as she is manager.

The courses tutors, when talking to me, kept referring to my chair as "your manager" - grrrrrrrrr, she's not!!

 

There's a bit more to it but I won't bore you.

 

I took offence to that but I'm a bit like that when it comes to my job as I work very very very hard!

 

Thank you all

 

ppp

Edited April 22, 2010 by Guest

[lynned55]

Perhaps she should have said 'line manager'?

But yes I can fully empathize with you

[Guest]

I'm with you there too. As you say, often we have to "manage" the committee as they don't know what happens in practice and trust our professional discretion. This is especially true when the staff have been there for longer than the committee who change each year or so.

 

I'm pretty impressed you got your chair to go with you! Our chair is my other half and I only get him there when he can get off work and I can convince him he will get a certificate! (He says I have to say he is really very dedicated, which he is actually).

[Guest Spiral]

I think I'd be uncomfortable with the course providers calling my Committee chair the manager.

 

I have seen my chair three times this year!

 

Spiral.

[Rea]

I'm a very 'hands on chair' but I wuold object if I was called the manager, I'm not, I'm the chair. The playleader manages the staff and day to day running of the setting. I pop in with things she needs or to collect things but I dontmanage anything other than the committee side. Your course tutor seems to have her wires crossed.