Guest Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 Hi Does anyone else have trouble getting staff to cover sickness? Do you use agency staff and if so who do you use? There are only 2 of us and we both feel the pressure that we cant take time off for our own illness /childs illness as we only have one bank staff member (she covers other settings also). I am going to speak to other local pre-schools and nurseries to see if they could help out. If you have a larger staff team do you find it difficult still to get staff in on those days they don't normally work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fredbear Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 Hi no we don't have bank staff, but we do have a staff team that are generally able to cover any absences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondie Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 we have struggled with staff shortages since September - staff have been unwell with the usual sick/cold etc but also one member of staff off since the end of september with back problems.other staff have covered her sessions but are now saying they dont want to do so any longer. odd days are ok for other staff to cover but anything else soon becomes hard to get cover . we did have bank staff a few years ago but they were very expensive (£90plus per day) the people we got were not very good - they just seemed to be there to make up the numbers. as they didnt know the routine etc of the setting we constantly explained things to them - however they still didn't seem very enthusiastic and frankly were not worth the money we paid for them. x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chez29 Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 We do have bank staff but most times these are really unreliable also and tend to phone in sick. Agency is so expensive but we do have to use them occasionally. I'm not sure where your based but some midlands ones we use are Le Breton and Angels Childcare recruitment . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foreveryoung Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 We have bank of staff however our team is near enuf all qualified so the bank of staff are ex volunteers/parents and a board member etc as we can qualification wise afford to have them in. I know this won't help you in your situation with just the two of you, contacting local settings as you say and our agency when I looked into it when we only had one bank of staff wanted to charge us £14 per hour. We do pay bank staff a good rate though so as to compensate for the short notice given to work, makes it a more attractive job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 Hi - can I ask what area you are in as on completing my degree I set up my own business and one of the things I offer is staff cover - maybe I can help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louby loo Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 Although this is not really helpful to you- as you only have two staff members. We take on students, if we have a really good long term one, we ask them if they would like to do bank work.. If they agree we do try and use them where possible as a kind of 'thank-you' for their hard work on placement. this also looks good on their CVs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumperrabbit Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 I struggle with this too - even planned absence is hard to cover, and I'm now starting to tell staff to find their own cover, all the people we've called on over the years have now got jobs and the mums we have these days are NOT interested in helping out even for a day staff have in their contracts no holidays as we are term time only but they still do it - makes my blood boil :angry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louby loo Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 To be honest I'm pretty flexible about holidays during term time-although it is written into contracts.... however I feel our staff work so hard for so little pay as long as they don't take the complete mick, I'm happy for holidays. In these cases staff organise their own cover with other staff members (we all work a max of four days- so can usually cover if needed) BEFORE booking. That said we are a close 'old' team, and all used to each other ways ::1a Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumperrabbit Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 To be honest I'm pretty flexible about holidays during term time-although it is written into contracts.... however I feel our staff work so hard for so little pay as long as they don't take the complete mick, I'm happy for holidays. In these cases staff organise their own cover with other staff members (we all work a max of four days- so can usually cover if needed) BEFORE booking. That said we are a close 'old' team, and all used to each other ways ::1a I was happy for holidays Louby loo when we had cover staff now we have none - we do work Supernumerary on 2 days but on the other days I'm in ratio until some of mine turn 3 and therefore we have a problem. 3 out of 5 staff do as asked never have hols but the other 2 have them at least twice a year and it really effects the dynamics of the team Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foreveryoung Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 We are same no holidays in term time but it can be agreed in advance but I introduced that I would not authorise any holidays at all !!!! unless under exceptional circumstances during certain months (sept, dec, July) also it would not be authorised for holidays year on year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mouseketeer Posted December 20, 2014 Share Posted December 20, 2014 I always ask at interview if a candidate is willing to help out and cover staff illness, they make all the right noises....until you actually ask them to do it 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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