LIVING WAGE SUREY / PVI SUPPORT

[Guest]

I was just wondering how many Birmingham settings have completed the KPMG survey commissioned by Birmingham City Council about seeing if we can 'afford' to pay the Living Wage - which of course we cannot.

I am seriously concerned and worry that other setting providers aren't getting the severity of the issue given that the PVI Support Group only have about 130 settings signed up to them when there are something like 3000 providers in Birmingham (may be a bit out there).

The form was a complete nightmare as it didn't follow how accounts are set out so I had to work things out manually amongst other things.

However what I did work out is that I will have to pay an additional £47K based on my basic staff core hours each year. I think Managers/Owners do need to look at this seriously as if Birmingham City Council implement it, we are all going to be closing our doors.

[Rea]

I forgot about that!

I had a quick look when it was emailed through but that was it.

OK, just had another look and noticed this in the inbox, it came yesterday.

I'll do this one :1b

 

Childcare Costs Survey.xlsx

[Rafa]

Well Jackieo1128 I hope the approx 3000 PVI settings in Brum DO stand up and be counted!! This is a disgraceful betrayal of everything early years settings set out to do - long before the government decided to use us for votes - many of us gave children everything they get now - for a pittance! Great, I thought, recognition and a wage at last -when the funded children idea came along.

But over the years we've been drowned in 'paperwork and initiatives' have more rules and standards and scrutinised and monitored more than any other workforce I know! For me, this would be the last straw. The powers that be sucked us in and now they're spitting us out! What other PRIVATE BUSINESS would be told what to pay their workforce!

My suspicions are we will all be on the way out........getting two year olds in school being the next bright idea.....Well Good Luck with that!! All PVIs should join you in this fight against Birmingham Council! How about a strike? Grrrrrrrrr

 

Oh and are BCC completely mad? Have they done the Math? Will 8p an hour increase equate to you suddenly having 47k income? IF we could afford to pay ALL staff a living wage dont they think we would?.........have to leave it here cos its making ME mad.......plus I need to swop sites to book my annual 3 weeks in the Bahamas...... : )

Edited February 11, 2015 by Rafa

[SazzJ]

Not Birmingham based but how many staff do you have? Living wage here in north east is £7.50 per hour. All my staff are above that wage and have been for some time x

[SazzJ]

Not Birmingham based but how many staff do you have? Living wage here in north east is £7.50 per hour. All my staff are above that wage and have been for some time x

 

I hope other settings stand up for themselves too as it needs to be affordable x

[woodlands1997]

Crikey SazzJ how do you afford that!!!

[Rea]

I spoke to a man tonight who has had run-ins with the council in the past, he suggested we tell the council we will pay the living wage as soon as they show us all of their employees receive it too, a lot dont get anything like it.

He said this to them last year over an unrelated event and hasnt heard anything back since.

We really should pressurise them though. Two years ago oneof the conditions of funding was we renew all CRBs every 3 years, this would have cost us £500 so I entered into an email fest with the council, EY dept., and the DfE. Nobody answered my emails but it wasnt in the following years conditions.

[Rea]

23.06pm and I'm still ploughing through the survey, I've had to save it till tomorrow.

I'm a bit confused as to why they need the average age of the staff though, wouldnt cost anymore/less to employ younger/older.

[Guest]

I have 22 staff in total. Most are above the minimum wage but there are some less experienced who earn £6.50. The UK National Living wage is actually £7.85 and London is £9.15. So Sazzj if your local authority adopt this stance then I believe it would be £7.85 you would have to pay from what I have read.

My setting is in a semi deprived area of Birmingham and parents struggle to pay now, and already make any savings they can when it comes to childcare. I already have fallout every year when I put my fees up with parents trimming sessions if they can.

The other thing to remember and to put on your survey is the fact that we will also all have to set up the automatic enrolment pension schemes by next year and there is a minimum percentage payable by employers for all employees whether they opt in or opt out.

I would urge everyone to spread the word who comes under Birmingham Council to get the survey done (maybe ask for an extension if time is short). Join the PVI support Group and lobby Birmingham City Council.

This living wage will apply to every setting who Birmingham City Council fund so that's from small playgroups to big corporations.

Its scary times ahead for us financially.

[Guest]

Well Jackieo1128 I hope the approx 3000 PVI settings in Brum DO stand up and be counted!! This is a disgraceful betrayal of everything early years settings set out to do - long before the government decided to use us for votes - many of us gave children everything they get now - for a pittance! Great, I thought, recognition and a wage at last -when the funded children idea came along.

But over the years we've been drowned in 'paperwork and initiatives' have more rules and standards and scrutinised and monitored more than any other workforce I know! For me, this would be the last straw. The powers that be sucked us in and now they're spitting us out! What other PRIVATE BUSINESS would be told what to pay their workforce!

My suspicions are we will all be on the way out........getting two year olds in school being the next bright idea.....Well Good Luck with that!! All PVIs should join you in this fight against Birmingham Council! How about a strike? Grrrrrrrrr

 

Oh and are BCC completely mad? Have they done the Math? Will 8p an hour increase equate to you suddenly having 47k income? IF we could afford to pay ALL staff a living wage dont they think we would?.........have to leave it here cos its making ME mad.......plus I need to swop sites to book my annual 3 weeks in the Bahamas...... : )

Rafa, I absolutely agree (although your last comment made me chuckle). If I work out the number of hours I put in, I am on about £2.50 per hour.

[Rea]

OK, nearly there, what would be a reasonable hourly rate for 2, 3 and 4 year olds? I have no idea what to suggest :1b

 

I've had to print it off and write all over it, its such a rubbish format :angry: The cynic in me thinks its to put us off

Edited February 12, 2015 by Rea

[Rea]

I tweeted Bham Council re: living wage to their employees. They do! It was decided at a meeting in 2012. So thats me told!

[Guest]

I put something like £9.00 which obviously isn't realistic for them to pay, but neither is them expecting us to fund this.

Good on you for doing it. And I think you are right, it isn't designed well and designed to put us off. I will be interested to see what their findings are.

[Rea]

I struggled to fill in the online survey, the boxes disappeared after I'd filled them in but you can print it off and post it to:

Joshua Dowen

KPMG LLP

Infrastructure, Government & Healthcare

One Snowhill

Snow Hill Queensway

Birmingham B4 6GH

[Guest]

I have written to the local MP and received and answer, although they are just passing it on as well as having an answer of one of the councillors I wrote to, again passing on my comments.

But at least I feel I have done something positive.