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Living Wage proposal by Birmingham City Council


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Posted

Birmingham Council have proposed that everyone in receipt of funding should, as a condition of that funding, pay all staff the Living Wage. While thats fabulous in theory, this is the result of a survey commissioned by the council after concerns were raised by providers.

 

http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1152224/living-wage-would-add-thousands-to-weekly-costs-report-finds?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook

Posted

Rea - that's so hard with the current level of funding :(

 

I am in the fortunate position of being able to do this for my staff - but only because I pay a very reasonable rent for my setting.....

Posted

Just as well my previous post on this has just disappeared!

 

If only the government would sort out what isn't working at the moment instead of heaping more on (30 hours). We need the rates paid to be increased before wages can become "real"

  • Like 3
Posted

It was a bit of a rant Rafa because it makes me so cross -if we could pay it I'm jolly well sure we would! Certainly wouldn't need some fat cat Councillor to tell me to.

  • Like 2
Posted

Well just look at how much it has cost them to fund the report!!

Absolutely! With more reports to come too!

Posted

It makes me so cross -if we could pay it I'm jolly well sure we would! Certainly wouldn't need some fat cat Councillor to tell me to.

 

With you all the way Panders - am almost able to pay my staff the living wage and gave my girls a pay rise last year by cutting costs wherever I could (little to no training now except the required stuff, no subscriptions to the psla and nursery world etc.) - there is now no slack at all in my budget unless I start working for nothing instead of next to nothing :unsure:

 

On the plus side however this is a really useful piece of ammunition for the "consultation" in respect of funding as I shall calculate my costs with all my staff actually being paid what they are worth and I see that within this report there is a 6% profit suggestion which obviously suggests that it's OK to make a profit running a childcare business which I shall also be including in my overall costs citing this piece of "evidence" ;)

  • Like 1
Posted

I think this would mean the end for small committee run groups like mine. We rely on the funding as we charge less. All assistants on min wage, deputy and manager earn more. Any increase in wage is based on government's increase in min wage. Main problem is the price we charge, going up 10 pence an hour to £3.30 in Sept. The committee is made up of parents who always vote against any price increases. Really frustrating!

 

Might try that myself when I go to Morrisons next- sorry not going to pay £5.00 for my shopping but I will give you £3.90.

 

I would love to give my staff, and myself, what we are worth!!! Sorry gone off track again.

Posted

I think this would mean the end for small committee run groups like mine. We rely on the funding as we charge less. All assistants on min wage, deputy and manager earn more. Any increase in wage is based on government's increase in min wage. Main problem is the price we charge, going up 10 pence an hour to £3.30 in Sept. The committee is made up of parents who always vote against any price increases. Really frustrating!

Might try that myself when I go to Morrisons next- sorry not going to pay £5.00 for my shopping but I will give you £3.90.

I would love to give my staff, and myself, what we are worth!!! Sorry gone off track again.

Lsp - we used to be like you where fees were less than funding but we were advised by both LEA & PLA about 4 years ago that we needed to change that thinking. Luckily at that time we had a Chair who's child was funded so was very happy to with a 'gungho' attitude and put fees up by £1 that year & each year since it's has been 50p an hour this coming Sept sees us charging more than our funding for the first time!

  • Like 1
Posted

I'm fairly sure that somewhere buried deep in the various guidance documents about funding there is something about funded children not "subsidising" unfunded children and therefore as a minimum your charges for your unfunded children should be equal to the funding hourly rate

  • Like 3
Posted

Yes we charge more for our non funded children. We couldn't sustain our costs any longer at the funding rate. That said it is generally our under threes that this impacts on and as we all know the ratio of adult to child is much higher, so the wages have to come from somewhere, and we are certainly not going to compromise our current staffing levels which remain high.

Not something I'm at all happy to introduce but needs must.

By the way we are a not for profit organisation so we are certainly not rolling in extra revenue to line our pockets.

I would just like to be able to pay the staff a decent wage for the important job they do, but where from I ask.

Sorry rant over.

  • Like 5

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