Staff Hours

[Guest]

Hi, I'm finding this site very useful and was wondering if I could pick everyone's brains. We are a day nursery and are open from 8-6. staff shifts are 8-5 or 9-6, but as the nursey is open 8-6 the children can come at any time between these times (are you with me so far?)

 

The problem us on a day to day basis we have to try and predict the number and ages of chuldren who will be arriving before 9 and get staff on the 9'0clock shift to come in early to cover this so we maintain nursery ratio's. Any time that the staff do outside of their normal hours is classed as overtime which they take as time back when the nursery is quite or for appointments etc, or is paid to them. Just wondered if anyone else was in a similar situation and how they managed it.

 

Thanks

[Guest]

Hi Yes we do the same type of thing, with staggered start times, altough most children do tend to keep to same timings every so often we do refer our busy times so there are enough staff around.

 

Do you stagger shifts depending on how many staff?

8-5 8.30-5.30 8.45-5.45 etc

[Sue R]

Girls, no time now, please remind me, but I'm in a well established large DN and can tell you more!!

 

Sue

[becsltd]

Yes please yes please yes please

problem for us as well.

Interested to hear when you get a chance

As I am sure you are all aware, this issue of morning cover and what the children are actually doing in this first hour of the day is something that Ofsted are focusing on closely in their inspections.

It does worry me as you can NEVER predict the numbers at the start and end of the day. However, staff are reluctant to work longer than their 8-5 / 9-6 shift. Tricky one!!

[Running Bunny]

When I was working in private nurseries, we had staggered starts...

 

Manager and Deputy opened up at 8.00 with one baby room member of staff and one 'downstairs' member of staff. All children came into the downstairs room, and babies went in to their base room. The manager and deputy organised breakfasts and took messages etc. (It was fairly open plan, so no one was on their own as such)

 

The next 2 staff members started at 8.15 and then 2 more at 8.30 at which point the F/S children went upstairs with two members of staff.

 

All the rest of the staff started at 9.00 and worked until 6.00, with the manager and deputy 'floating' if there was a lot of children in one room.

 

We could make a daily guess at what the numbers would be as we knew those that would be in the car park for 7.55 (!) and also those that did school run first and therefore arrived just after 9.00.

 

I can see how this is a problem, especially after the Early Doors report by Ofsted, but it is a case of managing staff, space and resources effectively to ensure the care and safety of the children in your care.

 

Hope this helps!

[Lucy P]

Hi I run a day nursery with 70+ children and 20+ staff.

 

We open at 7.30 and close at 6.

 

We too stagger shifts e.g

8 staff 7.30 - 4.30

2 staff 7.45 - 5.45

2 staff 8 - 5

2 staff 8.15 - 5.15

2 staff 8.30 - 5.30

3 staff 9 - 6

We also have 2 supernumery to answer door and cover when needed.

 

It can be a problem covering ratios, but never more than for 10 mins and we can generally predict which children will arrive and leave at which times.

Staff are asked to begin early or stay later when needed. (Time given back during quieter times)

 

I always explain this scenario to everyone who thinks i must be a millionaire, that i need to have 4 extra staff each day to enable tea breaks, lunches and beginning and end of day are covered.

 

How lovely it would be if people would like to work the hours of 7.30 - 9.00 and then come back and work 4.30 - 6.00

[Guest]

Thanks again for all of you answers. Should have said that we do have a member of staff who works 8-9 for us. This is a long term student who is fully cleared with an enhanced CRB. She then starts student hours 9-4 and is treated like a student at all times during student hours ie not left on her own etc.