Bank Staff

[Guest]

Hi

 

I was just wondering whether you all have a supply of bank staff and if so, are they qualified?

 

We have never had a problem fainding someone willing to be called upon with short notice to work (and be paid) for a session. But our accreditation seems to point towards the fact that bank staff should be qualified. And I do agree with this, but how do we encourage mums who in effect are helping us out, to become qualified on the off chance that they may be needed because someone is off sick or an a training course?

 

Many thanks

[Running Bunny]

Hi

I don't think that all bank staff need to be qualified, but you need to demonstrate that you have enough cover to remain within qualified/unqualified ratios should a member of staff go off sick.

 

* You could contact a local agency (if there is one nearby) to find out how they operate and register your details

* You could contact your local authority to see if they have a staff pool

* You could build relationships with other providers in the area to see if you could 'share' staff in this situation if the setting was quiet (ok, so I've got rose tinted glasses on, but it could work both ways!)

* You could see if any of the parent helpers already have a childcare qualification - you'd be surprised!

 

All Ofsted will want to see is that you have a contingency plan in place for dealing with cover staff, be it a flow chart or just a list of telephone numbers to call.

[Guest]

We have only just taken on 2 relief staff. One is a qualified reception teacher whose children both came to our pre-school but who doesnt wish to have a regular job. The other is a mum whose child attends and who was on the committee but who was willing to train, so she has just started the NVQ 2.

[Guest]

Thanks for the replies.

 

We are a very small group, with two managers who are DPP qualified (partners) and 2 other members of staff, one of which will either have an NNEB or a Degree (we will know the outcome of our interviews on Wednesday) and the other is currently sudying the NVQ2, so our qualified to unqualified ratios are great. So the bank person need not (according to Ofsted) be qualified. It is just the accreditation which I am worried about

 

Regarding the other points, are agency staff expensive? We have never considered them because we assumed they would want double what we pay and could afford to pay.

 

And the idea about sharing staff with other local providers is lovely, if we could get anyone to agree and to agree terms etc.

 

We do have a few mums who are qualified, two of which are currently chasing a vacancy which we have, so it could be a bit touchy right at this moment to approach them with 'sorry we cant offer you a permanent position, but one or two days a year if that is any good to you'. lol

Edited October 16, 2006 by Guest

[Guest]

Does anyone have a Job Advert for Bank Staff that I could have a look at please?

[Running Bunny]

Does this help?

 

staff_pool_jd.doc

[Rea]

I believe the agency I'm signed with charges the nursey £10 per hour but I think they have a minimum charge too, so you couldnt ask them for someone to do an hour or you could but you would still be charged for a min. amount. Of course I could be wrong

[Guest]

£10 an hour

 

We couldn't afford that. I wonder how much the practitioner receives out of that amount?

[Rea]

I get £7. It's the going rate for agency staff I've spoken to from other agencies but I dont know how much other agencies charge.