News: Early Years Survey I Arad Report

This report presents the results of an online playwork and childcare survey carried out in December ’21-January ’22. Early Years Wales commissioned Arad Research to host and report on the questionnaire survey on behalf of Cwlwm. The survey gathered information from childcare and playwork settings on staff numbers, recruitment, vacancies and pay to help Early Years Wales and its partners in the Cwlwm organisation better understand and support the sector.

The survey questions were drafted by Early Years Wales and Arad Research, with input from Cwlwm partners. Completed surveys were received from 362 respondents.

You can read the full report here: https://www.cwlwm.org.uk/our-work/reports

Cwlwm response:

In response, Cwlwm has reviewed the data and the commentary below outlines our position and aspirations to continue to support the sector.

We acknowledge the overwhelming feeling in the sector is currently that, pay is low and recruitment and retention of staff are a challenge for a variety of reasons. The text below follows the report section by section with the heading, ‘You said...’ being a statement refering to comments from the sector in the survey. This is followed by summary Cwlwm thoughts, and a brief action response to accompany each area.

This finding is not unexpected, given Cwlwm’s understanding of the sector dynamics and shared concerns about the low pay that is apparent in the sector. 53% of survey respondents offer term-time contracts; some offer holiday-time contracts; about 33% offer year-round contracts. 59% of survey respondents report staff working in two roles. Of this 59%, 75% work in two (or more) childcare and related roles; and 53% work in other sectors.

In a sector reporting low pay, it is notable that some dual-role staff might be faced with working two jobs out of necessity and not a choice. Cwlwm would like to see movement towards a professional and well-rewarded workforce. Dual roles can be interpreted in different ways. A positive interpretation could be supporting more flexibility in work such as fitting in work before and after school days, adding different dimensions to roles for staff, and providing a mixed-employment that covers school term-time and holiday-time employment opportunities. A negative could be more complex tax implications, competing priorities, potential impacts on work-life balance such as longer working hours, and increases in stress-related perceptions towards work including risks of mental health concerns or aspirations to have a single point of employment leading to retention issues.

Cwlwm will continue to make the case that childcare is an important foundation in Wales for families and the economy; recognised as an essential worker role for both children and Wales to flourish/thrive. Cwlwm will advocate for investment and funding to increase salaries across the sector and extend access to provision across Wales. We work with Welsh Government and key stakeholders to share perceptions on pay, and work conditions in the sector, sharing your views with officers.

Cwlwm is pleased to note that the current pressures does not appear to have increased staff being offered zero-hour contracts. As childcare and playwork is such a fundamental part of the Welsh Government’s policies, including expansion of funded childcare and increasing Welsh Language opportunities, we are pleased that the sector employs staff using contractual arrangements.

Cwlwm is committed to supporting the Welsh Government in raising the status and perceived value of the sector. We work with Welsh Government and stakeholders such as CIW, WeCare Wales, and as a partnership to promote and value the workforce in Wales. We advocate for quality childcare from 0-12 in the range of provision available and provide professional services to our members to ensure quality, including recruitment and employment practice.

54% of providers had staff to replace in 2021 due to staff leaving; 60% had recruited in the last 12 months and a further 12% had tried unsuccessfully to recruit. Of those recruiting 77% found recruitment challenging due to; candidates with suitable qualifications (78%), pay too low (54%), unsuitable hours (47%), competition from outside the sector (26%), Welsh Language skills (24%). It is also important to note, due to lower numbers of Welsh Langauge providers overall, this % under-represents the challenges with qualified Welsh-speaking staff recruitment.

Cwlwm has worked with Welsh Government to explore a range of options and opportunities to help the sector recruit staff. Individually, Cwlwm organisations have provided training and support to members on recruitment and we continue to make these offers to member settings. 2021 and 2022 have been significant years of change in employment circumstances. We note though that the key reasons for needing to recruit are reported as, better pay outside the sector (42%), better hours (37%), and demands of the job (21%). Cwlwm recognises with accountability for children come demands that other similar paid roles might not be perceived to have. It is also noteworthy, that enhanced protective measures and policy changes due to Covid have added to workloads in this period.

We continue to work with CIW and Estyn on the registration processes and with Welsh Government on childcare, playwork, and early education policy.

The Welsh Government is looking to procure an independent piece of research to develop understanding of the reasons for the gradual decline in childminder numbers in Wales over recent years and to identify what barriers or issues may be contributing to this steady decline or preventing people from entering the profession. This piece of work will involve conversations with childminders, local authorities, families and children, Care Inspectorate Wales and other key stakeholders, inclduing Cwlwm, to get as clear and accurate a picture as possible of the situation. The research work will lead to a report which will be published on the Welsh Government website in the autumn/winter 2022, with findings and ideas to inform future work.

Cwlwm is committed to supporting the aspiration for professional and high-status childcare and playwork sector in Wales. The qualitative statements demonstrate there is a perception that the balance between funding, rates parents will pay for childcare, and the income needed to elevate pay in the sector is not favorable to increasing pay at present. The sector shared they pay what they can afford to but not what they perceive the roles to be worth, and pay is frequently matched to stautory minimums. For childminders specifically, the survey replies suggest that pay is drawn from surpluses after costs and often does not provide sufficient to invest in contingency funds. Approximately two-thirds suggest they would have less than 6-months of sustaining funds and one-third has little to no funds for sustainability.

We have shared your views with Welsh Government and other stakeholders in Wales. Cwlwm advocates for the sector and aspires to a childcare and playwork sector that are both valued in the perception of the role the staff play in supporting children’s development, and in childcare and playwork being a well-rewarded career option. We are aware of the opportunities and limitations within Wales, but note that other countries have made their childcare and playwork sectors vibrant and appealing career opportunitiesⁱ.

We note recent advances that the Welsh Government has made on funding and future opportunities for the sector and we will play a key role in supporting these developments, whilst sharing the views of our member organisations with key policy decision-makers. It is important to be mindful of how close the pay rates are to the statutory minimum, and also to note that at the supervisory level the range was broad (£8.95 - £17/hr).

Given the responsibility and complexity of these roles, it is argued that £8.95 is not in line with the role requirements and further analysis of pay could be useful.

Clearly, the combination of low pay, recruitment, and retention are challenges for the sector. We are not surprised by the findings and aspire to a childcare and playwork sector which is appealing for career-minded students, and individuals with the skills and attributes to help children play, learn and develop.

We offer the Arad report and this paper to stakeholders to help come together and review what the sector has shared with us in this research survey, identifying solutions where possible to enhance the childcare and playwork sector in Wales and to support opportunities for children, families and communities.

Dr Gwenllian Lansdown Davies, Prif Weithredwr Mudiad Meithrin
Jane O’Toole, Prif Weithredwr, Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids’ Clubs
David Goodger, Prif Weithredwr, Blynyddoedd Cynnar Cymru/Early Years Wales
Claire Protheroe, Prif Swyddog, Pacey Cymru
Sarah Coates, Prif Swyddog, NDNA Cymru

^{i OECD Report: Early Learning and Child Wellbeing in Estonia (Ch. 2) https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/15009dbe-en/1/2/2/index.html?itemId=/content/publication/15009dbe-en&_csp_=8512ae85d91acc65dc8eca791cece859&itemIGO=oecd&itemContentType=book}