leapfrog employees

leapfrog employees

by: Stephy - 31-08-05 17:25

Hi just wondering how all your nurseries are reacting to the nursery world article, mine seems to be brushing over it as if its nothing!
Also wondering what your nurseries are like mine is supposed to be near top of the occupancy tables but is not in a very good way.
I have found a new job and will be leaving soon however it is breaking my heart thinking about all the children i will be leaving in that hell hole! i am a senior nursery nurse and the pressure is imense.

by: Stephy

Hi yeah my friends found it amusing and it sounds like i am in a very similar situation, ours is the only leapfrog in the county here and we also need a complete refurbishment, we have been told we are due our 5 year re fit in september but god knows if that will happen now. I am told by my manager it is looking like most of the nursery closures will be the old princes christian nurseries but i dont know where she gets her information she has a tendancy to lie to us so she might be doing it to stop a revolt!
I totally agree with you i think the reason they give is crap too, i have met tracy a few times and she is the most devoted person i have sen to this horrible company.
I wonder if it is only this chain that has problems or if it is a general thing across the whole childcare sector.
Whats you occupancy like?
Are you senior team too?
So pleased to finally be able to discuss this with other people in the same boat as us was thinking for a while they just neglected our nursery

leapfrog employees - 02-09-05 07:16

by: Stephy

No its not worth getting upset about, senior is a rubbish job there are no exra perks no xtra days hoilday etc yet when you bass room manager is not there you have to do all thier work and my good its a big hassle sometimes.
I work in the babyroom and there can be anything up to 11 staff in there (if we are lucky) and they bicker and fight like school girls cant wait to get out of there to be honest.do you often find you are left one of two over and told to cope? we do and it is so frustrating.
Our cook is a bit unreiable too so we end up having to take it in turns to cook because that is what we trained for not!
Hope your nursery is not too awful, just keep soidering through but think about getting another job all my friends that have left for other nurseries say it the best thing they ever did.

leapfrog employees - 03-09-05 10:02

by: Stephy

I am so pleased you are of the samefeeling it just shows the problems are across the board not just within our nursery which is what we are lead to believe, we are often made out to be whingers by our manager and our ops manager for saying no and complaining about such things as having to cook.I am going to try and fight for our side before i leave and tell the company exactly how everyone is feeling. I have been on courses at central office and i never hear people say how much they love their nursery!
I have already caused a few problems in our nursery and the company by writting a pretty strong worded letter of complaint which all 35 staff (not including manager) signed. think they would rather i left now!

leapfrog employees - 03-09-05 15:31

by: jacqui29

You could be talking about me!
I too have experienced numerous disappointments since working for Leapfrog.
Up to December 2004 I had a wonderful job with Princess Christian but since the take over standards have gone rapidly downhill. It would seem the most important thing to Leapfrog is £££ not childcare. The most galling thing to ex-PC staff has been that PC through Nord Anglia actually took over Leapfrog yet adopted their policies & procedures. Maybe it was cheaper to do so as Leapfrog pay less, give no sick pay and spend less on the children.
I am delighted that Nursery World have investigated, we wouldn't have known Tracey Storey had left without the article!! But the managers we aware up to 3 weeks before NW published their article.

leapfrog employees - 03-09-05 15:49

by: lucky_lily

I'm a Base Room Manager of one of the Leapfrog nurseries and I'm absolutely appalled by the the company. I have worked for the company for just over 2 years and I've never been so un happy in my life! But hey,its all about to end as I'm off to bigger and better things!! All i can suggest to everyone is to get out before it all goes wrong. And Stephy, I Know exactly what you are talking about abd know exactly how you feel. (are you from the nursery near a particular shopping centre?) For the MD to resign, and others following suit, its not a good sign. As I said, i advise you all to look for other jobs, I know my nursery will be the first to close

leapfrog employees - 03-09-05 17:42

by: Stephy

Lillie not sure which shopping centre you refer to but i am not ashamed to speak out and say i am from BICESTER nursery.
I hope there are parents and prospective staff that read this and see how awful the nurseries are.
I am also nearly out of there bet you are glad you are going to, i work in babies what about you?
I feel the pressure on senior team is to much, we dont have a deputy manager so more work is piled on pur base room managers which means we get more of their work to do.
It is all about the money not the staff or children and to be perfectly honest i have had enough i also urge everyone to look for new jobs the sooner they realise at central office they cant walk all over us and palm us off with excuses the better!
Are you having to do cleaning because of cut backs? our cleaners are now only contracted to do 2 days a week.

leapfrog employees - 03-09-05 21:27

by: jacqui29

At my nursery we have suffered various cutbacks, cleaner, window cleaner etc but when essentials in a baby room like wipes, tissues, toilet rolls, paper towels etc are considered luxuries there is something wrong! And if parents were aware of the quality of food provided they would be appalled. We are sick of being creative on the daily record sheet in describing the meals we have fed our babies. It doesn't matter how creative you are packet minestrone soup with plain boiled pasta in defies description!
All that for nearly £600 per month full time!

leapfrog employees - 04-09-05 09:45

by: Stephy

I totally understand about the food we often have a problem with quantity and quality, for example the other day we had pasta with tinned tomatos and cauliflower in that was it the children didnt eat it but i dont blame them, our dairy free children often has nothing made for them food that is vile too.
I dont know why we dont all make a stand and say enough is enough, if there is more than one nursery doing it they will have to do something especially if we all pull together with the same argument! What does everyone think? worth a shot? If you want to email me stories or things that have happened so we can collate or information then plaese do, you can be anonymous if you want or name yourself and i am quite happy to start the ball rolling!
Email me at fatguts83@hotmail.com
Cheers guys

leapfrog employees - 04-09-05 11:12

by: central

I used to work for the company in the "good old days" when people at the top had experience in childcare and knew what children and parents wanted. All the company is used for now is a vehicle to futher peoples careers - it is so sad this was supposed to be childcare at its best
you must make a stand if what you are saying is right you are not even achieving the basic standards - as childcare proffessionals and people it seems care about their nurseries every day registration conditions are breached you should call ofsted
you should also keep a diary - remember if something goes wrong dont expect people at the top to carry the can - it will be you
just think what inflated salaries they command and what you are paid - they can walk away you cant
how sad that a company with so much promise because of the greed and ambition of certain individuals shouls come to this
good luck

leapfrog employees - 04-09-05 15:40

by: Stephy

Big Brother
I actualy feel a bit offended by your comments, you obviously have knowledge of our nursery knowing that we have a new cook and yes we have said we need more, i personally went through the requirements for babies with her offering alternatives to some of the dishes which are not suitable or i know they wont eat, and to back her up she has been in tears a lot recently, she is worried about giving the children enough but says she has never been shown how to do the orders or how much to order, this is something i no nothing about but she tells me she has asked for help from the office.
I do realise about budgets and the importance of financial planning however many of the girls in our nursery are fed up of having to repeatedly ask for neceseties such as toilet roll! our manger is informed when these are running low.
I personally have been trying to help with recruitment, i am the student co-ordinator and encourage as many of the students who are quilifying to apply for jobs whether it is as relief cover or full time jobs when they qualify, i also have been to colleges in the area to do talks about leapfrog to try and encourage the students who have placements elsewhere to join our team, unfortunantly a couple of these have had to canceled because we didnt have any cover for me to go, so in answer to your question yes i do try and help the staffing levels. I have on a number of occasion worked more than my contracted hours which yes i will get paid for but i dont have to do and i do it because of staffing levels.
With regard to our admin i feel particulaly sorry for her as we have one admn who works 9-2 mon-fri, this used to be a job share but the other girl has never been repalced since emmigrating, our admin lady is lovely and works extreamly hard trying to get all the work in the office done especially with changing everything to the new computer system, i have seen her in the nursery from 7am until 7pm on occasions just to get her work done (she has 2 young children aswell) so i dont think it is realistic to use her in ratios.
I have tried in vain to make things better in our nursery but i cant do it any more, i go to work in the morning with a smile on my face and try to make the best of what i can and any one who works with me will back me up on that, i am positive as much as i can be and am always polite and helpful to the parents, but i feel so drained and dejected when i get home maybe i am using this site to vent my anger and discuss probelms across the board, maybe it helps me knowing its not just my particular nursery that is like this.
I am not lazy i do work and i dont expect people to do my job for me, i have been brought up to stand up for what i believe in and i dont believe the children are getting the standard of childcare thier parents pay for. I have had a lot of comments made by the girls i work with who have said they dont know who will speak out for them when i leave, maybe they are not at confident questioning things as me.
I can only assume you are from central office i am not trying to cause trouble or make problems but if you arent in the nurseries you dont see them on a day to day basis, maybe you are in a nursery which is lucky to be well staffed and well equiped, if you are i am envious.
I spent 2 years at college qualifiyng becuase i love children and love being such a big part in their develpoment but the past 6 months has made me question my career choice, i think if you could see how many staff in my nursery are activly seeking other employment or have been offered new jobs and have left recently you would be surprised and there has to be some reason for this sudden surge in leavers.
I am going to leave it at that but having read this i hope you realsie i dont just sit around all day and i have been trying to help the situation, but i have had enough

leapfrog employees - 04-09-05 17:23

by: central

you should all feel very offended by this message from someone who is quite senior at central office. why should you have to write the babyroom menu - and cook!!!!! ask ofsted if this is your job
because you have an opinion you are branded as a trouble maker - are you not allowed to have your say???
your priority is the children and their welfare - not if staffing levels are adequate or if there is enough cover. its easy to be smug and pass judgement on people when you dont have to contend with the problems on a daily basis
your parents are paying vast sums for their children to recieve the best childcare available - perhaps someone should let them know what really goes on
maybe you and a few others are the people to do it - you must have heard of people power - remember there are a lot of organisations out there looking for good nursery staff

leapfrog employees - 04-09-05 18:17

by: Stephy

THANK YOU central
really appreciate it dont know if you work for leapfrog or are just sticking up for us that do. Will be showing other staff what 'Big brother' has to say about us.
I certanly wont be going without my feelings being heard
THANK YOU

leapfrog employees - 04-09-05 18:18

by: Stephy

Sorry just re-read meaasges and i see you used to work for leapfrog, i hope you have gone to a better place and they treat you how you deserve to be treated.

leapfrog employees - 04-09-05 20:44

by: jacqui29

Big Brother.
An interesting choice of ID. The real BB suppressed all freedom of speech and opposition. Thank goodness for the internet, if it had been left to Leapfrog we wouldn't have found out HQ was to close with 100 redudancies and that the MD had left.
Continue to toe the party line and bury your head in the sand!

leapfrog employees - 04-09-05 21:45

by: Friend of BB

Its funny what you find while having a bit of the surf on the net. I’d like to state from the start that I don’t work for Leapfrog in any capacity. I’m a parent.

This conversation was started by a frustrated, disgruntled employee, who is supposed to be part of the management team. And her little friends, also disgruntled employees. People who care more about themselves than their charges, peers or the people who pay their wages. No doubting people whose personal performance at work would be questionable. I’m employed enough people in my time to know your destructive type. But I’m not tolerant like the company you work for, so they’re not around long enough to effect their peers.

It’s obvious that I’m going to agree with BB. Also in my experience, those who whinge, moan and bitch have nothing of value to contribute. What BB didn’t say was that while they are doing this, they are bringing those around them down to their sorrowful level. Unfortunately I have to work with people such as Stephanie, Central and Jacqui 29, who, regardless of how bad the customers are, how ridicules the instructions the directions from above are, the people who make it not a nice place to be are the wingers like you.

I’m a parent with a child in a Leapfrog nursery. And while I’ve had occasion to speak to the Ops manager regarding certain issues, when ever I’ve walked into the nursery to drop off or collect my son, I’ve always experienced a positive ambience. And there is no doubt that the care my child is receiving is of the highest standard. Thanks goodness he is not being looked at by the likes of you, Stephanie, Central and Jacqui 29. I am loath to name the nursery where my son is, I don’t want your evil influence to perpetrate there.

BB, if you want a job, I need people who are prepared to find and work through solutions rather than just constantly bitch.

leapfrog employees - 04-09-05 22:21

by: Winston Smith1

You haven't a clue what you are talking about.
According to your logic anyone who does not agree with the company should hold their tongue and fall into line. Fortunately the world doesn't work like that and the Thought Police don't control us.
You state you have employed destructive people before but not tolerated them for long, perhaps your management skills are not up to all that much then or you're simply a lousy boss to work for!
Then you state that unfortunately you work with people "who, regardless of how bad the customers are, how ridicules (sic) the instructions the directions from above are, the people who make it not a nice place to be are the wingers (sic) like you".
So, you simply believe a staff member should accept "ridicules" instruction and directions from above without question do you?
The simple facts are that the company was a very nice company to work for before the Leapfrog (reverse)takeover. It is not now because of poor management, poor communication and penny pinching.
Just think Leapfrog could be your Room 101!

leapfrog employees - 04-09-05 22:36

by: Buttons100

Hi,
I hear what you are all saying and i agree its hard. But with any change in business there is going to be teething problems. This isnt a small change and it's going to take time. I'm not saying that Leapfrog is right and your wrong, i am just trying to stay focused on being positive and hoping it improves. Its up to each nursery to try and stand strong.The only way is up!

leapfrog employees - 04-09-05 22:44

by: Buttons100

Where ever you work there will be good times and bad. It can only get better!!!

leapfrog employees - 05-09-05 06:58

by: Stephy

A message for friend of BB

You are right i am a disgruntled employee nad maybe i agree i have gone about this the wrong way however i am always first in the door and almost always last out at night because of how much i care about my charges as you put it, i come in early to set up activites and games for them which i know specific children will enjoy who attend on each day, i stay late so i can display work etc without being taken out the childrens time so i can play with them all day. I think you would also find it interesting that i out in extra hours when ratios are low and i do actually volunteer for these i am rarely asked as i would rather work extra than leave the children short of carers. I have been asked on occasion by parents if i would like to leave and nanny for them these offered i have turned down not because of the money or the job but becasue at the time i felt i was in the middle of things at work trying to help matters i.e employment drives at colleges and felt i didnt want to drop my collegues in it. The nursery i work in has a good atmosphere as the girls i work with have all pulled together to as you say make the best of it, if someone is feeling down someone else can cheer them up.
I think you will also find that if your son came to our nursery you would also find a positive atmosphere, i am polite courtious and helpful to all parents i listen to thier concerns and help with situation- this is my job and i actually care for the children a lot which is why i do this job, and i also give the highest standard of care i can to the children with the resources avaliable the parents of my children will agree with this. All the negativity i expel at home so it doesnt affect the children or my job. Perhaps some of you are right we should shut up and let people walk all over us. Just to note i am still waiting for documents regrading some miscalculation of my wages since may, and thank godness the delivery came on friday we had been with out toilet roll and sanitiser again! Doesnt sound like a company who cares about thier staff.
Well i am going to go now to work as a matter of fact even though it doesnt open until 8 and i live a 5 minute drive away to sort out his weks activities for the children who you seem to think i dont care about!

leapfrog employees - 05-09-05 08:39

by: central

I cannot believe what i read
These girls are not whinging about selfish things - but fundemental tools to do their jobs
If your a parent and read what children where bieng given to eat given that you put your faith and trust in these nurseries you should be appaled
The only reason there is a great atmosphere in these units when you go in is down to the resiliance of these staff - who really do care about their charges (what other reason would they have for doing a job that pays peanuts)
these gripes are all fundemental requirements of ofsted - they are not asking for anything extreme. By the tone of your replies they have obviously hit a sore spot - "methinks he doth protest to much"
the nurseries are obviously breaking their registration requirements and as such have a duty of care to both the children and parents to make it known to the relevant authorities - after all a packet of minestrone soup and dried pasta is not what i would call a balanced meal
have you never had cause to complaine about your working conditions - friend of bb you sound a forthright person i dont believe for one minute you would tolerate these conditions especially as these girls care for the most vunerable members of our society - unfortunatly they dont have a voice or else i think they would be most vocal about cauliflower and tinned tomatoes for dinner
all credit to these staff for speaking out - ther is far to much cover up
i think nursery world should make these transcripts available to ofsted- and see what an independant body has to say about it
p.s i wonder if these girls are treated any differently as a result of their comments

leapfrog employees - 05-09-05 20:29

by: Stephy

Crusty i think i know who you are and thank you for your support and kind words. It means a lot to know the people i work with respect me and my work. Thank you.

leapfrog employees - 05-09-05 23:02

by: Who Cares

I find it really sad that people in the proffession of looking after children don't take their actions or opinions seriously. The affect of inappropriate, non constructive criticism can be devastating, especially in your proffession. It would appear that many of you working within the Leapfrog/Nord Anglia chain have become very disgruntled with the company and feel that your alone, fighting a loosing battle and nobody is listening to you. Well, maybe your right! I’ve probably had the best insight into the world of childcare than most of you, but I'm a firm believer in that, if you don't ask the right question, you will not get the right answer! Asking the right person for help can make a difference to the response that you get. Maybe there are people out there who believe in what your doing or what you stand for on the shop floor. Maybe there are people who are fighting your corner, maybe they’re pissed off too! It’s not just Nursery Nurse’s or Cooks who have a raw deal, the majority of staff working at Head Office deal with problems and pressures just as much as those of you on the front line. But you won't hear them slagging off the Company or putting excuses in the way, or thinking that the world owes them a favour! They do their job to the best of their ability and if that means a fight every day, then fight they will. The bigger picture can not always be appreciated by those in the corner. The company as a whole has gone through some big changes over the past year, some for the better and undoubtedly some for the worse. There are also more changes to come, but who knows what the outcome will be. I believe this company will survive, with or without Tracy Storey and it will succeed. The main reason I believe this, is you. People who are on the shop floor, doing the dirty work every day, people like Stephy who are passionate about their job, but just needs the right guidance. Everyone has their part to play though and if you don’t believe in the company you work for, why stay? And if you don’t want to believe in it, then get out and look for something else that will make you happy. Don’t however drag everyone else down or tar them all with the same brush. Life is to short and even though we live in a world of free speech, it’s my belief and mine alone, that there is a time and a place for everything and this is not the place to bite the hand that feeds you. Oh and one final thing, if nothing else, just remember this, “The grass is not always greener on the other side!”

leapfrog employees - 06-09-05 06:59

by: jacqui29

Perhaps when Leapfrog start treating people correctly, employees may start to have confidence in them.Yes we all get into this line of work because we love working with children, but when you constantly get let down it does not take long for morale to go down hill.

leapfrog employees - 06-09-05 13:04

by: Sad Mum

Why is there such a finger-pointing culture at the staff here? The poor girls love the children they care for. They have brought a whole raft of issues to their manager and when nothing was done they sent a letter outlining their concerns to the ops manager and the MD. Head office did send someone to the nursery and immediately addressed a couple of problems such as getting the grass mown and finding a second hand cot to help with the shortfall. What about the promise to give a full explanation of the change to wages? Nothing has come since May. Why did it take an anonymous call to the council to sort out the rotting garbage? Why did it take 2 members of staff to hire a carpet cleaner at their own expense and stay after work before the management offered to pay? Why are they still running out of basics (toilet roll & hand wash)? This is only the tip of the iceburg. These girls are battling daily with inadequate menus & equipment, lack of direction and poorly prepared staff rotas.Who else does "Who Cares" think the staff can go to? They have tried and are falling at every hurdle. No wonder staff morale is so low. As a manager myself I would expect union intervention if I treated my staff so badly. Come on Leapfrog, listen to your staff; they are willing and kind and just want a fair deal.

leapfrog employees - 06-09-05 17:00

by: scarlett

i am sad to hear that your nurseries are run by such inadequate, inefficient managers.
if things are going wrong, if staff morale is low, then it is the fault of the local manager. she is not doing her job properly.
my nursery (a small privately owned nursery) is the best as far as i am concerned. we have systems in place to monitor menus, cleaning, ratios, staff evaluations etc. we have staff meetings, ongoing supervision, training sessions. if the manager is not doing her job properly to the detriment of the health and safety of the children then this is a matter for ofsted. (if you have put a list together for her with solutions and she is still unable to adapt or compromise or come up with any solutions of her own)
and where is the Deputy manager in all this? she also should be bringing these problems to the attention of the manager.
i hope everything does work out for you all. maybe you could suggest a monthly staff meeting and come up with some good ideas and suggestions.
good luck

leapfrog employees - 06-09-05 18:29

by: Stephy

Scarlett whilst i thank you for you support and kind words i do feel that our manager does do a lot to help us but within such a big company she is a tiny little voice amoung a mountain of others. There have been times when her when i would have questioned her decisions or advce but i am not a manager and dont know how to run a nursery. She doesnt have a deputy manager at present to help her unfortunatly that job role is another which has not been filled for some months despite internal applications it is not her decision who to hire this comes from higher up the company. She us currently running a 108 place nursery alone in effect.

I have learnt my lesson and will probably not work for another big company such as this again unless i am sure there is a better support network in place for managers and staff.
Thank you for your advice and help its good to see we are being heard by someone.

leapfrog employees - 06-09-05 19:47

by: sparky

It is interesting to read everyones comments on here and to find out that we are all in the same situation. Like many of you i only found out about recent events through the artical in nursery world and was so interigued that i searched on here and found all the "have your say" comments.
I have been working at my nursery for nearly 3 years now and enjoyed coming to work up until recently and all the changes that leapfrog have issued. I am not a base room manager but i have the responsability of ordering the essentials such as toilet rolls, etc and then not getting these through when you expect a delivery is disgraceful that after ordering supplies every week, well still havent had a delivery for about 6 weeks. Things need to change, lets hope they do for everyones sake. We all go to work to do what we love, and that is to be with the children and if things dont get any better then the company is going to loose more and more staff.

leapfrog employees - 06-09-05 21:10

by: scrappy

i would like to stick my oar in and have my say - if no-one objects. I am a leapfrog employee! I turn up everyday as chirpy as anything and often feel drained at the end of it. i work very hard - as does all the girls i work with and i have to say that i feel quite fustrated at times that things are not happening that should be and i often feel that the children are not the main priority of the company. All the staff i work with love working with the children and work hard it is just increadibly fustrating that situations are arising that are not being addressed properly by the people who truly can make a difference.The children and the staff make the company what it is and the staff need to be supported and feel that they are heard throughout all levels of the company. Please people - do not critise people who are just trying to have their say because most of the comments i have read have very valid arguments. At the moment it just seems to me that the parents are really not aware of what is happening in their child's nursery in regards to cleanliness, staffing, food and resources. I feel that if they were they would be truly appalled and rightly so. I work hard for this company but feel that any signs of improvement, while they may happen, are proably quite far off as the bell tolls for quite a few jobs already as we have read. Also, even with all this interest it still seems that only the girls working together are the voices that are ringing out clearly. Please, lets carry on working hard for the children like we do but for pitys sake changes need to be made, voices need to be heard and recognised as to be honest - if i had a child i would think twice about a leapfrog nursery. sorry - but a child is the most wonderful gift that you can have and they should at least have the faciltities, resources and staff that have been promised to them by the company.

leapfrog employees - 06-09-05 22:01

by: jakevin

Has anyone not thought of involving OFSTED in this. Im not say the girls are not doing their job as you ALL sound as if you care for the children but you are not receiving appropriate resources. Surely this is a breach of the contracts that the parent sign regarding the care of their children. You are not able to follow company policies to the full content of them.

leapfrog employees - 06-09-05 23:26

by: Stephy

I will be honest and say i have thought about contacting ofsted but i havent as i dont know the implications and i think many leapfrog issues although are in indivdual nurseries come down to things such as supplies taking ages to arrive because 3 signitures are needed or a hold up for interviews for staff etc. Also wouldnt want to drop my manager and collegues in it when many of the things that would be picked up are out of our power.

leapfrog employees - 07-09-05 07:02

by: jakevin

Im not sure whether it would be right or wrong to contact ofsted but it certainly would not be your managers fault as she is trying her best but with no assistance from the top.
Are you keeping a diary of all these timely occurances as this could help in the long run. Just bullet point things so you dont forget them if you ever get called infro a meeting or need it later for reference.
It sounds like ofsted would not pick up on the care side but they do go round each room to ask staff questions thats the time when you would have to be honest and if their good inspectors they should pick it up.

leapfrog employees - 07-09-05 09:36

by: Trillo

I think you Leapfrog staff need to stop moaning!

If you spent less time bitching about the firm and more time being positive and helping the firm through its problems, you would all be better off!

TS is going because she couldn't do her job! If she was any good at it you lot wouldn't be moaning about how tough things are right now!

You need to think about the poor souls in Cheadle who are losing their jobs because people like TS screwed up!

You all know the firm is trying to sort out is troubles, and it will probably take a little time - why not try helping them instead of wasting time on here moaning about?

leapfrog employees - 07-09-05 10:49

by: jacqui29

I take it you are not in the "thick of things", you obviously don't have a clue about trying to clean children with no wipes, toilet rolls, tissues,paper towels etc,yet if things are not clean and illness occurs who will the finger be pointed at? Would you eat or give your child the "rubbish" we have had to feed to the children in our care, after all, these are growing children whose brains are developing rapidly and need a "proper" balanced diet. Parents do not have any idea because people like us do our job in a professional manner and keep smiling.

leapfrog employees - 07-09-05 13:41

by: Stephy

Gyppo,
What exactly can we do to help the situation please do tell i would love to hear your advice. After all if you have read any of the other entries you would see that many of us have been helping, with recruitment, writing menus, helping managers because we are short staffed a lot of the time. Short of driving to central office learning the skills of the people there and helping them i dont see what more can be done by us mere mortals at the bottom of the hierachy!
Leap frog has not always been like this it has only been since the takeover and before that TS did a very good job and it was a good company to work for.
Maybe its rude narrowminded people such as yourself which have driven.

leapfrog employees - 07-09-05 19:17

by: B Bird

Hi
I have worked for Laepfrog for a few years in the capacity of Manager and I would like to state that although there have been changes within the company my Nursery has not suffered in any way.
The children are still cared for to a very high standard by staff who are happy in their work and appreciate the environment in which they work. The menus are prepared with great thought and there is always plenty of food to go around.
I find it sad that I and many other Managers take great pride and ownership of our Nurseries, ensuring that we maintain a good reputation within our community only to risk this being ruined by a few- PLEASE do not assume that all the nurseries are the same.

leapfrog employees - 07-09-05 22:18

by: California

'nursery10' @ Nursery World, do you have a moderator observing this site?

leapfrog employees - 08-09-05 20:41

by: Worried Parent

I am an employee who has a child at the nursery where I work and I have to say standards have dropped! My child has been at nursery for over 3 yrs we picked Leapfrog because of its reputation and high standards and have always been happy until i started working there which was approx 8mths ago. I agree with alot of the other issued raised by people but my biggest and main concerns are FOOD & HYGEINE - Leapfrog what is happening, how must it look to parents/visitors when the visitor toilet is constantly out of loo roll and paper towels as nursery has run out yet again. How are we supposed to stop germs spreading especially in the baby room/nappy room when we are constantly running out of paper towels and sanitizer!!! Winter is fast approaching, we get enough germs in nursery as it is without trying to add to them. We get told the same thing they have been ordered but didn't arrive. Food is also a major problem, I feel very sorry for children who are full time as diet has at times been extremly poor, lacking in both nutrition and quantity. Do head office not realise that hungry children have a poor attention span, can become naughty or very tired.
I have queried tea many a time to be told it is a high tea(light snack) but for many children that is there last meal of the day, and I don't call 1 chesse scone with no butter and a toasted tea cake very subtantial or very nutritious. Our particular nursery has had a few problems over the last 6months with new cooks but I don't think that is a good enough reason for children to go 1-2 days with no fresh fruit or veg - what the hell are parents paying for!!! Why are menus placed up for parents to see when this is not what they are getting! Why is a morning session the same price as an afternoon session when am children get a snack and hot meal and pm children only get high tea! Sometimes we haven't even had enough food for the children to have more than one sandwich and if someone drops their 1st there is no more to give them. I have complained many a time to my manager about lack of food or the menu to be told to "go and have a word with the cook" she wouldn't be telling this to any other parent she would try and sort it out her self but I feel since becoming an employee I am not listened to as a paying parent anymore. I love the job and working with the children but
have thought many a time about taking my child out of nursery because of all of the above problems but then I think i have got lots of friends who send their kids to the nursery so if I leave what chance have they got of finding out what really goes on behind the scence, someone needs to keep an eye on the welfare of their children over expected things like food and hygeine - parents pay a hell of a lot of money and expect something in return

leapfrog employees - 09-09-05 17:40

by: the-voice-of-reason

There are serious health and hygiene implications here for all the children, staff and visitors to Leapfrog nurseries. Ofsted would gather evidence to this effect and make judgements about how well the nursersies contributed to children 'Being Healthy' and how well the nursery was organised. It seems to me that they would more than likely be judged as 'inadequate' and actions given to raise the standards. Surely this would be a wake up call to head office?

Throughout these messages nursery staff have stated that the children are their main concern. I am not convinced. By 'keeping these issues within individual nurseries', this is not solving any of the problems. It is allowing poor quality and bad standards to have a detrimental and dangerous impact on children's health and well-being.

I leave this thought with all Leapfrog nursery employees, can you sleep at night allowing this to happen? The telephone number for Ofsted complaints is 0845 601 4772.

leapfrog employees - 10-09-05 20:54

by: outside eyes

I am a parent within one of the nord anglia chain. i am not within a management roll. i feel dreadfully sorry that the only way you feel that you can express yourself within this working enviroment is by this site. This way is quite destructive to yourselves and your collegues. By doing so you are only adding to the problems your company are having. My child goes to a nursery where they were having simular problems regarding quality of food however because of the hard work by staff and managment and those at head office this matter will hopefully be resolved. the problems were caused by poor staff (cook) who failed to do her job properly. the solution sounds simple but without going into detail it was not (i do have ears inside).
i belive that nord anglia took on too many nurseries too quickly. However with your help you can furfill the dream of becoming part of the best childcare provider in the world. It is you that provides the care. I too work in a job with little support from above and know what its like but you must make it work for the sake of the children. The nursery my daughter goes to provides very good care to my daughter and this is because of the staff who are in exactly the same predicament as you and this is becasue of their dedication.

PLSE PLSE keep with it the parent aren't stupid they know whats going on they stay because of you.

regarding recruitment you are in the same boat as all other care givers inc nurses teachers ect you are poorly paid and the job has no finacial incentment. You do the job becasue you love it not for the money not everyone thinks like that and i admire you.

IT WILL GET BETTER one way or another but plse dont contine to destroy your future good care is hard to find

leapfrog employees - 11-09-05 12:42

by: outside eyes

WELL IF YOU FEEL THAT STRONGLY THEN YOU WOULD NOT HESITATE ABOUT CONTACTING OFFSTEAD EVEN IF THE OUT COME IS POSITIVE JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS BEING DONE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CHILDREN AT THE END OF THE DAY THAT IS WHAT YOU GET UP FOR EVERYDAY AND GO TO WORK THAT IS WHY YOU STUDIED AND GAINED YOUR QUALIFICATION AS I SAID I HAVE INSIDE EYES AS WELL AS MY OUTSIDE EYES IF YOUR MANAGER AND OPS MANAGER CAN NOT SORT IT THEN WITH PERSERVERENCE AND SUPPORT FROM ALL THERE STAFF IT WILL BE SORTED MY DAUGHTER WAS WITH JIGSAW BEFOR NORD ANGLIA AND HAS BEEN THERE AT HER NURSERY FOR THREE YEARS AND IS VERY HAPPY THERE THE MANAGER IS THERE TO SPEAK TO IF YOU HAVE ANY ISSUES AND WILL DO HER BEST TO SORT IT OUT.AS LIKE ANY ONE WHO WORK AT THE NURSERY THEY ARE ONLY HUMAN

leapfrog employees - 15-09-05 11:01

by: wellwell

Was the worst company every - I did not work in the nurseries but worked with Head office who treated people very badly. When Leapfrog merged with PC and Petits Enfants it was a big mistake. They put an incapable MD in place for a start who was allowed to treat us all like dirt!

What goes around comes around

leapfrog employees - 15-09-05 21:33

by: Stephy

Has any one seen this weeks nursery world article on leapfrog yet another sting in the tail i feel!
Oh and the salmonella what a horrible time for that to come. I hope all the children and staff effected are now ok.
It makes me concerned about cooking at my nursery when the cook is away i am not qualified for cooking and am now more worried than before about harming the children. Think I might stick to childcare.
I was however disappointed again to be questioned by a parent who had read it in the sun before we were told what was going on! All i knew was no chicken and eggs to be used. Imagine my concern and embarresment that i could not help ease the mind of the parent luckly i thought on my feet and dealt with it.

leapfrog employees - 16-09-05 15:59

by: poshbird

Hi Everyone,

I have worked for Leapfrog as an ADMINISTRATOR for less than a year and I cannot wait to leave.

Within my ADMIN role I have cooked on an inadequate cooker, washed up because the dishwasher is broken and we do not have a Kitchen Assistant, I have spent £350 of my own money on ESSENTIAL in 1 month, helped in children's rooms, taken paperwork home at the weekend and then I am asked why I failed to reach a report deadline by the OPS MANAGER.

If I wanted to be SUPERWOMAN I would wear a blue & red costume and have breast enlargements!

To those of you who think I am a whinger...I don't care! But losing another member of staff is not going to help the situation at Leapfrog.

leapfrog employees - 16-09-05 19:51

by: 6Aug

Every1 seems fed up with it at the moment but what about those at head office even your managers they wont say anything and make matters worse but to me it just seems that every1 is moaning and so cant be giving 100% to their job which is what they are getting paid for.At the end of the day if you dont like get out you obviously couldn't care. Yes of course there are going to be problems and yes they are going to take a while to settle out but we need to wait. I also think that if there are that many problems in your nurseries y haven't the parents picked up on it and taken there children out maybe your making the situation sound a lot worse than it actually is. I am from a leapfrog nursery and my nursery is managing fine staff are happy and those that aren't have left. orders are sometimes late because people don't let managers no about low stock levels. If you are seriously having that many problems report to head office but don't class all the nurseries the same because we are not and its not fair on the good nurseries.

leapfrog employees - 16-09-05 21:58

by: the-voice-of-reason

This is a sad and sorry state of affairs. As I stated in my previous posting 'It is allowing poor quality and bad standards to have a detrimental and dangerous impact on children's health and well-being.'

This has now been proven in the case of salmonella in a Leapfrog nursery. How many more outbreaks do we need to see before staff take their responsibilities within the Children Act seriously, i.e. 'the welfare of the child is paramount'. They need to stop 'whinging' as other 'postees' have so eloquently put it and blow the whistle on this inadequate care.

leapfrog employees - 17-09-05 14:42

by: outside eyes

nord anglia took all these nursery over at once so they have alot to merge together different policies and procedures why not give them a chance to sort things out.well done 6aug i agree with you.the company need to make money to make big changes and make all there nuseries leapfrog it has only been a year and already alot has changed.some things maybe not for the good but if people talk out and say why these changes are not working then the big people at head office will know if there employees dont let them know then how do you expect things to change give nord anglia time to adjust sort things out make progress it does not happen over night all those who work for the company keep going they need your support and not people slatting the company

leapfrog employees - 17-09-05 17:37

by: poshbird

I agree it takes time and money....BUT NORD HAVE NEITHER TIME OR MONEY!!

I challenge the executives or Mr Whip himself to go BACK TO THE FLOOR (BBC2) and see what it is really like working for a week in a nursery facing the daily problems we are up against for the minimum wage.

IS ANYONE AT THE TOP UP FOR THE CHALLENGE?

leapfrog employees - 18-09-05 10:46

by: Stephy

I DEFINATLY SECOND THAT CHALLENGE!

I understand that unless people are told what it is like they won't know what it is like working in the heart of the nursery. Maybe it would help those at the top to go through a week in our lives, similaly though we dont know what they are doing. Maybe a role reversal for a week is actually what is needed to understand each others roles!

leapfrog employees - 18-09-05 18:11

by: lisa boniface

To you all
Surely if you are all really that unhappy then you all know what to do.Stop the moaning and move on elswhere, i am sure you all think that the grass is greener!!!!!

leapfrog employees - 18-09-05 20:36

by: jule

I have sat and read these messages from the begining for the past hour or so. And I cannot understand why with such poor condition apparent for the children that no one has contacted OFSTED.
They need to be made aware of the apparent disgusting conditions these children and babies are being cared for in. As responsible adults we must protect these children not big companies.

leapfrog employees - 19-09-05 09:39

by: poshbird

to LISA JAYNE

Wish me luck - I am going for an interview this morning!

I will leave Leapfrog when I can but some of us have Mortgages etc.....!

I leave and so will others .....the care provided to the children will only deteriorate more.

leapfrog employees - 19-09-05 16:51

by: joshuajones

Asquith Court merged with Gatehous