A leaflet published by the West Midlands Early Years Professional Development Group, entitled The Invisible Professionals - Nursery nurses deserve to be recognised, called for 'an end to the current unacceptable levels of exploitation'. The group said they want nursery nurses to have a proper career structure, and recognition for the additional responsibilities that most have been given.
They called for nursery nurses to have a salary structure that rewards different levels of responsibility and involvement, and an optional threshold assessment to reward and recognise experience. The leaflet also said nursery nurses needed a new job title that recognised their qualifications and their role as educators. It stressed that not all nursery nurses want to become teachers, but called for greater access to further training for nursery nurses who do want to gain qualified teacher status.
The leaflet pointed out that 'in many settings, nursery nurses are already carrying out aspects of the teacher's role' and quoted an article from Nursery World reporting on a survey that found a pair of nursery nurses earning average salaries would be excluded from owning their own home in all but 16 of the 171 counties in England and Wales.
The leaflet added, 'The current situation is resulting in confusion, frustration and anger, which is not conducive to building a highly motivated, effective workforce. If the current situation is allowed to continue we will lose more and more nursery nurses to other professions where they can earn a realistic wage.'
For copies of the leaflet, contact the group's co-ordinator, Lynda Lawrence, on 01922 643833.
