NDNA and EPI launch joint research project on early years workforce

As the damaging effects of the pandemic on childcare providers will be changing over the coming months, the study will last until June 2021, with four surveys taking place starting this month and running until next summer.

The NDNA is asking childcare providers across the UK to complete the initial survey, which is now live. This will be followed by three more surveys, which will capture the evolving nature of the challenges facing the sector in England, Scotland and Wales.

The first survey requires information about staffing levels and numbers of children being cared for, both now and this time last year. It will also seek to establish a baseline snapshot of the workforce from March this year, just before the effects of the pandemic were seen.

Participants can take part in any number or all of these.

NDNA and EPI will be sharing the results from each piece of research, with a larger piece of analysis at the end of the year-long project.

This will enable researchers, policy-makers and the early years sector to understand recruitment and retention challenges.

NDNA chief executive Purnima Tanuku said, ‘We know that this virus and its consequences have had a devastating impact on the whole of society, but it has been particularly damaging for the already-struggling childcare sector.

‘We are investigating how lower demand for places along with the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the way it was applied to early years settings has impacted on the workforce. This includes staffing levels, qualifications, training and opportunities for continuing professional development.

‘This is vital information that will help shape proposals that would effectively support the workforce in England, Scotland and Wales in terms of training and knowledge. To understand what solutions will work for the sector and what support Governments could provide, we have to see the impact the pandemic has had – this study will provide this in real time.

‘A well-qualified, motivated and properly recognised workforce is crucial to the quality of care and early education our children receive.’

The focus will be on issues related to recruitment and retention of staff in the private, voluntary and independent (PVI) sector, and in particular on the consequences of the pandemic on staff qualification levels and on opportunities for continuing professional development (CPD).

NDNA said the survey was about collecting a snapshot in time to understand the workforce landscape before lockdown and the current picture.

Sara Bonetti, director of early years at the Education Policy Institute (EPI), said, ‘The early years sector has long been in poor financial health, but the pandemic has exacerbated many existing problems and now poses an additional acute threat to childcare providers. The ongoing disruption will have created huge instability for the hundreds of thousands of early years workers in the UK, who play an indispensable role in the learning and development of our youngest children.

‘A stable early years workforce is essential to delivering high-quality provision for children, so it is vital that we understand how workers have been impacted by this crisis.’ 

• Participants who will remain strictly confidential.
• The survey is available here