Survey highlights impact of Covid self-isolation policy on nursery closures

A further 12 per cent were forced to fully close.

Combined, this means that nearly four in ten settings (37 per cent) faced closures over the three month period.

The findings are taken from the NDNA and EPI's fourth and final survey of their year-long research project examining the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the sector. A total of 344 settings took part in the survey.

When asked why they had to close, the majority of settings (53 per cent) said it was due to staff members or children having to isolate after coming into contact with a positive coronavirus case. A further 15 per cent cited insufficient demand for places.

The report warns that it is ‘highly likely that increased isolation from rising infections will contribute towards further closures over the summer period.' It says that some providers reported that the ‘notification of cases of a positive Covid test doubled between the last week of May and the first week of June.'

The survey was completed before the numbers of cases began to rise in childcare settings from June onwards.

Ofsted statistics, published last week, show reports by early years and childcare settings to the inspectorate of incidents of coronavirus rose from 269 incidents for the week starting 7 June, to 396 the week of the 14 June, and 643 for the week starting 21 June.

The NDNA and EPI stress that ‘settings' ability to survive financially will continue to be dictated by parental demand for places, which is highly dependent on local economies, rates of infections and the availability of new workers to join the sector.'

It says that falling child attendance rates in England and Wales are likely to get worse as infections rise over the summer.

Staffing

Findings from the survey also reveal a high turnover of staff within some settings, with as many as 6 per cent of the workforce voluntarily terminating their contracts over the spring due to ‘job stress’ and low pay.

Other key findings include:

• On average, settings employed 2 per cent fewer staff in May than they had in March.
• A total of 1 per cent of staff were made redundant over the spring period.
• Settings needing to recruit new staff said it was ‘difficult’ or ‘very difficult’ to hire.
• The sector is still heavily reliant on the furlough scheme with 15 per cent of employees on part-time furlough and 8 per cent on full-time furlough at the time of the survey.

‘Problems could intensify over the summer’

Report co-author and director of early years at the EPI Dr Sara Bonetti warned that the ‘next few months may prove to be the most critical yet for thousands of settings due to soaring infection rates and the end of the furlough scheme.’

‘Our research shows that over the spring, many early years settings were forced to close due to rising Covid rates and a lack of demand from families for places. It is now highly likely that these problems will intensify over the summer’, she said.

‘With high turnover in the workforce due to increasingly demanding jobs and low pay, those settings that do make it through this period of uncertainty will face further challenges in maintaining and hiring quality staff who are able to support children’s vital early education. 

‘We need to see greater recognition from the Government of this highly precarious situation for the early years sector in the form of additional financial support, with funding rates for providers set at pre-pandemic levels.’

NDNA’s chief executive Purnima Tanuku said the sector was 'in turmoil'.

‘It’s important to note that this survey was completed before the numbers of cases began to rise in childcare settings from June onwards,' she said. 'This in turn leads to room and even full nursery closures and many nurseries are struggling to find enough staff to remain open.

‘There are still a lot of nursery practitioners on the furlough scheme and as attendance levels start to reverse, it’s easy to see how this is fast becoming another crisis point for both working families and childcare providers.

‘Our recent nursery closures report shows that thousands more young children are missing out as a third more nurseries have been forced to close permanently. Governments must invest urgently to save the childcare sector while the alarm bells are ringing rather than wait until the ship has sunk. The sector which has been so vital to the Covid effort is in turmoil and needs a lifeline now.’

The National Education Union (NEU) said that the report did ‘not come as a surprise’.

Joint general secretary Kevin Courtney said, ‘When primary and secondary schools were closed earlier this year in January due to the pandemic it was clear from the scientific evidence and advice from SAGE that nurseries should also have been closed, except for key worker and vulnerable children, to help prevent the continuing spread of the virus within society. As a result of ignoring this advice many settings had to close completely and staff were put at risk unnecessarily.

'As the report indicates, lack of sufficient funding from the Government will lead to many nurseries closing.’

A Government spokesperson said, 'We have put unprecedented investment into childcare over the past decade – more than £3.5 billion in each of the past three years – and have supported the sector with significant financial and business support, including through an hourly rate increase that's higher than the costs nurseries may have faced from the uplift to the national living wage.

'We are also committed to supporting the sector to develop a workforce with the knowledge, skills and experience to deliver high quality early education and childcare and we are significantly investing in training for early years staff to support the very youngest children’s learning and development.'