Letters

I have been reading Nursery World for more than 30 years and thought Ishould tell you that a friend and I have just been looking at a year'sworth of magazines from 1976.

She had collected them from when we were at college studying for ourNNEB. It was a fascinating to look at them and see how things havechanged. One question we have been unable to find an answer for iswhether the writer Patricia Geraghty is in fact the same person wholectured us at The Mid Warwickshire College of Further Education in1974-76.

I still work with young children and still find Nursery World veryuseful, particularly the more recent articles concerning the new EYFSchanges and two-year progress check.

Jan Gibbs, Colindale, London

Our star letter wins 30 worth of books

FOCUS ON YOUR WEBSITE FIRST

It was interesting to read the recent article on social media (NurseryManagement, Autumn 2012). While there is a rush to embrace Facebook andTwitter, it seems to me that the simple fact that the website should beat the heart of any social media strategy was largely ignored. Socialmedia is most effective when used to engage parents and staff whiledriving traffic to your website.

Our website was developed in conjunction with our current parents andthe results were conclusive. Parents want information to be accessible24/7 - on the nursery their child attends, and what their child has beenup to. The Facebook activity is an extra layer of communication forparents.

We need to remember that in our industry the childcare product is notone that can be sold online, but a great website supported by aneffective social media strategy can help showcase a nursery to newparents with the additional benefit of being a communication tool forcurrent parents.

We do work hard to ensure that we have a high level of social mediaintegration and that our website and Facebook page work together. Theyhelp staff at the nurseries by providing another avenue to give parentsimportant information. Staff can also keep up to date with events at ourother nurseries across the UK.

Caron Moseley, marketing manager, Kiddi Caru

DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY

Frank Furedi is quite right to highlight the social cost of thelitigation culture. The first that many nursery owners learn of apotential claim against them is an aggressive letter from solicitors,accusing them of negligence and demanding all sorts of paperwork andpolicies.

The tone and content of these letters can cause great alarm if you havenever received one before. They really serve to preclude the possibilityof a peaceful and amicable settlement to a dispute right from the start.The recipient of such letters can only react in a hostile and negativeway to the parent or employee who is ultimately behind them; theclaimant responds with bristling self defence. It is an unhealthy way ofproceeding.

Without wishing to minimise the distress they can cause, I would saythat these solicitors letters are essentially formulaic. I have seenthousands over the years and they all seem to be written from atemplate. If you are on the receiving end of one, the key thing is toremain calm and understand that it is business, not personal. Litigationhas become a game in the UK, played out between lawyers and insurancecompanies to see who will blink first, and business owners can findthemselves in the front line.

Fortunately, however, it is a game you can avoid relatively easily. Youdon't even have to reply to the solicitor's letter. Get in touch withyour insurance company as soon as possible and hand the problem over tothem - it's what you have paid your insurance premium for. You willstill have to produce all the necessary documents, and make statements,but it will be to someone who is representing your side.

Jerry Beere, director, Morton Michel

CLARIFICATION

In 'Nursery at threat of closure for putting children's safety at risk'(21 August), we reported that the manager appeared to have left thesetting. The manager subsequently contacted us and has asked us to pointout that this was not the case and that she continues to be manager atLittle People nursery in Colne. Nursery World is happy to clarify thisand has amended the online story accordingly.

The Editor, Nursery World, 174 Hammersmith Road, London W6 7JP

letter.nw@haymarket.com

020 8267 8401