Uncover The Information You Need To Run Your Early Years Setting Sustainably
Big decisions should be informed by a strong evidence base, explains Jo Verrill
Managing a business can be tough, especially if you are heavily involved in hands-on delivery too.
Finding protected time to look at what is happening right now and into the future in terms of your business costs, income, staffing, changes in local provision and the number of children in your area… it’s a very tall order. Do you feel like you have more questions than answers?
| • | How much does it cost to deliver one hour’s care for the three and four-year-olds in your setting? |
| • | What makes up this cost and are the prices for these things changing? |
| • | What will these figures be in a year’s time when the National Living Wage goes up again? |
| • | Are you covering these costs in the fees you charge? |
| • | Do the funding rates you receive cover these costs? |
| • | What is your occupancy rate and what is affecting it right now – new provision in the area, changes in the number of children living locally, changes in employment? |
| • | What changes lie ahead and how will they affect your occupancy? |
| • | How long does it take you to fill a staff vacancy? If it’s tough, why is that? |
| • | How long do staff stay, why do they leave, where do they go? |
Why does it matter?
We believe that big decisions should be informed by a strong evidence base, an evidence base that just isn’t there right now.
Poor information leads to poor decisions, which take a long time to reverse, and it takes longer still to undo the damage caused. GCSE English and maths requirements are a case in point.
Whether it’s reliable large-scale analysis of what it costs to deliver quality childcare or workforce research to get to the bottom of staff recruitment and retention issues in the sector, there is a gaping hole that needs to be filled.
About Early Years
About Early Years is an exciting new research programme about and for the early years sector. It’s different. Led by independent research company Ceeda, informed by a sector advisory group and sponsored by organisations with a passion for early education, it will collect large-scale sector data three times a year, year-on-year.
We are delighted that the Pre-school Learning Alliance is taking a lead role as founding sponsor of the About Early Years programme. A leading voice for the sector, the Alliance will ensure that the intelligence gathered is used to inform national policy direction.
“Having worked with Ceeda on a number of research projects, we are pleased and excited to be part of this exciting new venture,” commented Neil Leitch, the Alliance’s chief executive. “We know first-hand the value of robust, independent early years research and at a time of intense sector debate, About Early Years will provide a vital intelligence base from which to inform and influence early years policy.”
The London Early Years Foundation will also play a key role as sponsor of the quality and capacity theme, with other early supporters including the Childbase Partnership, Connect Childcare and NEyTCO.
How it will work
We will be recruiting a representative panel of 3,000 day nurseries and preschools and 1,000 childminders during May 2017. The panel will be surveyed three times a year in spring, summer and autumn.
Each wave will collect key measures such as occupancy and staff vacancies, plus a wave-specific subject focus like the workforce or delivery costs. This will mean the burden of giving information is spread across the year and for the first time, the peaks and troughs in occupancy can be captured and their impacts properly understood.
We will also be pulling together the existing facts and figures that sit in lots of different places, joining the threads to uncover the story they can tell us and what it means for provision in your area – for your business.
Dr Jo Verrill is managing director at Ceeda. To find out more about this exciting project visit aboutearlyyears.co.uk, email Jo at enquiries@ceeda.co.uk, call 0845 680 0631 or share your thoughts by tweeting @ceeda_uk.
Join the panel
If you are approached to be on the panel, please give it your support. Your time is pressured, your information confidential and we completely understand that you may often feel like telling researchers to ‘mind their own business’ – but this is our promise to you:
| • | We will streamline data collection as much as we can and involve the sector in its design so that it ‘makes sense’ and has practical value. |
| • | We will provide you with your own confidential results so you get a direct benefit from taking part. |
| • | We will always protect your data and anonymity. |
| • | The research will be you to influence and inform the big decisions made by policy-makers, ultimately helping you to manage your business and deliver the best care you can for families. |
| • | Watch out for more information coming your way soon! |
Sponsor the programme
We are inviting all organisations working with, in or on behalf of the early years sector to get involved and support this work. Help fund this vital programme and promote your organisation at the same time with a range of sponsorship opportunities. Click here to find out more.
