The lack of resources, training and experience to deal with increasing demands for quality, change and efficiency is making the working lives of early years practitioners more and more stressful. Yet many managers are reluctant to acknowledge that there is a problem, and even when they do, feel ill-equipped to deal it.
Stress, as defined by the Health and Safety Executive, is 'the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed on them'. Disturbed sleep and headaches are two of the most common signs.
In the workplace, stress can result in poor staff motivation, absenteeism and conflict, affecting a setting's quality, decision-making, performance, reputation and viability.
According to the Health and Safety Executive, up to 60 per cent of all absenteeism is believed to be caused by work-related stress. This costs organisations about 3.7 billion a year.
Tackling problems of stress is particularly important in early years settings, as children are quick to detect adults' stress, which adversely affects children's behaviour.
Stress is minimised when settings harness the true potential of their staff through:
* effective leadership, management and organisational systems
* open, honest and supportive communication and relationships.
Settings with the correct management systems in place often ignore the importance of communication and building co-operative relationships, but it is an area that is vitally important to the smooth running of a setting.
Action plan
If you have identified a problem:
* assess the scale of the problem
* decide what are acceptable levels of stress - short-term stress, perhaps meeting a deadline, is not harmful and can, in fact, be positive for staff growth
* survey and involve staff - but make sure you act on the findings
* implement a plan, including outcomes and timescales.
Causes
People experience stress when circumstances at work threaten their basic needs, including their need for:
* security, safety and certainty
* appreciation, support and making a contribution
* respect, achievement and recognition
* variety and growth
* trust, being heard and understood
* choice and flexibility
* relaxation, rest and fun.
Assessment
Use the following questions to help you assess stress levels in your setting, the causes of stress, and how you respond to the problems: Vision, sustainability and resources
* Is your nursery viable and do staff feel secure?
* Is there a clear vision and do staff feel part of a common direction and purpose?
* Are there sufficient staff, and do they have the right qualifications and experience?
* Is absenteeism a problem and do you struggle to find cover to absent staff?
Organisation, responsibilities and roles
* Is there a clearly defined organisational structure?
* Do staff know their roles and responsibilities, or do they feel uncertain about job expectations?
* Are tasks and responsibilities clear and shared evenly?
* Do you use a rota system or do staff feel resentful because other staff don't pull their weight?
* Do staff feel torn or frustrated when they are pulled away from the room to answer the phone or do other tasks?
* Is there sufficient administrative support?
Management style and culture
* Is the nursery a fun place to work, or is everything taken very seriously?
* Are staff open, honest, trusting?
* Do staff work as a team, or do they avoid responsibility? Is there a blame culture?
* Do staff voice their concerns, or are they reluctant to speak for fear of causing offence or upset?
* Can managers deal with challenging situations and difficult staff?
* Can managers cope with conflicting demands from staff and owners?
* Can they meet deadlines, or do they fall behind schedule and leave things undone?
* Do managers keep their promises when informing staff of change or improvements?
* Do managers spend time 'on the shopfloor', keeping an eye on practice, or do they spend more time on administration?
* Is there a simple appraisal system, give feedback and rewards for achievements?
Standards, systems and planning
* Does your setting meet Ofsted standards with ease, or is there panic every time an inspection looms?
* Does your setting use a simple management system of policies and procedures, such as the NDNA Investors in Children standard, to ensure safe and efficient working practices are followed, or are there weaknesses and potential hazards waiting to happen?
* Do staff manage time efficiently with a clear view of when and how to complete tasks? Do they plan and schedule activities, or do they leave things to the last minute or worry about not being able to get everything done?
* When routines are broken, such as feeding and changing nappies, are staff able to maintain momentum, or do they take short cuts or do uncompleted work?
* Do staff take work home?
* Can staff cope with complex tasks such as curriculum planning?
* Do staff have sufficient breaks in an area away from the children, or do they feel they can never switch off?
* Do staff work long days, or are there options for jobshares and flexible hours?
Communication and interactions
* Are staff involved in decision making or do they feel left out?
* Do managers spend quality time with staff and give feedback on performance? Do managers mentor and support staff? Do they show appreciation and respect and give them rewards for achievement, or do staff feel unmotivated and undervalued?
* Are staff and managers able to deal with change and situations that don't go to plan, or do they feel out of control and helpless? Can staff deal with conflicts or emotional situations, such as reassuring distressed parents?
Development and training
* Are staff given the opportunity for growth and advancement through training and working in different rooms, or do they suffer from a lack of variety and potential for development?
Environment
* Is your nursery bright, cheerful, clean, tidy and organised, with acceptable levels of noise, or is it drab, untidy and inhibiting?
* Are there enough toys, equipment and activities for stimulation and development or do children get bored, putting unnecessary strain on staff?
Managers' skills To avoid and handle problems of stress in the workplace, managers need to be competent in:
* motivating, mentoring and relating to staff
* understanding human needs and how to respond to them
* allocating roles, responsibilities and tasks clearly and evenly among staff
* devising simple management systems and procedures
* planning, prioritising and scheduling
* managing conflicts, and dealing with difficult staff and parents
* staying on track when plans go wrong
* keeping grounded, focused and calm in challenging times
* being 'in the moment' when interrupted or distracted
* meeting deadlines and managing time effectively
* dealing with procrastination
* devising ways for staff to advance
* delegating and diplomacy.
Team skills
For staff to avoid stress, they need, in addition to their professional skills, to be competent in:
* scheduling and planning
* understanding human needs and how people are affected by them
* managing conflicts, and dealing with parents and other staff
* staying on track when plans go wrong
* keeping grounded, focused and calm in challenging times
* being in the moment when interrupted or distracted
* meeting deadlines and managing time
* dealing with procrastination.
Outside the setting
What staff do in their free time can also affect their stress levels, morale and performance at work. Therefore, encourage staff to spend some recreational time together, having fun or simply relaxing.
Strong foundations
It is important, too, for managers to bear in mind that settings are dynamic. Staff change, so you need to constantly invest and improve your communication and relationship skills, building a strong foundation. NW Martin Pring works as a freelance trainer, mentor and advisor in the childcare sector and works in association with Kiddycare training, based in Leicester
Further information
* The Health and Safety Executive wesite at www.hse.gov.
uk/stress/index.htm is particularly useful. See also the Bupa site at www.bupa.co.uk
General information is available at www. martinpring.com and a free nursery stress self-assessment questionnaire and feedback guide is available at www. martinpring.com/info.asp?resource=NurseryStressAssessment
