Nursery World - Case study: Sue and Fay

Sue Kowalski's daughter Fay first started working at her mother's Sunbeams Day Nursery in Plymouth as a school student on a work placement more than six years ago. She later joined the staff as a nursery assistant and has worked her way up to nursery co-ordinator at number three in the management team, which also includes her mother and the nursery's manager.

She later joined the staff as a nursery assistant and has worked her way up to nursery co-ordinator at number three in the management team, which also includes her mother and the nursery's manager.

'She has got there on her own merits,' says Sue. 'In some ways she has had a tough time, as she has never received any favours from me where perhaps another member of staff might have done. I didn't want any feeling that she was being treated differently because she is my daughter.

'Our relationship has survived some very testing times. A few years ago she went through the disciplinary procedure. It involved another member of staff and they both had to go through the disciplinary procedure. It was very difficult, but I had to be seen to be neutral. It helps that I have a manager too.

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