Yet, apart from qualified teachers, these categories of employees are not eligible to access help with affordable housing, because they are not designated key workers. This is despite the recruitment and retention crisis in the sector, levels of pay which fall far below those of teachers and health workers, and the Government's continual praise for the vital job that such staff are doing.
Indeed, the latest phase of the recruitment campaign for childcarers has been running on TV with the strapline 'Be their inspiration'. It's a lot to ask for a job which demands so much and pays so little. Surely early years practitioners should be viewed as key workers, especially as the Sure Start, Neighbourhood Nurseries and Extended Schools programmes roll out, all needing high-quality staff and struggling to find them.
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