Nursery World - Forging ahead

'When I first came to the hospital three years ago the nursery wasn't even on the hospital map, but now our profile has rocketed,' says Ealing NHS Trust childcare co-ordinator Rose Alphonse, who has been in post since July and also manages the 52 place on-site day nursery in west London. The nursery has introduced flexible hours so parents only pay for the hours they need, with a minimum of four hours a day. Rose runs a weekly childcare helpline and is currently conducting a survey of the Trust's 14,000 staff to gauge childcare needs. 'I am asking what the Trust can do to help, such as offering later nursery opening hours. We have a holiday club and the next thing we are looking at is weekend care. A few people have enquired about emergency childcare, so that is something else we're considering. Ealing is a Neighbourhood Nursery Initiative area, so I am also investigating gaining funding from there.'

Rose runs a weekly childcare helpline and is currently conducting a survey of the Trust's 14,000 staff to gauge childcare needs. 'I am asking what the Trust can do to help, such as offering later nursery opening hours. We have a holiday club and the next thing we are looking at is weekend care. A few people have enquired about emergency childcare, so that is something else we're considering. Ealing is a Neighbourhood Nursery Initiative area, so I am also investigating gaining funding from there.'

* Staff at Hereford Hospitals NHS Trust are saving on childcare with the introduction of childcare vouchers. Acting childcare co-ordinator Karen Miller says, 'They've been a real success since the vouchers were introduced in June. Parents can save around 10 per cent of their childcare costs and they can be used for any registered childcare.'

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