Nursery staff are not usually money-hungry employees who are driven by large pay packets and end-of-year bonuses - they would be in the wrong industry if they were. But they too need to be kept motivated. One way nursery chains do this is by implementing employee awards schemes. These recognise and reward staff who have given outstanding contributions to the company.
Annual or monthly awards can be presented at a posh awards ceremony or in front of colleagues at a staff meeting. They are often accompanied by a gift, which ranges from a one-off bonus payment to flowers - or even a promotion. Whatever form they come in, they have the same effect: staff know that their employer appreciates them.
Joanne Bloomfield, Childcare Corporation human resources manager says, 'Recognition is always the first thing that people want. Award schemes can help to retain staff, as well as boost morale and create healthy competition.'
Ashoob Cook, managing director of Happy Child nurseries, says, 'We are a strong believer in Investors in People - it is important to acknowledge good staff. Continuous recognition helps motivate young staff and it also lets the staff know that the company cares.'
Claire Strudwick
Outstanding Performance Award
Room senior (for two- and three year-olds) and acting deputy manager, Childcare Corporation, Kiddi Caru, Colchester When Claire joined Kiddi Caru nursery she was a shy 18-year-old who had just completed her Cache Diploma in Childcare and Education.
Little did she know that by the age of 21 she would be helping to run the nursery. Today, brimming with confidence, she exclaims, 'I feel I could tackle anything.'
The reason? She puts it down to a four-day period last year when she was given the onerous task of managing the nursery when the acting manager was sick. With the support of head office, she took on the day-to-day running and 'excelled at it', according to superiors.
Claire was rewarded with a one-off payment of 200 and a letter from the operations director thanking her for 'dedication and commitment'.
She says the letter 'meant the world' to her. 'I really cherish it because it's very personal to me. Just knowing that I've made a valuable contribution for what I consider to be just doing my job makes me proud.
The congratulations I received from other members of staff mean a lot more to me than the money.'
But, being a true team player, Claire acknowledges that it takes more than one person to run a nursery. She said, 'Running the nursery was very challenging. I couldn't have done it without the support of my team. I have them to thank.'
Claire is now helping the acting manager to run the nursery. She says, 'The period when I stepped in as manager gave me the opportunity to see what I was made of. I now help with paperwork, planning and get involved in team-building as well as managing the under-threes room.'
Finola Deane
Employee of the Month
Nursery nurse, Happy Child Day Nursery, Alperton, Middlesex
Finola has won employee of the month three times this year already. The award, which is open to all members of staff, including cooks and cleaners, is based on overall performance.
Ashoob Cook, managing director of Happy Child says, 'We look at attitude, commitment and punctuality.
'Finola has shown a lot of know-how and maturity for someone of 21.
Managers have been very impressed with her bright and breezy attitude.
She's always asking questions and coming up with new ideas and she shows commitment and care in all aspects of her work.'
Gaining recognition for her work with under-threes has given Finola the ability to carry out daily tasks with confidence.
She says, 'I have a lot of communication with parents in the evenings and I enjoy giving feedback. When I started working here three years ago I wasn't as confident. The best part of the job for me is seeing each child develop their own personality.'
After being presented with the third Employee of the Month award at a staff meeting in April, Finola said she was 'surprised, happy and honoured'.
She says the awards have made her feel more secure in her abilities. 'The awards reaffirm that I must be doing the right thing and going about my job correctly. It also shows that I'm appreciated and it makes me feel great.'
She received a certificate and a retail voucher worth 30. But she says, 'It's an honour to be chosen for this award and the recognition is far more important than the vouchers.'
Finola has already got her sights set on the next challenge. When she finishes her NVQ in May she'd like to start training to work with children with special needs.
Lindsey Ayling
Early years practitioner of the year
Deputy manager, Puffins of Exeter Childcare Centres
When Ofsted inspected Puffins of Exeter's Southernhay centre last year, they were so impressed with Lindsey's management skills that they remarked, 'If we could bottle what you have, we'd sell it.'
Lindsey manages a room of 18 three- to five-year-olds with two other members of staff. She is heavily involved in schemas and the Foundation Stage and a large part of her work involves enthusing her team and making learning fun.
Despite her decision to go from full to part-time when she had her first child, she has managed to run the room so successfully that she's an inspiration to her colleagues, as well as the Ofsted inspectors.
It was Lindsey's co-workers at the centre who nominated her for the Early Years Practitioner of the Year award - it is company policy for staff to nominate one another. The management went on to choose her as overall winner.
Lindsey says, 'To be selected by your colleagues is such an honour - it really boosted my confidence.'
Lindsey started working for Puffins ten years ago. She believes she has worked her way up the career ladder by 'saying "yes" to any training that's going'. She started as a learner and then qualified to NVQ level 3, took her assessors awards and has been a deputy manager for six years.
'On the day I won the award, I was treated like a star,' she says. 'The whole company went to an awards dinner at a posh hotel and the winners were presented with a gold-framed certificate, flowers and an engraved china plate. It was such a great feeling to be recognised for my work and formally presented with the certificate in front of everyone.'
Georgina Babington
Nursery Manager of the Year
Group operations manager, Manor Tree Group
From nursery nurse to group operations manager in five years: it's not surprising that this dynamic woman won the prestigious Nursery Manager of the Year award.
Georgina was an NVQ level 3 qualified nursery nurse with 11 years'
experience when she first started at the Manor Tree Group. Her confident manner soon secured her the post of team leader and she then went on to become a nursery manager at the Danesfield Manor School Nursery in Surrey.
Two years later she was given the challenge of developing a nursery that was new to the group and needed overhauling.
She worked tirelessly to improve the standards of care and education - and even moved from her home in Surrey to live above the inner-city London nursery.
Georgina set up the administration systems from scratch, wrote a nursery improvement plan and implemented a training programme.
Her hard work soon paid off. The senior management team invited her to a dinner last September where she was offered the job of group operations manager - and told that she had won an award.
She says that it's a 'wonderful feeling' to be thanked formally. 'Having the award has made me an even more conscientious worker. Because I'm in a position of responsibility, I believe I should give the right impression at all times.'
Sally Eaton, the chain's director of education, describes her as 'one in a million'. She says, 'Georgina possesses exceptional qualities and she shows initiative, drive, determination and passion for her job.'
Georgina's responsibilities now include motivating and training other nursery heads and ensuring that the high standards that she expected in her nursery unit are upheld throughout the chain.
