Induction, the process of familiarising new staff with your setting and their job, is key to the success of your recruitment strategy.
'Replacing a staff member is costly and studies have shown that the greatest number of employees leaving work do so in the first weeks of employment,' says the recruitment and selection pack published by the National Day Nurseries Association.
'Work efficiency is reached only after a period of learning and adjusting to the new environment,' according to the ACAS booklet on Recruitment and Induction. 'A good induction programme makes business sense, whatever the size of the organisation, and whatever the job.'
However keen your recruits, they may well have anxieties about how well they will:
* get on with their colleagues
* understand the standards, rules and ethos of your organisation
* impress their new room leader/manager
* be able to do the job.
An effective induction process will address these worries, but even more importantly, it will also focus on child protection. Nursery managers need to comply with the National Standards for Under-Eights Daycare and Childminding, which were revised in October 2005 to specifically include recruitment (copies of which are available on the Ofsted website).
These standards require that nurseries must have in place rigorous vetting and recruitment procedures that make sure staff are suitable to employ and to work or be in regular contact with the children. The current National Standards will be replaced by the Early Years Foundation Stage framework, available from late March, and should have the same requirements.
The Children's Workforce Development Council is shortly to pilot common induction standards for the early years sector, which it hopes will be in use by spring 2008.
Meanwhile, Victoria McMeel, a solicitor in Veale Wasbrough's employment team in Bristol, recommends that nurseries should have an induction policy in place which:
* confirms the conduct expected of staff
* supports individuals in a way that is appropriate for their new role
* provides training and information about policies and procedures
* provides an opportunity to identify any concerns or issues that either party might have from the outset.
Job offer
Ms McMeel says that an offer of employment should be conditional upon:
* receipt of at least two references which are considered to be satisfactory
* an enhanced Criminal Record Bureau check
* verification of the candidate's full employment history, medical fitness, qualifications and identity (unless you have already obtained references and verified the last two points at the interview stage).
'The letter should include the main terms and conditions of employment, but should make it clear that the full details of the terms and conditions will be set out in the nursery's contract of employment,' says MsMcMeel.
The letter should cover:
* salary
* place and hours of work
* holiday entitlement
* notice period
* probationary period.
'Send two copies of the offer letter to the candidate, one for the candidate to sign and return to you, as confirmation of acceptance of the conditional offer, and one for him or her to keep. If these conditions are not met, the offer of employment should be withdrawn.
'Under the Employment Rights Act 1996, the successful candidate should be asked to sign a written contract within two months of entering your employment,' says MsMcMeel.
Probationary period
A probationary period allows both parties - the employee and the employer - to get to know one another. The probationary period should allow for a shorter notice period to allow either party to terminate it if they realise that the appointment is not going to work out.
Some settings use a longer probationary period depending on the seniority of the post. So, the probationary period for a nursery nurse might be three months, while for a deputy manager it is six months. The length of the probationary period should be linked to the post rather than any reservations which you may have about the individual, which may expose you to claims of unlawful discrimination.
'The probationary period should be under one year so as to avoid any implications of unfair dismissal rights,' says Ms McMeel.
Induction timetable
The induction process starts before the newcomer's first day at the nursery. When you send out the job offer letter, include with it the start date and time, any necessary information about where to park or which entrance to use, and the most up-to-date nursery newsletter.
Also ask for any relevant information that you must have, such as the newcomer's P45 and National Insurance number.
The Children's House Nursery, Lincolnshire, has a first-week induction checklist (see below) and it has developed a timetable to chart the process. 'We did this to make sure that we don't try to cram too much in on the first day,' says Nathan Archer of the Children's House Consultancy.
'But at the same we are conscious that there is a lot of information that needs to be covered fairly quickly (see below) The team member and the person delivering that part of the induction each sign it off.'
First week induction checklist
* Values and vision
* Organisation chart
* Policy folder
* Terms and conditions/time sheets
* First aid provisions
* Health and safety procedures; fire drill
* Staff room/drop-in and toilet facilities
* Personnel procedures/training policies
* QA scheme and Investors in People
* Details of salary/dress code/code of conduct/culture
* Greeting children and parents
* Sharing food
* Professional development portfolio
* Terms and conditions
* Criminal Records Bureau check
* P45 and National Insurance number.
First day
'Starting a new job can be tiring emotionally and physically,' says early years consultant Laura Henry. 'It involves absorbing a lot of new information and fitting in to unfamiliar routines.
'So, when negotiating a start date with a new member of staff, you might want to ask them to start mid-week, rather than on a Monday, so that they don't experience information overload. It is also wise to ask new staff to arrive halfway through the morning, to ensure that they receive your full attention.
'All your induction documents should be prepared well in advance and include all the relevant documentation that new staff need on their first day.
'Make sure that the manager who has day-to-day responsibility for the nursery greets all new staff on their first day. And, if the manager is not available, then arrange for another senior member of staff to greet the new recruit.
'Before introducing the new member of staff to their colleagues, you should spend no more than two hours going over essential domestic information they need for that day, for example, fire procedure and where the toilets are located.'
Mentor
The NDNA Recruitment and Selection pack says, 'It may be useful to identify a mentor who can be used to support, advise, motivate and encourage the staff member. A mentor will provide a safe harbour for the new team member - a space to ask questions, think out loud, make mistakes without feeling embarrassed. A good mentor will view the new staff member objectively and give constructive feedback along with general guidance.'
Joining in
Mr Archer adds, 'Don't expect a newcomer to have the confidence to join in automatically. If you are posting details of an after-work/social activity on the notice board for people to sign up to, make a point of asking the newcomer directly if they would like to attend.'
Further information
* The NDNA's recruitment and selection pack is being updated and will be available shortly at www.ndna.org.uk
* Details of the CWDC's Early Years Common Induction Standards will be available at www.cwdcouncil.org.uk
* The ACAS Recruitment and Induction booklet is available free at www.acas.org.uk
* Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education guidance is available free from the DfES at http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk
* For details of the Safeguarding Children: Safer Recruitment in Education online training, developed by the National College of School Leadership, visit www.ncsl.org.uk
CASE STUDY: POCKLINGTON MONTESSORI SCHOOL, YORKSHIRE
'We are a caring community here,' says Rosie Pressland, principal of the Pocklington Montessori School, Yorkshire. 'In our induction process we explain our ethos and culture.'
The induction process, which begins before the first day at work, covers formal issues, such as a detailed explanation of the school's procedures, and an informal chat with Mrs Pressland or her deputy.
'We have a sheet that takes us through all the things we need to talk about for the induction process, for example where to park, where the staff room is, where to leave their personal possessions.'
The sheet, which is signed at the end of the process by the newcomer and the person conducting the induction, acts as a prompt. So, the section explaining that a standard issue of uniform is available annually also reminds the person conducting the induction to explain that 'a tidy and clean appearance is expected at all times.'
Mrs Pressland says, 'With the formal letter offering the job, we ask them to bring in their P45 and also to bring in their qualification certificates so we can photocopy them. They bring those with them and we give them a tour of the building. We sit down and discuss all aspects of the job that haven't been covered to date. This is an opportunity to discuss the issues such as future training. We also introduce them to the social aspects of the school. It is informal and gives us a chance to learn more about the person. You can learn a certain amount from the interview, but this is the time to learn a bit more about their family, their home and their children.
'We'll talk about what their arrangements for getting here are going to be. We can advise them on the best route. It is about assisting in all the various ways that will make life easier and enable the new employee to become integrated quickly into our culture. For example, we explain what we do when it's someone's birthday and at Christmas.
'The new person is also introduced to key personnel in the school. We restrict it a bit, because there are 92 of us here, so we would introduce them first off to the people they need to know.
'Their head of class looks after them from day one. She would assign them a mentor, who would be working similar hours to the newcomer. The mentor would take them to the staff room and introduce them to colleagues and will be there to remind them where things are and help them to feel a confident member of the community as soon as possible.'
