Labour exposes council cuts to childcare training

Figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request by Labour’s shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg MP, show the 136 local authorities in total have cut the amount they spend on training for childcare staff from £93m in 2010/11 to £56m in 2011/12.

The local authorities Redcar and Cleveland, Enfield, Solihull and Lewisham spent nothing on training for childcare staff in 2011/12, suggesting there is no money left in their budgets to offer this.

In 2010/11, Redcar and Cleveland spent £629,832 on training, while Enfield spent over £322,479, Solihull £656,380 and Lewisham £154,084.

Other local authorities that have made big cuts to the amount they spent on providing training are Cheshire West and Chester, who have reduced their spend by more than 98 per cent, from £653,955 in 2010/11 to just £11,455 in 2011/12. Doncaster reduced their spending by 94 per cent, and Liverpool 90 per cent.

The findings echo those in the latest National Day Nurseries Association’s Business Performance Survey 2012, which revealed that of the 240 responses from nursery owners, 79 per cent have seen subsidised or free training from local authorities reduced. Nearly 40 per cent believed training offered by their local authority has reduced significantly.

The news comes as the Government plans to reduce staff to child ratios, which experts warn could compromise standards and children's safety.

Labour shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg said, ‘Parents will be extremely concerned that the Government’s plans could reduce the quality of childcare and put child safety at risk.

‘In some parts of the country, there is now no money available to train nursery staff, and we have seen 381 Sure Start centres close down. Local authorities have had to endure the deepest cuts of any area of government. We also know these cuts have been worst in the areas of most need.

‘Now the Tories want to go further and reduce the numbers of nursery staff and increase the numbers of toddlers they can look after. Experts at Labour’s Childcare Summit told us this will not reduce costs to taxpayers or parents and it will jeopardise quality. Two-thirds of childminders say that if the Government’s plans to increase ratios were implemented child safety would be compromised.’

He added, ‘David Cameron has created a childcare crisis with higher costs, fewer places and less support through tax credits. Change is needed urgently, but it must be change that drives down costs for hard pressed families while maintaining quality.’

Education and chidlcare minister Elizabeth Truss hit  back, claiming that Mr Twigg's comments, as reported in an article for a national newspaper, were inaccurate and incoherent.

‘Stephen Twigg has today exposed Labour’s total opportunism and incoherence on childcare,' Ms Truss said. 'He starts by attacking the idea of loosening staff: child ratios but in the next breath he says we should move to the Swedish system – where they have no compulsory ratios at all. Either he is deliberately pulling the wool over people’s eyes, or he doesn’t know what he is talking about, ' she said.