All staff at the group's 101 nurseries, which are being rebranded under the Leapfrog name, will be surveyed next month on issues including pay, work environment and training. When the results have been collated, each employee will receive 'an individual debrief'.
A confidential e-mail address has been introduced for employees to air their grievances anonymously. Last year there was evidence of declining staff morale, amid a fall in occupancy levels and a drop to the group's share price.
Simon Cashmore, managing director of Leapfrog day nurseries, said, the company had 'tried to take a number of actions which we think will address some of the problems that have occurred in the last 12 months'.
Mr Cashmore, who took up his post last November, has visited nearly half of the nurseries, and said he was 'pleasantly surprised by the positivity, warmth and enthusiasm of the staff'.
Earlier this month Leapfrog nursery managers took part in two days of workshops, and similar sessions for deputies and central office staff will follow.
Mr Cashmore acknowledged that 'for whatever reason', not enough attention had been paid in the past to supporting nursery managers who 'do a very difficult job'. They have been supplied with a self-assessment checklist, covering issues such as how calls are handled.
Regional management will help managers fulfil the checklist requirements to help improve customer service. The group is also holding parent forums 'to hear from them what we do well and what we need to improve'.
The group recently sold three nurseries, raising 0.5m. Mr Cashmore said his brief now was to improve occupancy across the nurseries division.
Fees have increased broadly in line with the retail price index but have gone up 2 or 3 per cent above it in some nurseries, where rebranding and refurbishment has cost around 100,000.
