The dinner to which Alan Bentley referred was organised by Mary Chant of Blake Lapthorn Tarlo Lyons and myself, Leigh Atkinson of the Royal Bank of Scotland, both of whom are external professionals with great enthusiasm for the nursery sector.
The idea behind the evening was to bring together a number of nursery operators, the majority of whom had not met before, to share best practice and ideas with a specific emphasis on staffing isssues. The event was an enormous success and I was immensely impressed with the enthusiasm, care and knowledge that the various nursery owners demonstrated during the course of the evening.
I would strongly encourage others to follow this example of bringing nursery owners together in an informal setting as, in my opinion, the sharing of best practice is to the benefit of all of those who operate within the industry.
Most importantly, I believe that close working relationships between providers will help to ensure that the sector continues to deliver high quality care to all of our children.
Leigh Atkinson, healthcare manager, Commercial Banking, Royal Bank of Scotland, Eastleigh, Hampshire
