Nursery World - Something special (1)

There's a great demand for nannies who can work with children with special needs - and a growing number who are keen to do it, as Simon Vevers discovered Ask a student what career they want to pursue, and more often than not they will give a shrug of indecision. Not Kate Allen. From the moment she volunteered as an eager 15-year-old to work unpaid on playschemes, she knew that she wanted to help children with special needs. At Swansea University, as a leading light in the campus community action project, she secured funding from the charity Children in Need to set up and run a weekly playscheme for children with autism and their siblings.

Ask a student what career they want to pursue, and more often than not they will give a shrug of indecision. Not Kate Allen. From the moment she volunteered as an eager 15-year-old to work unpaid on playschemes, she knew that she wanted to help children with special needs. At Swansea University, as a leading light in the campus community action project, she secured funding from the charity Children in Need to set up and run a weekly playscheme for children with autism and their siblings.

Then Kate's career took a more exotic route as she worked as youth director on cruise ships in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, organising children's programmes - anything from swimming-pool olympics to night nurseries. She broadened her childcare education, including special needs, while also training other staff. She gained an NVQ level 3, as well as additional qualifications in first aid and food hygiene.

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