The National Day Nurseries Association is moving ahead with providing business support to Thurrock childcare providers since winning the tender earlier this year. It has just appointed David Woods as business development manager. He will be consulting with pre-schools and childminders as well as nurseries in the Essex borough.
Mr Woods has previously worked for corporate and small companies and has wide experience of ensuring that businesses provide sustainable, customer-led services.
Patricia Hanson, director of strategic partnerships and development for the NDNA, says, 'David will be working closely with the local authority sufficiency offices to identify those settings and individuals which need advice. He will be offering business consultations and financial planning on a one-to-one basis.'
By sitting on the Sustainability Funding Grants panel he will be able to identify the local issues and which providers he needs to work with.
Ms Hanson adds, 'David will also be sitting on the Early Years Capital Grant funding panel. Although this is a three-year funding stream, the authority has already allocated two-thirds of its budget and David will be helping with refining that funding in its last year. Working closely with the local authority will place him in a good position to help providers and gain a wide perspective.'
Thurrock is a vibrant area for local enterprise. According to the council's last report in 2007, the number of VAT registered businesses has grown by 16 per cent since 2000. At the same time, the report also revealed that Thurrock's share of managerial and professional workers is well below the national average, at 21 per cent of the local population.
Mr Woods wants to help Thurrock childcarers to improve quality and boost their viability in the long term. 'It is vital that local authorities and childcare providers are able to work together in order to provide consistently high standards of childcare,' he says. 'Over the coming weeks I will be speaking to providers to discuss their needs and to find out how they can be supported to achieve the highest level of childcare.'
Ms Hanson says that the NDNA is happy to be working in this way with a local authority and would like to see more business development posts created.
'Consulting on a one-to-one basis with providers is vital - particularly in times of an economic downturn,' she says. 'David will play a vital role in sustaining the quality of information and support provided by Thurrock Council, and we are pleased to be able to work with them to ensure that this new service is a success.'
The NDNA will be rolling out masterclasses on sustainability and combating the economic downturn, and is also considering sessions on business planning and business costs.
'They value having support networks such as this in place,' says Ms Hanson, 'and we believe the appointment of David will really benefit childcare providers in enabling them to provide the best possible care that is sustainable.'
