Coronavirus: 7 in 10 early years staff on furlough - survey

A survey by the Education Policy Institute and the National Day Nurseries Association found that 4 per cent of staff have already been made redundant and predicts that more redundancies can be expected.

In addition, 7 per cent of staff voluntarily terminated their contract, with 30 per cent of settings reporting ‘finding alternative employment during furlough’ as the reason for termination.

The Covid-19 pandemic and the early years workforce: Staffing decisions in an uncertain environment report is based on a survey of 445 early education and care providers in England, Scotland and Wales, employing 4,446 staff. The survey was carried out between 4-26 August.

Settings report employing 9 per cent fewer staff in August than in March.

The survey also found that the staff most likely to be furloughed, made redundant or to leave their job were the least qualified, or the least experienced (see details below).

These workers were more affected by the lockdown, when nurseries had to close except to key workers and vulnerable children.

Early years settings were also more likely to furlough staff if they had higher redundancy rates.

Settings that had made a greater-than-average proportion of staff redundant since March also expected to furlough a greater proportion (26 per cent) of their staff in the following three months than settings that had made a lower than average proportion of staff redundant (16 per cent).

Source: The Covid-19 pandemic and the early years workforce: Staffing decisions in an uncertain environment, EPI/NDNA

The report concludes, 'Overall, our findings highlight that the early years workforce has already undergone significant changes, with the least qualified and least experienced staff bearing the brunt as they are more likely to be furloughed, made redundant, or to leave for other work. With settings expecting to furlough one in five staff over the three months until October, significant challenges lie ahead for the workforce in light of planned changes to the furlough scheme.'

The report is the first in a quarterly series from a year-long study between the NDNA and the EPI, which aims to track the impact of the pandemic on early years and the workforce as it unfolds.

Commenting on the new findings, Dr Sara Bonetti, director of early years at the Education Policy Institute (EPI), said, ‘This report highlights the striking scale of furloughing and redundancies made by early years settings from March to August of this year. In spite of most settings reopening from June, 1 in 5 staff remain on part or full time furlough, suggesting that come the end of the scheme in October, we can expect even more redundancies than we have seen to date. 

'Early years settings are facing highly uncertain operating conditions. They are expected to make staffing decisions for the coming months, despite it being difficult to predict demand for their services. This is particularly alarming, given the existing, widely publicised recruitment crisis ongoing in the childcare sector.’

Key findings

Furlough

• 79 per cent of staff with no qualifications or Level 2 qualifications had been furloughed
• 74 per cent of staff with Level 3 had been furloughed
• 59 per cent of staff with Level 6 qualifications had been furloughed

Redundancies

• 6 per cent of apprentices were made redundant
• 5 per cent of staff with no qualifications were made redundant
• 2 per cent of staff with level 4/5 qualifications were made redundant
• 1 per cent of staff with level 6 qualifications were made redundant
  
  

Purnima Tanuku, chief executive at the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA), said, ‘Prior to the pandemic the childcare sector was already facing serious workforce challenges but Covid-19 risks pushing this into a full-blown crisis. This is a time of great uncertainty for early years providers, staff and families. Childcare must be at the centre of any economic recovery as people look to return to work.

‘High quality early education is crucial to giving every child the best possible start in life. Having a well-qualified, secure and motivated workforce is central to this quality of care and education. Only by having the latest data can we understand what the sector needs to ensure childcare places are available when families need them.

‘The findings so far point to a lot of uncertainty, especially with the end of the furlough scheme in sight. We’ll continue to work with the sector and governments to ensure the challenges are understood and addressed.’

Commenting on the findings, Sir Peter Lampl, chairman and founder of the Sutton Trust, said, 'It is deeply concerning to see further evidence of the pandemic’s damaging impacts on the early years sector. The Sutton Trust’s own research has highlighted that a third of early years providers in deprived areas believe they may have to close within a year.

'The early years are the vitally important first stage of the education process. We know that a high-quality workforce are an important part of delivering this, so it is worrying that this report suggests a likely worsening of the staffing crisis after the furlough scheme ends.

'It is vital that the sector is supported through these uncertain times, so that we are able to continue to provide the early learning and development that is so crucial for social mobility.'

A DfE spokesperson said,'Thanks to our dedicated nurseries, childminders and preschools, 619,000 children are benefitting from a place in early education already this term, with nearly three-quarters of settings open as of 17 September.

'This important sector has received significant financial support over the past months to provide stability and reassurance, and we continue to provide extra security to nurseries and childminders that are open by "block-buying" childcare places for the rest of this year at the level we would have funded before coronavirus – regardless of how many children are attending.

'Providers will benefit from a planned £3.6 billion funding in 2020-21 for free early education and childcare places. From next year we will also be investing £1 billion to create more, affordable wraparound and holiday childcare places.'

• The full report, The Covid-19 pandemic and the early years workforce: Staffing decisions in an uncertain environment, is available here