Guest Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 There are a couple of things that I need to get firm about with staff next term. I don't have a particular problem with doing this (I don't really worry about being 'liked'!) but at the same time I don't want to alienate staff. I'm determined that our setting needs to get more professional, which means things like sticking to policies (freeflow one in particular), good time keeping, proper budgeting, less gossiping, etc. Does anyone have any thoughts on how best to approach these things? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_62109 Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 Your be happy to know you are not alone here, we find with a more female populated setting that gossiping is going to happen no matter what. i myself had to step up to team leader and found it a little strange to start with when disiplining staff but after a while i realised that if they cant accept it its there problem not mine (as i was friends with them outside of work to). i have always managed to sort out problems usually working with individual people. we bring alot of issues up in meetings giving staff time to talk about complaints and problems and sorting it out together. this seems to calm things down for a bit before they start again. i dont think it will ever disapear but you can solve it by working together as a team and listening to everyones views on the matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 Thanks, that's reassuring. Part of what makes it awkward is that I'm committee chair rather than a staff member, although I suppose strictly speaking that makes me the employer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_3735 Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 In our setting the committee would have firstly had a word with me as manager of day to day care and running the setting... it was my job to ensure all the policies were adhered to and I was expected to sort out the issues with the staff... not always an easy job but it did mean they knew that there was someone in all the time who was monitoring and checking things... Outside play took me ages to get them to go every day... constantly telling them it was going to happen... we could not freeflow as it was unsafe... since I left they still continue in the same way.. seems a bit of routine had set in and they did not change it.. just bought thicker uniform fleeces and jumpers for them to wear! perhaps a word with the leader to begin with asking her to ensure policies are followed... and then a moving on to all staff if it does not get any better..... asking why may help.. or for their opinions on it... if all else failed I blamed eyfs and Ofsted! that always worked.. Inge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 It is all very difficult isn't it....I too, am working at being more professional and as manager I am lucky to have the committee behind what I am doing.....the difficulty is that staff don't always want responsiblity or see their role as that important - they have been in the job a long time and seen the changes yet don't want to change with them...... I have had a full on battle with them taking records home this term and it is still rolling on.....I have said no records leave the building and I now have one member of staff contacting Ofsted to find out if this is a legal requirement I have said that even if it isn't I don't want it happening.......trying to change people's ways is really hard....I feel tired with it after only term 1! I think you have to really believe in what and why you are doing things and then you don't always need to argue your case as a good and wise forum friend said to me "it is your perogative" to say how you want things to be......thanks Peggy... Onward and upward ....good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 Thanks, I'm exhausted with it as well. I suspect we all need a good break. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_705 Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 Coming to the end of my first term as Manager - I certainly need a break. I plan to conduct appraisals in January, look at job descriptions etc so that each staff member is clear about their roles and responsibilites. We are also currently ploughing our way throught the policies as a staff team which helps to clarify things too. This is certainly the hardest part of the job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 It seems just when you think you are getting somewhere another problem occurs...I guess that is life and dealing with very different characters takes lots of realisation that this is just human nature a lot of people will contend everything just because someone is asking something of them.....I guess it is our right to question...I just wish I wasn't questioned about everything.....I want to shout 'trust me' I have the best interests of the children and the setting at my heart. Good luck everyone....here's to a good Christmas break from it all.....(obviously we will all be working at every odd moment though! ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 ....I have had a full on battle with them taking records home this term and it is still rolling on.....I have said no records leave the building and I now have one member of staff contacting Ofsted to find out if this is a legal requirement I have said that even if it isn't I don't want it happening.......trying to change people's ways is really hard....I feel tired with it after only term 1! Hi Is there a reason why records should not be taken home? We take our key childrens scrapbooks and learning journals but have to make sure they are brought straight back the next day. I work at the pre-school full time and due to childcare would not be able to stay/get there early to complete records, we are all incuded in ratio so cant do them when at the setting. If i didnt take them home then they wouldnt get done! Plus dont get paid for it either. Do you give staff time in the session to do it? What do other do? (sorry hijacking the thread!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_22106 Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 SuzieC8 - is your leader perhaps requiring some of your excellent support? or is she/he part of the problem as well? Do you go to the staff meeting? or perhaps you could go to one and ask how the committee could support the staff to help them achieve....what ever it is you want from them. Good luck your group are so lucky to have someone who wants to help them progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 One thing I've found useful if agreed procedures are slipping is to bring it up in the staff meeting and have it minuted. That way once any person(s) carries on disregarding what should be done it's easier to pull them up on an individual basis without them arguing that they 'didn't know'. Hope that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_13527 Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 Hi, from a Manager point of view, i think it would be best like others to speak to those in charge and hope they will feed the message through to the others through role modelling? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 23, 2010 Share Posted January 23, 2010 Have you got an Early Years Support Teacher? If you have it might be worth consulting them. Mine is really brilliant just to talk things through with and can probably give you some official ammunition (ie Ofsted requirements or EYFS) to back up your requests. Might be worth a try? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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