Senior Nursery Officer But Not Responsible Person ?

[Guest]

HI,

 

I have been at my new job for four weeks, i am the senior nursery officer and pre-school room leader. it is not often that there are occasions when neither the manager or owner are in the building, but it can happen say once a week between 5 and 6:30. The other day the owner announced that she had just realised there needed to be a named person in charge when her or the manager were not there, so the owner has decided to give this responsability to a member of staff that has been there since the nursery opened (8 months) who knows the building well and who has a key, this person is level four qualified and works in the pre-school room effectively under me in terms of roles (she is a nursery nurse, i am the senior). I am qualified to level 6 and have senior nursery officer position..... now presumably you would have thought i was the one who should be left in charge in the absense of the manager / owner...... if this is not the case then on this occasion each week the person that normally works below me suddenly becomes in charge of me and the nursery (there is only two staff on at this time, me and the other girl!)... a confusion of roles for me and her, and for parents as if they need something they have to go to her since she is named in charge, even though in terms of positions my position is regarded as higher than hers.

 

i guess i feel my nose has been pushed out of joint a little, and that it seems odd that most of the week i am in charge of a group of children and this member of staff but on one afternoon a week she becomes in charge of me and the building and anything else..... it just seems odd...... I appreciate why the owner has done it since the girl knows the building better, the parents better etc etc, but if this is the case then surely she should be senior too or deputy, it just seems like my role means nothing, and that really i could be trained up to be in charge but there has been no mention of this. My job description says nothing about me being in charge of the building at all - and i am fine with that but i just wonder that the confusion in roles on this afternoon (her being in charge of the building and any issues means that our roles may be scewed throughout the week too!

 

I guess i am just thinking allowed really, but it just seems an odd situation..... has anyone else come across this when a nursery nurse becomes in charge for just a few hours a week over a senior member of staff?

 

Dawn

 

Dawn

[AnonyMouse_11396]

It does seem alittle odd.

You either are more senior in terms of your level 6 or this is not taken on board when making their decision.

Do you both work exactly the same hours/days etc.

Does the other practitioner come to you during the rest of the week for guidance, think i would have to clarify this with the owner or manager.

It may well be that as you are i presume still on a trial period, they felt unable to give you this responsibility at this time.

[AnonyMouse_3735]

Think this comes down to a decision on roles.

 

As keyholder and responsibility for the building etc, need not necessarily mean of the room and general day to day roles.. Try to look at them as 2 distinct roles and jobs . There need not be any issues unless you and she allow them to be. Maybe a chat with her as she sees the role may be useful.

 

If I was in her position I would probably not see it as being in charge but as a bit of added responsibility of the building etc as I already was a key holder so made it easier all round. I would want to work as usual in my day to day role, and have to agree I would probably have also done the same given choices.. but perhaps they handled it badly by not explaining fully how they see the role.

 

Maybe this is something to ask them how do they see or expect the role to be carried out, are they just seeing it as I do , and not necessarily changing the roles but choosing the easiest option.

[Guest]

Thanks Both,

 

we both work four day's , though she does 40 hours (she works four long day's) wheras i do 32 hours. we both have a different day off. I think i have taken it too personally, and maybe i just need the owner to clarify exactly what the other staff member is in charge off when the owner / manager are not there. You may also be right that since i am in my trial period they did not want to hand over this responsability to me.

 

Dawn

[Guest]

I agree with what the others have said. To me it sounds like the owner suddenly realised someone had to be named and chose the person she'd known the longest on the basis that it was just a paper exercise. I doubt she means this other woman to be 'in charge' in the sense you are thinking. It sounds to me like she had to choose someone to put down on paper and just went with the person she'd known the longest. Hopefully a chat with the owner will clear this up.