that time of year again

[AnonyMouse_7120]

totally agree, its a shame you can't tell what the children will like before you allocate sessions.....you could spread the load a bit then

[AnonyMouse_12805]

I have taken on extra staff for my three afternoon sessions. However these are (lucky for me) staff that already work the mornings on those days. I'm not sure what I would have done otherwise. Last year i took on someone who had worked with us for a year (as a volunteer) to work the afternoons and I have never found it so stressful. I/we thought she was quite good as a volunteer but I think really it was just because she was a volunteer I wasn;'t that critical/noticing how little she actually did.

We thought if we took her on just to do all the odd things like washing paints, doing snack, preparing serving and clearing up after and just general clearing up, really what she wanted to do was sit at the collage table and make pretty pictures with the children. But my goodness she was so slow at everything and to make things worse her understanding and use of written English was quite poor. It was very difficult trying to babysit someone and look after so many children. To be honest I just didnt have the time (I'm in ratio in the afternoons) or the staff to mentor her or look after her properly. Luckily I had made it clear from the beginning that the job was until July only as I knew Sept we wouldn't need her.

This time i am paying the staff on a month to month basis for the extra sessions and they know we probably wont need them again in September. So far it is working out well but cannot take on anymore two year olds and really can only manage another 1 possibly 2 three year olds on just two of the afternoons. Like others though I a so frustrated at the parents who are coming in waving their 2 year old letters and thinking it is entitling them to a place. It just doesnt seem to occur to them that we just may be full?

Edited January 25, 2015 by lynned55

[AnonyMouse_12805]

Sometimes it's not just children with SEN. It can just be a large cohort of children in on the same day, that require eyes in the back of our head moments.:)

So true! We have 2 SEN children that are both a delight to have. However we have two mornings where, because of the amount of badly behaved challenging children and two year olds that are in are a nightmare. Yet the same amount of children including our two SEN on the other days are fine. I am starting to dread Monday and Weds mornings now and I'm not even suppossed to be in ration on a Weds. i keep thinking in a few weeks we will be saying to each other " remember when so & so used to go around hitting anyone who just looked at them, or when she used to scream at everyone who came near" Maybe, just maybe...........

[AnonyMouse_11396]

I said only the same this week. But we do like a challenge in early years and "my" isn't it a challenge sometimes.

[AnonyMouse_31953]

but how is it fair that we incur extra staffing costs to support children with SEN ? I guess as long as we keep doing it our counties are happy to let us

We have same problem new child totally 1-1( disablities)....no extra staff (but more strain on present staff)...hopefully HTN funding....but 8 hrs only for the complete term....equates to £3.57 per hour she attends ....to cover staff out of the ratio for 2 sessions a week...AND special resources list for said child given in the report that arrived last week.........no extra funding for us and with 2 years until school...getting to dread certain days of the week....

[AnonyMouse_30128]

We have same problem new child totally 1-1( disablities)....no extra staff (but more strain on present staff)...hopefully HTN funding....but 8 hrs only for the complete term....equates to £3.57 per hour she attends ....to cover staff out of the ratio for 2 sessions a week...AND special resources list for said child given in the report that arrived last week.........no extra funding for us and with 2 years until school...getting to dread certain days of the week....

if you need specialist resources these should be available from your borough (to borrow whilst the child is with you) They need to be in place nefore the child starts (especially lifting gear etc....or your staff could sue you!)....no idea what HTN funding is but why hasn't this child got an EHCP in place???

[AnonyMouse_42829]

Am I so pleased someone else posted about this. I am absolutely full to bursting this term with no extra sessions at all to give to new children. I just haven't got the staff! We have staff on leave at present and cannot be stretched any further. Then we have SEN children who require support workers. I feel like I could do with another 3 pairs of hands on session most days. The funded two year olds are biggest our drain on staffing. It's difficult because I don't want to turn them away as they guarantee our numbers stay high from September we keep them for 2 years. We have a long waitlist of 2 year olds from Easter but no way we can accommodate most of them.

[AnonyMouse_2127]

_{I have a few places for after Easter for children on our waiting list. as you have said, this means that some already funded 3 year olds cant have extra hours but we need these new ones.}

_{The other thing I wonder if any of you have come across is that some parents of 2 year funded children seem to think that because the government have said they are entitled to 15 hours a week, then they must have it.}

_{Firstly, we don't always have 15 hours for them and secondly some children that age are just not ready to leave mum for that length of time.}

_{In December a mother phoned telling me she wanted15 hours for her 2 year old as she has just received notification that she can have them. When I explained that I could only offer her 6 hours starting January she almost exploded. She said that my Pre-school was on the list and she was entitled to it!! I told her that she could try other settings in the area but we definitely only had 6 hours and she would be able to have more in September. She hasn't got back to me so perhaps she has found somewhere else.??}

 

_V

[AnonyMouse_8282]

_{I have a few places for after Easter for children on our waiting list. as you have said, this means that some already funded 3 year olds cant have extra hours but we need these new ones.}

_{The other thing I wonder if any of you have come across is that some parents of 2 year funded children seem to think that because the government have said they are entitled to 15 hours a week, then they must have it.}

_{Firstly, we don't always have 15 hours for them and secondly some children that age are just not ready to leave mum for that length of time.}

_{In December a mother phoned telling me she wanted15 hours for her 2 year old as she has just received notification that she can have them. When I explained that I could only offer her 6 hours starting January she almost exploded. She said that my Pre-school was on the list and she was entitled to it!! I told her that she could try other settings in the area but we definitely only had 6 hours and she would be able to have more in September. She hasn't got back to me so perhaps she has found somewhere else.??}

 

_V

We only offer 6 hours max when they start with 2yr funding - If they settle well we may then offer more hours if we have them but these aren't guaranteed. If they are not happy with that then they look elsewhere.

[AnonyMouse_31953]

if you need specialist resources these should be available from your borough (to borrow whilst the child is with you) They need to be in place nefore the child starts (especially lifting gear etc....or your staff could sue you!)....no idea what HTN funding is but why hasn't this child got an EHCP in place???

HTN Higher Tariff Needs...extra funding given depending on severity to SEN children.....paid termly...but only £23ish per funded hour for mild needs....£37 ish for complex needs £50 hr severe needs...Early years adviser does just that reports on their needs,fill form in online every term.....get money later....for our disabled little one equates to her 8hrs @£50 per hr ..only £400 for the whole term.....extra member of staff now drafted in from tom. to cover her 8 hrs.....that money wont go far in wages and resources.....we have a special chair already to help with activities at the table and mealtimes....dont need a hoist as she crawls so it is a steep learning curve for us all......but we have never given up on a child yet and dont intend to start,,,,xx

I am not sure what an EHCP is lol x

[AnonyMouse_30128]

HTN Higher Tariff Needs...extra funding given depending on severity to SEN children.....paid termly...but only £23ish per funded hour for mild needs....£37 ish for complex needs £50 hr severe needs...Early years adviser does just that reports on their needs,fill form in online every term.....get money later....for our disabled little one equates to her 8hrs @£50 per hr ..only £400 for the whole term.....extra member of staff now drafted in from tom. to cover her 8 hrs.....that money wont go far in wages and resources.....we have a special chair already to help with activities at the table and mealtimes....dont need a hoist as she crawls so it is a steep learning curve for us all......but we have never given up on a child yet and dont intend to start,,,,xx

I am not sure what an EHCP is lol x

Thanks Tish ...are you in a school? As a pre-school we get no additional money except for children who have a statement....or as they are now called EHCP's (education health and care plans as of sept 2014) I love the idea of HTN ...no money in this borough for additional staff just need to find a way of doing it ourselves!!!

[AnonyMouse_22029]

I can't say I would want to take on extra staff just for a term and a bit. Lots of reasons.

We all have different ways of doing things, so my time would be spent training and mentoring.

Admin time for advertising posts, sifting through applications, interviewing, inducting and the inevitable change of dynamics a new member of staff brings to a new team.

Parents getting used to the idea that staff are only temporary.

Children who become attached to temporary member of staff.

Extra supervision meetings to be timetabled.

Existing children having to make new relationships with adults.

By adding a group of new children could mean changes to operations which impact existing children.

On the other hand there could be some bright people just waiting for that opportunity to join your nurturing team.

New staff with enthusiasm could add shine particularly at this cold time of year.

Those children who are not going to get an Early Years experience.

It is tough but I stick with existing model. To extend you really need to plan for success.

[AnonyMouse_31953]

Thanks Tish ...are you in a school? As a pre-school we get no additional money except for children who have a statement....or as they are now called EHCP's (education health and care plans as of sept 2014) I love the idea of HTN ...no money in this borough for additional staff just need to find a way of doing it ourselves!!!

Nope,schools have better budget for SEN... Owner of Nursery full daycare 8-6pm 50 weeks a year....Suffolk...in middle of my funding paperwork...so want to step back xx

[Guest]

I employ staff on a temporary basis and always have. I usually give a fix term contract until the end of the school year and explain to these staff that it is a temporary contract and once it is finish we would only be able offer bank staff hours. I have found this a great way to get bank staff and also most times have been able to offer a odd morning or afternoon in the Autumn term and then increased again in the spring or summer terms. Also good if they are not so good as it is easier to end their contract and by not offering any hours in September. We have to have this flexibilty in our Pre-School as we never know how many children we will have in September. It works for us but understand it may not work for other settings.

Hi Tish I thought I recognised the Higher tarriff for SEND I am in Suffolk too.