Alliance comments on DfE confirmation of early years ratio flexibility for Covid staff absences
The Early Years Alliance has responded to confirmation from the Department for Education (DfE) that, in light of the significant pressures that the Omicron variant is placing on early years settings – in particular, the huge rise in staff absences – the government considers Covid-19 to be an ‘exceptional circumstance’ on which basis the ratio requirements in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework can temporarily be changed.
Commenting, Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance:
"The EYFS already allows for temporary exceptions to ratios rules in exceptional circumstances, and in light of the extreme challenges that many settings are facing as a result of the Omicron variant, we welcome clarification that the government does consider the pandemic to be an exceptional circumstance.
"That is no doubt, however, that the safety and wellbeing of all children attending early years settings must always be a priority, and so it is critical that any providers who opt to use this flexibility do so with the utmost care and caution, with any temporary changes underpinned by robust risk assessments.
"Of course, with the early years workforce already under extreme pressure, moving to a situation where already-stretched staff teams are expected to look after a greater number of children is not a long-term solution.
'"What’s more, while this change may go some way to helping settings cope with the acute problems they are now facing, we cannot forget that the reason the current challenges are so severe is because our sector went into this pandemic in an incredibly precarious position.
"Years of poor pay, little support and even less recognition have led to a recruitment and retention crisis which has forced many settings to operate with much fewer staff that they otherwise might. Ultimately these issues must be addressed if we are to ensure that the early years is not put in a similarly vulnerable position in the future."
NOTES TO EDITORS
- Please note, yhis is not a change to early years guidance. There is already a provision in the EYFS (paragraph 3.31) for exceptions to ratios to be made in exceptional circumstances – it states: "Exceptionally, and where the quality of care and safety and security of children is maintained, changes to the ratios may be made." The update is that the DfE has now confirmed Covid-19 is considered to be an exceptional circumstance.
- The Department for Education has stated:
"It remains a priority to continue providing face to face education and childcare, but we know that Covid-19 continues to put early years settings under significant pressure, particularly in relation to workforce absence.
"Government considers Covid-19 to be an exceptional circumstance in which the staff-to-child ratios set out in the EYFS can temporarily be changed if necessary, for example to respond to Covid-related workforce absences. This relates to paragraph 3.31 in the EYFS.
"In some cases, providers may choose to respond to staff and child absences by temporarily mixing age groups of children who would otherwise be educated or cared for separately. Ratios should be guided by all relevant requirements and by the needs of individual children within the group. For the purposes of meeting EYFS ratio and qualification requirements, all staff educating or caring for a mixed age group of children can be considered ‘available to work directly with’ all the children who have been grouped together.
"In all circumstances, settings remain responsible for maintaining the quality of care, safety and security of children."