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Please find below a comment from the Early Years Alliance on new analysis from the TUC showing that 95% of English councils say that early years providers in their area are finding it difficult to recruit staff with the right skills and experience to do the job, with 80% describing it as "very difficult".

Commenting, Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said:

"For far too long, working in the early years has meant being overworked, underpaid and undervalued. It comes as absolutely no surprise, therefore, that so many settings are finding it so difficult to attract and recruit suitable staff.

"And of course, it's not just an issue of recruitment. Over recent months and years, we have seen a sharp increase in the number of existing early years professionals opting to leave the sector permanently, taking with them extensive experience and expertise that we simply cannot afford to lose, especially in light of the planned expansion of the early entitlement offers.

"We therefore welcome the TUC's call for better pay and conditions for the early years workforce, alongside clear career pathways and an emphasis on supporting health, safety and wellbeing. That said, it is important to recognise that those working in the early years are more than 'childcare workers' –  they are education professionals. Until this is fully understood – and reflected in government policy – the workforce challenges we are seeing today will only continue."