Alliance publishes guides to recruiting & managing Early Years staff

19th January 2016

Employing the right staff is a key factor in providing a successful early years service. And even when good people are in place, careful management is needed to help them develop their skills, feel valued and be inspired to perform to a high standard.

To support early years providers to select and manage employees, the Alliance has produced two new books which not only cover the many rules and regulations surrounding employment, but also advise on best practice, helping employers to identify quality staff and encourage them to work to the best of their ability. Both publications are specifically written for the early years sector and offer comprehensive guidance for employers, whether they are charity trustees or the owner or director of a private company. They will also support pre-school managers who are responsible for supervising other employees.

Recruiting Early Years Staff is designed to make the recruitment process straightforward and efficient. The book describes the recruitment process from advertisement to appointment and beyond, including developing job descriptions and person specifications, checking suitability and providing well-planned induction and probation programmes. It will enable early years settings to appoint individuals with the right mix of qualifications, experience, skills and knowledge.

People Management in the Early Years advises employers on how to inspire high performance from both individuals and teams, while navigating the complexities of employment law. Employers are taken through the process of carrying out effective supervisions and appraisals, and how to make the most of training and continuing professional development. They are also given guidance on how to handle poor performance and conduct through robust capability, disciplinary and sickness absence management procedures. For times when concerns are raised by employees, a whistleblowing policy and grievance procedure are included. Employees鈥 rights relating to flexible working, equal opportunities, automatic enrolment pension schemes, sick pay, parental rights and redundancy are clearly explained.

Each book contains a range of sample template documents to support all employment-related processes, including specimen policies and procedures, forms and standard letters. These are available for purchasers to download from an exclusive online area.

Paul Donaldson, director of human resources at the Pre-school Learning Alliance, commented: 鈥淭ogether, these two books give employers a good grounding in the key points of employment law and best practice. They give clear and easy-to-understand guidance, along with comprehensive sample documents which can be easily adapted to suit the needs of different settings. In my opinion they represent excellent support for early years employers.鈥

How to order:

W:
T: 0300 330 0996
E: shop@pre-school.org.uk

For further information or to interview, Neil Leitch, Chief Executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance please contact:

Emma Caldwell
Pre-school Learning Alliance
T: 020 7697 2598
E: Emma Caldwell

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Notes for editors

  1. The Pre-school Learning Alliance is the largest voluntary sector provider of quality affordable childcare and education in England.
  2. Through direct provision and its membership of 14,000 nurseries, sessional pre-schools and parent and toddler groups, the Alliance supports over 800,000 children and their families in England. The Alliance also develops and runs family learning programmes, offers information and advice, runs acclaimed training and accreditation programmes and campaigns to influence early years policy and practice.
  3. For information about the Pre-school Learning Alliance, visit our website:

Further information