Pay Scales

[recyclingmadhouse]

Hi, Can anyone please advise me where I can find out pay scales for my staff , I have recently become a manager and beleave my staff are being short changed! I don't want them to feel under valued, Looking for NVQ 2, 3 and 4 quailified. Many thanks

[friend]

Hi, I don't know too much about this. But I think it varies widely setting to setting, county to county. My previous setting worked like this (it was a charity committee run group).
Manager £ 7.63
Deputy £6.90
level 3 £6.20
level 2 min wage.

My new setting all staff are min wage its also charity committee run.
the setting I recently volunteered in was similar to my previous setting.

[Heidi]

Aside from minimum wage - it is up to settings to set their pay and whether they grade practitioners for their scale, their longevity and experience, or the duties they carry out in their role.

It becomes very complicated for managers to give everyone sliding pay scales when you may have an NVQ 4 with 4 years experience who comes into work and goes home with no added 'duties' or work and another NVQ 4 who has worked 12 years who untakes much more - and is willing to take work home as well as prepare things when the setting is closed. I pay by experience , but also by what their input is. The option is open to all, to maintain fairness, but there will always be staff who are very good - and choose to be so just for their contracted hours.

I do feel if your setting can afford it, they should increase the rates of pay you have printed - my deputy earns £12 an hour - worth every penny, newer staff start at £7 an hour - regardless of qualifications - when I employ good staff I want to keep them.

Even if your staff are only given a nominal annual pay increase of £0.30 -50p a session - it keeps morale up, and shows that staff are appreciated. I am also registered as a charity - but it doesn't mean you can't impove your revenue and reward your staff. If your setting's finances are transparent (you are allowed to look at them, if you are not shown, go on the charity website, put your charity reg no. in and you can look at the setting's annual accounts) and you can see if your setting can afford a little more ( someone needs to understand the feasibility of sustaining pay, and projecting/forecasting costs though) write down everyone's duties and suggest that you think staff should be recompensed by way of a £0.50p increase annually. If you are increasing you fees annually, there should be no reason why you can't increase your pay at least every two years, an if you can't afford it, you'd all understand.

Ultimately we all work to earn a living - hopefully we all choose to go into this sector because we enjoy the children and working with them, but people should be rewarded and not taken advantage of - if finances permit.

I think Nursery and Playgroup/Pre-school settings look at pay differently - a full daycare nursery will have different costs and may have many more staff to pay up for, they may have cooks, caretakers, cleaners etc. Therefore there will be more to pay out from the pot - something else to consider.

[recyclingmadhouse]

Many thanks for your comments, very intresting if we can afford it I think it is best pratice to give pay increases in line with appraisals. Just want a happy work force you get more out if you put more in

[shirley bartolo]

hi i was reading your inquiries about pay rates i dont know what your pay rates are over there i am assuming your in england i am a diploma qualified here in australia i am working on casual basis until i get offered fulltime hour but i am earning $25.o8 per hour which is pretty good if i can at least get a max of 30 hours but i know on fulltime rates diplomas get at least $22ph i also beleive we are well paid compared to any where else in the world i dont know if its true though hope u get your answers take care .

[shirley bartolo]

also i just wanted to say i know changes are coming in from the begining of the year childcare prices are going up to cover the extra staff needed for staff ratio its going from i staff to 5 under three to one staff to four which is giong to make a big difference to our centre as it holds 120 children so it will be interesting how all childcare centres will cope paying for more staff and the union is asking that we get more pay and that we are recognised as proffesionals may i ask what is the ratio over there we will still keep it as one staff to 15 children over three which i beleive is to much when your in a room with 30 3 to 4 years old i think that will change in a couple of years to one staff to 11 children

[Bonnieweelass]

Oh dear, ours is 1 to 8 for over 3's. Guess that is why they can afford a higher pay rate, less staffing. It is shocking that the wages are so low here and they expect you to gain and pay for qualifications, attain degree, etc, and do they honestly believe many men will join the industry, not on the minimum wage. What happened to equality? I was earning the same money 20 years ago, but I love and enjoy working with children, and wish I'd done it years ago - but couldn't afford it back then, needed a decent pay packet. Lots of skilled women are leaving the industry as people have bills to pay. Australia has a higher standard of living too, so you have to put that into consideration and not just change the currency over. I was in Sydney at Easter and the place has got really expensive since I was last there 6 years ago. One staff to 15 is far too much, where in Australia do you live? Sounds like a bit like factory farming. x