Save South London and Maudsley Trust NHS Nursery
Save South London and Maudsley Trust NHS Nursery
The Issue
KEEP SOUTH LONDON AND MAUDSLEY NHS STAFF NURSERY OPEN!
The context:
Almost two thirds of women in the UK who return to work after becoming mothers are forced to reduce their hours, change jobs or leave the workforce. Typical early childcare costs are rising sharply with a 4-5% increase in the past year (Coram Child and Family Childcare Survey, 2021) yet NHS staff have suffered significant real-terms pay decreases over the last decade (The Health Foundation, 2021). High quality early years childcare has been proven to be vital for long term outcomes (Department for Education, 2015).
Our nursery:
Cedar House Nursery has provided affordable and high quality early years care for children of staff who work for South London and Maudsley (SLAM) NHS Trust for decades. The dedicated nursery staff team provide a high level of care to our children and this has been recognised formally via nominations for a number of staff awards including ‘NHS Unsung Heroes’ in (2021) and the team being awarded finalists in the ‘Staff Recognition Awards’ in 2019.
Our petition:
SLAM have made the decision to close Cedar House Nursery without consultation.
The withdrawal of this key staff benefit is likely to have a significant impact on the families of many NHS staff, particularly disadvantaging women. It would result in a significant cost barrier for many SLAM staff hoping to return to work or being able to return to work flexibly after having a child, and is likely to result in committed and skilled staff leaving SLAM (where there are already a number of staff vacancies). This subsequently has potential implications for patient safety and standards of care. Additionally, nursery staff, a skilled and highly valued part of our workforce (many of whom have worked for SLAM for many years), also face losing their jobs.
An on-site, high quality, affordable nursery offers invaluable support to SLAM NHS staff and their families, and we strongly believe that this is critical now and in the future.
References:
“Coram Child and Family Childcare Survey”, Family and Childcare Trust (2021). Available at:
https://www.familyandchildcaretrust.org/sites/default/files/Resource%20Library/Childcare%20Survey%202021_Coram%20Family%20and%20Childcare.pdf
Department for Education (2015). How pre-school influences children and young people’s attainment and developmental outcomes over time. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/455670/RB455_Effective_pre-school_ primary_and_secondary_education_project.pdf.pdf
“How has NHS Staff pay changed over the past decade?”, The Health Foundation (2021). Available at:
https://www.health.org.uk/news-and-comment/charts-and-infographics/how-has-nhs-staff-pay-changed-over-the-past-decade
The Issue
KEEP SOUTH LONDON AND MAUDSLEY NHS STAFF NURSERY OPEN!
The context:
Almost two thirds of women in the UK who return to work after becoming mothers are forced to reduce their hours, change jobs or leave the workforce. Typical early childcare costs are rising sharply with a 4-5% increase in the past year (Coram Child and Family Childcare Survey, 2021) yet NHS staff have suffered significant real-terms pay decreases over the last decade (The Health Foundation, 2021). High quality early years childcare has been proven to be vital for long term outcomes (Department for Education, 2015).
Our nursery:
Cedar House Nursery has provided affordable and high quality early years care for children of staff who work for South London and Maudsley (SLAM) NHS Trust for decades. The dedicated nursery staff team provide a high level of care to our children and this has been recognised formally via nominations for a number of staff awards including ‘NHS Unsung Heroes’ in (2021) and the team being awarded finalists in the ‘Staff Recognition Awards’ in 2019.
Our petition:
SLAM have made the decision to close Cedar House Nursery without consultation.
The withdrawal of this key staff benefit is likely to have a significant impact on the families of many NHS staff, particularly disadvantaging women. It would result in a significant cost barrier for many SLAM staff hoping to return to work or being able to return to work flexibly after having a child, and is likely to result in committed and skilled staff leaving SLAM (where there are already a number of staff vacancies). This subsequently has potential implications for patient safety and standards of care. Additionally, nursery staff, a skilled and highly valued part of our workforce (many of whom have worked for SLAM for many years), also face losing their jobs.
An on-site, high quality, affordable nursery offers invaluable support to SLAM NHS staff and their families, and we strongly believe that this is critical now and in the future.
References:
“Coram Child and Family Childcare Survey”, Family and Childcare Trust (2021). Available at:
https://www.familyandchildcaretrust.org/sites/default/files/Resource%20Library/Childcare%20Survey%202021_Coram%20Family%20and%20Childcare.pdf
Department for Education (2015). How pre-school influences children and young people’s attainment and developmental outcomes over time. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/455670/RB455_Effective_pre-school_ primary_and_secondary_education_project.pdf.pdf
“How has NHS Staff pay changed over the past decade?”, The Health Foundation (2021). Available at:
https://www.health.org.uk/news-and-comment/charts-and-infographics/how-has-nhs-staff-pay-changed-over-the-past-decade
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Petition created on 28 January 2022