24 NURSERY MANAGEMENT TODAY March / April 2015 www.nmt-magazine.co.uk

nmttraining

Sue Jones, whose award-winning group, EvolutionChildcare (formerly known as Kids Academy), has anenviable staff retention rate of 95 per cent, opens thedoor on to some of her training secrets

Emirates (UAE) may provide foodfor thought.

Getting startedThe starting point needs to be thevision and the ethos that drive thecommon goal. Mine was clear fromthe outset, 15 years ago, and hasn’tchanged today: every child deserveshigh-quality, affordable childcare intheir formative years, delivered by awell-trained, happy and motivatedstaff team with childcare credentialssecond to none.

This vision is at the core of mycompany, and, through my team, Ican turn this vision into reality. Itstarts at recruitment. I can teach aperson the skills required to be agood staff member, but they musthave a passion for childcare, embracethe company vision and want to bepart of the team to deliver this, dayin day out.

The theoryDrum roll: cue the theorists.Meredith Belbin talked an incredibleamount of sense that is echoed insuccessful nurseries, for instance:

‘A team is not a bunch ofpeople with job titles, but acongregation of individuals,each of whom has a role which isunderstood by other members.Members of a team seek outcertain roles and they performmost effectively in the ones thatare most natural to them.’

A nursery is a classic teamenvironment, where everyone’scontribution is crucial to

success, the environment, theoutcomes for children and thebusiness. Your team needs to knowwhere they sit in your organisationso they can see the path to self-development. They need tounderstand what you expect themto do. They need to be clear aboutthe support, tools and knowledgethey will be given to fulfil their role.

Once empowered with the rulesand tools, they are off, but it’s whathappens next that really makes thedifference.

Layered learningRoles and responsibilities tailored tothe needs of each individual are atthe heart of my training – and thestarting point from which we canbegin to put down the foundations.Once everyone is clear on their roleand the daily, weekly and monthlyduties needed to fulfil it, we layeron tailored support. Next, we layeron the rules and tools specific totheir duties. With the necessaryknowledge and information, theybecome accountable for their actionsand want to perform well, to shineand for their hard work to berecognised, as they step up thecareer ladder.

The training journeyTraining is a journey you embark onfrom day one until the day youleave. It never stops - I still learnsomething new every day. Ourculture of nurturing continuallearning has yielded a frameworkthat opens with our 12-week e-

WINNER

TeamworkMaking the dream work

‘Your team needs toknow where they sit inyour organisation sothey can see the path toself-development’

The word ‘training’ has alwaysbeen a bugbear of mine. I canvividly remember as a

teenager staring in horror asBarbara Woodhouse sternly ordereda group of rather limp dog-ownersto bark, “Sit!” and “Walkies!” attheir pets. They all obeyed likerobots. In the moment, it worked,but not in the long run, for, nosooner had good old Barbara left thebuilding, than all the commands,order and routine went with her.

This type of ‘barking’ training isdestructive, and I am sure we can allremember courses we have snoozedthrough. Without staffempowerment and engagement,training is just an expensive paper-pushing matrix exercise that ticksthe boxes of legislation.

If it’s staff retention, high staffmorale and a knowledgeable staffteam who are innovative,productive and representative ofyou, the business owner that youwant, then perhaps my approachto training and the framework Ihave developed for my nurseries inthe UK and the United Arab

www.nmt-magazine.co.uk March / April 2015 NURSERY MANAGEMENT TODAY 25

nmttraining

learning induction. Once that iscompleted, we then dip into the vastaccumulation of quality experiencesthey have acquired from workingdirectly with the children and thepractical, first-hand experiencegained through the positive rolemodelling of their peers andsubordinates. Now, we begin ourthree-month training anddevelopment cycle, which repeatsad infinitum.

Month 1: observationObservations of staff, which includeCCTV to keep head office in thelink, focus not just on their teachingand childcare, but also their rolesand responsibilities. By looking attheir practices and interactions withchildren, we can accurately evaluatetheir abilities on task. This leads totailored support, includingmentoring and internal andcarefully sourced external training.

Month 2: review and trainingThe observation feeds the monthlyreview, which provides the staffmember with the quality time theyneed with their line manager todiscuss highlighted strengths, puttogether support training and thenjointly agree the next plannedobservation area. This is also a timefor reflection – where do they wantto be? - and an opportunity toengage in shared learning. Theythen set personal goals and

timescales and discuss how they areperforming and what they need todo to achieve their personal goal. Inother words, team members areenabled to take ownership of theirfuture career.

Month 3: welfare meeting Having a quick chat with a teammember without an agenda or apredicted outcome is a wonderfuluse of a manager or owner’s time,who will generally kick things offwith “So, how are you feeling?” Aslong or as short as the situationdictates. It’s a time to openly discusswork/life balance and ensure theteam member is happy. No worktalk, no pressure, just a simple,caring, person-to-person chat.Having lost a fellow team memberto a sudden illness, the realisationthat we are only here once and weneed to look after one another neverfails to ground me.

EvaluationMy job as an owner is to evaluateour plan-do-review approach, and

introduce whatever changes willenhance the provision. For thisreason, each team member has anannual appraisal to ensure thetraining is effective and to evaluatethe benefits to the individual. Theseappraisals, which form the basis of acharted account of each teammember across the group, enableme to identify:

� the strengths and weaknesses ofall staff in all roles in the room, thesetting and within the group

� which staff are excelling and are,therefore, perfect to mentor peers

� which staff should be consideredfor staff development, promotionor increased roles.

Because my team are monitored,mentored and trained on a dailybasis, they can all progress at theirown individual pace. Valuing eachand every one of them is crucial todeveloping a team who areconfident, assured and inspired todo their job to the best of theirability. I truly believe appreciation iskey, whether this is a certificate, anaward, a gift voucher, a staff nightout, a Christmas party or just a tapon the shoulder to say, “Well done.That display is amazing.” Littlegestures go a long way. �

� Evolution Childcare, which was until recently known as Kids Academy, is a labourof love for Sue Jones. Supporting parents and nurturing children is at the heart ofthe childcare group, which is facilitated by Sue’s “wonderful team who worktogether to deliver this”..

T: 01925 732600 (head office) E: sue@evolution-childcare.co.ukTwitter: @EvolutionChildC Sue’s Twitter: @SueJones19W: evolution-childcare.co.uk

Putting themselves in the children’s shoes

Teamworking training should be fun