Government to Change English Staff:Child Ratios

Government to Change English Staff:Child Ratios

A decade since changing Staff:Child ratios was first proposed by the then Childcare Minister, Liz Truss, it appears the government is determined to press ahead with this controversial policy. The change would be to bring the English ratio requirements in line with the Scottish system, specifically, permitting a staff:child ratio of 1:5 for 2 year olds. 

Although this is not nearly as radical as it might have been - there was a time only a few months ago when Truss was Prime Minister, when she was rumoured to be considering dropping the ratio requirement altogether – this change is still bitterly opposed by many in the sector. Combined with the extension of the 30 hours entitlement to 1 and 2 year olds, the concern is that settings may be forced to work to the higher ration to make ends meet. This, providers say, could not just put children at risk, but cut their social development by reducing the amount of time staff spend with them.

Part of the trouble, from providers’ perspective, is that the rationale for changing the ratio is an economic one. The government intends to make it cheaper for providers to look after more children. However, the sector’s financial concerns have never been that providing childcare is too expensive, the costs are necessary to ensure quality of provision. The problem is simply that the funding available is not enough to cover the costs of delivery. This difference in priorities reinforces the feeling of many in the sector that the government is not truly listening.