Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effect of levels of pay of those working in child care on recruitment and retention in that sector.
Research carried out in 2021 found that some early years group-based setting managers reported that staff were moving to similar jobs and sectors that had higher rates of pay. More information about this can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1072062/SCEYP_thematic_report-_April_2022.pdf.
The majority of the early years sector is made up of private, voluntary and independent organisations who set their own rates of pay. The department acknowledges the concerns raised by the sector regarding workforce recruitment and retention, including the perceived impact of salary rates.
Supporting this workforce continues to be a priority for the department, and we are working proactively with the sector and local authorities to build our understanding of the situation and how the sector can be supported in this area.