- Conference
- 2025 Local Government Service Group Conference
- Date
- 12 February 2025
- Decision
- Carried
The new Westminster Government has stated that investment in early years education will be a priority. They have announced welcome increases in early years pupil premium payments and committed to the expansion of early years provision in schools.
Expansion of funded early years to children of working parents from nine months as well as increased rates of Early Years Pupil Premium by 50% will mean that funding will have tripled between 2022 and 2026. This is the biggest ever increase in eligibility and funding for early years and childcare. It will mean the state, which previously funded 40% of preschool or early years provision, will now fund around 80%, effectively nationalising the funding, much of which is delivered in the private sector on low wages.
However, this conference believes that more work is required to address the recruitment and retention crisis and to develop a workforce strategy for the early years sector. Many nurseries already report that they are unable to recruit and retain sufficient staff even prior to the planned expansion of early years provision announced by the previous government which remains the policy of the current government.
The early years and childcare sector has traditionally been characterised by low pay, low status and poor conditions of service for the workforce. The recruitment crisis in early years can only be addressed by improving the pay and conditions of the workforce. Across the UK the majority of nursery places are provided by the private and voluntary sectors, with only limited trade union membership and recognition. This has made it challenging for unions to organise in the sector, particularly in smaller providers.
With the increase in places funded by the public purse, there needs to be greater accountability for how this public money is being spent. It cannot be acceptable that public funding for early education is being syphoned off as profit by multi-national companies with ‘tax efficient’ structures while highly qualified staff are being paid the minimum wage. Conference believes in universal provision for all children and families in early years and childcare.
UNISON believes that the UK Government / Devolved Governments should create early years and childcare sector wide national negotiating bodies that include unions and employers.
The body could be responsible for setting:
1) Minimum levels of pay linked to qualification levels;
2) A clear career pathway for early years staff;
3) A right for all early years staff to access continuing professional development;
4) A simplified structure of qualifications, with a focus on improving standards and outcomes for children;
5) Trade union recognition arrangements.
Any provider receiving public funding for places would be required to abide by the recommendations of this body.
This Conference calls on the Service Group Executive to:
a) Campaign for new national negotiating bodies for early years staff that can improve the pay and conditions of the early years and childcare workforce;
b) Work with the NEC, and other appropriate campaigning bodies, to popularise this demand and campaign for more funding, universalism and better rates of pay for the sector;
c) Work with regions to run recruitment campaigns in, especially, the private, voluntary and independent sectors, and look for successful examples to build upon.
