Nursery World - Nursery Management: Staff Well-Being

With high rates of stress in the early years workforce, allowing staff to have relaxing breaks away from the children is crucial. Annette Rawstrone reports on how settings are prioritising, and revamping, their staffrooms

Working with children is a busy and demanding role – few parents have to deal with three babies at a time – so it’s important for staff to have somewhere comfortable and calm to retreat to on their breaks.

‘It’s vital to have somewhere for staff to recharge their batteries and take a few minutes to have a break in a quiet, calm area,’ says National Day Nurseries Association lead early years adviser Jo Meakin. ‘It’s for their well-being and also for the children’s – so somewhere separate is essential.’

Yet in reality, there is no legal requirement for a nursery to have a staffroom, and with squeezed budgets and limited space, settings are finding it hard to provide a comfortable space for staff use.

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