Morton Michel Annual Childcare Survey Findings for Nannies
Date: July 11, 2017 - by Head Office Team 
Morton Michel Annual Childcare Survey – The Key Findings
The results from the survey published by Morton Michel have been released. The survey, which was conducted between 1st August to the 2nd October 2016, involved 1,523 participants from varied sections of the childcare industry including Nannies.
Morton Michel have set out a in a new survey what all policy makers need to consider and be aware of in the childcare industry, including nannies.
The main aim of the survey was to be able to provide a set of data based of the various sectors within the childcare industry.
Childcare is one of the main center points in politics today and the importance of early years education has been highlighted as more important than ever before.
The Survey:
It is expected that this year, we will see the introduction of 30 free childcare hours in England. This policy is set to have a huge impact on the childcare industry and has the potential to change it. According to Morton Michel’s Survey, ‘two thirds of childminders and three quarters of nurseries have not ruled out offering the new entitlement’. However, many have said that they are not certain about this. Many have concerns regarding the new entitlement.
Funding concerns have been raised by people within the industry regarding this new entitlement. Results not only from the survey, but also from Social Media, have highlighted these. The Government has encouraged child care providers to offer chargeable extras, in the form of consumables or additional classes. This has been received in a mixed way, with many respondents not wanting to offer these.
With lots of issues being presented by the press, what makes people want to carry on in this industry? The survey asked respondents to rank the following 6 factors in order of their importance to remaining in the industry:
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Career development
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Professional support
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Remuneration
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Job satisfaction
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Job flexibility
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Professional respect
The outcome was that job satisfaction was considered the most important factor with the general consensus being that career development was the least important. This does not necessarily mean that career development is not important to childcare workers, it just highlights that to those who believe that career development is not as important, are more likely to say in the profession. However, policy makers and recruiters need to decide if enough is being done to entice new people to the industry.
Respondents who participated in the survey were also asked who provided the majority of their support across the sector. The general census was local authorities were the most common source. This was with the exception of nannies who stated that private providers were the most common source. Quality of these ratings came out as support provided by employers was rated the highest with private providers and local authorities closely following behind.
Nannies Responses
Nannies are also referred to as Home Childcarers, especially if they are registered with Ofsted on the Voluntary Ofsted Childcare Register. Within the survey nannies highlighted the need for regulation, registration and official status. Please note that the responses are from nannies who have taken out Nanny Insurance with Morton Michel, and may therefore be biased toward professional and qualified nannies.
According to the survey’s results, nannies mainly work in one household. 22% of nannies said they work in two, and 6% in 3 or more. Nannies tend to work in households with more than one child, with just 4% looking after only one child. 27% look after 4 or more children!
Only 10% are ‘live in’ nannies, with the rest having their own home elsewhere. Despite not needing to register with Ofsted, the nannies who responded to Morton Michel’s survey are mainly all well qualified. 41% hold a level 3 childcare diploma, while nearly 10% hold a relevant degree-level qualification. However, almost 25% hold no qualifications at all.
The childcare sector is in the spotlight now like never before with the advent of the 30 hours provision and childcare choices, and its contribution and importance to the country is widely acknowledged. It is now more important than ever that sector voices are heard and listened to.
You can read the Morton Michel Childcare Survey results here.
Written by Emily Martin for Harmony at Home Limited. All Rights Reserved, 2017
