kids allowed team manifesto sept 2019.pdf · what’s covered in our manifesto? jennie johnson mbe,...

Kids Allowed

Team Manifesto

The Kids Allowed story

Richard Branson

We want to help children develop into happy, confident young people and give them the best foundation for lifelong learning.

Clients don’t come first. Employees do. If you take care of your employees, they’ll take

care of your clients.

To do this, we need the best team – and relationships founded on trust, honesty and respect. That’s why our people matter so much to us. They’re the ones who bring our ambitions to life.

In this manifesto, we’ve set out the values we share and the commitments we make to our colleagues. After all, they have the most important job in the world: bringing learning to life for your little ones.

Kids Allowed was established in 2003 by Jennie Johnson, MBE. A busy, working mum of two, she was frustrated by available childcare options so decided it was time to set up a more family-centric, happy, fun, modern childcare and learning environment. 15 years, eight centres, one teaching academy, one MBE and another child later, Kids Allowed has made a big difference to thousands of young people across the North West – and made countless parents’ lives run a little smoother too.

Here at Kids

Allowed, we’re

on a Mission.

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Richard Branson

We want to help children develop into happy, confident young peopleand give them the best foundation for lifelong learning.






Here at Kids

Allowed, we’re

on a Mission.

03


Richard Branson







Here at Kids

Allowed, we’re

on a Mission.

03

Richard Branson






The Kids Allowed storyKids Allowed was established in 2003 by Jennie Johnson, MBE. A busy, working mum of two, she was frustrated by available childcare options so decided it was time to set up a more family-centric, happy, fun, modern childcare and learning environment. 16 years, eight centres, one teaching academy, one MBE and another child later, Kids Allowed has made a big difference to thousands of young people across the North West – and made countless parents’ lives run a little smoother too.

Here at Kids

Allowed, we’re

on a Mission.

03

'As the founder of Kids Allowed, I spend much of my time considering how we can make sure we’re the best employer we can be. In fact, just as much as I do considering how we can be the best childcare provider.

I believe if we attract, upskill and retain great people, they’ll go on to achieve great things. Though I’m really proud of our clear, defined pedagogy, our first-class facilities and the fact that every resource is always the best we can buy, it would all mean nothing if we didn’t also have the best people. It’s when these elements all come together that the magic really happens.

So read on to learn more about our fantastic team – you never know, you may want to join us!

Like any family, here at Kids Allowed, we have shared values that guide us as we live, learn and work together.

Our values 05

Training and development 06

• The Kids Allowed Academy• Home-grown talent progression• First aid training for all• Induction

Money matters 10

• Fair pay• Payday advance and affordable loans

• Paid training time, overtime and sick pay

Health and wellbeing 12

• Health cover• Free food & drink

• Smoking policy

Open, honest communication 16

• 10-out-of-10 – weekly feedback loop• Colleague delighted cards• Bi-annual survey• Open doors – all the way to the top• Star of the Month

Little thank-you’s, perks and pats on the back 18

• Free background check and uniform• Parties and awards• Bonus scheme

• Long service awards

Culture and work/life balance…. 20

• Flexible rotas• Lunch with Jennie• Open culture – speaking up in a culture without fear• Empowerment

What’s Covered in Our Manifesto?

Jennie Johnson MBE, Founder & CEO

Working as a TeamRelationships based on trust, honesty and respect are more personally satisfying, as well as being more effective. To create real team spirit, we must support each other every day and value each other’s contributions. We need to share knowledge, speak openly and work together towards the same goals.

Getting Better Every DayWe want everyone to constantly challenge themselves, each other and us to do things better, to improve our practices, our environment, our qualifications, our knowledge, our services and our children’s experiences. Share your ideas, listen to other people’s, take any constructive criticism on board and work together with enthusiasm. And never think a suggestion is too inconsequential – it’s the little things we can change day by day that enable more permanent improvement.

Happy Colleagues, Happy KidsWe spend so many of our waking hours at work that it should be something we enjoy and are passionate about. Come to work with a smile on your face - you’ll find it’s infectious! Say hello to your team, and greet parents and children when they come in. A smile is free and it means the world to them.

Setting the Standards Others FollowKids Allowed entered the childcare sector with a clear vision to deliver the highest quality childcare. If our numerous awards are anything to go by, we’re doing just that. But we’re never complacent. To continue to set the standard, we must continue to keep an eye on changes in the sector, listen to our colleagues, parents, children and remain open to new ideas and best practices. We aim to always inspire, motivate and empower our people to go the extra mile and exceed everyone’s expectations.

Leading with IntegrityIntegrity is defined as ‘the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles’ and it’s a key value for all our colleagues at every level. We believe in showing encouragement and recognition to our colleagues and children and leading by example. This, in turn, inspires us all to achieve the highest standards, showing the utmost respect and support for each other. We believe it’s important to communicate well, make fair and honest decisions and hold our hands up when we are wrong. It’s about doing well by doing good.

Speak UpAt Kids Allowed, we value our exceptional team and always listen to any concerns, suggestions or ideas. It’s this open and honest way of working that makes Kids Allowed a great place to be. Put simply, if we don’t know about it, we can’t help or improve.

Our values

Our Values

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Our values 05


• The Kids Allowed Academy• Induction• Home-grown talent progression • First aid training for all

Money matters 10





• Smoking policy


• 10-out-of-10 – weekly feedback loop• Bi-annual survey • Open doors – all the way to the top• Monthly newsletters – and star of the month

• Colleague delighted cards


• Free background check and uniform• Parties and awards • Bonus scheme



• Flexible rotas• Lunch with Jennie • Open culture – speaking up in a culture without fear• Empowerment









Our values

Our Values

0504





Our values 05



Money matters 10





• Smoking policy

















Our values

Our Values

0504





Our values 05



Money matters 10





• Smoking policy

















Our values

Our Values

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Here at Kids Allowed, we traditionally always employed fully qualified nursery nurses. However, not all training is equal! Our founder Jennie explains…

Training and

Development

A number of years ago, I pondered why we were employing qualified nursery nurses, but then having to almost start again with their training to train them to our high standards. It was a real puzzle, so I went back to college - literally!

As I undertook my own Level 3 childcare qualification, I immediately understood the issue. Teaching was based on very generic content that didn’t underpin our requirements and didn’t provide the knowledge needed to deliver exceptional childcare. So in 2012, we did something about it and opened up our own training academy.

At Kids Allowed, we deliver our own fully accredited Level 2, 3 and 4 training qualifications. However, our courses go way beyond the required minimums – our inspirational trainers and assessors inspire the next generation to really understand and embrace play-based learning, in-line with our Kids Allowed Pedagogy. Every trainer is Level 6 qualified – equivalent of a BA or BSc – and was once a Kids Allowed nursery nurse.

Our approach now is to primarily employ apprentices who we train to the very highest standards. When an apprentice first joins, they are 'extra' to the Ofsted ratios, only going into ratio when they are ready. Moulding our own team in our own way by helping them gain a meaningful and high quality qualification has transformed our recruitment processes for the better. As well as providing specialist knowledge and embedding our values from day one, having our own training academy means we can also run a formal apprenticeship programme. Through this, every team member has the opportunity to progress from basic training to becoming a qualified and highly skilled colleague. The ultimate stamp of approval came in 2016 when Jennie, our CEO and Founder, was awarded an MBE for Services to Apprenticeships.

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Training and development

The Kids Allowed Academy

Every trainer is Level 6 qualified – equivalent of a BA or BSc – and was once a Kids Allowed nursery nurse.

Here at Kids Allowed, we traditionally always employed fully qualified nursery nurses. However, not all training is equal!Our founder Jennie explains…

Training and

Development





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Training and

Development





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Training and

Development





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Lisa joined our Christie Fields Centre in 2010 as a Nursery Nurse. She worked her way up to become a Senior, then a Unit Manager, then up to Deputy Manager and she is now our Centre Manager at Kids Allowed TraffordCity.

Meet Danielle…

Danielle joined our Christie Fields Centre 2011 as an Apprentice. After qualifying as a Nursery Nurse, she went on to become a Senior. From there she became a Unit Manager over 2 of our Woddler rooms and is now a Unit Manager of 4 of Kids Allowed biggest Woddler Rooms.

Meet James…

James joined our Cheadle centre in 2007 as a nursery nurse. Now he’s the Managing Director of Childcare! Of course, this kind of progression doesn’t happen overnight – we matched his ambition and enthusiasm with support and training. In 10 years, James climbed the ladder, rising from Nursery Nurse to Unit Manager, then Teacher to Preschool Manager and finally Deputy to Manager. With his wealth of experience, he now leads all the Centres in his role as Managing Director of Childcare.

Meet Lisa...

When it comes to senior positions, we rarely recruit from outside the Kids Allowed family. Kids Allowed have many colleagues with long service who have grown up with the company. We look to our own to promote and progress, so if a team member has ability and ambition, the sky’s the limit.

InductionEvery new colleague has an all-day induction on their first day so they can live and breathe our values from the very start. Jennie attends every induction with the new team, introduces herself and as well as telling them about our values, such as 'getting better every day', she encourages new colleagues to 'challenge the nonsense.' Colleagues are welcomed to let us know if there's anything we do that they think could be bettered. Jennie reminds all colleagues why she started Kids Allowed and the important role we play in children and their families’ lives. All colleagues get Jennie’s personal email and mobile phone number so they have direct access right to the top if needed.

Homegrown Talent Progression


08

First Aid Training For AllShould the worst happen and we have a medical emergency, we don’t think it's fair just to have one person in the building that we all look to. What if they freeze, can't get there quickly enough or forget what they have learnt?

That’s why we go beyond the legal requirement of one trained first aider per centre. Instead 100% of our team hold a paediatric first aid qualification. This is initially gained on a two-day course and followed up with a two-day renewal every three years. When it comes to children’s health and safety, we take no chances. If there’s any doubt, our teams are drilled to call 999.

We also run paediatric first aid workshops for Kids Allowed mums, dads, families and friends. And since running the courses, hundreds of parents and family members have gained this vital skill and some have sent thankful correspondence since as they have had to use it to save a life.

We have many, many more examples like these... It’s the Kids Allowed way.

James joined our Cheadle centre in 2007 as an unqualified nursery nurse. Now he’s the Managing Director of Childcare! Of course, this kind of progression doesn’t happen overnight – we matched his ambition and enthusiasm with support and training. In 10 years, James climbed the ladder, rising from unqualified to qualified, then Teacher to Preschool Manager and finally Deputy to Manager. With his wealth of experience, he now leads all the Centres in his role as Managing Director of Childcare.

Lisa joined our Christie Fields centre in 2015 as a Housekeeper. She loved the Kids Allowed way and the fabulous childcare we provided so much that she decided to change career direction and went from Housekeeper to Nursery Nurse. Three years on and Lisa is now a Unit Manager in our Out of School Club.

Daisy joined our Christie Fields centre in 2012 as one of our first apprentices at our Academy. Over six years, Daisy worked her way up from a Childcare Apprentice to a Nursery Nurse, Senior Nursery Nurse, Deputy Head of Preschool and is now a Unit Manager in our Toddler Room.

Meet Lisa… Meet James… Meet Daisy...





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Money

Matters

10

It’s not good enough for people doing such an importantjob to not be paid a dignified wage. That’s why we paysignificantly more than what’s expected in this sector.It’s also important to keep our talented, skilled andknowledgeable team working in our sector. All too often,great people have to look elsewhere because they simplycan't afford to stay.

For example, our Level 3 nursery nurses – the qualificationconsidered the mainstay of our sector – earn up to £9 perhour (correct Jan 2018). While we know it will never beenough to reflect what they truly deserve, we don't thinkyou’ll find a childcare provider who offers more.

Unsurprisingly, most providers are reluctant to share thissort of information, but we think it’s important to be upfrontand open, inspiring others to provide a fairer deal for theiremployees. We also commit to improving salaries annuallyto ensure we always stay ahead of the norm and are aimingto become a ‘real living wage’ employer by 2020. Thiswage level is set by an independent body and is differentto the living wage/minimum wage. This means every singlecolleague at Kids Allowed, regardless of rank, would beearning a wage independently recognised as appropriateand dignified.

We believe that the childcare sector has for too long relied on the goodwill and passion of a predominantly female workforce who ‘do it because they love it’. Pay has always been poor, which can create financial difficulties for those that work in the sector.

But is it right that the people we entrust the awesome responsibility of taking care of our children earn some of the lowest wages in the UK? At Kids Allowed, we think not.

Money matters

Fair Pay

Paid Training Time, Overtime and Sick PayOur sector relies on goodwill and many companies expect teams to attend meetings out of hours and training without being paid. While our team has goodwill in buckets, we don’t ever expect them to work or train for free. We value the additional hours they work at our request and they’re either paid for those hours or given time back. We also pay sick pay – and there’s more on that in the health and wellbeing section.

Payday Advance and Affordable LoansMoney troubles can lead to serious stress and anxiety – and sometimes, the unexpected happens. That’s why we offer our colleagues a financial safety net.

To help out in times of unexpected pressure, every team member can access an interest-free payday advance service so they’re never tempted by the extortionate payday lending companies. What's more, if it takes a little longer to get back on track than planned, we also offer loans at very low rates of interest to help our team avoid racking up unaffordable debts.

It’s all about creating a culture of truth rather than fear: making it OK to own up to mistakes, take responsibility and make things better.

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Money

Matters

10






Money matters

Fair Pay





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Money

Matters

10






Money matters

Fair Pay





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Money

Matters

10

It’s not good enough for people doing such an important job to not be paid a dignified wage. That’s why we pay significantly more than what’s expected in this sector. It’s also important to keep our talented, skilled and knowledgeable team working in our sector. All too often, great people have to look elsewhere because they simply can't afford to stay.

For example, our Level 3 nursery nurses – the qualification considered the mainstay of our sector – earn up to £9.50 per hour (correct April 2019). While we know it will never be enough to reflect what they truly deserve, we don't think you’ll find a childcare provider who offers more.

Unsurprisingly, most providers are reluctant to share this sort of information, but we think it’s important to be upfront and open, inspiring others to provide a fairer deal for their employees. We also commit to improving salaries annually to ensure we always stay ahead of the norm and are aiming to become a ‘real living wage’ employer by 2020. This wage level is set by an independent body and is different to the living wage/minimum wage. This means every single colleague at Kids Allowed, regardless of rank, would be earning a wage independently recognised as appropriate and dignified.



Money matters

Fair Pay


Payday Advance and Affordable LoansMoney troubles can lead to serious stress and anxiety – and sometimes, the unexpected happens. That’s whywe offer our colleagues a financial safety net.



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Did you know sick pay beyond Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is almost unheard of in the childcare sector? That means no pay at all for three qualifying days, then £89.35 per week.

Health and

Wellbeing

Given the prevalence of low wages and financial insecurity in the childcare sector, this often leads to staff working when they’re not well. As well as passing on bugs to little ones, poorly employees can’t work on top form.

Here at Kids Allowed, we don’t want our people endangering their health – or a child’s – by coming to work when they’re unwell because they can’t afford to take time off. So in 2017, we introduced sick pay for all our team. By looking after our team’s wellbeing in this way, we give them time to recuperate when they’re not well and ensure when they are in, they are on form and ready for what we call a 10 out of 10 day!

Sick Pay

Health and Wellbeing

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Health and

Wellbeing



Sick Pay


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Health and

Wellbeing



Sick Pay


13

Health and

Wellbeing

Did you know sick pay beyond Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is almost unheard of in the childcare sector? That means no pay at all for three qualifying days, then £94.25* per week.



*Rates correct as at April 2019

Sick Pay


13

Health CoverFair sick pay is only one of the ways we look after our people’s health. We believe that taking a holistic approach like this is so important.

All colleagues have health cover in place so that they can claim for:

• Eye tests

• Prescriptions

• Chiropody treatment

• Acupuncture

• And even an aromatherapy massage

What’s more, every employee has access to face-to-face counselling to support their wellbeing. By creating a culture where colleagues can speak up about mental health as well as physical health, the proactive support we give to colleagues can nip things in the bud and keep our colleagues on top form.

Food & DrinkWe know that if we fuel our team with healthy food, they will be ready and raring for the day – and not run out of fuel halfway through. That’s why at every Kids Allowed Centre, colleagues have a rest area with plenty of healthy snacks, cereal, soup, tea, coffee and fresh fruit. We also offer a free, adult-sized hot lunch – the same as whatever the little ones are tucking into.

No SmokingFor us, it’s simple – the smell of smoke, passive smoking and children do not mix. So we have a clear no smoking policy: no team member is permittedto smoke on their way to work, or on their breaks. We are upfront about thisfrom interview onwards. For those team members who do smoke or are tryingto quit, we permit the use of electronic cigarettes off-site or in the team roomduring breaks, away from the children's gazes – so they can manage nicotinecravings in a way that isn’t toxic to the children we care for.

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• Eye tests

• Prescriptions


• Acupuncture




No SmokingFor us, it’s simple – the smell of smoke, passive smoking and children do not mix. So we have a clear no smoking policy: no team member is permitted to smoke on their way to work, or on their breaks. We are upfront about this from interview onwards. For those team members who do smoke or are trying to quit, we permit the use of electronic cigarettes off-site or in the team room during breaks, away from the children's gazes – so they can manage nicotine cravings in a way that isn’t toxic to the children we care for.

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• Eye tests

• Prescriptions


• Acupuncture





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• Eye tests

• Prescriptions


• Acupuncture





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10-OUT-OF-10Weekly Feedback Loop

We want to know how our team are feeling and unlike some organisations, we don’t wait for an annual survey.

Open, Honest

Communication

Each week, every line manager checks in with their team. It’s more than just a quick informal chat: we want to know how things are going and if they are having a 10-out-of-10 week. If anything’s not 100%, we want to know why so we can put it right. Getting to the bottom of niggles quickly keeps our team happy and removes the barriers preventing them having a 10-out-of-10 day, week and year! It’s also a great way to share ideas andbest practice – if someone’s had a brilliant idea in Cheadle, we’ll give it atry at every centre.

Bi-Annual SurveyAs well as our weekly 10-out-of-10, we also email the team an anonymous survey twice a year, asking what we can do to keep being a great employer.

And most importantly, each year we listen and respond with a ‘you asked so we’ve done’ report. This is part of fuelling our 'getting better every day' value.

Star of The MonthEvery month, each Centre has a Star of the Month, a top-performing team member who deserves recognition. The star from each centre then receivesa personal letter from Jennie and some treats too.

Colleague Delighted CardsWe actively encourage our team to shout about their great coworkers with an internal feedback scheme. All feedback is passed to Jennie to read, and every nominee receives a personal note from Jennie celebrating their success and congratulating them on their performance.

10!

Open Doors – All The Way To The TopLast but not least, we have an open doors and open communication policy. Team members are encouraged to share their ideas, suggestions, questions and feedback. It’s an approach our founder Jennie explains:

As the owner of Kids Allowed, I can't be omnipresent, but I can be extremely available. All the team have my mobile number, email address and access to my open door office should they need me.

In addition, we have a private intranet forum – which I go on daily to answer any questions the team may have.

It’s a great way of giving and receiving feedback. The team are really engaged with it and love that they have access to me all day, every day.

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Open, honest communication

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10-OUT-OF-10 Weekly Feedback Loop


Open, Honest

Communication

Each week, every line manager checks in with their team. It’s more than just a quick informal chat: we want to know how things are going and if they are having a 10-out-of-10 week. If anything’s not 100%, we want to know why so we can put it right. Getting to the bottom of niggles quickly keeps our team happy and removes the barriers preventing them having a 10-out-of-10 day, week and year! It’s also a great way to share ideas and best practice – if someone’s had a brilliant idea in Cheadle, we’ll give it a try at every centre.





10!





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Open, Honest

Communication






10!





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Open, Honest

Communication




Star of The MonthEvery month, each Centre has a Star of the Month, a top-performing team member who deserves recognition. The star from each centre then receives a personal letter from Jennie and some treats too.


10!





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We love a party and a chance to celebrate our achievements together! Every year, we host a very glamorous, five star event for the team. As well as lovely food and festive fun, we have lots of awards for our people, including:

We believe in sharing our success with our colleagues and rewarding great performance.

Little Thank-You’s,

Perks and Pats on

the Back

Bonus Scheme

That’s why we run a bonus scheme that balances performance in on-the-spot quality audits (which could happen at any time, without notice!) with new customer sign ups. This typically gives colleagues a little windfall of around £250 per annum (FTE) – sometimes more! Long Service Awards

We really value loyalty and have a range of thank you’s for team members who’ve been with us for five years, 10 years or more. These include spa days for two, afternoon tea, engraved champagne and champagne glasses and personalised presents and cards.

Our Learner of the Year award is sponsored by resources supplier Hope Education and the winner gets a whopping £500. Proof if ever it were needed that hard work pays off!

Learner of the Year Rising Star Unsung Hero

Team Hero Parent Hero Superhero

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Little thank-you’s, perks and pats on the back

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Christmas Parties And Awards CeremonyWe love a party and a chance to celebrate our achievements together! Every year, we host a very glamorous, five star event for the team. As well as lovely food and festive fun, we have lots of awards for our people, including:



Perks and Pats on

the Back

Bonus Scheme






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Christmas Parties And Awards Ceremony

We love a party and a chance to celebrate our achievements together! Every year, we host a very glamorous, five star event for the team. As well as lovely food and festive fun, we have lots of awards for our people, including:



Perks and Pats on

the Back

Bonus Scheme






18


19

Christmas Parties And Awards CeremonyWe love a party and a chance to celebrate our achievements together! Every year, we host a very glamorous, five star event for the team. As well as lovely food and festive fun, we have lots of awards for our people, including:



Perks and Pats on

the Back

Bonus Scheme


We really value loyalty and have a range of thank you’s for team members who’ve been with us for five years, 10 years or more. These include spa days for two, afternoon tea, engraved champagne glasses and champagne and personalised presents and cards.




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Christmas Parties And Awards Ceremony

Flexible Rotas

Most of our team work a four day week (or less, if they are part-time), allowing them quality time with their own families and also more time to refresh.

We bend over backwards to accommodate holidays and occasional day requests so that they can balance work and home life as well as they can within the constraints of covering our rotas. We want our team to attend their child’s sports day, Christmas play and the like.

Culture and

Work/Life

Balance….

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Flexible Rotas

Most of our team work a four day week (or less, if they are part-time), allowing them quality time with their own families and also more time to refresh.

We bend over backwards to accommodate holidays and occasional day requests so that they can balance work and home life as well as they can within the constraints of covering our rotas. We want our team to attend their child’s sports day, Christmas play and the like.

Culture and

Work/Life

Balance….

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What can we do to make Kids Allowed a better place to work?

What can we do to make Kids Allowed a better place for children

and their families?

Do I ask you to do anything stupid!

(This may seem a strange request but it’s all about what we call “challenging

the nonsense.”)

Open Culture – Speaking Up in aCulture Without FearWe’re all only human and from time to time, we all make mistakes. But when you’re looking after children, it’s vital to have a culture of openness where it’s safe to speak up and safe to admit if a mistake has been made. That way, we can make things right and improve how we work to avoid something similar happening in the future.

Empowerment We empower our team to say ‘yes’ to any reasonable request – to the delight of the children and families we look after. Jennie says:

I often get moving emails and cards from parents bringing to attention instances where the team have gone the extra mile. A real-life example of how we empower our team is a simple promise I make to each of them.

If I haven’t given you the tools to do your job properly and you can’t wait to go through a formal request process, you're empowered to buy it yourself and claim the money back.

This is a no quibble promise. If the team see something that will enhance a child's experience, they’re empowered to buy whatever they need and claim the money back. We trust our people completely.

Lunch With Jennie Jennie always asks three important questionsWe think it's really important to take feedback from

all colleagues, so our founder Jennie aims to makesure she has lunch with all of her colleagues, newas well as old. She often lunches with the newacademy colleagues once they are underway withtheir apprenticeship and has follow up lunches withher current team throughout the year so that shecan hear feedback directly. As well as a treat for thecolleague, it’s a great way for us to find out howwe can do better.

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Culture and work/life balance….



and their families?



the nonsense.”)


EmpowermentWe empower our team to say ‘yes’ to any reasonable request – to the delight of the children and families we look after. Jennie says:






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and their families?



the nonsense.”)








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and their families?



the nonsense.”)







all colleagues, so our founder Jennie aims to make sure she has lunch with all of her colleagues, new as well as old. She often lunches with the new academy colleagues once they are underway with their apprenticeship and has follow up lunches with her current team throughout the year so that she can hear feedback directly. As well as a treat for the colleague, it’s a great way for us to find out how we can do better.

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Providing a great place to work is something I’m really passionate about, and taking care of our team is and always will be one of my highest priorities.

Fantastic childcare changes the lives and direction of the children we care for and it is absolutely right that the practitioners who guide this are cherished and cared

for in a fabulous place to work.

Final Word From Me


Dear Jennie,

I felt as though I needed to write to you this evening as today I left the Christie's centre in tears both after dropping off and picking up my son Luka......this was simply because today was his last day in Baby Room after being a full time member for the last 10 months (since he was 5 months old)

To say we're going to miss the staff in the room is the biggest under-statement ever and I don't have a bank of superlatives large enough to do Sam and her team justice.

The fact that 5 key staff have been constant fixtures in the room for the entire time Luka has been in there says a lot about Kids Allowed; the fact that 3 of those staff looked after my daughter Elodie (currently loving prep-school) in there nearly 4 years ago, says even more.

I have friends who dread going to work each morning due to the trauma which their nursery drop-off involves; I on the other hand, breeze into work and enjoy my working day, knowing that both my children are having an experience that could not be matched elsewhere.

Have a lovely weekend,

Sonia (Elodie and Luka's Mum)x

And Here’s the End Result:

kids allowed team manifesto sept 2019.pdf · what’s covered in our manifesto? jennie johnson mbe,...

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