New app to ease mental health crisis amongst early years workforce

A new app-based support hub has been launched for SME nursery managers to help address the problem of poor mental health and wellbeing amongst the early years workforce.

The UK’s leading early years training provider Realise has made the innovative RealiseEY app available to download by managers of a single site or whose setting is part of a small nursery group of around five or less settings.

Any manager who falls into that criteria can access the app, regardless of whether they utilise Realise for their current training provision.

The app, launched during Mental Health Awareness Week, is packed with stress-busting tips and advice, as well as providing nursery leaders with the chance to build a community and gain support from other local managers in their area.

It comes after the Early Years Alliance found deep-rooted mental health pressures amongst the workforce in its Minds Still Matter study.

More than eight in 10 respondents (81%) said they were regularly stressed about a work-related issue, while two-thirds (67%) had suffered with anxiety, fatigue and loss of motivation over the last year.

A shocking 35% said they were considering leaving the sector due to stress and mental health difficulties.
Realise supports more than 1,000 nurseries and 2,500 learners in early years across a broad training provision ranging from apprenticeships to skills bootcamps.

Karen Derbyshire, Director of Realise Early Years, said: “We are extremely proud to have launched this innovative and pioneering app and are very confident it will prove to be a fantastic resource for nursery managers.

“The Minds Still Matter study is a stark remind that many people working in early years are feeling greater pressures than ever before. Nursery managers do so much to care for and safeguard their teams, but we believe more needs to be done to make sure they have people looking out for them, too.

“The idea of the app is to ensure that nursery managers in charge of a single site or part of a small nursery group can continue to thrive and not just survive – and it’s all free of charge to access.

“There will be lots of different resources to help give advice and ensure managers are able to lead their nurseries with confidence, whatever unexpected challenges arise.

“But RealiseEY is also about creating a community of like-minded professionals. We hope this is the start of a valuable network. It’s a safe space with experts on hand to provide support, guidance or simply listen.”

As well as offering networking opportunities, there will also be potential for free continuous professional development (CPD).

Regular blogs and videos covering topics including finance, HR and general maintenance will be uploaded, while there will be live interactive webinars and the chance to ask questions of members of the specialist Realise early years team.

Karen added: “We are renowned for being a key training provider but we wanted to give something back to the sector and this all-encompassing app is our way of doing that.

“We want it to be extremely interactive with managers and our Realise early years team members engaging with each other and being able to ask a question free of any judgement.

“We think this is a toolkit which will make a real difference to nursery managers and the amount of resource on the app will continuously grow.”