Toddlercare

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Nigel Berridge and his business partner bought their Oxfordshire-based business, Toddlercare, in early 2005. The company comprises three registered day nurseries in Wantage, Didcot and Abingdon, accommodating a total of 140 children cared for by 40 staff. The Toddlercare philosophy emphasizes individual attention, learning through play and a homely environment, including lots of
outdoor activities. Nigel introduced Sage HR Advice Professional alongside a complete HR strategy designed to train, motivate and retain employees.

“This is a people business, so staff are paramount,” states Nigel bluntly. “Quality and continuity of care are vital to customer satisfaction, so we want to employ the best people then hang on to them. Good HR management is crucial to the business, especially given the amount of HR legislation we have to cope with.” Since Nigel is responsible for sales and marketing as well as HR, he recognised the need for outsourced HR advice, but wasn’t completely happy with the service he inherited with the business: “We had an HR consultant, but found one person couldn’t give us the responsiveness we needed,” he remarks. A sales call from Sage HR Advice prompted Nigel to investigate the service. “I was immediately impressed by the online demonstration and the quality of the documentation,” he remembers. “The clincher was when I asked if we would be able to speak to a real person about HR issues and the answer was yes!”


Even so, Nigel admits he was nervous about the idea of telephone advice at first. A month’s trial of the service dispelled his doubts: “What we bought into initially was reliable, accurate legal advice, but it’s much more than that. We’ve been delighted with every aspect of the service, especially the telephone adviceline. Not only do the advisers know what they’re doing, it makes such a difference that they’re all nice people. It gives you that added ‘glow’ about using the service.” Nigel says the service admirably achieves his two key objectives of being fair to staff and avoiding legal liabilities. “I worked as a senior executive in big business for many years so I’ve got experience of managing staff, but I’m not an HR expert,” he admits. “Sage HR Advice makes me feel I’m not on my own when I make decisions, for example on disciplinary matters. It de-stresses me and gives me confidence that I’m doing the right thing. Even if it’s not strictly a legal issue, discussing a problem with a professional helps me determine the best way to handle it.”

The personal nature of the service has also impressed Nigel. “I speak to the same person on the adviceline 75% of the time, but even when I’m talking to someone new, there’s perfect continuity,” he says. “They have all the case notes at their fingertips, so I don’t have to keep repeating myself. Sage HR Advice is like having my own personal HR consultant on tap whenever I need them. As long as that standard of service is maintained, I’ll keep using it.”

Website www.snowdropkcs.co.uk
Email snowdropkcs@sage.com