Midlands Enterprise Awards 2021

24 | Midlands Enterprise Awards 2021 As other nurseries closed around it, Footsteps kept going and cared for key children, as well as children from other childcare settings too, with a feeling of incredible pride that it was able to do its part to support key children and families. Over the past few years the nursery has been striving to develop a more sustainable setting by replacing all plastic toys with resources made from natural materials and is striving to become completely plastic-free by 2025. “We feel that children can really benefit from exploring all the natural materials on offer and the different textures, sights and sounds that come with these. Our huge selection of wooden toys are just as inviting and colorful as plastic resources but offer so much more too.” Currently in the process of renovating its setting so that it can adapt to offering a much more natural environment, the staff at Footsteps want to ignite children’s curiosity and wonder, whilst ensuring that it maintains its ethos of being ‘just like home’ for many more years to come. Recently, the nursery was awarded the accolade of Best Childcare & Education Centre – Leicestershire in the SME News Midlands Enterprise Awards, something of which the team is immensely proud. “We are all very excited about what is in front of us and can’t wait to share them with you all. Stay safe everyone and we hope you can come and visit us soon!” Company: Footsteps Nursery Web Address: www.footstepscd.co.uk Facebook: footstepsnurserycd Instagram: @footstepsnursery8 Offering a nursery environment that aims to be ‘just like home’, Footsteps Nursery strives to ensure that the needs of all of its children and families are met with its dedicated and passionate team. We find out more about the nursery and how it fought to continue offering its services during the pandemic. Conveniently located close to the M1 and A50 routes in the village of Castle Donington, Footsteps is a children’s day nursery. It has 55 childcare places within the main nursery and can care for babies as young as three months old, all the way up to when children go to school. There is also a purpose-built log cabin that offers a fun and varied holiday club for children aged 4-10 years old. Footsteps prides itself on being a homely and welcoming setting for all of its children and wants them to feel a sense of belonging whilst they are in its care. The dedicated nursery team believe that children should be able to learn through play and are there to guide them on that journey by offering nurturing support. Since Footsteps was established in 2008 it has seen many changes to the childcare sector. The curriculum has changed several times and it is proud to have been able to adapt its setting each and every time to ensure that it is meeting official legislation but, most importantly, maintaining the high quality of care that the children deserve. Footsteps benefits from having excellent relationships with the parents and families and will often do whatever it takes to support families as a whole. The staff believe it is a very special experience to watch children develop from babies to preschool children and support the family along the way too. The nursery practitioners are all highly experienced with some of them having worked at Footsteps for 10 years now. The nursery ensures all of its staff are highly qualified and many of the senior staff have higher educational status. Best Childcare & Education Centre – Leicestershire However, most importantly, they are all excellent at giving big cuddles! Like many businesses, Covid-19 had a detrimental effect on the nursery. The committed team were heartbroken when Footsteps had to close its setting to the majority of children. Overnight, it went from a nursery full of happy and excited children to empty, quiet rooms. Although staff were given the option to remain open for key children despite this meaning it would run at 10% capacity, which was financially unviable. However, the staff chose to offer their services to key children, regardless of the financial implications as they felt a duty of care to the parents and couldn’t let them down. “We aren’t doctors, nurses, bus drivers or supermarket assistance, we are childcare providers,” explains Footsteps’ Management Team. “We weren’t able to care for the people suffering with Covid but what we could do, is care for their children so parents could continue to go to work.” Jul21061