If staff are happy, children are happy.
If children are happy, parents can relax.
And if parents are happy, our clients return.
This is a philosophy I’ve held since day one of Nipperbout Event Childcare.
It’s not just a feel-good statement.
Childcare is built on trust. Trust is built on people.
And that’s what events are all about, the people.
In the world of temporary childcare, staff turnover can be high. It would be easy to rely on casual staffing and to build a team just for the day. Instead, we try to provide consistency, continuity and a sense of safety.
Our Purple People don’t just show up, they stay.
Many of our team have been with us for over a decade. Caroline joined in 1994 (that’s 31 years ago for those counting!). Julia has been with us for 15 years, JB for 12, and around 25 other team members have worked for us for over 10 years.
Freya and Peter have taken it one step further and started as children on the other side of the crèche. Both are former NASUWT children who grew up at Nipperbout events. They’re now in their late 20s and part of the team that once looked after them.
Longevity like this isn’t common in mobile childcare settings, it’s not really that common in permanent settings. And it isn’t luck. I’m proud to say it’s something we’ve worked hard to build.
We pay our teams for more than just the time spent on site. We pay them for planning, for feedback, for travel. We consult them on policies and procedures. When something doesn’t work, they tell us and we fix it together.
Our Purple People are not just staff. They are co-creators of the Nipperbout experience.
Many of our events take place on location. After-hours, our teams enjoy hotel stays, seaside walks, karaoke sessions and time together. Over the years, they’ve built real friendships and in some cases, more than friendships …
Sarah and Ian, who met while working at Nipperbout, went on to get married, move to Barcelona, and open their own children’s drama and film school (you can hear from them in our 30 Years of Nipperbout video). We’ve had multiple “Nipper-weddings” over the years, and I always feel a little like Cilla in a new hat!
Children pick up on everything.
A stressed team? They feel it. An unfamiliar face every time? They notice. A team that gels? They are aware. That’s why long-term staff are so valuable.
Our Purple People bring consistency, calm, and a sense of safety, especially for children with additional needs or separation anxiety. They’re able to spot cues, build bonds quickly and adapt to the flow of each individual child. That level of intuitive care doesn’t happen with high turnover.
Parents sense it too. They know when their children are happy. They recognise familiar faces. They thank our team by name. And when they trust the people looking after them, they can relax, focus on the event and get the most out of their day.
That’s the ripple effect. It’s why we have long-standing clients like NASUWT, Unison, ESCRS, Shoptalk and NEU, who bring us back year after year, not just because we run a crèche, but because the families ask for us by name.
Childcare is a service, absolutely, however, it’s also a feeling.
When staff feel they belong, they stay.
When they stay, they build relationships with children.
When those children feel safe and seen, parents can focus.
And when that happens, everyone wins - families, organisers and events.
We don’t just look after children.
We invest in the people who make that possible.
