First Steps Enterprise Limited is 10 years old!  Incorporated on 3rd March 2014 by directors Ian and Jenny Merrison, First Steps delivers staffing solutions for children’s centres, schools and family support services, operates three footprints@ childcare nurseries/after school club, and provides support to people looking to return to employment.

Managing Director Ian Merrison says:

‘We cannot believe where the time has gone, ! It has been an eventful and exciting journey over the last ten years, from our beginnings as a small employment agency, through to where we are now, continuing and developing our staffing services, the growth of our three footprints@ childcare settings and our Directions employment support project. 

‘We want to say a huge thank you to all who have supported and worked with us over the last ten years – schools, centres, services, suppliers, parents, partner organisations.

We love what we do!’

Reflecting on the company’s footprints@childcare, Company Deputy Manager Sarah Mercer adds:

“Children and families are at the heart of our footprints@childcare services. Our settings are all located in the centre of the local community they serve. We provide a rich curriculum in safe, nurturing environments where children feel happy and secure. Play and learning experiences are tailored to meet the individual needs of children and we work closely with families and other professionals to help achieve the best possible outcomes for children”.

Over the coming week First Steps will share more about how it started, more about its services, and what the future holds on its social media feeds.  You can also follow them via these links:

Each day’s narrative and picture will also be added to this feature below as the week progresses.  Today’s pic is the office team, with pictures of the footprints@childcare teams coming in the week.

Ian also adds:

‘Please do contact us if you would like to know more, whether to hire staff, apply for a job, book your child into a footprints@ setting or would like help finding work.

‘We are looking forward to the next 10 years!’

During week commencing Sunday 3rd March 2024, we posted on social media about our history, our services and the future.  Day 1 (3rd March 2024) was based on the narrative above.  The text for Days 2 to 6 are below, and the pictures in this article reflect the pictures we used.

Day 2: Social Media Post Narrative – History and Agency Services

During the week we will celebrate our amazing team and highlight the services we run.  Today, we briefly share some of our history.  First Steps Enterprise was incorporated on 3rd March 2014, with trading formally starting on 1st April 2014.

Our service for the first three years was providing valuable employment agency services to children’s centres and schools in Liverpool and Sefton.  We have always preferred the contract option for staff rather than day-to-day cover, and the vast majority of our contracts have been on this basis.

This service continues to this day.  We cover vacancies such as Family Link/Support, Early Help, Activities and Outreach, Teaching Assistants, SEN/Disability, Health Promotion, and Receptionists/Admin Workers.  We also provide options for finding permanent staff!

If you are a centre/school/service, please do contact us for more info or visit http://tinyurl.com/5n7su34k

If you would like to work for us, please go to http://tinyurl.com/2t9rzae4

Our pictures today, working clockwise from top left:

  • Our original logo and branding, which served us very well for 8 years.
  • Ian and Jenny, the company directors
  • A picture we used a lot in early branding in our first few years.
  • Everyone knows Bailey, our office dog, belonging to Ian and Jenny. However, the original First Steps dog of theirs was Sally, pictured here.  She enjoyed keeping Ian’s feet warm when he was working at home those first three years.
  • Centre – our current logo

#FirstStepsIs10 #EducationRecruitment #SchoolStaffing #ChildrenCentreStaffing #SocialCareServicesStaffing #SENDsupport #merseyside #liverpoolcityregion

#everydayisalearningday #nurserylife #earlyyearseducation #nursery #litherland #netherton #ainsdale

#earlyyears #firststepsenterprise #education #careers #teachingassistantjobs #nurseryjobs #earlyyearsjobs #earlyhelp #earlyhelpjobs #familysupportservicesjobs

#jobsearch #employability #lookingforwork #careers #selfemployment #beyourownboss #business

Day 3 Social Media Post Narrative – footprints@netherton nursery

First Steps is 10!  We are looking at our footprints@netherton nursery today!

In late 2017, an opportunity to run a nursery in Netherton became apparent as Sefton Council were no longer able to operate its nurseries.  As we employed staff in the Netherton nursery via our staffing services, we expressed an interest to the council.

A key part of expanding the nursery offer was the appointment of Sarah Mercer in January 2018 as Company Deputy Manager, with the specific remit of helping Ian develop the childcare services and then overseeing their operations.  Without Sarah in place, the nursery provision would not have happened in First Steps.

footprints@netherton began operation as a First Steps Ofsted-registered day nursery on 4th June 2018 located in Netherton Family Well Being Centre.  At its most recent Ofsted inspection, it was rated ‘good’, with the report stating ‘Leaders and the manager are passionate about enriching the experiences of young children and their families….staff put children at the heart of the setting.’

In 2021, the nursery doubled to two rooms, and we now offer term-time provision to children aged from two-years-old up to school age and we accept and encourage the take-up of funded places.

We are very proud of what footprints@netherton has achieved, and Jackie, our nursery manager, and the whole team, do a fantastic job placing children at the very heart of the nursery.

To find out more or book a place, ring Jackie on 07852 647962 or visit https://tinyurl.com/yuw2ppme

Our pictures today, working clockwise from top left:

  • Sarah, our Company Deputy Manager, who oversees our footprints@childcare settings
  • Our footprints@ childcare logo
  • Jackie, our nursery manager, and EY Practitioners Lasharna and Kayley
  • Fun in nursery
  • EY Practitioners Karen and Julie hiding behind plants!
  • More fun in nursery

Day 4 Social Media Post Narrative – move to 54 St James Street, office team and Directions

First Steps is 10!  Today we look at our move to 54StJamesStreet and the Directions project!

In 2017, Ann joined us in a vital role as Administrator and now looks after our HR admin, payroll and many other tasks, and with Sarah about to join us, the need for an office became apparent!  54 St James Street, in the Baltic Triangle in Liverpool, was already our registered office where our mail went, and an office became available, and we moved in during November 2017.

54 St James Street is owned by @TheWomensOrganisation, who had helped us with initial business planning back in early 2014, and so it was a completely natural fit, where we are happily remain today.

As we moved in to 54 St James Street, Bailey who was a puppy then, came with us (Sally had sadly left us August 2017 aged 15).  He made himself at home in 54 and was the first work dog in there!

In November 2022, Natallia joined us as our Finance Officer, providing essential support to Ian for that part of the business.

Our relationship with the Women’s Organisation was also key as we are a delivery partner for the Directions project.  Directions provides support to those who are aged 18+, economically inactive and live in the city region.  It helps people find work or move into self-employment.

Carole undertakes this important role and would love to hear from either people looking for assistance or organisations who could can signpost people to the project.

More info – about us: https://tinyurl.com/2unds46b

Directions ring Carole on 07458 302 221 or visit – https://tinyurl.com/2tbx5v8f

Our pictures today, going clockwise from top left:

  • Current logo
  • Ann, our Administrator
  • Bailey on the front desk at 54 St James Street, checking to see if we have mail!
  • Carole, who oversees our Directions project
  • Natallia, our Finance Officer

Day 5 Social Media Post Narrative – footprints@hattonhill nursery and footprints@kingskids after school club

First Steps is 10!  Today are looking at our footprints@hattonhill nursery and footprints@kingskids!

Not long after Netherton opened, a new opportunity arose to take over an after-school club in Kings Meadow Primary School in Ainsdale.  footprints@kingskids opened as a First Steps Ofsted registered after school club in September 2018!  It’s most recent Ofsted gave it a ‘met’ grade!  Sue and Lyndsey provide a great, quality service in the club.

Our largest nursery to date is our footprints@hattonhill setting.  It was also our riskiest as it had the unfortunate timing effect of opening on 16th March 2020, one week before the national lockdown for Covid-19! In those first few months, we focused on key worker families, providing a vital service.

Located in Hatton Hill Primary School in Litherland, footprints@hattonhill has grown from a term-time pre-school setting into all all-year round provision, taking children from 0 to school age, now with three childcare rooms.  We work closely with the school and their nursery class provision, acting as a vital feeder.

The most recent Ofsted report rated footprints@hattonhill ‘good’, stating that ‘Children benefit from a highly successful transition programme when they join this nursery…. children are confident and self-assured’.  Kate, the nursery manager, and the whole team, provide an excellent quality nursery service, and like the other teams, we are very proud of them.

Kings Kids: ring Sue on 07594 194 569 or visit https://tinyurl.com/4fzbvjw2

Hatton Hill: ring Kate on 0151 928 8294 or visit https://tinyurl.com/3ysz6fxc

Our pictures today, going clockwise from top left:

  • Kings Kids Playworker team Sue and Lyndsey
  • footprints@childcare logo
  • Hatton Hill staff! EY Practitioners – Stevie, Kimberley, Rachel, Louise, Kirstin, Shelley, Jenny.
  • Tabel-top fun in Kings Kids After School Club
  • The early shift in Hatton Hill! Manager Kate with cleaner Phil and EY Practitioner Lynda
  • Tyre fun in Hatton Hill nursery
  • More Hatton Hill staff! EY Practitioner Cath, Nursery Deputy Manager Sarah O, and Manager Kate and EY Practitioner Lynda again!
  • Chalk board fun in Hatton Hill nursery

Day 6 Social Media Post Narrative – Staffing Services & The Future

First Steps is 10!  Today on our last day of this week’s birthday week posts, and we look at our staffing services and the future!

We continue to provide valuable employment agency services to children’s centres, schools and family support services across in Merseyside and the North West of England.  We continue to provide direct employment services to organisations looking for a fixed term solution.

We cover vacancies such as Family Link/Support, Social Services vacancies, Early Help, Activities and Outreach, Teaching Assistants, SEN/Disability, Health Promotion, and Receptionists/Admin Workers.

However, we can also provide options for finding permanent staff as well.  This is part of how we envision our future.   Supply of fixed-term contracts further afield and in new services is also an important part of the next stages of the company.

Our future very much involves recent additions to the team.  Loukia joined us as a new much-needed Recruitment Consultant in December 2023, and she would love to hear from you.  Meanwhile, Charmaine, who joined us in August 2022, provides a vital service helping us find candidates, recruitment background support and social media implementation.

Our marketing also recently underwent a refresh of logo and images, courtesy of Vibrant & Creative (https://tinyurl.com/rvmynvn3 – Charmine – you will need to check link for Instagram and LinkedIn as could be different)

Please do contact us if you are interested in using our services or wish to work for us!

If you are a centre/school/service, please do contact us on 0151 665 0160 for more info or visit http://tinyurl.com/5n7su34k

If you would like to work for us, please ring 0151 665 0160 or go to http://tinyurl.com/2t9rzae4

Pictures today, clockwise from top left:

  • Loukia, our recruitment consultant
  • Current marketing images example
  • Charmaine, our Resourcer
  • Current full logo

Ends.