Interview: The life of a Bretsa temp

Here at Bretsa, we're lucky enough to work with hundreds of flexible temp staff. Their hard work and exceptional performance is what allows us to supply nurseries across London and Kent with high-quality staff at the shortest of notices. That's why for this instalment in the Bretsa blog we sat down with Leon Green, one of our top temps in southwest London, to find out more about him and why he loves working with Bretsa.

"When I was 18, I was out shopping with my Mum," he says, recalling what first made him think about working with children. "One of her friends had a two-year-old, who was very relaxed and cheerful with me. My Mum's friend told me ‘she never responds to strangers like that, you should think about working with kids!'

"After that I took a placement in a primary school, working with reception-age children. They got on really well with me, which ended up being the tipping point. I enrolled in a childcare course and got my NVQ3 shortly after, and here I am!"

It was the flexibility offered by a temp role with Bretsa that tempted him away from the school environment he had experienced previously, as well as the focus on hands-on work. "I prefer to focus on play rather than paper," he told us. "I naturally prefer working in a practice-oriented role and this position lets me demonstrate that strength."

"That emphasis on working practically, along with the multitude of different environments I'm able to work in, is my favourite part of being a temp with Bretsa. I've met so many fantastic nursery staff and young people thanks to Bretsa, and especially Amy and Georgia who mainly work with me."

Downsides? For Leon, there aren't many. "The hardest thing is saying ‘no' to shifts," he jokes. That and the handstands — Leon has earned the nickname "Spiderman" at several nurseries for his physical style of play and regularly declines requests from excitable children to perform handstands.

Despite the occasional pestering to perform gymnastics, Leon is unequivocal — he'd recommend his job to anyone. "I've had a great experience," he says. "Especially with Bretsa. They consider your needs, find what's best for you and maintain positive relationships with their clients. They understand me and treat me as an individual, and I'm really happy to be here."

That our temps feel valued is a key goal for Bretsa. They do their best work when they're happy, which is why we've rolled out a new system for all our staff to take control of their availability. It's intuitive, easy to manage and lets nurseries you already know and love find you specifically — and its exclusive to Bretsa. To find out more about how Bretsa could help you start your early years career, visit our information page here.