Terence Fane-Saunders speaks on nurseries crisis management
On 11th June 2015, Chelgate Chairman and Chief Executive Terence Fane-Saunders addressed a workshop on Crisis Management at the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) Annual Conference.
The theme of the NALS conference was âInsights and Inspirationâ, but on its second day the conference turned to focus on the handling of crises. Known as the âinfluential, independent voice of the nursery sectorâ, the NDNA hosted key industry speakers, with topics ranging from new government childcare policies to effective nursery disaster-management.
Terence Fane-Saunders placed particular emphasis on preparation for crisis, telling his audience that 70% of good crisis management should take place before a crisis ever occurs. Speaking both as a crisis management expert and a father, he warned his audience that parenthood was a form of insanity: âPerfectly reasonable, charming, rational people can become irrational monsters when the crisis concerns their own child. I say that as a parent myself. We are all slightly mad.â  The consequence of this is that Day Nurseries are particularly vulnerable to highly emotional responses when something goes wrong, he said.
He noted the fact that insurance companies were increasingly making reputation protection and crisis management part of the package when organisations like day nurseries are hit by calamitous events. âItâs not enough to win in the courtroom, or make good your financial losses, when reputation damage can destroy your businessâ, he said.
A recognised expert in the management of crises and acute issues, Terence Fane-Saunders has worked on some of the most high profile and demanding crises of recent years, and has worked with schools, nurseries and other educational businesses across the UK .
