Project SMARTey
Working in the early years sector often involves physical demands, from lifting and carrying children to working at floor-level and low-heights. Despite the physical realities of these roles, their impacts on the musculoskeletal health and pain of the workforce in the UK have been under-researched.
Work SMARTey (Supporting Musculoskeletal Awareness, Research and Training for the Early Years workforce) was established to address this gap and is the first project to investigate these issues within the UK early years workforce.
Work SMARTey is a collaboration between the following organisations:
Project team
The Need for Intervention
Understanding and addressing physical strain and demands within the early years workforce is not only a matter of individual occupational health; it is central to the sustainability of the sector. When risks to musculoskeletal health are left unaddressed, they contribute directly to reduced staff wellbeing, increased sickness absence, and higher staff turnover.
To ensure all children have access to the best care and the best possible start in life, the workforce must be supported to deliver these outcomes.
The Value of this Work
Work SMARTey seeks to translate research into practical, evidence-based arguments and actions for improvement within the Early Years sector.
By taking action to address musculoskeletal health, and the burden of physical pain already present in the workforce, significant benefits can be delivered to all stakeholders:
For Organizations
There is a clear financial case for promoting musculoskeletal health among staff. Investing in prevention is an investment in stability. High levels of physical strain lead to increased organisational costs, including greater sickness absence, heavier reliance on agency cover, and the administrative burden of frequent recruitment and retraining. By investing in staff health, organisations can reduce these costs over time.
For the Workforce
For practitioners, being able to work in the early years without it taking a toll on their health must be a key priority. By identifying high-risk demands and changing how work is carried out, cumulative strain can be reduced. This allows skilled staff to remain healthy, active, and able to continue in their careers for longer.
For Families, Children and Communities
High-quality childcare depends on strong relationships. Children need familiar faces to feel secure and develop well. Supporting the health of the workforce helps reduce staff turnover and absence, allowing more children to benefit from stable, consistent relationships.
Project Outcomes and Impact so far
What the numbers say:
Our research reports the first empirical study of its kind into pain and musculoskeletal health the UK early years workforce, with results highlighting a significant, yet frequently overlooked, physical toll associated with working in the sector. Findings show that 98% of surveyed staff experience musculoskeletal pain (predominantly in the lower back) associated with common occupational tasks such as lifting children, stooping, and working at floor level or on child-sized furniture. This pain is often long term, with its frequency and intensity serving as reliable predictors of both sickness absence and intentions to leave the sector. Our findings also indicate that current educational environments frequently lack appropriate ergonomic provision to support the workforce in meeting these demands, contributing to higher rates of pain, reduced quality of life, and lower staff retention.
The voice of the workforce:
Alongside investigating the numbers, it is also critical to include the voices and direct experiences of the workforce. Our findings reveal the human cost behind the statistics. Beyond the physical demands of the role, the analysis points to a sector-wide culture where pain and discomfort are often normalised and dismissed as simply “part of the job.” Participants shared stark accounts of this daily reality, describing how routine tasks such as “sitting on little chairs and lifting children… can cause pain that makes me cry.” Without proactive ergonomic support or clear reporting routes, many educators feel forced to work through injuries, relying on “strong painkillers daily” just to fulfil their responsibilities, and returning home with “nothing left to give to my family.” This unmanaged physical strain is not only an individual health issue; it contributes directly to the loss of skilled professionals from the early years sector and to wider recruitment and retention challenges.
Read further details about these findings
Or access the full publication:
Turvill, A. J., Sheffield, D., & Taylor, L. (2024). Musculoskeletal pain and working practices in the UK early childhood education workforce. Safety Science, 178, 106592. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2024.106592
Work SMARTey: What’s Next?
The next phase of Work SMARTey is now underway, focused on developing and evaluating tailored interventions to help reduce the risks posed to musculoskeletal health by job demands and working environments in the early years sector.
Find out more and get involved:
To discover how Work SMARTey can support your organisation, or to discuss opportunities to collaborate with us, please visit our project hub.
The hub provides a comprehensive breakdown of our findings, practical recommendations for settings, and information on how to participate in the next phase of our research.
Work SMARTey in the Media
Explore how our research is shaping the conversation around physical wellbeing and driving change in the early years sector:
- Nursery World: Long Read: Is chronic back pain just 'part of the job' for early years workers?
An in-depth exploration of research findings, challenging the normalization of pain and discussing what this means for workforce retention
- Nursery Management Today (NMT): We Have Your Back
Targeted insights and practical guidance for early years managers and leaders on how to better support the musculoskeletal health of their teams
- Early Years Educator (EYE): Back to Basics
Authored by project co-founder and physiotherapist Lorna Taylor (2024), this article explores the foundational steps settings can take to protect educator wellbeing
- ENETOSH: Work SMARTey Fact Sheet
A quick-reference guide to our project's key facts and figures, shared with the European Network Education and Training in Occupational Safety and Health
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