Ref. 289976GAZETTE & HERALD: NURSERY staff have worked overtime to win their NVQ qualifications and prove that child care is a profession that demands respect.

The founder of Key Day Nurseries, Gillian Key, has been awarded her NVQ level five in management, while her Calne branch manager Tracy Smith has achieved level four.

Mrs Key said some people believe childcare is just about "playing with children", but she said she hopes the 18 months of hard work she and her manager have spent working towards the award will blow away the taboos.

"We want to make parents feel comfortable and one way we can do this is by constantly working to improve the service we provide," she said. Mrs Key said most of her 50 staff at her two nurseries in Calne are taking their nursery nurse NVQs.