In Safe Hands

Miriam and Sairah Shah

Sisters Miriam and Sairah Shah established Safe Hands in May 2007. After completing her Childhood Studies degree at Leeds Metropolitan University in 2002, Miriam was unable to find a recruitment agency specialising in childcare careers, and so the embryonic idea of a specialised Recruitment Agency was born.

Miriam took a range of temporary jobs unrelated to her qualifications, and in 2005 she began a Postgraduate teaching qualification at The University of Bolton. She was then offered a lectureship in childcare at Bury College. Whilst talking to her students who were completing their course, feedback indicated that the students couldn’t find a specialised childcare agency when seeking work.

During this period, Miriam constantly discussed the lack of a specialised service with her sister Sairah. Sairah although busy bringing up her family and taking an accountancy technician qualification had always wanted to work for herself and in December 2006 was looking for business opportunities. Together, they reached the conclusion that it could now be the ideal opportunity for them to establish a specialist childcare recruitment agency, using their complementary skills.

As Miriam had already been in contact with Women’s Enterprise when this was just an idea, she re-approached them to “set the ball rolling”.

Miriam said: “Women’s Enterprise helped us with our business planning, signposted us to grant opportunities and provides invaluable on-going support. Without their expertise it would have taken us many more months before 'Safe Hands' would have been established.”

Safe Hands are based in Milkstone Road and provide both permanent and temporary childcare staffing solutions to businesses in the childcare sector. Their extensive bank of candidates includes; qualified teaching assistants, playworkers, nursery nurses, and nursery managers. The service extends to parents, providing private tutors, childminders and babysitters. A CRB checking service is also offered as an additional service.

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