Solution to NW childcare problem but still long-term crisis

A CHILDCARE crisis in a remote Sutherland community where three teachers faced not being able to go back to work – causing a knock-on problem for their schools – has been solved at the eleventh hour.

The Care and Learning Alliance (CALA) said this week they had managed to find a workable solution to run a vital childcare day centre at Kinlochbervie before the new school term starts on August 15.

Now four people have come forward to run the centre, following the situation being highlighted in the Northern Times. The paper was praised for “championing” the parents’ plight.

Local councillor Linda Munro had described the situation as an “eleventh hour debacle.”

Around half-a-dozen working parents in the area require the help to look after their young children, but despite an extensive search no suitably qualified person had been found.

But on Tuesday, Valerie Gale, chief executive of CALA, said the centre would now open to the Care Inspectorate’s satisfaction.

“Four people came forward from the local area after the story appeared and we have managed to get all the slots filled except the 8am to 9am one,” she said.

“Those who came forward are now awaiting their Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme approval and will be working towards the necessary qualification, which will meet the requirements to open.

“I am absolutely delighted and I am confident the centre will be open when the new school year starts on August 15 and run through term time.

“But we still desperately need relief cover for when people are sick etc.”

Mrs Gale said she sympathised with the Kinlochbervie parents but their situation highlighted the crisis of finding childcare in rural areas.

She said: “We need schools to help us promote childcare as a career – especially in rural areas, to also help keep young people in their communities. Childcare is vital to regenerating rural areas. Our staff have spent considerable time and effort trying to get this facility at Kinlochbervie off the ground.”

Kinlochbervie High School PE Teacher Heather Paterson, 33, was among those parents affected. She faced taking a “career break” if no childcare is found.

She has a five-year-old daughter Holly and took maternity leave after giving birth to her son Donald James, who is now 18 months.

After returning to work in January, she relied on a friend travelling from Durness to look after her son.

“She now has a job elsewhere and the situation was getting desperate,” said Mrs Paterson.

“It’s great that this has now been sorted. I had a friend in Scourie who said she would have helped. But that would have involved a 64 mile round trip for me each day.

“My husband, Peter, is a fisherman and can be away for ten days at a time.

“It really highlights a situation where people are needed in places like this but also need to pursue their careers. These areas are struggling to attract people – especially teachers – but when they do come there is not the provision for them.”

A primary teacher at Kinlochbervie – who is due to return to work in October after having her first baby earlier this year – and part time high school art and design teacher Alison Wood, 36, who gave birth to her first child, Jack, in February last year, also faced crunch decisions over their career because of the lack of childcare.

Other parents in the same situation included Alison Day, a NHS Highland support worker in community mental health, and her gamekeeper partner Roddy, who have two children Kieran, 15, and Ruaridh, three.

They live at Achfary and Ruaridh is due to start nursery this month.

Mother-of-two Stephanie Breckenridge, 33, who runs a gift shop, needs childcare for her sons Ruben, six, and Jacob, four, so she can continue to operate her business to the end of normal shop hours.

Her husband Michael, 35, works abroad in the oil industry, meaning he is unavailable to help with the children six weeks at a time.

North, West and Central Sutherland Councillor Munro said: “I am very pleased that the appropriate childcare services are now in place.

“Nevertheless the recent experiences of parents, pupils, teachers and the wider community within the Kinlochbervie catchment area has shone a very big, bright light on a huge unmet need, that, of appropriate childcare services throughout Sutherland.

“Their experience also highlighted the inability or reluctance of both HIE and CALA senior management to work collaboratively with other partners or each other to meet this very specific developmental need and support our communities realise their full potential by providing appropriate childcare services.

“These issues are on the agenda of both the Sutherland County Committee and the Sutherland District Partnership where we will seek to address the unmet need for childcare across Sutherland.

“My thanks to the Northern Times for championing the very real need for appropriate, affordable childcare in Sutherland.”

---

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.

---