Childcare booking for key workers
Dear parents/carers,
We are now a few weeks into our childcare offer for key workers. At the end of last week we reviewed our childcare system. This was for a number of reasons, including parents/carers booking in at extremely short notice. We also considered a range of other things, like health and safety factors for our children and also our staff. Our staff are putting themselves at risk by providing our families with this childcare offer.
Important reminder!
I appreciate that the lockdown is incredibly challenging for all of us. We know that as time goes on the pressures may feel more challenging for some. But it is important to remember that childcare for key workers should be as follows.
- You should NOT be using our childcare if someone else is at home and can look after your children.
- Finding it difficult to work at home and look after children is NOT a reason to use our childcare.
- This is ONLY for children for whom there is NO OTHER OPTION.
- Regardless of your key worker role/job, children should ONLY use school if there is NO OTHER OPTION.
- Children should ALL STAY AT HOME WHERE POSSIBLE.
- This is the ONLY WAY TO LIMIT THE CHANCE OF THIS HIDEOUS VIRUS SPREADING.
PLEASE can I ask you to think about not just the needs of your own family, but those of our staff and THEIR families.
When will the weekly booking be available?
The booking link will be sent out on a Monday for the following week. Therefore make sure that you discuss your rota with your employer the week before. The booking will close at 5pm on a Wednesday for the following week. This will allow us to plan the staffing on the Thursday and to make arrangements with staff. Staff need notice as they need to make arrangements for their own children and families!
Last minute bookings after the booking deadline
With immediate effect, no short notice bookings will be accepted.
We need to know how many children will be attending our childcare so that we can plan the staffing needed for health and safety reasons. It may seem like it shouldn’t be an issue to just ‘add one more child in’, but the reality in practice is that when many families ask us to do that, which they have been, then the number of children in our childcare can increase rapidly at little notice. This creates both a health and safety issue around managing the risk of Cornoavirus and also a staffing availability issue. This is why we have made this decision.
What will happen if you turn up and haven’t booked or if you forgot to book?
If you turn up without a booking you WILL be turned away and NO exceptions will be made. Saying you thought you’d booked or you meant to book will not result in an exception being made, for anyone.
What should you do if your employer says that you need to work at short notice?
If your employer is asking you to work at short notice, you should inform your employer that you now need to book your childcare the week before. The only exception to this will be a front line NHS worker in an emergency, who has made direct contact with myself. It is entirely reasonable that employers should consider the availability of childcare for key workers. We need to plan, the same as any other employer.
Lunches
We will continue to provide a packed lunch for all children attending the childcare.
Face masks and gloves
We have ordered face masks and gloves as an extra reassurance for our staff. They will arrive later this week. As yet, this has not been made a mandatory requirement and may never be. However, we are providing them for staff as reassurance. Staff will be given the choice about wearing them once they arrive.
Thank you for your understanding and support. We are happy to provide this valuable childcare for those who have absolutely no alternative. But I ask that you think very carefully before you book your child a place. As the guidance remains, that even for children of key workers, children should ALL stay at home where possible.
Kate Byrne
