Emergency Childcare

keyworker_singleparent

Hi All,
Looking for help please?
I'm a single parent to a two-year old.  I am also a key worker supplying Maternity and Neonatal software to the NHS.  I am self-employed (thanks for all the lobbying by the way - much appreciated).  As a critical service, we have been told by both UK and Scottish Government that we are very much essential service - I therefore need to work.  Furlough is not appropriate given the circumstances.  The issue is that Falkirk Council will not provision me emergency childcare.  They assess that because I can work from home - I should, whilst simultaneously caring for a very rambunctious toddler.  I have contacted my local Councillors for support - whilst responsive and helpful, they were unable to influence the situation and recommend I contact my MSP.  I did this a week ago and the Council have not responded to them.  The MSP's office recommended that I contact my Councillor for better support.  In short, both the Councillor and MSP have referred me to the other and neither have helped.
I have been getting up before the wee one gets out of bed, working around about him as best I can, then opening the laptop back up when he goes to bed.  I AM EXHAUSTED.  I cannot do more of this.
My IFA yesterday suggested that I reach out to you guys for your lobbying power to see if you can help.  I am terrified that due to the level of workload I'm usefully producing at the moment, that my employer has to ask me to either take an extended leave of absence (and so no income), or worst case, has to let me go. They have been very supportive throughout, but at the end of the day are running a business.
Would welcome any recommendations on how I take this forward?  Thanks for listening to the rant!

Undervalued

keyworker_singleparent said:

Hi All,
Looking for help please?
I'm a single parent to a two-year old.  I am also a key worker supplying Maternity and Neonatal software to the NHS.  I am self-employed (thanks for all the lobbying by the way - much appreciated).  As a critical service, we have been told by both UK and Scottish Government that we are very much essential service - I therefore need to work.  Furlough is not appropriate given the circumstances.  The issue is that Falkirk Council will not provision me emergency childcare.  They assess that because I can work from home - I should, whilst simultaneously caring for a very rambunctious toddler.  I have contacted my local Councillors for support - whilst responsive and helpful, they were unable to influence the situation and recommend I contact my MSP.  I did this a week ago and the Council have not responded to them.  The MSP's office recommended that I contact my Councillor for better support.  In short, both the Councillor and MSP have referred me to the other and neither have helped.
I have been getting up before the wee one gets out of bed, working around about him as best I can, then opening the laptop back up when he goes to bed.  I AM EXHAUSTED.  I cannot do more of this.
My IFA yesterday suggested that I reach out to you guys for your lobbying power to see if you can help.  I am terrified that due to the level of workload I'm usefully producing at the moment, that my employer has to ask me to either take an extended leave of absence (and so no income), or worst case, has to let me go. They have been very supportive throughout, but at the end of the day are running a business.
Would welcome any recommendations on how I take this forward?  Thanks for listening to the rant!

Whilst I obviously sympathise, I have highlighted the anomaly.

If you are self employed will you not eventually get the self employed grant if you have to do a reduced amount of work? 

If so, could you either spend that on some childcare or alternatively negotiate with your client (not employer - you are self employed) to do a reduced amount of work?