stopping work because childcare not working

mummysaver

Give OFSTED or local authority a call and find out exactly what steps are available to you if you aren't happy with the outcome, and exactly what the ASC should be doing to help your children, you can then include some of this information in your letter, you will also know then exactly what can be expected and your next step should you need to pursue things further.

Good Luck!

frizz_head

Sarah, why do you not just work around school hours? I work for an IT company and the majority of working mothers finish in time for the school run - it is almost expected these days. Our company very heavily promotes the Work/Life Balance, and we are not unique in this way of thinking. Every client I have ever worked for has always made allowances for my childcare arrangements, and all con-calls and meetings are made in the morning.

Frizz

Sarahsaver

I'm going to have to I think, but how CAN I set up a viable business if Im only available between 9 and 3? And it didn't half hurt to have to turn down a job which could have earnt me £150. If I had a full time job, 9 to 5 let's say, I'm sure my employer would not readily say, oh well just work 9 to 3 bcos your childcare is crap, but we will give you the same money. I see what you mean though Frizz head.
And to think I would be dropping everything anyway because of getting engaged! Pleeeze! I found out thru ofsted that there had been a complaint against the ASC, maybe the leader thinks it was me (wasn't) which would explain the grudge type behaviour...

Savvy_Sue

Good letter, agree with mows and moneysaver, say what you want to happen - and I think you would like to be treated as if you were working for an employer on a full-time basis rather than as someone who can drop everything if it suits them to exclude your children. With the first ASC I helped set up we had one child that we failed to accommodate, because they simply couldn't cope with it after school - "need to be alone"! If not handled in the right way they did tend to become disruptive and ultimately violent. I felt we'd failed the child and the family, although TBH I think they were happier at home with gran - and of course not every family has a gran on hand!

We're a few years down the line here, and with the increased pressure to provide equal opportunities I think we'd have been expected to do more to accommodate that child: 1:1 support etc. How you balance the books always seems to be someone else's problem...

Do you think it is a root and branch failure of the club, or are some staff better than others? That can be another problem: we had an incident in which a new staff member behaved inappropriately. Since she couldn't see what she'd done wrong or think of anything she'd do differently, she resigned, which saved me the job of sacking her!

But there should be training available, and the staff should be going on it. I would definitely get Ofsted involved as well, I think, in a supportive rather than a combative way if that's possible.

Sarahsaver

I am so pee'd off. I have lost earnings of £150 because of the 'collapse' in my childcare arrangements. Theres nothing else available. People who have an amployer have rights, self-employed people seem to have none at all.

Spendless

Sarah, if you have no childminders who pick up from this school and you have a problem with this after-school club. I think your alternatives are going to be,

continue working as self-employed, school hours only, though I realise this means you'll possibly lose out on jobs.
OR
consider hiring an au-pair, though I don't think you get help via the tax credits system for an au-pair, I'm sure you've mentioned having one before and it not working out -but maybe consider this option

Alternatively-pack in the business and look for a job, school hours only, possibly term time only depending on what sort of holiday clubs are available.

Sorry hun only things I can think of for you:(

Sarahsaver

nope the hungarian au pair ate all our cheese!
I am trying to 'take it on the chin' but I feel I am at risk of becoming a recluse, maybe if i worked in a shop at least i would meet more people than being self employed.

lush_walrus

Hi Sarah, Phew I just read through the lot! The only thing I was wondering reading through, was the effect all of this is having not only on you, but on your children. A point that seems to have been missed in the thread is that perhaps (and this is only a perhaps) your children are suffering due to the fact that (and please dont get upset with this bit its just what came across from reading) you are determined to get your business up and running as your first priority.

I know how difficult it is to find a work, life, child balance but perhaps you need to accept that your business is going to have to grow slowly as at the moment your priority is to be there as a mother and if that means stopping work at 3, then so be it.

I dont want to attack, but from reading through the thread it just seemed as if you were explaining your anger towards having your business messed around, rather than how disturbing it must truely be for your children to feel as if they arent welcome at the after school club. I personally would be very worried about the effect on your children, its very disturbing for them and could be part of why they are behaving badly.

Good luck sorting it, and Im sure once you have the time to apply to it, your business will go great.

Sarahsaver

I know this has all been disturbing to my children, and I would be the last person to put anything over their happiness, but we were fairly much down on our uppers until I decided to be self-employed. They only had me to depend on so I just did what I had to do. The kids were settled in the childcare until they started to be messed about so much.
Ironically i have had a call from someone offering me a BIG contract, and am having an article written about me in a magazine.

Sarahsaver

I just re-read the previous post. I am grinning but I aint happy! I know what my priorities are. People are entitled to opinions, even though they may be wrong. Read my posts, not just this one, and see how much i care for my kids.
Peace.