Help

[allthingsred]

I want to leave my job. I actually really enjoy it but it's very very tiring (I do waking nights ) & the time I should be at home enjoying my children I'm sleeping or shouting at them to be quiet so I can sleep or just to dazed to play with them.
Once a week I am expected to finish my shift have 2 hours be back in work for training have another 2 hrs then back to do another waking night.
I have a more family friendly job lined up but I have an issue.
On commencing my now employment I signed a contract talking about training costs & if we left within a year of completing them we would have to pay everything back. My manager at the time clarified by saying all training starts after your 6 mth probation. If I wanted to start earlier I could do at my own costs.
So I signed
Thus was 9 mths ago.
I officially have never received anything to say I had successfully completed my probation period.
I received an email asking me how I thought I was getting on but never received feedback myself.
On my 4th month here I was put on an nvq course & told it was mandatory
Also another course which we were given paperwork telling us was 10 weeks long
It turns out to be 6 months long
My old manager told me that the courses were actually funded by an outside agency at no personal cost to the home & the nvq I really should not have been put on before my probation period was complete.
As I want to leave I am really scared they will take my whole months wages to pay towards these courses. I can't afford to lose all my wages we have no savings and live on a day to day basis as it is.
Any advice on what to do or where I stand.
I could hand my notice in on payday (because I didn't hear back or have anything signed about my probation technically I presume I'm still on it, so would only have to give a week) but feel really icky about doing that. At the same time I don't feel like I have much choice when I need a months wages to pay my rent & feed my children. Any help or advice really gratefully received

[m0therofdragons]

I think companies can assume permanent after the probation period so long as no concerns are raised so you don't necessarily sign anything new iyswim. Pretty crappy not to do a review but there are loads of rubbish employers. Re paying back - any idea how much? My parents charge employees who don't stay a year and have only had to enforce it once, which they did and it was paid. Again, fairly standard I'm afraid.

[allthingsred]

At least 1500 I think (cost of nvq, the 2nd course is 400 on its own)
I really don't have it to pay back. & this company will definatly take it and would leave me with nothing. If I had savings it wouldn't be so bad but we really can't afford to lose a months income.
Would it go to small claims court & i coukd pay back in installments but to do that would take forever. The job I'm going to is nmw & much less hours (so less money ) but better for my family.
I feel like I'm being held hostage by this contract. I actually have panic attacks over the thought of it.
When I got the job I was so happy but it really lonely, and under apreciated. I miss my children & they miss me.
What happens if you don't work your notice period in a job? I've never done it before. But as I said every penny I earn is accounted for. Paying back that much is unrealistic & deeply unfair when we were made to start before the 6 mths we were verbally assured it would be before starting & also mislead about the length of the course time it takes to finish