Friend claiming to be key worker

[lockdownrules]

So my friend and her husband work but aren't key workers. Here in Scotland after Christmas nurseries and schools closed unless key workers.
She says she's been told she can still send child to nursery so the nursery is lying for her and claiming she's a key worker to get place. It's a council nursery.
AIBU to be annoyed my child can't get a place. My husband is a key worker but I'm not but wfh full time with a toddler and my nursery say no place! Obviously I'm just jealous but it's so unfair some can play the system like this

The Daily record too!!

www.dailyrecord.co.uk/lifestyle/family-kids/fuming-scots-mum-says-pal-23210744

@Woeismypants

In dc school there were children who kept attending due to having autism. I think its cheeky to take up a place not meant for you.

My childrens father and I are both classed as key workers, both able to work from home at least some of the time. I have video and phone appointments with prisoners, some of them very dangerous individuals. And meetings with other professionals about these offenders. Having my children overhear the conversations or the offender becoming aware of my children would be highly inappropriate. They attended school approx 2 days per week to avoid this and I would do the same again.

Is this thread still going?

I can't be arsed to read the fucker, but did it end up that OP's 'friends' are indeed keyworkers after all, just like in the other 57 threads that were exactly the same?

@MNHQ - brilliant to see disablism being taken so seriously. Thank you.

Key worker can mean anything. My friend who works at Goldman Sachs has key worker status! 🤷‍♀️

Key worker, over used and means absolutely nothing. I've seen cars with 'im a Key worker' stickers on them.
If you're life is that's boring and sad that you need to claim this imaginary status, I suggestva good sit down and reevaluation of it...

I was told by our nursery manager, after she had a lengthy call with relevant contacts at Glasgow City Council, that they can use their own discretion to decide if a child needs a place. That both parents don’t need to be key workers, only 1, that parents who both work from home full time with no access to a family or friend bubble for help with childcare whose child isn’t vulnerable but needs extra support for say, behavioural issues, can attend if they think the child needs it. And that, each case is treated confidentiality.

I work in a bank branch and we’ve stayed open throughout the year customers needed branches to access cash of cards not working or fraud elderly customers not always confident with atm and online banking and a million other reasons. At the beginning we were open with no PPE as they couldn’t source any and it was worrying but now I’m almost glad we are open (tier 4 here so limited opening hours to public and then we log onto live chat to help the call centre overflow so we are all working a full day. This has been the case since March except for 2 weeks in November as 7 out of 9 of the staff tested positive) we’ve been told we are key workers although my secondary school aged children haven been remote learning as they are years 9 and 11 so old enough to be at home and both sensible enough to get on with the work (the school sent questionnaires out and they have a real
Mix demographic and others would need the spaces more than my children) Dh works within logistics for finance and again he is deemed a key worker as his job cannot be done from home.

Government website on Critical Workers states:

Utilities, communication and financial services
This includes:

staff needed for essential financial services provision (including but not limited to workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure)

So yes, those of us that work in financial services are key workers. Or should we just say fuck it, and ensure none of the British public can access their money until the pandemic is over as we’re so “inessential”? I work in financial tech so thanks to me you can still access online/mobile banking.

Now, I have to drive her 10 miles to school each morning and pick her up, because County needed parents to take up transport so they could socially distance the children whose parents couldn't take them. I spend 3 hours per day driving.

You shouldn't be doing this, @Lougle. Councils' school transport duties haven't been modified in any way. If they can't socially distance children in existing transport then they should be expanding the number of vehicles that provide it.

Vulnerable children are not just special needs etc, its if they are from single parent families too, etc, it's a broad spectrum, maybe her child comes under something like this but doesnt want to say, I think key workers cover a wide range of jobs too not just nurses firefighters etc.

@MaryLeeOnHigh

Now, I have to drive her 10 miles to school each morning and pick her up, because County needed parents to take up transport so they could socially distance the children whose parents couldn't take them. I spend 3 hours per day driving.

You shouldn't be doing this, @Lougle. Councils' school transport duties haven't been modified in any way. If they can't socially distance children in existing transport then they should be expanding the number of vehicles that provide it.

They've done that by contracting parents. We get a mileage allowance. Having said that, when I spoke to DD1's driver, she now has a full bus again, so if DD1 went back to transport, they'd have to get a bigger bus or change the route.

So many people spouting made up bollocks again. Is reading the rules on the government website really so challenging?

There is a list of sectors that are considered key. I checked it to help a friend who was worried about her kids schooling. The list is massive.

Yes banks are included, and so is the person working in a call centre for sky mentioned above. In fact the TV studio someone listed as not essential is covered as public service broadcasting is listed. So are ministers of religion, court staff, farmers, vets, many manufacturing roles, postmen etc etc.

Ability to work from home is irrelevant.

I thought in Scotland both parents have to be key workers. For a place at school anyway.

It’s far too loose a definition considering the benefits. Don’t get me wrong, the NHS, teaching and shop staff etc deserve everything they get but I’m seeing folk who work for the local council admin team getting nursery places, discounts galore (one just got 5% discount on a bloody new build house!) and queue jumping at supermarkets. It is infuriating. Then they plaster their status all over social media for show. All whilst not contributing anything to the covid response.

@ Woeismypants do you work at my DS school? He was denied to go to school during the first lockdown even tho he has an EHCP and a one to one all day, apparently in their eyes he wasn’t vulnerable enough. (I wish I was joking but I’m really not) its people like you and my DS school that need to educated yourself on autism. Needless to say they soon realised their mistake when he had trouble settling back into school routine and adjusting back to noise level at school.

Oh and just to top it off I work for NHS also but DH does not.

@Lexilooo

So many people spouting made up bollocks again. Is reading the rules on the government website really so challenging?

There is a list of sectors that are considered key. I checked it to help a friend who was worried about her kids schooling. The list is massive.

Yes banks are included, and so is the person working in a call centre for sky mentioned above. In fact the TV studio someone listed as not essential is covered as public service broadcasting is listed. So are ministers of religion, court staff, farmers, vets, many manufacturing roles, postmen etc etc.

Ability to work from home is irrelevant.

Not in Scotland. The guidance specifically says ‘only those who cannot fulfil their critical roles remotely may qualify for critical childcare provision.’

@bloodyhairy unfortunately not. Friend works in a call centre, her husband is a tradesman (not related to the critical response of the country or whatever it’s called). Because neither can wfh they children have a space in the hub

I don't think anyone has mentioned this in 11 pages, but bank staff are key workers...

@Yellow85 I have completed the form
For key worker childcare and was not asked whether I work at home or not (I dont) or whether I can work at home. The guidance sent to me by the school never mentioned working at home etc either.

[quote tigger1001]@Yellow85 I have completed the form
For key worker childcare and was not asked whether I work at home or not (I dont) or whether I can work at home. The guidance sent to me by the school never mentioned working at home etc either.[/quote]
It’s definitely in the guidance. Perhaps local authorities can add their own interpretation. I filled in one where I am and I was declined on the basis I wfh despite my role being direct covid response

I fell into conversation with a guy who said he was astonished to find that he is classed as a key worker. He sells fitted kitchens so it makes sense that being able to provide someone with a working kitchen is key. But he said it didn't sit well with him. He's single with no DC so it doesn't make a difference for school places.

My roles admin and I'm a key worker still been working in the office since March.