After school club

[sheila59]

My friend found out yesterday when she collected her daughter from her after school club that the club is closing at the end of the term. She now has 3 weeks before the end of term to find a place in one of only two other clubs that pick up from her child's primary school. Surely 3 weeks is too short notice to give parents? They break up on 22 July. Also, the parents who were told on Monday and Tuesday had a head start on finding other places. She uses the club Wed, Thur and Fri, so had her letter yesterday. A lot of parents are worried they will have to look for other jobs if they cannot find a suitable alternative. Surely this is illegal to give such short notice, and also to stagger the time period over which parents were informed? Please, can anyone advise us, or know someone who might know? Thanks.

Why is it only 3 weeks notice?

Surely if they break up on 22nd July then they don't need care again until September which is around 2 months notice.

Staggering the notice letters isn't ideal but since all the children go on different days i can't really see what else they could have done.

I don't think its illegal at all and whilst unfortunate that your friend has to find a new club, i can't see that they have done anything wrong.

3 weeks cos the after school clubs close for summer holidays

I realise that but they will still have contact numbers for her to call.

I am a CM and my contracts state 4 weeks notice from either side so i think its a perfectly resonable amount of time to book in to somewhere new. You say there are only too other clubs so the decision shouldn't take too long to make.

How can they give more notice if it takes up to the end of term?

Does she have any formal contract which states notice periods, if not then they have probably given the best notice possible.

My local pre-school closed within a week as they had a major staffing problem which they were unable deal with and ended up closing. Maybe they have come to renew staff contracts/hall hire and discovered a problem. None of my local primary or secondary schools offer any form of after school care, we are in a very rural area and the uptake was poor so the ones that tried to start up had to stop. Didn't help the few parents which did need the care.

But the other clubs are already near to capacity, and cannot go over the number of kids stated in their ofsted certificate. both clubs are frantically trying to find alternative premises that will then have to be approved by ofsted, not to mention recruit more staff. also, we know that the club told staff on tues 21 june that the club would close at the end of term so they should have posted the letters that day. also, they could have told the other after school clubs to expect a high volume of applicants so they could have started to prepare to accomodate them.

Well that would have been nice of them to do that but not illegal that they haven't. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but i'm not really sure what you want them to do about it?

they could have given parents longer into next term to find alternatives. they are a charity who claim to have strong commitments to the community. they could have helped the staff to find alternative accomodation. the staff wanted to try to run it on their own. it is a community project and they have decided to close the whole lot down rather than let the community make a go of it. they are holding out for payment from the landlord in lieu of work done on the property, which they were obliged to undertake in the first place. the landlord are happy for the staff to try to run the place, but the charity will not budge.

also by closing down the building it means an end to a social club for adults with learning difficulties, run by volunteers and a lunch club for local oaps. also AA and Narcotics Anonymous hold weekly meetings there, and it is a contact centre for children in care to see their families. plus lots of other groups and clubs that have to try to find premises at very short notice.

I would say they have a moral obligation, as a charity, to behave more responsibly. Complain to the Charities Commission. Get petitions going. Inform the press. Refuse to leave! This is the big society! Let the community run it!!! Hope the charity do the right thing. Sounds like a place worth saving. xx