Nursery refuse to take my DC!

[DreamInLavender]

I spoke to management today and just wanted some confirmation that I could still send DS in (they sent an email out saying they're happy to try and sort things for essential workers at this time).

They asked me what I do and then said no, they couldn't take DC as I'm not an essential worker

I am, and if we go into lockdown our services are classed as essential and will continue to run. Is it really up to the nursery if they take DC or not, or are they discriminating? Yes of course they can set their own rules but not ones that discriminate surely.

I'm fuming and honestly don't know what I'll do

The two parent key worker thing is interesting - i've only seen it on The Guardian. Luckily my DCs school and nursery appear to be being a bit understanding because DH is a key worker, and while I am not, I am due to give birth imminently. I had wrap around childcare sorted, but not full time, and I'm fully expecting to have to stay in hospital for a few days from previous experience! I'm already coming to terms with the reality that I may have to give birth alone, as the rate of sickness means that DH is unlikely to be able to get time off or cover, and if he is off it takes an entire team out.

My Mum raised an interesting point about the night shift. How I'm supposed to ensure that DH gets suitable rest during the day with the kids in self isolation I've no idea! So hoping they will allow them into childcare/school even on reduced hours on these days. Unfortunately I don't have anywhere else I can decamp to!

Very complex issue. First of all it says nusery - is this a private nursery school in England owned by private shareholders? If so read its contract/terms and conditions as the state has NOT told private nurseries to close down so if they choose to do they may breach the contract. Read it very carefully. Lost of nurseries will have solicitors crawling all over their terms and conditions including force majeure clauses at present.

Secondly once the contract issue is sorted out no one at a nursery can jump the gun on what the government will define as a key worker eg a doctor on £150k a year with £200k of private earnings is presumably a key worker but someone scrubbing the wards might not be or vice versa? We don't know yet.

I work in admin school. This makes me a key worker. Fortunately DS is practically an adult.

I have been told that I will be working to provide childcare for key workers not only during term time but during normal school holidays as well. On a rota so I won’t be working every day but I will be working 2-3 days per week EVERY week until this is over. I will be providing childcare rather than performing the administrative role I am employed for, I will also be performing dinner supervisor duties and some cleaning duties. We are all expected to “muck in” and WE WILL ... the country is facing a CRISIS and we have to stop thinking of ourselves and get on with supporting the true key workers who are fighting to keep us alive and fed.

I was a PA for an oncology unit a few years back; I can’t imagine any scenario where that wouldn’t be considered a key role. Equally I’m currently 20 weeks pregnant, whoever’s doing the admin at my maternity clinic will absolutely need to be in. I don’t think it’s quite so cut and dried as to say that if you’re not an HCP you’re not key. I agree if the children’s father is on the scene tho he should be responsible.

@Xenia I'm not sure what earnings have got to do with it, as there aren't any options to pay for childcare right now, are there?

I’m sorry but a part-time PA role can absolutely be done at home and it is not essential for you to have childcare, unlike a district nurse or a special needs teacher.
The majority of outpatient clinics have been or will be cancelled. Any non urgent surgery is being cancelled from mid April onwards.

As nurseries don't fall under the government remit they can make whatver decisions they choose. If the choose to only cater for key workers, they can define those workers themselves too!

Of course nurseries fall under the governments remit. Who registers nurseries? Ofsted. And ofsted are a government department, so of course nurseries will have to follow what the government say. Why do people think that in a time of national emergency, they can do as they please?

I’m still waiting for the list to be announced and until that happens I don’t think any setting knows what will happen. But having spoken to a few parents this morning at school, it seems everyone has a job that is super duper important to the running of the country and they all think their child should still be in school next week

My child’s school sent out a message to say that they’ve had a large number of parents saying they are key workers, but until the Govt actually provide them with a list, they cannot confirm that all of these children can attend school.

Which is fair enough.

How are the people who keep the electricity and the water supply on not key workers?

Someone I know who's a consultant's PA is being retrained and redeployed in the hospital to a patient facing role (no idea what)

So it will be considered Key soon I would think.

@DisgruntledGuineaPig

The workers who you are providing "child care" for could be the workers who save someone in your family from this awful virus.
Have a and go to work ffs.

Is there a difference between key worker and essential worker?

We're going to need people carrying on working to keep electricity/water supplies going, and pick up the rubbish, or are the army going to step in for those jobs?

My grandad was considered an essential worker during WWII - and so never went to fight - he worked on the railways. But I suppose the definition of essential worker will vary depending on the crisis.

While a PA job can be done at home, you can only do it if the employer is able to provide you with suitable software/ hardware to do it. This is not currently the case for a lot of public sector admin roles and trying to set it up at short notice like this is not easy.

OP might be needed to be redeployed for other NHS admin to support frontline staff.

Who else is going to help desperate women who have resorted to shoplifting when they are taken to the police station?

Unless what they’ve nicked is worth more than £200 they won’t go anywhere near a police station.

Discrimination on what basis? Just tell us what you do. It was clear that schools remain open for CHILDREN OF KEY WORKERS. NOT, CHILDREN OF EVERYONE WHO REMAINS WORKING.

Well, I have been told I cannot work from home so that won't be going ahead. Unfortunately I need the supplies to do so and they won't be provided by my Trust.

In addition to this, I also work for BPAS on a Saturday and that's defitnley a key worker job and a key role. The midwives there vane run without client support staff

Your employer not allowing home working does not make it an essential talk. I know various people who have managers being arsey about home working. It doesn’t make your role a key one. Unclear as to why you’re not listening.

Do you need childcare on a Saturday?

Say you're an admin in a building contractors/plumbers. You will still have a job, but you're not what the government considers a key worker. If that business folds, nobody gives a shit really. If you're an admin in the NHS, you probably are a keyworker. Unless your job is something airy fairy like serving the head of Cost Efficiency or something similar.
Admin in building contractors = not key worker.
Admin in NHS = key worker.
Former = no free school
Latter = free school

What if you are a solicitor - but a solicitor who does criminal defence work? Who else is going to help desperate women who have resorted to shoplifting when they are taken to the police station?

Police wont be doing that. Theres talk of releasing prisoners early if necessary. The head of prison officers comittee said they can move prisoners to temporary accommodation but that's jot what's gonna cause the problems. Itll be the staffing shortages.

Theres already suspected cases inside. Panic spreading to the inmates will cause massive tensions and see more staff sent home with symptoms that actually will be caused by stress (fatigue, sweating, panicking causing shortness of breath) alongside those with the virus causing more shortages.

They certainly wont be dragging women in for nicking a loaf of bread and if they did it can all be done via video link.

Are you the OP that started a thread to ask if you unreasonably angry that your admin role isn't considered as important as doctors / nurses in the NHS?

We're going to need people carrying on working to keep electricity/water supplies going

I'm sorry but this is where it gets a bit ridiculous. There will probably be many, many electricians etc who either haven't started a family yet or their children are passed primary school age. Even ones with primary school children may have a parent who isn't a key worker.

Please take a moment to think about how many of these staff will be doing routine upgrades / mundane work / non-essential maintenance.

Is it really beyond the realms of imagination to think that we will be completely fine if the few people who fall into none of the above categories need to look after their children? It's probably less than 50% of the UKs tradespeople.

Keyworkers = critical roles to keep society functioning.

It's not Dave from Virgin Media whose 14 year old stays at home with Karen ffs.

Try to think of it in terms of critical services only. So emergency staff, retail staff, delivery drivers, bin men etc.

Dont we need social workers, shop workers or fire fighters then?

Or people to keep our power, water, sewage treatment and rubbish collection going?

Just to clarify that I'm not in a huff for my own self. I support medical staff in a surgical unit. My job is very much one that's needed and a lot of essential stuff gets chucked my way that would take too much time up of surgeons etc as they're just too far busy at the front of all this

As for BPAS, I'm fine for there as I'm there Saturdays but other admin staff there are just as important because the clinic won't run without them etc. Admin in that respect are also basic counsellors who see the client for the first half of their consultations. It's an essential service