Nursery staff have hit out at the management of New College Lanarkshire after it was revealed that two childcare centres are to close at the end of the current term.
Early years education provisions at both the Coatbridge and Cumbernauld campuses are to cease in June and fuming staff members are criticising the college’s management for the way the closure announcements have been handled.
Over 30 members of staff at the two nurseries now face the prospect of redundancy or redeployment, although many believe the opportunity of the latter is highly unlikely given only the Motherwell campus will have a remaining childcare facility and is privately owned.
Furious staff were informed of the decision to close the nurseries on Tuesday afternoon, but claim it was only after the news had been circulating within the college earlier in the day.
One member of staff told Lanarkshire Live: “It just seems surreal. It could have been handled a lot better. It was leaked within the college and people knew before us.
"We were told officially at 4.30pm on Tuesday. And it’s shocking that the people who were brought in to break the news to us couldn’t even give us the answers we needed, or tell us anything really.”
Another nursery source said: “They have nowhere to redeploy the nursery staff to, as they’re closing the two nurseries they are responsible for. Where are they going to put 30 trained childcare workers?
“The staff are fuming. A statement was read out and the question was asked several times what happens if staff choose not to volunteer but she was unable or unwilling to answer.”
The college’s board claim a 0.7 per cent reduction on last year has resulted in funding for the next financial year being down by £4.3 million in real terms.
Nursery staff discovered the two centres were to close, just a day after finding out that the college were looking to reduce staff numbers elsewhere.
A communication to staff from Principal and CEO Professor Christopher Moore revealed that a “voluntary severance scheme” was open to employees, as they look to cut staffing numbers and costs.
Lanarkshire Live understands they are looking to remove almost 50fte (full time equivalent posts) across college departments. That’s in addition to the closure of the nurseries and the students’ Halls of Residence at the Motherwell campus, which will also result in staff there facing the prospect of redundancy.
The nurseries provide a childcare service for parents returning to study who may not otherwise be able to. Many of them have already missed the enrolment cut-off dates for council-owned nurseries and could now struggle to find alternative childcare to allow them to continue their courses when college returns in August.
“I’ve been talking to some of the parents who are also devastated," a staff member revealed. "They thought they had places for their children for next year and now they will have to try and find somewhere else which won’t be easy.”
Another added: “The staff are devastated, not just because they are losing their jobs, but for the children who were returning too and their parents who might not be able to continue with their courses.
“Some parents were in tears and only found out when they turned up this morning. Some were really upset.”
The college’s board recognised the “superb service” provided by the two nurseries for children and parents but say that in the last three years more than £1 million in additional funding has had to be found for nursery provision, which is “impossible to sustain”.
A spokesperson for the college said: “The new financial reality resulting from the college’s real term funding allocation cut has made it impossible to continue to run the nurseries when our primary responsibility must be to achieve positive outcomes for our students.”
Nursery staff believe the prospect of redeployment isn’t a realistic one and nothing more than a “box-ticking exercise”.
The college spokesperson added: “With regards to redeployment of staff from nurseries, we are already engaged in consultations with colleagues and have a plan in place to provide support to all staff throughout. This is an active and collaborative process and one to which we are absolutely and fully committed.”
*Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here.
