Parents who are “devastated” by the sudden closure of a Huyton nursery have been told to contact liquidators over fee refunds they claim they are owed.
The Orchard Day Nursery in Huyton closed on March 18 after signs were placed on its gates stating it would be “permanently closed.”
Staff and parents then received an email which blamed the closure on recent industrial action carried out by staff seeking a better pay offer through their union Unison.
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The abrupt closure, which left nearly 50 staff laid off and 200 families without childcare provision, was described last week as a “despicable decision” by Knowsley Council leader Cllr Graham Morgan.
He told a meeting of the borough’s full council that assistance would be provided to families facing hardship including paying for the first month’s fees or deposit for alternative childcare provision.
While around 140 children have since been offered alternative placements, dozens of other parents are yet to find alternative childcare. One parent who spoke to the ECHO claims they had lost their job in the aftermath of the nursery’s closure after being unable to go to work due to not finding any alternative provision.
Some of the parents attending the nursery, many of whom had paid fees in advance of the closure, have now received another blow.
When the nursery shut earlier this month, the email said that the company would be in touch with parents who had paid fees in advance about a refund in the coming weeks.
However, several parents have now received a letter, shared with the ECHO, which states that the company has taken the decision to seek voluntary liquidation.
The letter states: “Please note that having taken independent professional advice and then considered all options presented, we have made the regrettable decision to place the company into voluntary liquidation. As such the nursery will not be re-opening.”
The letter tells people to email a chartered accountants “in the event you believe you are a creditor” adding that liquidators will then be in touch.
Dozens of staff were also left in limbo by the closure with a letter from the owner stating they had been placed at immediate risk of redundancy and not to come into work.
Unison representative Karen Greer told the ECHO the decision was “horrible.”
She claims they were told “informally” last week they would not be getting paid wages due this month adding that many are now ”just waiting for the bills to come in, like they do on pay day and not knowing how on earth they’ll pay them.”
She said the union was providing assistance to members affected by the closure and getting legal advice.
Ms Greer said: “It’s just horrible isn’t it, this isn’t a situation I’ve ever dealt with before where there’s just no talking to staff, no notice to parents.”
A public meeting was held last Thursday, with “outcry” over the decision. Ms Greer said both staff and parents had been trying without success to contact he owners about money owed and items stored on the premises.
Ms Greer said: “One of the questions people will ask if they finally ever get hold of them is about their possessions. There are children’s possessions in there, things like hearing aids, even their own stuff that kids have used on a daily basis.
“We have a caretaker who’s got thousands of pounds worth of tools in there as well and all the girls they want to apply for new jobs, all their DBS certificates are in there, their personal files, all kinds of stuff that people need or want.
“There’s even a fish that the kids had, people are worried it’s going to die, don’t know if anyone is there to feed it.”
She said the mood at the public meeting was one of determination to prevent a repeat of the devastating situation. The owner, Clive Barratt, also owns a string of nurseries across the country, according to Companies House, with each showing large shareholder funds.
Ms Greer said: “The kids here have been left devastated, they’re struggling to understand what’s going on. There was a lot of love in this nursery.”
The owner has been contacted for comment.
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