A Nottinghamshire town has been "turned upside down" as parents are desperately seeking childcare following the closure of two nurseries. It comes after a letter was sent out to parents and carers informing them that two establishments in Stapleford - the Brookhill House Day and Learning Tree nurseries - will be shut down in a matter of days.
Both nurseries are run by the same company, Cared 4, which previously operated three other childcare provider centres across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire that are now closed. Ofsted told Nottinghamshire Live that they are taking steps to cancel the registration of this provider.
But in the letter sent out on Monday (March 21) to parents and carers at the two Stapleford nurseries, a spokesperson for Cared 4 described the Ofsted's actions as "draconian". It also read that there will be "no major concerns or basis to implement a closure".
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It comes after another nursery in Giltbrook which was run by the same company was forced to close for over a month in November following an inspection by Ofsted which concluded "children may be at risk of harm". Following a number of monitoring calls from the public body, a latter report for the Discovery Childcare nursery in Giltbrook was published on March 9, saying the "setting is no longer registered with Ofsted".
According to the report, the provider, Cared 4, appealed the cancellation decision to an independent external tribunal - the Health, Education and Social Care First-tier Tribunal. Before the appeal was heard the provider resigned the registration of this childcare setting.
The timing could not have been worse for a disabled mum in Stapleford, who is now searching for a new nursery. Sarah Seaman, of Linden Grove in Stapleford, said: "Everyone has their own circumstances - the closure of the two nurseries turned the town upside down."
Her 4-year-old daughter Henrietta, who has attended the Brookhill House Day nursery, will start school in September. "This could not have come at a worse time", said Ms Seaman.
The 39-year-old added: "It is just a shame because the staff at the nursery are absolutely brilliant and they are now left without a job. And our children are left behind." It is understood the provider gave parents a 10-day notice, and that both nurseries will shut on Thursday (March 31).
Mia Fionda, a mum of two in Long Eaton, said that she already contacted six nurseries. The 29-year-old said: "I have two children who go to the Brookhill nursery, and for my eldest this means that I have to find a nursery for the sake of a few months because she is going to go school in September.
"It is also hard to find a nursery that will give you two places, so it is more difficult". Ms Fionda is also a full-time student at a college in Leicestershire and whilst previously the school run meant a 4-minute drive, she will now have to go a longer journey.
"It was perfect before, if the car broke down we could have just taken the bus, or even walk there. I am just very busy and now I will have to go a longer way, at least 15 minutes added to the previous journey. My course took a backseat this week because I have been looking for a new nursery", she added.
Ms Fionda also said that she is concerned for the wellbeing of her children, and how they will take the sudden change. She added: "It was difficult to tell my daughter that she will never see her friends again, it is a difficult thing to approach. She is already anxious about starting school, but now she will have to re-start pre-school before even going to school. So it is a lot of upheaval before even going to school."
She has also praised the staff working at the nursery, and voiced her heartbreak about the closure. "It is a shame, and it is a stressful time for parents and children", Ms Fionda added.
Broxtowe MP Darren Henry, who was made aware of the potential closures of the Learning Tree and Brookhill Nursery on March 10, said: "Following this I contacted Ofsted requesting more information. Ofsted are an independent body and as thus their actions and decision cannot be changed by a Member of Parliament. This is understandably an incredibly stressful situation for all local families who use the services of the Learning Tree and Brookhill Nursery. I will do all that I can to support my constituents being impacted by this decision."
Irene Kakoullis, Nottinghamshire County Council’s group manager for early childhood services, said: “We were surprised to hear of the sudden closure of this setting. We are working with the provider to help parents find alternative childcare and we have contacted other local childcare providers about availability of places. We understand that this is a difficult situation for the parents and we will continue to support them. Parents can find childcare at www.nottshelpyourself.org.uk or contact our customer services helpline on 0300 500 8080 if they are struggling to find a place.”
When approached by Nottinghamshire Live, the Cared 4 Ltd refused to comment.
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