Two HMRC nurseries in Wales and Scotland threatened with closure could stay open for another three years.
According to the Public and Commercial Services union, who are backing campaigns by parents to save HMRC’s nurseries from closure, the Government department has offered Bright Horizons, who run the settings, the chance to continue to operate the nurseries in Cardiff and East Kilbride, Scotland, until August 2015.
In August, Bright Horizons confirmed the closure of the eight nurseries it manages for HMRC. The nurseries, which provide a total of 300 childcare places, are open to the community as well as HMRC employees.
The main reason given by HMRC for shutting the nurseries was that most of the parents whose children attend the settings did not work for them. However, this claim was challenged by staff, along with the union PCS who criticised HMRC for its lack of information.
HMRC has now granted First Friends Nursery in Cardiff and Hector’s House Nursery in East Kilbride a possible reprieve after recognising that the majority of users are departmental staff.
The other nurseries in Manchester, Wolverhampton Leicestershire, Leeds, Nottingham and Lancashire are still expected to close next month.
A spokesperson for Bright Horizons said, ‘Bright Horizons would welcome the opportunity to operate the Hector’s House and First Friends nurseries under leasehold arrangements if we can work with HMRC to develop a viable arrangement without HMRC’s continuing support and subsidy of the nurseries. We are keeping our staff and nursery families updated on progress.’
Mark Serwotka, general secretary of PCS, said, ‘This is very good news for parents in Cardiff and East Kilbride and would never have happened if they had simply accepted the decision, which HMRC now accepts was flawed.
‘We will continue to fight to save the other six nurseries because civil service employers should lead by example in providing good, affordable childcare near to where parents work.’
In August, Bright Horizons confirmed the closure of the eight nurseries it manages for HMRC. The nurseries, which provide a total of 300 childcare places, are open to the community as well as HMRC employees.
The main reason given by HMRC for shutting the nurseries was that most of the parents whose children attend the settings did not work for them. However, this claim was challenged by staff, along with the union PCS who criticised HMRC for its lack of information.
HMRC has now granted First Friends Nursery in Cardiff and Hector’s House Nursery in East Kilbride a possible reprieve after recognising that the majority of users are departmental staff.
The other nurseries in Manchester, Wolverhampton Leicestershire, Leeds, Nottingham and Lancashire are still expected to close next month.
A spokesperson for Bright Horizons said, ‘Bright Horizons would welcome the opportunity to operate the Hector’s House and First Friends nurseries under leasehold arrangements if we can work with HMRC to develop a viable arrangement without HMRC’s continuing support and subsidy of the nurseries. We are keeping our staff and nursery families updated on progress.’
Mark Serwotka, general secretary of PCS, said, ‘This is very good news for parents in Cardiff and East Kilbride and would never have happened if they had simply accepted the decision, which HMRC now accepts was flawed.
‘We will continue to fight to save the other six nurseries because civil service employers should lead by example in providing good, affordable childcare near to where parents work.’
