Through Pebble, parents can book and confirm ad hoc and emergency childcare at their nursery or childminder instantaneously.
The aim of the platform is to provide parents with more flexible childcare following a shift in demand due to Covid, and help settings manage their occupancy levels more effectively as well as take away the administrative burden.
Pebble also allows parents to book extra sessions/time at their childcare setting outside normal operating hours.
It is free to join for providers, however they pay 5 per cent commission on any bookings.
Following a soft launch of Pebble in 2021, the platform has now been expanded to six regions in the UK including Essex, some central London boroughs and Birmingham, with plans to move across North England and Scotland in the summer.
So far, a number of nursery groups and standalone private settings have signed up to the platform.
Some of the nursery groups on the platform allow existing parents to book additional childcare at their other settings.
Pebble chief executive Lance Beare told Nursery World, settings using the platform have seen at least a 30 per cent increase in booked childcare sessions and a 95 per cent reduction in the time it takes staff to manage these.'
He went on to say, ‘Pebble identified an opportunity within the childcare industry to provide the ability for nurseries to manage their occupancy levels more efficiently and to enable care seekers to book spaces instantly 24/7, by providing a simple to use platform. This would also remove substantial admin work for nursery staff.
‘Our vision is to create a marketplace offering parents flexibility, choice and convenience, whilst enabling childcare businesses to provide and promote their services to a wider audience, creating operational efficiencies and maximising revenue streams.’
