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Nursery funding row: Opposition groups launch bid to summon full Highland Council

Highland Council and NHS Highland are working with the Scottish Government to face off a 'significant risk' for Highland care homes. Image: Sandy McCook / DC Thomson
Highland Council and NHS Highland are working with the Scottish Government to face off a 'significant risk' for Highland care homes. Image: Sandy McCook / DC Thomson

Highland Council looks set to be recalled for a special meeting to discuss the funding it provides to nurseries.

Conservative councillor Helen Crawford has filed a notice of requisition requesting a meeting of the full council.

She says Highland nurseries “deserve a full hearing” of the facts.

Under council standing orders, a requisition notice needs 18 signatures to succeed.

At the time of writing, Ms Crawford has 22 signatures, with more possible.

The council now has 14 days to hold a special meeting.

Council asked to produce figures for nursery funding

Ms Crawford’s motion follows a heated debate at last week’s meeting of the authority.

Members revealed they had received letters from nurseries across the Highlands, warning they may have to close if they’re not provided with more funding.

The issue is the rates paid by Highland Council for independent early learning and childcare providers (ELCs). Last week, the council agreed to effectively freeze the hourly rate at £5.43, and continue with a review.

Councillor Helen Crawford

However, nurseries reacted with anger. Ms Crawford shared their concerns in the chamber, highlighting an Ipsos Mori report for the Scottish Government which suggested ELCs need £7.25 to pay its workers the Real Living Wage.

ELCs in Inverness, Dingwall and Tain wrote to councillors asking them to review the rate, but Highland Council bosses said they couldn’t afford any uplift.

Now, Ms Crawford’s notice to council demands to see four years of accounts detailing early learning funding. This should include Scottish Government grants to the Highland Council, internal spending, and funding paid out to ELCs.

In an exclusive interview with the P&J last week, Stramash Nurseries CEO Kenny Forsyth didn’t mince his words.

Mr Forsyth accused Highland Council of having spent the nurseries funding elsewhere and said it was “gaslighting” its partners with budget excuses.

‘We cannot make the wrong decision’

Speaking this morning, Ms Crawford said councillors must act to protect Highland’s early learning and childcare sector.

As well as asking for finance reports, her requisition notice requests a summary of how the council has engaged with the sector to date and an explanation for any disparity of payments between providers.

Most importantly, it asks members to debate and agree a new funding rate.

Stramash Outdoor Nurseries said Highland Council is spending early learning money elsewhere.

While Highland Council provided a 12p uplift on the hourly rate in 2021, ELCs say this was always intended as an ‘interim’ rate.

According to Mr Forsyth, Highland Council assured providers it would review the rate again based on Ipsos Mori’s report.

But when Ipsos Mori suggested a 33% rate rise, Mr Forsyth says the council “ghosted” its own discussion forum.

Now, Highland Council says it faces a £41 million budget gap and can’t afford to pay more.

Ms Crawford contends that members – and the public – need to know the full picture.

“I think this needs to be aired in public,” she says. “If we have to make tough decisions we have to do it, but let’s ensure we have all of the information to hand.

“This is an SNP flagship policy. We need to look at the implementation of it, because it’s not delivering on the ground, and that’s what matters.

She added: “These are predominantly female-led businesses run in the heart of towns and villages across the Highlands.

“They’re predominantly staffed by hard working women, who are qualified child carers. We need to make sure that sector is robust because it allows our hard working families to be economically active.

“We cannot make the wrong decision because we haven’t been appraised of the full facts.”

Highland Council says meeting will go ahead

Highland Council leader Raymond Bremner said: “I’m aware that a valid request has been received requisitioning a meeting of the full Highland Council. That meeting will be held within the required timescale.

“The administration are already intending bringing a substantial paper to council in respect of this issue at the meeting of the full council on the 27th October, therefore I don’t believe a special meeting of the full council before then is necessary.”

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