Hospital staff praise benefits of free childcare offer during ministerial visit to Swindon

By Roger Ogle - 2 December 2016

CommunityPolitics

Health professionals benefitting from the government’s 30 hours free childcare offer have met with Childcare Minister Caroline Dinenage during a visit to Swindon on 28 November.

In the first of a series of regional visits to areas already offering parents 30 hours of free childcare per week - a year in advance of the scheme being rolled out across the country - the Minister heard from working parents, nursery managers and childminders in Swindon who have already seen its value.

DSC_5653 ©Calyx Picture Agency Childcare Minister Caroline Dinenage MP visiting the Co-operative Child Care unit at Swindon's Great Western Hospital.

DSC_5653 ©Calyx Picture Agency
Childcare Minister Caroline Dinenage MP visiting the Co-operative Child Care unit at Swindon's Great Western Hospital.

The Co-operative Nursery, on the site of Swindon’s Great Western Hospital, is delivering the government’s 30 hour offer to parents who are working at the hospital. From consultants to porters, many of these members of staff work varying shifts and are benefitting from the extended times that parents can use the free offer, which the government is delivering in recognition that families all have their own routines. 

Swindon Borough Council has also launched a partnership with Nationwide that will see 150 childcare places offered to staff in its Swindon-based head office, which has seen a surge of applications from parents eager to take advantage.

The government’s 30 hours childcare offer could save working parents up to £2,500 per year with the cost of childcare, helping to remove the barriers to getting back to work or increasing their hours.

Minister for Childcare and Early Years Caroline Dinenage said: “I’m thrilled to have seen for myself the support available to hardworking nurses, doctors and hospital staff in Swindon.

"To know that your child is being cared for nearby by dedicated people really makes such a difference to parents’ peace of mind, especially those working in high-pressure jobs where shift patterns can vary from week to week.

©Calyx Picture Agency Childcare Minister Caroline Dinenage MP visiting the Co-operative Child Care unit at Swindon's Great Western Hospital.

“Swindon should be congratulated for its innovative links with local organisations such as Great Western Hospital and Nationwide which really are providing a boost for parents. We want this kind of creativity shared with other councils to help them launch the 30 hours offer next September – backed by a record £6 billion government investment.”

Vivian Zinyemba, a father and clinical nurse specialist at Great Western Hospital, said: “Getting this free childcare makes it so much easier for me - it puts money back in your pocket and that little extra really helps.

"It also takes the pressure off at work because I know I won’t be charged extra for being late to the childminder now that I have these extra hours – there is much more flexibility.”

Tracy Rundle, manager of the Co-operative Nursery, said: “Most of the parents using our nursery work for the NHS Trust, so they are already seeing the benefit of the 30 hours free offer. Those that don’t are really looking forward to being eligible from September 2017 – many are already putting in their applications for places.”

DSC_5666 ©Calyx Picture Agency Childcare Minister Caroline Dinenage MP visiting the Co-operative Child Care unit at Swindon's Great Western Hospital.

DSC_5666 ©Calyx Picture Agency
Childcare Minister Caroline Dinenage MP visiting the Co-operative Child Care unit at Swindon's Great Western Hospital.

Shift workers at Great Western Hospital are also being catered for with increased flexibility from nearby Play Den Nursery. From January, manager Kate Adams will be adapting her offer to provide free childcare on a Saturday, supporting parents who don’t follow a traditional working week.

Oonagh Fitzgerald, Great Western Hospital’s Director of Human Resources, said: “Healthcare is a fantastic and rewarding career but not often one that’s nine-to-five, which can make finding childcare difficult. It’s a real privilege to be among the first employers in the country to offer 30 hours of free childcare to our staff, who do amazing work each and every day.

“We were delighted to host Caroline Dinenage and hope that, by meeting the people benefiting from the scheme, she has been able to get a feel for the positive difference it has made to so many.”

Childcare Minister Caroline Dinenage MP visiting the Co-operative Child Care unit at Swindon's Great Western Hospital.

DSC_5700 ©Calyx Picture Agency

DSC_5700 ©Calyx Picture Agency

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