Parents say they're "left in limbo" after Council U-turn on after-school care for disabled children

Parents in Edinburgh say they’re relieved at an apparent U-turn by Edinburgh City Council, meaning children with Additional Support Needs won’t now be excluded from after-school clubs, but say the move has raised more questions than it’s answered.

The City Council is defending the decision to cut funding to Capability Scotland, saying it had "no option but to terminate" the contract after the organisation failed to engage with a review of its services for more than a year.

Last week, we reported on how families were notified of the bombshell decision, which came just two weeks before the start of term - meaning a number of after-school places for ASN children would no longer be viable.

Gillian Coulter’s son Jack (10) was one of those affected, she says parents like her are still incredibly nervous about the security of the scheme moving forward:

“Yes my son has his place back at after school club, but does that mean that he has it for the next year?”

“The guidance isn’t clear as to how long they’ve reinstated the funding for, so we’re none the wiser that way, which doesn’t really reassure us as parents, or put our trust in City of Edinburgh Council”

“There’s been some panicked reinstating to some individual families over the course of the last week, which in my opinion has been handled in a very chaotic and stressful way”

Julianna Capes lives in Portobello, her 11 year old daughter has benefited from the Childcare 4 All scheme for the last four years as she requires one-to-one support in order to attend an after-school club. She described her understanding of the situation as it stands now, saying “there’s been some panicked reinstating to some individual families over the course of the last week, which in my opinion has been handled in a very chaotic and stressful way.”

Stephen Nixon’s son has Type 1 Diabetes - he says the uncertainty that this might happen again is difficult:

“To know that he can go into a setting and they can say ‘sorry we can’t have you because we don’t have the funding for one to one care’, really does make me nervous, because it means that he’ll lose opportunities and I don’t believe that should occur in this day and age, especially when the funding has been there for so long.”

“I wouldn’t like him to reach a point in future where doors are closed to him, all because of a decision made by somebody - potentially - that doesn’t understand the level of care that children need.”

Councillor Simita Kumar is the SNP’s spokesperson for Education, Children and Families, and she’s written to committee convener Joan Griffiths to express her “shock and disappointment at the withdrawal of after school care and support for children and young people with ASN with little notice, and the subsequent last-minute, chaotic and partial reinstatement to some of the families affected.”

Kumar told us “parents carers and vulnerable families were told about this decision 2 weeks before school reopened, and that’s where the issue is, Council officers would have perhaps known some of the background to this months in advance.”

Councillor Joan Griffiths, Education, Children and Families Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said:

“As part of our due diligence we became aware of a contract with a third-sector provider that was performing significantly below our thresholds for best value. This left us no option but to terminate it.”

“All families have been contacted and given assurance that the support they previously received is in place. Officers will continue to develop plans to provide the support in a way that meets our commitment to parents, carers and providers, while also ensuring that public money is not wasted.”

“Any delays in contacting affected families were due to the organisation failing to supply us with the necessary details. I will also be writing to the provider to seek further clarity of what the funds were used for and the services that were provided.”

"We have an exemplary track record, at no stage have any issues been raised by the council through our various contract review processes"

Ben Bradbury, Operations Manager, with Capability Scotland, said “We are bitterly disappointed, not just with the decision to pull the service, but in the manner it has been handled."

“Over 12 years as contract provider we have worked with hundreds of children with additional support needs in Edinburgh, ensuring that they can thrive through tailored and quality out of school care."

“This service has always delivered to the highest standards and in a highly cost-effective manner. We have an exemplary track record, at no stage have any issues been raised by the council through our various contract review processes."

“That positivity has always extended to the parents and guardians, the children benefiting directly, and the many childcare providers we have worked with, hence our confusion and sense of disbelief at Councillor Griffiths' comments."

“We continue to believe the children and their families are the most important group of people in this situation - and we sincerely hope that a resolution can be found to ensure they continue to be supported.”