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Written Evidence Submitted by Mrs Nicola Varney, Proprietor, Nifty Kids

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Written Evidence Submitted by Mrs Nicola Varney, Proprietor, Nifty Kids Written evidence submitted by Mrs Nicola Varney, Proprietor, Nifty Kids Childcare Services (COV0008) Nifty Kids Childcare Services are a private partnership company which has been in operation and registered with CIW (Care Inspectorate of Wales) since October 2000 for 20 years, based at the Cwm Talwg Community Centre in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan. CF62 7FG serving the community, local authority and social services. We are registered also with NCC (Newport County Council) for the 30 hours free childcare service, Early Years Wales and FIS (Family Information Services). Our sessional care services is run daily by 3 full-time members of staff and myself covering a morning and afternoon Playgroup, plus wrap around care for ages 2-5 years, After School Club and a Holiday Playscheme, for ages 3-12 years for 50 weeks a years. My reasons for submitting my information is to highlight since the closure of our services on Monday 23rd March 2020, with no revenue coming in from our clients to support us in this unprecedented times ( as I felt it wrong to ask them to keep paying to secure their places. I have honoured their placements). I have diligently spent hours and days sending emails to my local MP, Mr. Alun Cairns, AM Mrs. Jane Hutt, Cllr Mrs. Janice Charles, Cllr, Mr. Alistair Davies, Mrs. Julie Morgan (Minister of Childcare), CIW, Mr. David Goodger (CEO of Early Years Wales), highlighting my plight and imploring with all for financial support of a grant, as the only help I have been offered is to Furlough my staff and I have had to wait to apply for the self-employed assistance in middle of May 2020. I have had no luck in getting any financial help, as both grants to-date. The Business Rate Grant was not given due to my business based in a Community Centre and the Local Authority told me I was not the registered rate payer, but the council where the registered name. Even though I have paid rent to them for the past 20 years. The Economic Resilience Grant, I thought was going to be the gap filler for business’s like mine, But sadly again the criteria changed on the day and you either had to be VAT registered or VAT exempt and be turning over £85k. No small business was going to get the grant due the high turnover category. The only option for the business would be to take out a bank loan being issued by the Business Development Wales. This is not an answer for a small company as it is a debt that will need to be paid back and more pressure, stress if no returning clients. We have done a market research on our clients to see if they will support us by returning to use our services in the very near future, as I can see the government pushing to get the schools open from the 1st June 2020, but only for a few selected years who attend the secondary schools, which for us does not help our situation to reopen as we only deal with the children who are pre-school and primary school children and if these schools are to remain closed, then we do not have any business. I feel that the Welsh Government should wait and keep the lockdown going until September 2020 when all schools Primary and Secondary can return at the same time, so we can make sure that all the hard work of the lock down has been done for the right reasons. If the children start to return now, we are only going to get a 2nd wave of Covid-19, as children do not demonstrate social distancing and in our business there is no way you can keep children apart and as they thrive on socialising, integrating, playing with other children and adults. This is how they learn. Plus the Vale of Glamorgan (under Cardiff and the Vale) is the highest area for Covid-19 cases behind Gwent and Aneurin Bevan area of Wales. Parents/carers replies were: NO they would not be sending their children back to our services until September 2020. If they have a child who attends primary school and the schools are closed, then they will keep their child home. If they have two children, one who attends a school and a pre-school child, again if schools are closed they will keep both home. If parents have lost their jobs or are still awaiting to return to work, again they will keep the children home. Or parents are still too scared to send their children to any establishment, until a vaccination has been found. If we have to open then we face the following dilemma: A huge reduction in our capacity of children per day, due to the 2 meter set ruling as social distancing. We would not be able to cover the ongoing monthly salaries and overhead costs of the business with a few children in our care and no money to keep ploughing into a business to cover the difference. Having to wait for the mind-set of the public to rebuild the business again to be able to keep the staff in a job. If the WELSH GOVERNMENT could give us a grant to help see us through until September 2020 which means I could help keep 3 qualified staff who rely on their job to survive, as it has become apparent that the Furlough Scheme is to be fazed out or stopped, which will only force business’s like mine to fore close and to lay off staff with no job and for them then to have to join the rest of the population on Universal Credit. England Government have announced that they are going to assist with financial support of the Childcare Organisations. By, even if the children are not using the services to pay for their places to keep the childcare services afloat ready for when the economy gets back to normal. All I keep being told by the Welsh Government is, ‘WE WILL NEED YOUR SERVICES WHEN WE RETURN TO NORMAL’. Without financial support 20 year business like mine will no longer be around to support the community. May 2020.
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