Vivian, based in Aberdeen has a 10-year-old son who, prior to the coronavirus pandemic, attended a pre-school breakfast club 5 days a week.

As soon as lockdown was announced the breakfast club was forced to close. As a trained Theatre Nurse Vivian was deployed to a reserve COVID-ITU team which would have required her to work extra shifts.

“The changes to my son’s routine gave me some anxiety at first because he was stuck at home with his elder brother and I thought I wasn’t eligible for a key worker childcare space.”

Vivian was concerned about the lack of suitable childcare available in her area; she was becoming anxious. Luckily a colleague told her about Flexible Childcare Services Scotland's new software, Caerus.

Vivian quickly registered to Caerus which matched her to a local Childcare Hub. The hub was able to provide care for her son so that she could continue working and support the rest of the family.

“The hub is helping to stimulate my child and help me keep him busy while I look after others in the hospital. Initially I had to limit his attendance to the hub to 2 days but my workplace adjusted and allowed me to finish early on days he is at the hub, which varies too because I work shifts.”

“Caerus has given me lots of practical support and prevented me from worrying about the necessities of life; particularly with how I would have supported my sons.”