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On February the 1st, just under half of the schools in Yorkshire and the Humber restricted student attendance for the day as teachers went out on strike regarding their wages. A further 6.3% of schools fully closed for the day in the region. For parents with child arrangements in place, events like the teachers’ strike can pose difficult questions as to how childcare duties are fulfilled. Who takes care of the child(ren) for the day? How do drop-offs and pickups change? What about third-party involvement?
With more strikes proposed in February and March, we share three tips below for navigating through the potential headaches of a day off school.
Organisation
Perhaps it may be obvious but organisation is going to set up parents for minimal stress and confrontation. Put simply, this means putting in place the necessary measures for contact to adjust. For parents with supervised contact for example, early planning with third-party supervisors will allow parties to understand their availability on the day of the strike. Equally, if parents cannot get the day off work, this must be flagged as soon as possible for adjustments to be made in time. Understanding the limitations of a child arrangements order is important – primary carers should not be forced into sacrificing the child’s best interests I.e if supervision is required, do not leave the child unsupervised with the other party because it is convenient.
In many situations, school is a neutral drop-off and pickup location for the parents/children. The strike will require parents to make adjustments to this when children are forced to stay at home. Planning new journey times and destinations into your day will avoid any complaints about punctuality. Whilst a one-off occasion such as a teachers’ strike is unlikely to destroy relations, parents should be wary that patterns of behaviour involving bad punctuality and lack of planning could lead to an application to vary a child arrangements order and make the conditions of the order more stringent. Be organised and mitigate these risks.
Communication
Organisation is propped up by clear and respectful communication. As mentioned above, drop-offs and pickups may have changed and unannounced arrivals at the other party’s home address may not be received well. It is Important that parents take into consideration each other’s feelings and drive their actions through the best interests of the child(ren). If this means texting in advance; emailing; speaking through a family member; communicating through solicitors or even chatting in-person, parties should discuss their plans for childcare to avoid conflict.
Apps such as OurFamilyWizard are particularly effective in encouraging healthy conversations between parties. All messages are saved and cannot be deleted, placing an emphasis on respectful communication. This also allows parents to show proof of abuse and/or obstructive behaviour in the event that the other side is responsible for a breakdown in arrangements.
Compromise (Where Appropriate)
Lastly, be willing to compromise for a sensible and fair solution. If contact days are set rigidly without flexibility, perhaps consider opening a line of communication to address the strike day as a one-off. Being open to compromise with the other party on issues such as work commitments and contact hours shows a positive effort to work as a team. The more the parties work together and listen, the more likely it is that conflict is minimised and a happy solution is put in place for the child(ren).
If parents feel that a compromise cannot be reached between them directly, instructed solicitors can attempt to agree a workable solution through formal correspondence.
If you would like any further information in relation to child contact arrangements, please do not hesitate to contact the team at Consilia Legal by emailing enquiries@consilialegal.co.uk or calling 0113 322 9222 and we will be more than happy to speak with you.
