Childminding in Highland: Samantha's Story
Samantha McMillan from Thurso, Caithness, Highland
Samatha and her family live in Thurso, Caithness, which is the most northerly town on the mainland of
Scotland. It’s a huge change in lifestyle for her family; she used to live in Shanghai, then moved back to Scotland to live in Edinburgh and then finally settled in Thurso three years ago, after her husband was offered a job teaching in the local High School.
Samantha has always worked with children, and in her previous career, worked with older children in residential childcare in Edinburgh. When she first moved to Thurso, she also worked in the local High School as a Pupil Support Assistant. Samantha then changed career, working at Highland Council in Employability. “Due to living and working in Thurso, which is so remote, and with my background in Employability, I know first-hand that lack of childcare is the number one barrier to people choosing to move into to the area – and a key reason why they unfortunately have to leave. There is very little childcare choice and what is available is often just so expensive.
Quite often, people have to arrange informal childcare through friends and family as there’s just nothing else available. However, we don’t have family locally who could help us. I know it’s a similar ‘catch-22’ for lots of people. “When I was pregnant with my first child, I started looking at alternatives; how I could earn a salary and be there for my own wee one? I came across SCMA’s childminder recruitment literature and thought this would be an ideal option and I could help to provide a valuable service in the local community for other families.”
Samantha applied to become a childminder in 2023 as part of the Scottish Childminding Partnership recruitment campaign, where Highland Council partnered with SCMA to help recruit more childminders in targeted areas.
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“I really felt in safe hands – SCMA are the experts in all things childminding. The package of support available is a bonus to getting started but I really believe that the one-to-one help throughout the process is the best bit!
SCMA Support
“The bespoke support from SCMA was invaluable in navigating registration as a childminder, I was helped at every stage along the way. I knew whenever I got in touch with a question I’d always get Hazel or Amy – they were my key contacts. Knowing I was in touch with someone who also knew me, my story and where I was on my journey to becoming a childminder was so reassuring.” As part of the unique package of support available – Samantha also attended SCMA’s on-line information and support sessions designed to provide a thorough background in childminding and in guiding candidates through the Care Inspectorate registration – and feels that these sessions were also key in helping navigate the registration process.
“I really felt in safe hands – SCMA are the experts in all things childminding. The package of support available is a bonus to getting started but I really believe that the one-to-one help throughout the process is the best bit! When I was researching becoming a childminder, I found there was so much information on-line and it was quite overwhelming – starting my career via this route felt like there were clear steps along the way, with lots of guidance available.”
Getting Started
At first, Samantha juggled her job at Highland Council with childminding just two days per week so she could gauge demand for her service – and soon found herself childminding full time, providing term-time childcare across the full week, as well as after school care. “It really highlighted the need for more childminders in the area – I’ve received so many enquiries from parents. Women who haven’t even had their babies yet have been in touch with me to reserve a place for their child for after their maternity leave. I’m soon going on maternity leave myself as my second baby is due, but I have already informed parents that I’ll be back in six months – I’m not going anywhere!”
Thinking about childminding?
Working with children and building bonds and close relationships with them and their families is something Samantha finds extremely rewarding. She’d thoroughly recommend childminding as a career to anyone who is thinking about making a switch, or who may want to start a completely different career. “I really love childminding and working with children. This career option has provided me with the opportunity to be there for my son, Albie, who is only 17 months old and I can earn a steady income. It feels like a ‘win-win’! People who may find themselves in a similar position to me, particularly in rural areas where childcare is just so hard to find, can solve their own childcare issues while operating a valuable service locally. It’s so flexible too, we can start our own business working the hours we want and that suit our own family circumstance. There’s not many jobs as rewarding as this which provide the same benefits.”