Holding its hands up: SBC apologises after Ombudsman finds nursery consultation ‘unreasonable’
Scottish Borders Council has published a full apology on its website after accepting major “shortcomings” over a nursery school closure consultation.
The official apology was one of the requirements set by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) who deemed that the consultation process over Early Learning and Childcare provision was unreasonable and amounted to maladministration.
SBC initially planned to mothball Channelkirk, Cockburnspath, Ednam, Walkerburn and Yetholm nurseries for the 2025/26 school year, citing under-capacity.
Following a parental outcry a public consultation was launched, after which plans were announced to keep them open.
The SPSO report found that consultees were not given clear information about the purpose and scope of the consultation at the beginning of the process.
They were also not told how their views would influence decisions made on the future of the nurseries.
The apology, issued by SBC chief executive David Robertson, has also been sent directly to the complainant, Dr Alice Blackwell, chair of the parent council in Cockburnspath.
Mr Robertson thanks Dr Blackwell for highlighting the shortcomings and assures her that lessons have been learned.
He states: “On behalf of Scottish Borders Council, I am writing to offer you our sincere apologies for the shortcomings that have been identified with our consultation on Early Learning and Childcare provision undertaken during May and June 2025.
“We are sorry that the consultation fell below the standard you were entitled to expect from Scottish Borders Council.
“The Council accepts the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman’s findings that the consultation process was unreasonable and acknowledges the shortcomings in the way it was planned, conducted, recorded and reported.
“In particular, we acknowledge that you were not provided with sufficient clarity about the purpose and scope of the consultation, that opportunities for engagement and feedback were not communicated clearly to you at the outset, and that records of consultation activity were not consistently maintained.
“We also acknowledge that concerns you raised during the consultation for legal matters to be considered, were not responded to as they should have been.
“We recognise the frustration, uncertainty and loss of confidence this caused you as an individual and acknowledge the concern that you felt regarding the impact of the proposal on your children.
“Thank you for bringing these matters to our attention and for the time and effort you have invested in pursuing your complaint.
“Once again, please accept our apologies and be assured that we are committed to learning from the Ombudsman’s findings.
“We will implement the recommendations made by the SPSO to strengthen our consultation and engagement processes, improve the recording of consultation activity and reinforce the use of our Community Engagement Strategy and Toolkit.
“Our aim is to ensure that future consultations are transparent, meaningful and effective for all participants.”
For more stories from the Scottish Borders and North Northumberland, bookmark our home page - https://hellorayo.co.uk/greatest-hits/borders/news/