Flexible Childcare Services Scotland (FCSS) is one of ten organisations across Scotland who are the first to achieve the new Flexible Workplace Accreditation, recognising employers who are making flexible working a priority.
The accreditation, developed by Flexibility Works with support from the Robertson Trust, shines a spotlight on organisations that are thoughtfully designing flexible working models to support their people while strengthening business performance.
The accreditation reflects a wider shift in how work is understood. More people are looking for roles that allow them to balance work with family life, health, caring responsibilities and personal interests. At the same time, more employers are recognising the benefits of supporting this.
According to Susan McGhee, Chief Executive at FCSS, “We are delighted to be recognised as one of the first organisations in Scotland, and the UK, to be recognised as a pioneering flexible employer. What’s more, we’re the first childcare organisation to achieve this, challenging the misconception that flexible working can’t work in a frontline organisation with regulatory staffing ratios. From our own research, we hear how flexible working helps our team to better manage their childcare needs, other caring responsibilities and improve their physical and mental wellbeing. We’ve always considered ourselves a values led and flexible employer and this accreditation confirms it. It’s a wonderful achievement!”
Out of a total staff and sessional worker team of 195, 120 people (62%) completed the survey and 23 members of the team also participated in focus groups and one-to-ones.
Feedback included:
“I started full-time, then became sessional… it worked really well for my home life.”
“I can work full time and still take my kids to activities… there’s no nine-to-five time-frame.”
“I feel incredibly loyal because of the flexibility… I don’t want to let the organisation down.”
“Maximising my family time… I work three long days so I can spend time with my kids.”
According to Flexibility Work’s FlexMark Report, “FCSS demonstrates a strong cultural commitment to flexible working, with trust and adaptability at its heart. FCSS presents a coherent, values-led approach to flexible working. The strongest signal is that flexibility is operational and ethically modelled, not merely promised, producing loyalty, performance, and impact for staff and families alike. It is seen as a trailblazer and a champion of “what is possible” when it comes to flexible working in a childcare setting.
Lisa Gallagher, Co-Founder of Flexibility Works, said: “Flexible working has the power to transform lives, whether that’s parents spending more time with their children, carers staying in work, or people being able to look after their wellbeing while building their careers.
But it also makes strong business sense. Organisations that embrace flexible working are seeing better retention, stronger engagement and more inclusive workplaces.
This accreditation is about recognising those organisations and supporting others to take the next step to make flexible working work in practice, not just on paper.”
Lyndsay Fraser Robertson, Programmes and Practice Officer, The Robertson Trust, said: “Flexible working is fundamental to fair, high quality jobs, especially for people on the lowest incomes. It should be a standard feature of good work, not something dependent on role, income or individual managers.
“This accreditation provides a clear, credible benchmark for what effective flexible working looks like in practice, helping more people to enter work, stay in work and thrive.
The Robertson Trust is committed to supporting work that can drive lasting change on poverty and trauma in Scotland. As part of this, we want to see a Scotland where paid work offers a reliable route out of poverty, and we are proud to support an initiative that can improve job quality and transform lives.”
For more information download FCSS’s FlexMark Report
