KLAS Care was founded in 2010 by Lesley Compston, a registered childminder with a degree in Childhood Practice, and Kirsty McKenzie after they struggled to find affordable and flexible childcare in the local area.
The social enterprise is designed to support families living in poverty by giving parents the time to access full and part time education, training or employment. The pair spent the early years building a dedicated team of childcare professionals and organically growing registrations, before investing in a purpose-built facility at East Fulton Primary School in 2014. It now provides pay-as-you-go care across two sites in Renfrewshire.
However, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic presented new challenges for KLAS Care. Registrations declined, and Lesley struggled with imposter syndrome, making decision-making increasingly difficult. Recognising the need for change to ensure sustained growth, Lesley enrolled in a 12-week Help to Grow: Management Course, designed to help business leaders and senior managers increase resilience, innovation and growth, to help her rebuild her confidence and become a more effective leader.
The course was delivered by the University of West Scotland School of Business and Creative Industries – a recipient of the Small Business Charter accreditation which recognises institutions that support small businesses. It gave Lesley the skills she needed to realign her leadership team to support the business’ growth and enhance its social impact.
Following completion of the course, Lesley launched a new wellbeing hub at the East Fulton Primary School site. Built using renewable energy sources such as solar panels and battery storage units, the hub not only increases KLAS Care’s capacity by more than 20% to 500, but also provides children with special needs a conducive environment for self-regulation through innovative amenities like mood lighting, fidget toys and yoga mats.
Lesley Compston, co-founder of KLAS Care, said: “Our journey began with a simply desire to support families in our community with dependable, flexible childcare. Little did Kirsty and I anticipate that nearly 15 years later, we would still be here, providing care to hundreds of children across the district.
“Despite our remarkable momentum and rapid growth, the challenges of the post-pandemic era promoted us to reassess and fortify our strategies for the future.
This meant implementing changes for the business and for me personally. "
“Thanks to the Help to Grow: Management Course, I’ve had the opportunity to redefine our leadership approach and implement changes that foster an environment for people to thrive. I’m now more focused on where people’s strengths lie and how to get the most out of our team, and I’ve regained my confidence to make important decisions.”
Flora Hamilton, Executive Director, Small Business Charter, added: “Lesley is a great example of how business schools can support SMEs in their local community through the Help to Grow: Management Course.
“Designed by SME experts for the benefit of business leaders, this course equips participants with the essential skills, knowledge and confidence to create and execute achievable goals that make a tangible difference to their business. Lesley’s dedication to accessible childcare and sustainability is really inspiring, and it’s great to see her delivering such impact within the local community.
“We wish the entire KLAS Care team every success as they venture into the next phase of their journey.”
Business leaders can find out more about Help to Grow: Management and sign up for the course in their area here.