Newbie here, wanting help.

[M & J]

Just wanted to say hi to all and ask for a bit of help.

My hubby and me (4 kids too) are wanting to relocate to somewhere in the highlands, but am having trouble finding hubby work. He's an HGV 1 driver and if anyone knows of a company wanting to hire, the information would be very gratefully received. We've tried jobs-north, but havn't been successful yet.

So where do you reackon is the best place to live up there then?

J

[lynne duncan]

have you tried phoning stevens haulage

[NickInTheNorth]

Just wanted to say hi to all and ask for a bit of help.

My hubby and me (4 kids too) are wanting to relocate to somewhere in the highlands, but am having trouble finding hubby work. He's an HGV 1 driver and if anyone knows of a company wanting to hire, the information would be very gratefully received. We've tried jobs-north, but havn't been successful yet.

So where do you reackon is the best place to live up there then?

J

Are you looking for Highlands in general, or Caithness in particular.

Highlands in general you may want to think about somewhere in reach of Spean Bridge, and get in touch with http://www.fergusontransport.co.uk/haulage.htm

But for living all I can tell you is I'm moving from the West Coast to Thurso at the end of the month.

[M & J]

Thank you so much, it's nice to know that there are people willing to help.

We were looking at caithness, but would be willing to go a bit lower.

I'm having to research schools, as I have a son who is autistic. I'm not sure where he'll be best off school wise.

Trying to get hubby a job before we move first because he's not so happy to up sticks and risk not getting work. I suppose we'll have to work around where he gets sent (if he gets a job:( ).

Well thanks again.

Jacqui

[cuddlepop]

With regards to schooling and provision for your autistic child you are heading in the right direction when you mention heading to Caithness.I've done my owm research as I too have a child that is on the spectrim and would dearly love to relocate there.
Our own HMIe report wasn't very favourable for our high school.Primary provision is excellent though.(so think twice about my neck of the woods)
I'm sure hubby will find a job,there is suppose to be a shortage of HGV license holders.
Good luck.:D

[davem]

http://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/2185/More_staff_to_be_recruited_at_CEYAC.html

As you see in the link not quite as rosy as things could be, although the people here do their best there is not a great range of childrens services, language and communication therapy, psychology physiotherapy, services are very overstretched or non existant. Highland council have stopped the Scottish Soc for Autism's advisory service contract to support parents here and have not replaced a much needed service. Also the Social Services here have not advertised for contracted support workers for 5 years to my knowledge, Social Workers regularly have caseloads of over a hundred, services are not funded to reflect that workers spend 1/3 of their time travelling thousands of miles and not supporting people in that time. PM me maybe if you like to get links with parents up here.
It's a wonderful place to live but service providers seem to think they are doing well by leaving parents virtually unsupported. Sutherland for some reason does seem better resourced but caithness is still a million miles away from people getting one tenth of the support they need and deserve.

[cuddlepop]

As far as we're aware all autism services Highland wide are receiving cuts in there budgets.

Its only the central belt that appears to have the necessary funding.

[M & J]

I wondered why I couldn't find much in the way of provision for special needs, but that is nothing new. Where we live now isn't great and we had to fight the education board tooth and nail to get him into a school that caters for kids with 'moderate learning difficulties'. But they havn't got a clue. He hasn't got the worst case of ASD and thought that if there was a very small secondary school, that he might be able to cope with it.

Thanks for all the information guys...what an invaluable (or is it valuable? I never know which way round they go) web site this is.

Cheers.

[stratman]

If it is a useful indicator. wick library has the largest collection of books on ASD i have seen.

[stekar]

Not much chance of a HGV job up here I'm afraid. The national shortage of drivers doesn't apply to Caithness.

[M & J]

That's a shame that there are not many transport companies up there, will have to look lower down. We just don't want to go too far if we can help it.