Agenda item

The Committee received the Early Years and Childcare Unit Report Card 2015/16, as detailed within the circulated report.

Members were informed that the Unit sought to support all childcare providers throughout the County Borough with its main aim of keeping childcare settings open to ensure that the Local Authority meets its statutory duty of providing sufficient childcare places for those parents or carers who wanted them. The team was made up of three staff, one full time and two part time. It was noted that a three year delivery plan had been developed as part of the Childcare Sufficiency Assessment and it guided the work of the Unit. The team encouraged all groups to work towards a Quality Assurance kite mark to ensure parents could be confident that their child was receiving childcare that was second to none. There had been a number of referrals into the O Gam I Gam scheme to promote and encourage the development of the accessibility and affordability of a range of quality and integrated registered childcare and play provision.

It was noted that 34 settings engaged with the Healthy and Sustainable Pre School Scheme, which had a number of criteria to meet to achieve the award. Members queried if the key action going forward to engage 10 new settings for this Scheme would be achieved. Officers explained that they had only started to undertake this data collection and it should be achievable as it was consistent with other areas. Members asked if a school was a fair trade school would this contribute to it being classed as a Healthy and Sustainable Pre School. It was explained that it would as environment was included in criteria.

It was highlighted that the team had a £200k budget that was managed rigidly and was a mixture of core and grant funding. The team worked with a range of key partners. The key actions for next year were highlighted to Members and it was noted that it was lot of work undertaken by a small team.

It was highlighted that there had been 315 deregistered childcare places during 2015/16 and Members asked what the reasons were for this. It was explained that it was mainly due to a lack of demand or sustainability. It was noted that some of the providers had opened in other venues and some had moved outside of the area. Members asked if the decline in the number of providers was part of a long term trend. Officers explained that this was not the case. It was agreed that officers would circulate to the Committee a breakdown of the different type of providers by area.

Members commented that the report card was very informative and the website for the Service was very good. It was noted that some of the graphs in the report card were difficult to see clearly. Members queried the accuracy of the timescales for the figures for the parents’ satisfaction levels of childcare and officers agreed to check this information.

Following scrutiny, it was agreed that the report be noted.