Agenda item

Report of the Statutory Scrutiny Officer

Councillor Cheryl Barnard, Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education, Nick Lee, Director of Education, Sarah Nardone, Interim Director of Children's Integrated Services, and Kathryn Bouchlaghem, Head of Early Years, presented a report on the implementation of the national childcare reforms designed to support early education and help parents return to work. The following points were raised:

a)  The changes outlined in the Chancellor’s Spring Budget are a national requirement and there are additional statutory duties for the Council to deliver:

·  working parents of 2-year-olds being able to access 15 hours of childcare from April 2024;

·  working parents of children aged 9-23 months being able to access 15 hours of childcare from September 2024;

·  working parents of children aged 9 months to primary school age being able to access 30 hours of childcare from September 2025; and

·  all primary school-aged children being able to access before and after-school provision from 8:00am to 6:00pm, during term time, from September 2026.

b)  This represents an opportunity for the Council to establish robust childcare infrastructure across the city that not only complies with these new statutory duties, but also helps to support people and business in the city. Looking at the current infrastructure, there is a rich provision already in place that can be built on to develop the further measures. There is already good, collaborative and partnership working in place to take learning from and established links into the voluntary sector. Developing this work links into the activity being done around developing Family Hubs, and Health visiting partnerships. Work has been done with health visiting colleagues throughout the pandemic and after to improve communication and signposting for families.

The Committee raised the following points in discussion:

c)  The Committee asked what understanding of capacity of provision by area of the city the Council had, as there was less provision available in some places – and even local provision was not necessarily easily accessible by public transport. It was reported that a Childcare Sufficiency Audit had been carried out in 2023 and there were some areas emerging that need a boost to provision, primarily in the Bestwood, Aspley, Clifton and Dales areas. Work is being done with the schools in these places to look at how provision can be developed, with an emphasis that the school does not have to make the provision directly. There are established and successful operating models that can be replicated and adapted that have worked in other areas of the city that will ensure provision is in place at no extra cost to the school.

d)  The Committee asked what the timescales were for ensuring that the new requirements were put in place effectively. It was explained that the Government have stated that September 2024 is when most of the new places should be delivered to allow them to embed and the market to settle before the start of the 2025/26 term. The Government’s ambition being that, by 2026, all parents will be able to access childcare between 8:00am and 6:00pm. The September 2024 timescale is tight and a great deal of work is being done to meet it, so it is likely that most places will be made available within the 2024/25 year.

e)  The Committee asked about the status of the current market and whether there were sufficient providers currently, and what the Council could do to improve the market. It was set out that there are many different types of provision that are all valid under these new requirements, including breakfast and after-school clubs, private childminders and other types of service. There are direct providers who are willing and able to expand within the city that are able to offer provision tailor-made to local communities’ needs. The challenge is to ensure that parents have enough information to ensure they are able to access the provision. Conversations are planned between Education, Economic Development and Children’s Services, amongst others, to develop the provision to ensure it brings about the planned benefits to families.

The Chair thanked the Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education, the Director of Education, the Interim Director of Children's Integrated Services, and the Head of Early Years for attending the meeting to present the report and answer the Committee’s questions.

Resolved:

1)  To request that further information is provided on the outcomes of the 2023 Childcare Sufficiency Audit.

2)  To recommend that a ‘One Council’ approach is used to establish a solid childcare and early education infrastructure that is accessible to everyone in the city, with proactive work carried out to engage with wider Council teams and foster collaborative working to ensure a comprehensive childcare offer.

3)  To recommend that work is done to ensure that the needs of individual communities within wards are fully understood, to ensure that everyone does have access to childcare and that there is a full equity of outcomes for families across the city.