Agenda item

The Director of SEND and Education submits a report to update the Commission on the government expanded offer of funded childcare to working parents.

The Director of Send and Education gave a presentation on the development of early years provision over recent years, outlining the series of national changes and local expansion taking place within the sector. It was noted that:

·       It was explained that childcare and wraparound provision were being implemented gradually, with learning continuing as the system became embedded.

·       The early years sector was described as being largely run by the voluntary, community and private sectors, with the Council having a statutory duty to ensure sufficient childcare places. The market was noted to be highly changeable and affected by national trends, recruitment challenges and the cost-of-living crisis, which had significantly influenced how providers operated.

·       Leicester had been fortunate to retain strong nursery provision within schools, and a new government programme on school-based nurseries was highlighted as an effective use of capital to expand places. However, it was recognised that term-time provision did not fully meet the needs of working families who required year-round childcare.

·       The importance of early access to education in improving life chances was emphasised, alongside the need to maintain sufficient places for vulnerable children and those with special educational needs and disabilities. While the demand for places had grown, the city’s capacity had also expanded.

·       A Department for Education capital grant of just over half a million pounds had been secured to support this expansion, enabling around three hundred thousand pounds of new provision to be created across five or six settings. The target was to create four hundred additional places, with approximately eighty per cent of that already achieved.

·       The main challenges identified were funding levels, which had not increased in line with inflation, and ongoing national workforce shortages. It was expected that the government’s Best Start in Life policy would review funding arrangements in the coming years.

·       Officers advised that support, training and sufficiency monitoring continued to be provided to help settings overcome challenges and maintain market stability.

·       The quality of provision and the sustainability of providers were also key priorities, with officers working closely with Ofsted and offering training to ensure that provision remained of a high standard.

·       Recruitment pressures across the sector were discussed, with particular difficulty in securing skilled and experienced staff and ensuring sufficient special educational needs capacity. The city continued to run a SENCO training course for early years staff, and the ongoing work of the specialist early years team was recognised as vital to sustaining quality provision.

In discussions with members, the following was noted:

·       Members compared the development of the sector to academisation and asked how the balance was being managed between maintained and private providers, particularly given financial pressures. It was explained that this balance had always existed and continued to evolve. The Council had supported private providers to remodel in response to market pressures and had encouraged schools to admit younger children to fill the gap for disadvantaged families eligible for the fifteen-hour offer.

·       It was noted that demand for places for children under two had increased and required significant financial investment to expand capacity.

·       Members queried how working parents were being made aware of new funding opportunities for under-twos. Officers confirmed that the rebranding of the Best Start for Life and Family Hubs programmes included a new eligibility checker and information hub for parents. Work was ongoing with communications teams and partner organisations to ensure parents were informed early about what they were entitled to.

·       Members suggested that information could also be shared through councillor social media channels to help promote awareness locally. Officers welcomed the suggestion and agreed that regular promotion was essential.

·       Members supported the idea of a local campaign and proposed using libraries and the annual council tax mail-out to distribute information. Officers noted that eligibility criteria were set nationally and that both parents in a working household needed to be employed for at least sixteen hours per week, with an income threshold of up to one hundred thousand pounds per person annually.

·       The information on the offer was already available on both local and national websites, although further local communication would be explored.

·       Members asked how equality and quality of provision were measured across the city. Officers explained that all providers were required to be Ofsted-registered and subject to the same inspection framework as schools. Only providers meeting the required standards were eligible for funding, and any with inadequate inspection outcomes could have funding frozen until improvements were made. Officers added that support would be provided to affected families to identify alternative provision if needed.

AGREED:

1.    That the commission note the report.

2.    That a further update on early years provision be added to the Commission’s work programme for six months’ time.