Agenda item

Report of the Director of Children and Adults Services

The Director of Children and Adults Services submitted a report (previously circulated) to inform Members of the findings of the 2018/19 Childcare Sufficiency Review and to set out the authority’s 2018/19 Childcare Sufficiency Action Plan (also previously circulated).

Local authorities are required by the Department for Education’s ‘Early Education and Childcare Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities June 2018’ to ensure sufficient childcare as far as is reasonably practicable, for working parents, or parents who are studying or training for employment, for children aged 0-14 or up to 18 for disabled children;  and to report annually to elected Members on how they are meeting their duty to secure sufficient childcare and to make this report available and accessible to parents.

It was reported that factors which affect childcare demand included the number of parents in work in the Borough and recent trends showed an improving picture regarding skills and productivity of Darlington residents with an increase in the employment rate and a reduction in the unemployment rate; regeneration projects; the availability of appropriate family housing and residential development in the Borough; and the number of new dwellings all affecting childcare demand.

Supply data for 2018 revealed that the early education and childcare market in Darlington remained fairly stable; however feedback from a pre-school childcare gap analysis carried out in Summer 2018 showed that there was a latent demand for childcare in the borough with cost being the main barrier to high take up of private hours. Parents also would welcome more flexibility to accommodate their work and training arrangements at short notice.    Analysis of the overall volume of supply showed that there was sufficient capacity to meet demand; and parent and provider feedback also suggested that there was sufficient capacity to meet overall demand for 30 Hour places.

It was also reported that there was evidence to indicate that providers were under increasing financial pressure with several settings reporting that their operating costs were higher than funding rates; financial pressures were also impacting on the capacity for some providers to meet the needs of children with special educational needs and disabilities; and feedback from parents and employers called for greater flexibility and lower childcare costs.

To enable the local childcare market and schools to ‘plug the childcare gaps’ identified, it was reported that the childcare sufficiency data will be presented at the Spring 2019 Private, Voluntary and Independent Providers’ Network meeting and will be sent to schools and presented at the Spring 2019 Schools Chair of Governors’ Briefing.

The local authority will also advertise the right of parents and childcare providers to request the delivery of childcare from school sites (DfE ‘Rights to Request’, introduced in September 2016). 

Members discussed in particular the unmet demand for after-school provision and holiday childcare and the unmet demand for places for those children with special educational needs and disabilities; the lack of financial support from employers to help employees with childcare needs; the rising cost of childcare; the reduction in schools being able to provide extra curricula activities after school as a result of reduce funding to schools; and the submission by Whinfield Primary School to the Department for Education’s School Nurseries Capital Fund for a 52 full time equivalent place nursery with wrap around at the start and end of the day and on-site holiday provision.

RESOLVED – (a) That Members note the information and findings of the 2018/19 Childcare Sufficiency Review.

(b) That Members note the Local Authority’s 2018/19 Childcare Sufficiency Action Plan and to continue to monitor on an annual basis.