Sefton Council Childcare Sufficiency Report April …...In terms of parents finding suitable...

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Sefton Council

Childcare Sufficiency Report

April 2017

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www.seftondirectory.com/childcare

Sefton Council

Childcare Sufficiency Report

April 2017

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Contents

Page

1. Background 3

2. Demographics 4

3. Childcare in Sefton 6

4. Childcare Fees 13

5. Childcare Quality 14

6. Free Early Years Education and Childcare 19

7. Aiming High – Childcare for disabled children 22

8. Sport & Recreation Service – Active Sefton 26

9. Maintained Nursery Places 29

10. Conclusion 32

11. Statistical Data - Acknowledgements 33

12. Appendix 1 - Useful Links 34

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1. Background

Local Authorities are required under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, to ensure that there is

sufficient, quality, flexible, sustainable childcare for parents and carers. The Childcare Act 2006

defines childcare sufficiency as sufficient to meet the requirement of parents in Sefton who require

childcare in order to enable them:

a) To take up or remain in work

b) To undertake education or training which could reasonably be expected to assist them to obtain

work.

There are many other beneficial reasons why parents may require childcare and Local Authorities

must ensure that their activities in relation to the statutory sufficiency duty complement and

reinforce other roles they have in relation to childcare, such as the provision of free nursery

education and provision of services for children in need. Supporting working/training parents by

ensuring sufficient childcare also complements numerous other priorities, such as reducing child

poverty, improving economic well-being and narrowing the child attainment gap between

disadvantaged children and their more affluent peers.

Since the 1998 National Childcare Strategy successive governments have placed real emphasis

and significant funding toward increasing the supply of quality and affordable childcare. The 2016

Childcare Act introduced the latest example of this priority area, with one major outcome in

particular being an extension of the free early years entitlement for three and four year olds to 30

hours per week (instead of the current 15 hours per week) for working families from September

2017.

Local Authorities are required to report annually to elected council members on how they are

meeting their duty to secure sufficient childcare, and make this report available and accessible to

parents (Early Education and Childcare: Statutory guidance for local authorities; Part B, B.3.

September 2014).

This document constitutes Sefton Council’s childcare sufficiency report for 2017.

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2. Demographics

As shown in Fig.1 population projections for 0-4 year olds in Sefton suggest no significant change,

therefore no increase in demand for childcare is anticipated due to population alone.

Fig 1. Sefton Under-5s population estimates

ONS Population Projections 2012

Another key indicator which could affect the need for childcare would be a significant change in

employment levels. More working families would in turn require more childcare places.

Sefton continues to do well in terms of overall prosperity, with a growing business population, more entrepreneurs, and an increase in self-employment. However, employment has stalled in the last year, and unemployment has stopped falling. There are worrying trends in the levels of take home pay for residents in the borough, with a pause in pay and rising job insecurity. These trends point to the emergence of a new tier of irregular and insecure employment. Data from “Sefton Economic Strategy: 8th Performance Monitoring Report, April – September 2016” indicates: • The claimant count* has remained relatively stable over the last 12 months, with many residents moving onto the new Universal Credit** regime. • In the six months to Sept 2016, Sefton’s employment rate has fallen by 1.9% to 70.8%. This is higher than for the Liverpool city region, but 3.5% lower than the UK. • The Gross Disposable Household Income (the amount of money left after payment of tax, NI, pension and mortgage costs) continues to increase and reached £16,978 in 2016. This increase is largely offset by increases in the cost of living associated with depreciation of the pound and utility costs. The Sefton figure is 9.8% higher than that for Merseyside, but 5.5% lower than for the UK.

https://www.sefton.gov.uk/media/1177060/sefton_economic_performance_report_september_2016.pdf

https://www.sefton.gov.uk/media/1177060/sefton_economic_performance_report_september_2016.pdf

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*Claimant count is now calculated using the combined total of JSA claimants and Universal Credit “not in employment” claimants ** Universal Credit is a single benefit replacing income based Job Seekers Allowance, income related Employment Support Allowance, Income Support, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and Housing Benefit. Universal Credit is also available to people in low paid work to top up their income, currently just over a third of Universal Credit claimants are in employment.) For further and more detailed information about Sefton’s economy please visit https://www.sefton.gov.uk/your-council/plans-policies/sefton-economy.aspx

https://www.sefton.gov.uk/your-council/plans-policies/sefton-economy.aspx

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3. Childcare in Sefton

3.1 Early Years Register

Using childcare supply and vacancy data it has been possible to demonstrate current capacity in

every area for each of the main setting types. The results of this are displayed in Tables 1 to 4.

For the purposes of sufficiency, the following indicative criteria is applied, in line with national good

practice guidance:

Vacant places (as a % of total places) Sufficiency Rating

1 – 10 % Deficit

11 – <=20 % Sufficient

>20% Surplus

Table 1 Sefton Childcare Places and Vacancies by setting type - March 2017

Total childcare places Vacancies % unfilled

Childminder 600 (658) 56 (60) 9% (9%)

Day Nursery 2984 (3058) 535 (639) 18% (21%)

Pre-school / Playgroup 1107 (1065) 185 (212) 15% (20%)

Total 4691 (4781) 776 (911) 17% (19%)

*For comparison purposes, 2016 figures are shown in brackets.

When taking Sefton as a whole, as with the 2016 sufficiency assessment, there is overall sufficient

childcare capacity. This has fallen slightly to 17% but remains comfortably within the sufficient

range.

The national 2016 Childcare Survey produced by Family and Childcare Trust suggests that only

45% of councils in England have enough childcare for parents who work fulltime, which again

demonstrates the healthy position Sefton is in with regard to sufficient high quality childcare.

When looking at the childcare types separately it can be seen that both day nurseries and pre-

school playgroups have sufficient capacity, whilst childminding has remained in slight deficit at 9%

capacity across the borough. Overall, total registered places have fallen slightly since last annual

report, which is largely accounted for by a reduction in childminding places and also a day nursery

temporarily closed for refurbishment at the time of this report, which has had an impact on overall

capacity.

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In terms of parents finding suitable childcare in the areas they need it, a clearer picture of

sufficiency can be obtained by looking at the North, Mid and South of Sefton. These three areas

are displayed in Fig 2 below.

Fig 2. Sefton map of electoral wards

Sefton North (Southport) wards are shown in green.

Sefton Central wards are shown in orange.

Sefton South (Bootle) wards are shown in blue.

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Table 2

North Sefton - Daycare (Day Nurseries / Pre-School Playgroups / Childminders)

Ward Settings Registered

places Vacancies % unfilled

Ainsdale 9 185 15 8% (22%)

Birkdale 5 84 21 25% (28%)

Cambridge 5 97 12 12% (10%)

Duke's 10 435 56 13% (12%)

Kew 8 185 26 14% (14%)

Meols 5 57 8 14% (18%)

Norwood 10 358 70 20% (30%)

Total 52 1401 208 15% (20%)


There are five less settings in the area than in 2016, but North Sefton continues to show sufficient

overall capacity, with all but one ward having sufficient places.

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Table 3

Central Sefton - Daycare (Day Nurseries / Pre-School Playgroups / Childminders)



Blundellsands 9 286 40 14% (17%)

Harington 9 201 34 17% (6%)

Manor 5 66 7 11% (17%)

Molyneux 10 279 31 11% (10%)

Park 13 179 24 13% (23%)

Ravenmeols 7 123 38 31% (20%)

Sudell 10 137 24 18% (16%)

Victoria 12 330 16 5% (8%)

Total 75 1601 214 13% (13%)


One ward shows a deficit, but Central Sefton shows no change in overall capacity since 2016 and

remains sufficient at 13%. In terms of actual registered places, Central Sefton has seen the biggest

change, with twelve settings less than the same time last year, most of which being childminders –

see section 3.3 in this report for further discussion of childminding places.

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Table 4

South Sefton - Daycare (Day Nurseries / Pre-School Playgroups / Childminders)



Church 13 406 54 13% (25%)

Derby 6 308 54 18% (22%)

Ford 12 185 42 23% (14%)

Linacre 6 255 97 36% (46%)

Litherland 9 172 18 10% (6%)

Netherton and Orrell 9 175 26 15% (6%)

St Oswald 7 194 63 32% (39%)

Total 62 1695 354 21% (24%)


South Sefton shows sufficient capacity, with all wards having sufficient places and some wards

actually having a surplus of places (i.e. over 20% spare capacity). Overall the spare capacity has

fallen since last year, but this was anticipated as at time of last year’s report a couple of new

nurseries had recently opened in the area and therefore had a lot of capacity. The South also

shows an increase in registered places compared to last year.

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3.2 Childcare for Older Children

Out of School services are very difficult to provide an accurate figure for in terms of take up.

However, in 2016/17 Sefton Family Information Service received no feedback from parents of older

children stating that they were unable to find childcare, which suggests there are sufficient places.

Most schools now offer an extended day and will offer this service to as many pupils as require it.

There are also a number of very well established breakfast and after-school providers in Sefton,

including some childminders. In addition, parents are able to take advantage of a whole range of

leisure activities which are delivered through the holiday periods – further details of these activities

can be found in Section 8. Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities are also able

to access a range of services through Sefton’s Aiming High Service – see Section 7.

3.3 Addressing gaps in the childcare market

Across Sefton, for general childcare availability the approach is to encourage the childcare market

to satisfactorily meet demand. This is done by identifying (through feedback from parents and

working with settings) potential areas where a shortage of childcare has been identified. This could

be either geographical or age based. Sefton Council’s Childcare Sufficiency Manager works with

all potential childcare providers to provide support and information relating to the childcare market

across the borough. By adopting this blanket approach the aim is to ensure sufficient childcare in

Sefton for all those who require it, rather than targeting specific groups or areas – such as families

in receipt of Universal Credit. To date this approach has been a very successful one. For those

unable to find childcare then Sefton Family Information Service (see Appendix 1 for details) offers

a brokerage service to try and help families find the childcare they require. This includes, for

example, contacting childminders who have specifically stated they would consider offering care at

short notice or unsocial hours.

Sefton Council’s School Readiness Service works with settings to improve quality which, it would

be hoped, in turn improves the sustainability of existing childcare provision. Government

regulations state that only childcare providers which attain specific Ofsted inspection outcomes are

permitted to deliver funded places to two, three and four year olds. Again, this places great

emphasis on the need for quality childcare in order to remain sustainable, particularly in areas

where there are a lot of settings or available places for families to choose from. A more detailed

account of childcare quality in Sefton can be seen in Section 5.

There has been a national trend in falling childminder numbers over a number of years. This year

in Sefton, sufficiency of childminding places has remained at a deficit of 9% (same as in 2016) but

there has been a significant fall in registered childminding places. More childminders than ever in

Sefton are now offering early years funded places and it is hoped that the government start-up

grant available this year for new childminders to offer 30 hours funded places will serve as an

incentive to others. Through 2017, Sefton Council will roll out a recruitment campaign to raise

awareness of the benefits of childminding and to encourage new childminders in the area.

Sefton Council has worked very closely with childcare settings and schools to address the original

shortfall in places available to deliver the Two Year Old Offer. This collaborative working has been

very successful and will continue through 2017/18.

A new key area of change which Sefton Council will continue to address is the extension of the

free early years entitlement to 30 hours per week for working families, which is rolled out nationally

in September 2017. Feedback from early implementers and childcare providers at national level

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has been mixed, with a degree of uncertainty with regard to whether all eligible settings will offer

places. Sefton already has an established working group consisting of key stakeholders to work

together in ensuring successful delivery of the additional offer. Sefton’s School Readiness Service

is also heavily engaged in delivering briefing sessions across the private and maintained sectors

and working with settings to support and promote take-up of the new places. Currently, the

expectation is that the increased demand can be largely met through existing provision, which

could include settings changing how they currently operate or through working in partnership. The

exact impact of the new offer cannot be determined at this early stage, but Sefton Council will

continue to monitor sufficiency and engage with key stakeholders throughout the coming year.

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4. Childcare Fees

Table 5

Average childcare fees by childcare type and area

North Sefton Central Sefton South Sefton

Childminders £4.25

(per hour)

£3.90

(per hour)

£4.00

(per hour)

Day Nurseries £42

(per day)

£42

(per day)

£38.50

(per day)

Pre-School Playgroups £13.20

(per session) *Typically a session is 3

hours

£15.40


hours

£14.80


hours

When compared to 2016 there has been an overall increase in the cost of daycare, which is largely

to be expected as resource, staffing and premises costs increase for childcare providers.

Table 5 shows average fees for the three areas of Sefton. As would be expected, the fees for

fulltime daycare in the South are, on average, lower than for the North of the borough.

The fees for sessional care actually show the reverse of this pattern, with the South being more

expensive than the North. This can typically be explained by the delivery and offer of those

sessional places. Some settings only offer places to funded children, whilst others would also

provide care to many fee paying children which are often (but certainly not always) a higher rate.

All these fees presented here are an average based on the fees for two to four year olds in Sefton

and should only be viewed in that light. In reality, there are significant differences in fees amongst

individual settings. For example, some sessional places in Sefton are available at under £10 per

session, whilst others are over £20 per session. Also, many settings will offer discounted rates if a

child is full-time, discounts for siblings, babies are often a higher rate than toddlers, and some

settings charge a different rate for two year olds than for three year olds.

Childminders will typically offer more flexible care and rates, with many offering daily or weekly

rates and also rates for before and after school pickups and care. Childminder fees are usually a

little cheaper than day nursery fees. This does not reflect quality of care, but is more to do with the

additional business costs incurred by nurseries such as premises, staff, etc.

A range of potential resources are available to help working parents to pay for childcare – see

Appendix 1 for useful links.

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5. Childcare Quality

5.1 Quality Improvement

The School Readiness Service, share with providers of early year’s provision a commitment to

improving life chances for all children. To facilitate and support this, the School Readiness Service

works in partnership with providers in all parts of the sector in order to provide flexible, high quality

provision meeting the needs of children and promoting parental choice, balancing this with

supporting provider sustainability within a thriving market.

Guidance to Local Authorities in meeting the childcare sufficiency duty states that for childcare to

be sufficient it must be of high quality. There is very strong evidence that high quality early learning

increases children’s development by age 5 and improves their outcomes in the longer term.

Generally, childcare in Sefton is of high quality; with the majority of childcare being rated as at least

good by Ofsted, and some outstanding. We work closely to support and guide childcare providers

to improve quality, via a system of monitoring, support and training. This is largely linked to need

according to their Ofsted grade or via the proportion of vulnerable children attending the provision.

For providers where quality or aspects of practice are deemed to be less than good, a thorough

tiered approach or protocol is triggered offering intensive support. During 2016, 22 settings were

supported in this way.

Within Sefton several indicators illustrate the evidence of and a commitment to high quality

provision, including:

a) Ofsted inspection data

b) Proportions of children attaining a good level of development at the end of reception

c) Engagement in training

d) Commitment to Safeguarding

The School Readiness Framework continues to support quality across the sector; alongside a

continued emphasis on communication and language and embedding the Five to Thrive principles

which is informed by the gaps in Early Years Foundation Stage Profile data.

Since January 2016 Sefton’s Language Pathway has seen:

86% of Sefton settings with Language Champions (a member of staff trained in language

development and techniques on how to support children)

30 staff attending WellComm training (a process for identifying and supporting language

delay)

15 Practitioners achieving Level 3 , 4 and 5 awards in the DfE funded project Talking

Matters

12 Sefton settings received the Communication Friendly Spaces award accredited by

Elklan.

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Children’s Centres are also a crucial element to quality improvement as all childcare providers

across the sector and schools are grouped into School Readiness Hubs around Children’s

Centres. This ensures training, discussion and intervention is based on the needs of the children

and families in that locality and that services can be responsive.

Partnerships have been further strengthened through the development of a Parent Champion

project. This project directly supports a named practitioner in a setting with up to date and relevant

information which can be passed on to parents and families.

5.2 Ofsted

In September 2015 Ofsted launched the Common Inspection Framework, which builds on the

changes made in Early Years inspection over the past few years. In addition a revised EYFS

Statutory Guidance and Early Years Workforce Strategy comes into effect in April 2017.

The new Common Inspection Framework emphasises the impact of leaders work in developing

and sustaining an ambitious culture and vision. Inspection will also look at leaders work to provide

a broad and balanced curriculum and will continue to place the effectiveness of safeguarding at the

heart of every inspection. When considering children’s outcomes, inspectors will want to see that

the children currently at the setting are making good progress.

There will be three new judgements, which will sit alongside the existing leadership and

management judgement:

teaching, learning and development;

outcomes for children;

personal development, behaviour and welfare.

A significant feature of the Common Inspection Framework is that the judgement about the

effectiveness of early years provision in schools aligns with judgements on registered early years

provision, so that parents can make informed choices across different types of setting.

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5.3 Ofsted Inspection Data

Table 6

The percentage of providers in each category linked to Ofsted Grades as of January 2017

(Total number of inspections 184)

Outstanding Good Requires

Improvement

Inadequate Met Not Met

PVI (private, day

nurseries &

playgroups)

17%

79%

4%

0%

N/A

N/A

Childminders

13%

65%

4%

5%

12%

1%

Out of School

(breakfast club,

after school club

& holiday clubs)

20%

64%

0%

0%

16%

0%

Fig. 3 The proportion of providers in each category linked to Ofsted Grade as of January 2017

*For quality and funding purposes, “Met” is considered to be the equivalent of “Good”

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

PVI Childminders OOSC

Outstanding

Good

RI

Inadequate

Met

Not Met

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5.4 Good Level of Development

Within Sefton the number of children achieving a good level of development continues to increase

and is in line with national averages. This is in part testimony to the high quality pre-school and

school provision available across the authority. The inequality gap in Sefton (between the median

score for all pupils and that for the lowest 20% of pupils) is 1.7 percentage points narrower than the

national figure.

Table 7

The Proportion of children attaining a good level of development at the end of reception

Outcomes duty 2014 2014

National

2015 2015

National

2016 2016

National

The percentage of children

attaining a ‘good level of

development’

58

60

66

66

69.8

69.3

Narrowing the gap

between the lowest

achieving 20% in the early

years foundation stage

profile and the rest

31.9

33.9

29.4

32.1

29.7

31.4

5.5 Engagement in Training

A partly subsidised termly training programme is developed and provided to help settings meet the

statutory requirement of the Early Years Foundation Stage and their statutory duties. Courses are

designed to support the development of all staff within early years including childminders and out

of school provision. Settings can access the training programme by visiting Sefton Education:

http://www.seftoneducation.uk/TrainingAndEvents

From January 2016 to Jan 2017, 1757 staff attended a total of 153 courses from the Continuous

Professional Development Programme (CPD). This commitment to CPD is reflected through

Sefton’s Ofsted grades and the improvements to outcomes for young children.

Project based training has been offered due to the positive impact they having within Sefton

settings.

Therefore additional opportunities to engage in project type courses have been extended within the

training plan. Since January 2016 School Readiness has delivered:

The Baby Room Project- 6 training events with 59 attendees

Language Champion - 6 training events with 95 attendees

Elklan- 3 training events with 40 attendees

Integrated review - 2 briefing sessions with 52 attendees

http://www.seftoneducation.uk/TrainingAndEvents

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In addition to training courses a number of conferences have also been held over the past twelve

months including:

Permission to Squiggle - 64 attended.

Early Years Pupil Premium Conference – 140 attended

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6. Free Early Years Education

6.1 The 2 Year Old Offer

Currently we have a requirement to provide an expected 1,240 free nursery places for eligible Two

Year Olds.

As of September 2016:

2,077 children are currently being supported across 108 different setting childcare providers

within Sefton, including: Private, Voluntary and Independent Settings, local Children’s

Centres, Childminders and Primary Schools.

Of those 1,762 are placed within nurseries, children’s centres and childminders and 315 are

placed within schools.

This consists of 72 Private, Voluntary and Independent settings, 7 children’s centres and 29

childminders

An online eligibility checking tool was launched on the Sefton Directory in September 2015,

becoming live for applications in October 2015. As parents and professionals can apply for a Two

Year Offer place for a child via this online application process, it has generated an increase of

applications, making the offer even more accessible for parents.

The online eligibility checker is available to parents via:

https://www.seftondirectory.com/childcare

Over the past three years we have worked closely with providers from all sectors to establish new

childcare provision in areas of highest demand. In these areas of the Authority new projects have

been undertaken to ensure there is availability for parents to find childcare places close to their

home. This work is ongoing, it is not just about creating sufficient two year old places, but rather it

is about trying to ensure that the available places are in the areas of Sefton where they will be

most required.

Also, schools wishing to offer places for two year olds are no longer required to register separately

under the Early Years Register, as the provision will be inspected under the Common Inspection

Framework.

Eligibility Criteria

Two year olds who meet any of the following criteria will be eligible for 15 hours free early years

entitlement:

Income Support

Income-based Job Seekers’ Allowance

Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

Guaranteed element of State Pension Credits

Child / Working Tax Credits and annual gross earnings of less than £16,190

Working Tax Credit 4 week run on (the payment you receive when you stop qualifying for

Working Tax Credit)

Universal Credit

Children are also eligible if they:

https://www.seftondirectory.com/kb5/sefton/directory/fel_app_landing.page

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Are a Local Authority looked after child

Are a child of a care leaver (Under the age of 25 years)

Have a current statement of special educational needs (SEN) or an education, health and

care plan

Access a Disability Living Allowance.

6.2. Universal Free Early Years Entitlement for Three and Four Years Olds Government figures suggest that there is 100% take up of eligible three and four year old children in Sefton accessing their free entitlement in Sefton - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-benchmarking-tool Locally, we would put this figure at closer to 99% of eligible children in Sefton accessing the free entitlement – with the difference largely being due to the population figures used. This is in line with the national average and the take up has been around this level for many years. There are no indications that families do not take up a free place through lack of availability, as spare capacity is sufficient for this age range and Sefton continues to promote the entitlement. Whilst the offer is universal, take up is not statutory so parents can choose not to take up the free place for any number of reasons. Early Years Pupil Premium has resulted in providers accessing additional funding to support eligible children in Sefton. This funding has enabled providers to provide further resources, support packages and access professional development to help narrow the gap for our most vulnerable children within Sefton.

Sefton Council continues to strongly encourage take up of the free entitlement and promote the

developmental benefits for a child in accessing formal childcare.

6.3 30 Hours Extended Free Entitlement (EYE) for three and four year olds

September 2017 will see the introduction of a further 15 hours funded entitlement for Three and

Four years olds, to support working parents. The new entitlement is 1,140 hours of Early

Education for children whose parents are working i.e. 30 hours over 38 weeks (Term-time

Only) or about 23 hours per week if extended over the year.

The additional hours will be available to children in families where:

Both parents are working (or the sole parent is working in a lone parent family)

and

Each parent earns, on average, a weekly minimum equivalent to 16 hours at national minimum wage (NMW) or national living wage (NLW), and less than £100,000 per year.

It is a one parent household and the working parent meets the income rules.

Working will include employed and self-employed persons.

Parents will not necessarily need to actually work 16 hours a week, but rather their earnings must reflect at least 16 hours of work at NMW or NLW. This means that, when the new entitlement goes live, a working parent who is over 25 will need to earn a weekly minimum equivalent of £115.20 whereas a working parent who is 21 will need to earn weekly minimum equivalent of around £107 (at this year’s rates). Parents on zero contract hours who meet the criteria are included in the entitlement criteria.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-benchmarking-tool

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There are some exceptions from two parent rules and children will also be entitled if:

both parents are employed but one or both parents is temporarily away from the workplace on parental, maternity or paternity leave

both parents are employed but one or both parents is temporarily away from the workplace on adoption leave

both parents are employed but one or both parents is temporarily away from the workplace on statutory sick pay.

one parent is employed and one parent has substantial caring responsibilities based on specific benefits received for caring; or

one parent is employed and one parent is disabled or incapacitated based on receipt of specific benefits.

The three and four year olds whose parents do not meet the criteria will continue to be entitled to the universal offer of 570 hours per annum or 15 hours over 38 weeks term time only. The proposal for Sefton is for each provider to receive £4.00 per hour for every child receiving the universal free entitlement from April 2017 and for the new extra hours of childcare in September 2017. In addition there is also a mandatory deprivation supplement we provide at a rate of 10p, 15p and 20p per hour, per child.

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7. Childcare for Disabled Children - Aiming High

Aiming High for Disabled Children, Sefton MBC, is a large team that delivers a range of functions

and services for disabled children and their families in Sefton. The service comprises:

Aiming High Short Breaks Delivery Team Transitions Co-ordinators

Disabled Children’s Social Work Team &Family Support (encompassing the Disabled

Children’s Register and newsletter).

Each week there are 30 regular evening and weekend group based activities targeted specifically

at disabled children and young people in Sefton. The Aiming High Team also commissions

services from other providers in order to maximise the volume and range of short break

experiences for disabled children. These include after school clubs in three of our special schools,

specialist holiday schemes within two special schools, residential experiences, a buddying scheme

co-ordinated by CVS and stay and play and respite activities within our Children Centres.

As well as providing the carer with a short break from their caring responsibilities this

comprehensive range of provision also provides child care opportunities to allow parents to work.

Services are delivered as part of a 3-tiered approach:

Universal Level Services:

Opportunities that can be accessed by ALL children and young people in their local communities.

All children and young people should be able to access opportunities which are happening within their local communities. These opportunities can be found at children’s centres, libraries, swimming pools and leisure centres, youth groups and parks, playgrounds community centres etc. Wherever possible these are the opportunities which should be used as a first point of call. These services have a duty under the Equalities Duty, (2010) to make reasonable adjustments and not treat a disabled person less favourably.

Some children will require additional support in order to get fully involved in community based activities. The service helps to support this by the provision of leisure cards, for subsidised use of leisure centres for disabled young people and a carer.

Targeted Services:

Opportunities for children and young people who are identified as requiring additional support.

Currently, the Aiming High Team deliver 30 weekly evening and weekend groups and extensive holiday provision targeted at disabled children and young people with additional needs in Sefton.

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Table 8

Number of holiday hours delivered in 2016/17:

Holiday period

Number

of

children

Number

of hours

AHT Easter 2016 156 792

AHT Whit Bank Holiday 2016 118 512

ALL Groups Summer 2016 350 8330

AHT Oct Half Term 2016 137 837

AHT Feb Half Term 2017 178 697

In total, to date, the Aiming High Team have delivered 11,168 hours during holiday periods.

All of these groups require parents and or professionals to either make a referral or contact the organiser directly.

The comprehensive range of inclusive activities provided by targeted services are publicised through leaflets, the Aiming High newsletter and the Sefton Council Local Offer available on the Sefton Directory –www.seftondirectory.com/localoffer

The Aiming High Short Breaks Team works with families to try and break down barriers to

accessible childcare by:

Capacity building, (through advice, training etc) for existing childcare providers.

Regular advice and coaching sessions;

o Developing inclusive practice.

o Observation and planning.

o Tailored, ‘In House’ training.

Sourcing external training

Early Years Support:

This funding is targeted specifically at intervention and prevention in the Early Years.

Funding is available to provide time-limited support for children aged 0-4 years with high level

needs attending early education/childcare provision.

This is in recognition of the additional support, (above or different to their statutory education

entitlement) and resources that are sometimes required in order to enable a child to access an

otherwise universally available provision.

In 2016/17, 10 families of disabled children have received 5’652 hours of childcare support via this

funding. These children all access private, voluntary and independent sector providers with

support. In order to access support, the settings demonstrate that they have already followed a

graduated approach to meeting the needs of the child.

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This ensures that all ‘reasonable adjustments’ have been considered before additional support is

sought from the authority – discharging their responsibilities under the Disability Discrimination Act.

Development of a fair and transparent system of moderation and assessing applications has

represented a significant piece of multi-agency work, and has involved contributions from; Aiming

High, Educational Psychology, Vulnerable Pupil Services, Early Years Services and

representatives from the PVI settings. A guidance booklet has been circulated to all PVI settings,

as well as all of the current forms.

To summarise, in addition to the group based short breaks the service has directly funded 16,760

hours of childcare via for 27 disabled children and young people and their families in 2016/17.

Who is eligible for referral for targeted services?

Each child and family in Sefton has different needs.

When a referral is being considered, the impact of the child’s disability needs to be weighed against what would usually be expected for any child of the same age.

Family circumstances can also differ greatly and so it is important to assess how their situation impacts upon their ability to access the universally available opportunities within the community, (as described on the previous page).

In Sefton, disabled children are recognised as being those children and young people aged 0 –19 years whose daily lives are substantially affected by one (or more) of the following diagnosed conditions:

•• A hearing impairment

•• A visual impairment

•• A learning disability

•• A physical disability

•• A chronic/life threatening physical illness

•• A communication disorder (including autism)

•• A consciousness disorder (e.g. epilepsy)

Their condition should usually be expected to last for more than 12 months and have a substantial effect upon the child in more than one of the following areas: •• Physical ability

•• Communication and understanding

•• Awareness of risk and danger

•• Behaviour

•• Independence It is understood that children and young people may also be disadvantaged because of other factors, such as their environment, other people’s attitudes, poverty and social exclusion. However, these factors alone do not entitle them to be considered for Short Breaks services.

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Specialist Services.

Opportunities for children, young people and families who are assessed as requiring a high level of support.

In addition to the first two tiers of service delivery, there are a range of services providing ongoing, bespoke and regular support.

For families requiring this level of support, an assessment will be carried out by a social worker and used as the basis for service allocation.

Under the Children Act, (1989), all disabled children are children ‘in need’ and are entitled to an initial assessment from Children’s Social Care.

A personalised package of support, could take a number of forms, including:

Daytime care in the home or elsewhere.

Leisure activities or a personal assistant so your child or young person can take part in activities outside of the home.

Services available to assist carers in the evenings, at weekends and during the school holidays.

Overnight Short Breaks – For a small number of children and young people, an assessment will demonstrate the need for an overnight short break.

As family circumstances change, the short break is regularly reviewed to make sure it is still reflective of the needs of the child/family.

.

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8. Sport & Recreation Service – Active Sefton Sefton’s Sport & Recreation Service comprises six leisure centres and in excess of 30 sport, physical activity and health community outreach interventions, all of which operate under the banner of ‘Active Sefton’. Sefton’s six leisure facilities are Dunes Splash World, Meadows Leisure Centre, Netherton Activity Centre, Litherland Sports Park, Crosby Lakeside Adventure Centre, and Bootle Leisure Centre, all of which offer the opportunity for children and young people to access non – organised activities e.g. swimming and fitness and access to numerous coach led sessions and clubs. In addition, the service is responsible for the delivery of the Active Aquatics, Active Sports and Active Lifestyles programmes, which deliver a vast range of community outreach interventions to those in need of additional support. The main function of the ‘Active’ programmes is to improve health & wellbeing, promote social inclusion and reduce crime and antisocial behaviour through the medium of sport & physical activity. Projects are delivered within community settings (e.g. schools, parks and open spaces, children’s centres, voluntary sector sports clubs, leisure centres & community venues). The projects are mainly funded by grant aid received from external sources and receive in excess of 50,000 visits per annum. In addition, Active Sefton work closely with Voluntary Sector Sports Clubs to ensure all programmes are linked to sustainable exit routes, enabling participants to progress, and continue long term in their chosen sport/activity. Table 9 The table below outlines the range of activities specifically available to children, young people and their families

Age range Active Sefton Programme Description

0–21 years

LAC Memberships

This scheme enables young people and children who

are in Local Authority care to have free access to local

Leisure Centre facilities. In addition to accessing

swimming and gym facilities for free participants receive

highly discounted places on coach led sessions.

Age 9

weeks +

Active Aquatics –

Swimming Lessons

Public Lessons can be accessed by babies, toddlers,

children and adults enabling participants to progress

from absolute beginner to competitive club swimming.

All children should be able to access swimming lessons

through school as swimming as water safety is a

compulsory part of the national curriculum. Sefton

councils swimming instructors encourage further

progression through Active Aquatics Awards Scheme

from 5 metres upwards to survival and water safety

18 months +

Active Totz

Develop a healthy and active lifestyle through play and

interaction. Play sessions are structured around free

play, nursery rhymes games and musical instruments

and Splash sessions offer the opportunity for carers and

tots to have a splash in the pool with exciting inflatables.

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3-16 years

Be Active

Every school holiday period, Be Active provides a great

range of activities ranging from subsidised swimming to

come and try it sessions to 5 day sport camps.

5-8 years

Healthy Habits

Delivered in schools Healthy Habits is a six week

programme designed to encourage children and their

families to develop healthier lifestyle habits and learn

about the importance of healthy eating and physical

activity. Participants are encouraged to continue their

involvement in physical Activity through the Active

Schools, Active Kids and Academy programmes.

5-12 years

Active Kidz

Active Kidz provide non-competitive, fun, innovative

activities that provide children with the knowledge to live

a healthy lifestyle, whilst developing physical literacy

through FUNdamental movement skills. Participants are

rewarded through an attendance passport, enabling all

children to achieve the same level of success regardless

of their physical ability.

Active Kidz takes place within school and community

settings. It incorporates key aspects of the National

Curriculum within the educational environment and

reduces barriers to physical activity outside school hours

by providing a pathway to physical activity within the

community.

5-12 years

Active Schools

The Active Schools programme is designed to engage

school children of all ages & abilities in a variety of

activities during the school day. Sessions include

breakfast, lunchtime and afterschool clubs, PPA cover,

competitions, festivals and school sports days.

Participants are then encouraged to participate in

sustained activities and clubs, that take place in the

surrounding community.

5-12 years

Active Academies

Active Academies enables children to learn and develop

skills in a number of sports through fun and engaging

sessions. The Academies aim to bridge the gap

between school and club and provide an easy transition

for children who wish to progress.

7-16 years

MOVE IT

Delivered within schools for year 5 and 6 and the

community for ages 7-16 aims to combine all elements

known to be vital in treating and preventing overweight

or obesity, including healthy eating advice, increasing

physical activity and behavioural change whilst also

encouraging family involvement. The programme

consists of the following 3 elements:

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MOVE IT Community: Consists of 6 sessions over a 12

week period for ages 11- 16yrs.

MOVE IT Families: Consists of 6 sessions over a 12

week period for ages 7-10yrs

MOVE IT Schools: Consists of a 6 week programme for

years 5 and 6.

7-16

(depending

on ability)

Junior SwimFit

Junior Swimfit is a mixture of swimming and various

swimming skills-

• Diving skills • Competitive swimming skills • Stages 8, 9 &10 mixture • Synchronised Swimming skills • Water polo skills

8+ years

Street Games

Street Games is a diversionary sport and physical

activity programme, delivered in parks, which are

experiencing difficulties with youth related anti-social

behaviour. Sessions take place during the summer

months with a floodlit programme taking place during the

Halloween and Bonfire period.

8+ years

H20 Watersports

Programmes

Kidz H2O

This programme occurs mainly during half terms and

school holidays, On these days the programme runs

from 9:30 – 4:30 Monday to Friday during which the

participants will engage in taster sessions of a wide

range of sports. This programme has the addition of

being able to offer wrap around care allowing parents to

drop their children off at 8:30 and run through till 17:30.

GCSE’S & BTEC

Crosby Lakeside currently offers GCSE’S & BTECS

with the most popular sports being Kayaking &

Climbing, these normally take place during the winter

months.

12+ years

121 Programme

121 is a one to one ‘mentoring’ programme designed to

use sport & recreational activities to create positive

opportunities and provide young people (previously

considered as vulnerable or at risk) with exit routes back

into mainstream activity and society.

For more information please visit Sefton Council’s website:

www.sefton.gov.uk/sport-leisure

http://www.sefton.gov.uk/sport-leisure

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9. Maintained Nursery Places The tables in this section illustrate the number of places within each nursery class and the take up

of places, as of January 2017.

This data should be used with some caution as many nursery classes will continue to admit

nursery aged children throughout the school year. However, despite variations at school level,

overall district level data shows a relatively consistent range from 62%-79%, with an overall

average take up of 71%. The Formby and Litherland areas have the highest proportion of unfilled

places, whilst Maghull and Crosby have the fewest.

Overall there are sufficient places available in Sefton nursery classes/schools.

NB. For the purposes of the Census the DfE calculates the child ages as at the 31st August, so even though schools

take the children later (aged 3), then the tables below show how old they were at 31st August.

Nursery Class Places Age Groups No on Roll

or School 2 Years 3 Years 4 Years

FT

FT PT FT PT FT PT FT PT Equiv.

BOOTLE DISTRICT

Christ Church Class* 46 27 45

0 72 36

Grange Class 30 9 26

0 35 17.5

Holy Spirit Class 30 6 39

0 45 22.5

Linacre Class 30 5 18

0 23 11.5

Netherton Moss Class 40 7 29

0 36 18

Our Lady of Wals. Class 30 7 24

0 31 15.5

Springwell Park 26 10 41

0 51 25.5

St Benedict's Class 30 8 27

0 35 17.5

All Saint's Class 30 9 26

0 35 17.5

St Monica's Class 30 3 57

0 60 30

St Oswald's Class 30 8 22

0 30 15

St Robert Bellarmine Class 15 8 21

0 29 14.5

Thomas Gray Class* 54 31 33

0 64 32

Cambridge School 40 17 52

0 69 34.5

Greenacre School 40 41 33

1 0 75 37.5

TOTAL 501 0 196 0 493 0 1 0 690 345

% Places filled 69%

Nursery Class Places Age Groups No on Roll


FT


LITHERLAND DISTRICT

English Martyrs Class 30 0 50

0 50 25

Hatton Hill Class 30 7 44

1 0 52 26

Lander Road Class* 46 31 34

0 65 32.5

Litherland Moss Class 30 1 22

0 23 11.5

O.L. Queen of Peace Class 30 4 13

0 17 8.5

O.L. Star of the Sea Class 15 5 8

0 13 6.5

St Elizabeth's Class* 38 20 46

0 66 33

TOTAL 219 0 68 0 217 0 1 0 286 143

% Places filled 65%

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Nursery class Places Age Groups No on Roll

or School

2 Years 3 Years 4 Years FT


CROSBY DISTRICT

Forefield Class 26

52

0 52 26

Great Crosby Class 30

0 57

0 57 28.5

St Luke's Halsall Class 30

6 45

0 51 25.5 St Edmund's and St Thomas' 26

7 36

1 0 44 22

St William of York Class 30

23 28

1 0 52 26

Rimrose Hope Class 30

6 28

0 34 17

Sand Dunes School 40

15 29

0 44 22

TOTAL 212 0 57 0 275 0 2 0 334 167

% Places filled 79%


or School

2 Years 3 Years 4 Years FT


FORMBY DISTRICT

Freshfield Class 30

16 41

1 0 58 29

Redgate Class 30

17 12

0 29 14.5

O.L.O Compassion Class 30

4 20

0 24 12

Trinity St Peter's Class 26

7 26

0 33 16.5

TOTAL 116 0 44 0 99 0 1 0 144 72

% Places filled 62%



FT


MAGHULL DISTRICT

Aintree Davenhill Class 30

3 51

0 54 27

Green Park 30

14 33

0 47 23.5

Hudson Class* 46

18 34

0 52 26

Lydiate Class 30

4 45

0 49 24.5

Northway Class 30

11 33

3 0 47 23.5

Holy Rosary Class 26

0 52

0 52 26

St George's Class 30

8 14

0 22 11

St Gregory's Class 15

6 21

0 27 13.5

TOTAL 237 0 64 0 283 0 3 0 350 175

% Places filled 74%

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FT


SOUTHPORT DISTRICT

Birkdale Class 30

8 36

0 44 22

Bishop D Sheppard Class* 72

28 28

0 56 28

Churchtown Class* 36

13 50

0 63 31.5

Farnborough Rd Class 60

20 78

1 0 99 49.5

Kew Woods 30

9 35

0 44 22

Kings Meadow Class 30

18 22

0 40 20

Linaker Class 30

9 50

1 0 60 30

Our Lady of Lourdes 30 9 42

0 51 25.5

St Teresa's Class 30

6 20

0 26 13

Crossens School 53

45 55

0 100 50

TOTAL 401 0 165 0 416 0 2 0 583 291.5

% Places filled 73%

GRAND TOTALS 1686 0 594 0 1783 0 10 0 2387 1193.5

% Places filled 71%

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10. Conclusion

In overall terms, Sefton continues to have sufficient childcare places across all age ranges.

Daycare places in general is sufficient, with 17% spare capacity in the early years range. However,

childminding places (currently at 9% capacity) is one area which Sefton Council will actively seek

to promote through 2017-18.

This formal childcare is also well complemented by a range of other activities available to families

in Sefton, such as those provided by schools, by Recreation & Culture Services and by Aiming

High.

Population projections and employment trends suggest no significant increase in childcare demand

over the next few years.

Quality of childcare in Sefton is typically of a good standard and the School Readiness Service

continues to work closely with settings to raise those standards even further.

Sefton Council is continuing to work very closely with Schools and Private, Voluntary and

Independent providers to meet the targeted demand associated with the Two Year Old Offer.

Moving forward the key change to the landscape is the anticipated increased demand associated

with the extended 30 hour offer for three and four year olds in working families, from September

2017. Through 2017-18 Sefton Council will continue to work very closely with partners and key

stakeholders to plan for this demand.

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11. Statistical Data - Acknowledgements

This Childcare Sufficiency Report relies on key statistical data provided by:

Sefton Families Information Service

Sefton School Readiness Service

Sefton Aiming High

Sefton Recreation & Culture Service

Sefton Investment and Employment Team

Sefton Business Intelligence & Performance Team

Ofsted

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12. Appendix 1 - Useful Links

12.1 Setting up childcare? There is no financial support available from Sefton Council for the creation of new childcare places.

However, if you are considering setting up a childcare business in Sefton then more information

can be found on Sefton Council website:

http://www.sefton.gov.uk/schools-learning/early-years-and-childcare/setting-up-a-new-childcare-

business.aspx

For an informal chat and local advice you can also contact Sefton Council’s Childcare Sufficiency

Manager (James Smith) on 0151 934 4678 or by email: [email protected]

12.2 Starting up as a childminder?

You could get a government childcare business grant to help with the costs of setting up a childminder business or agency (CMA) in England. This could be £500 to £1000.

You’ll get a grant if:

you’re registered with Ofsted or a childminder agency you have your early years registration certificate you’re going to offer 30 hours of childcare entitlement for 3 and 4 year olds (either on your

own or in partnership with other providers)

The money can help you pay for:

public liability insurance Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance childcare training courses Ofsted or child minder agency registration a first aid course equipment

This scheme will run until March 2018.

For more details please visit: https://www.childcarebusinessgrants.com

12.3 Looking for childcare?

For comprehensive details of all childcare in Sefton, including those eligible for the Free Early

Years Entitlement for 3 and 4 year olds, you can contact Sefton Families Information Service (FIS)

on 0345 140 1845 or by email: [email protected]

You should also contact FIS if you are unable to find suitable childcare in your area. This will

enable us to identify gaps in provision and work with local settings to meet the demand.

http://www.sefton.gov.uk/schools-learning/early-years-and-childcare/setting-up-a-new-childcare-business.aspx

http://www.sefton.gov.uk/schools-learning/early-years-and-childcare/setting-up-a-new-childcare-business.aspx

mailto:[email protected]

https://www.childcarebusinessgrants.com/


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You can find details of all registered childcare in Sefton, including links to their latest Ofsted

inspection reports, on the Sefton Directory: www.seftondirectory.com/childcare

You can find a range of information on help with childcare costs at:

www.gov.uk/childcaresupport

12.4 2 Year Old Offer

To find out if your child is eligible to 15 hours per week free childcare please contact your Health

Visitor or local Children’s Centre. Alternatively, you can contact the School Readiness Team on

0151 933 6021 or email: [email protected]

You can also check your eligibility using our online checker, which you can access at


12.5 30 hours free childcare for working parents

All 3 and 4 year olds in England already get 15 hours a week, or 570 hours a year of free early education. If their parents are living and working in England, 3 and 4-year-olds may be entitled to 30 hours free childcare from September 2017.

The eligibility criteria are the same as the ones for Tax-Free Childcare, except you can continue to get these types of support at the same time as 30 hours free childcare:

tax credits Universal Credit childcare vouchers or salary sacrifice schemes childcare grants and bursaries

When you apply, you'll be confirming that you need childcare so that you and your partner, if you have one, can work. If your child's already in a full-time reception class in a state funded school, you won't be eligible for 30 hours free childcare.

For further details and to check your eligibility please visit:

https://childcare-support.tax.service.gov.uk/par/app/extendedentitlement

12.6 Local Offer

The Local Offer provides clear and accessible information about the provision Sefton Council

expects to be available locally for our children and young people from 0 to 25 who have special

educational needs and/or disability (SEND). To find out more please visit our website:

www.seftondirectory.com/localoffer

http://www.seftondirectory.com/

http://www.gov.uk/childcaresupport


http://www.seftondirectory.com/childcare

https://childcare-support.tax.service.gov.uk/par/app/extendedentitlement

http://www.seftondirectory.com/localoffer

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