EAST RIDING OF YORKSHIRE COUNCIL

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1 Agenda Item No: 5 Page Numbers: Report to: EAST RIDING OF YORKSHIRE COUNCIL The Cabinet 18 October 2005 Wards: ALL Early Years and Childcare Strategy Report of the Director of Children, Family and Adult Services A. Executive Summary To inform members of the recent developments affecting early years and childcare provision and to seek approval for a number of proposals required in order to deliver this changed agenda. B. Shared Priorities Improved Health Lifelong Learning A Well Managed Authority C. Portfolio Children, young people and schools D. Recommendation and Reason for Recommendation (i) Approve the priority areas for Children s Centres as identified in paragraph 3.2 and authorise officers to identify sites and report back on progress. (ii) Note the proposals to review the structure for the Early Years Team as set out in paragraphs 7.1 and 7.2. (iii) Authorise officers to consider options for the future role of nursery schools, nursery classes and the peripatetic nursery service, to enable them to meet the new requirements, in consultation with Headteachers and others and report back on any proposals. 1. Background 1.1 The Government s strategy is to provide integrated services for early years education and childcare. This provision has taken the form of a number of initiatives, including:- Surestart local programmes Children s Trusts Neighbourhood Nurseries Early Excellence Centres Children s Centres Extended Schools

2 1.2 The publication of the Government s 10 year strategy Choice for Parents: the best start for children late last year, created a number of challenges for the Council. It sets out 9 actions which local authorities should be taking in :- i) develop with parents and partners an early years and childcare vision, including integrated early education and childcare, health advice and support to parents, adult learning and support for employment, and outreach to all parts of the community. ii) review the supply and demand of childcare in the locality iii) expand and roll out children s centres and extended schools iv) develop local plans and programmes based on Sure Start Guidance to increase capacity, sustainability and quality of services v) ensure plans and service provision reflect the needs of the local population, including disabled children and those from black and minority ethnic communities. vi) ensure these plans are an integral part of the CYPP. vii) develop a programme to grow the local childcare workforce and improve their qualifications training viii) develop a programme to improve the skills of strategic and operational managers to deliver the integrated early years and childcare services. ix) review current arrangements for provision of advice and information to parents, including services delivered by Children s Information Services. Underpinning these actions is the key principle of active involvement of parents and the local community in the planning and delivery of services. Appendix 1 sets out the principles which underpin the planning and delivery of the early years service in the East Riding. 2. The Government s Commitments Choice for Parents makes the following commitments:- 2.1 From April 2006, the free early education entitlement of 12½ hours a week will be extended from 33 weeks to 38 weeks for all 3 and 4 year olds. 2.2 From April 2007, the minimum free entitlement will be extended to 15 hours per week for 38 weeks for the first cohort of children. Parents will be able to use the free entitlement flexibly across a minimum of 2½ days. 2.3 From 2010, the minimum entitlement of 15 hours per week for 38 weeks will be in place for all 3 and 4 year olds (with a longer term goal of 20 hours a week for 38 weeks). 2.4 By 2010 all parents with children aged 5-11 will be offered the guarantee of affordable school based childcare between the hours of 8am-6pm, all year round.. Primary schools will make this offer themselves or in partnership, while all secondary schools are expected to be open from 8am-6pm all year round, offering a range of activities for young people. (At least a third of all secondary schools to be making this offer by 2008). 2.5 By 2010 all communities to have a Sure Start Children s Centre, a total of The East Riding s target is for 10 new Children s Centres by March Children s Centres 3.1 The role of children s centres, as set out in Every Child Matters is to improve services for all children but with the emphasis on those who need additional help. The Government s aim is

3 to have a children s centre in the 30% most disadvantaged areas by 2008 and in every community by The core offer for children s centres comprises:- Integrated early education and childcare Family support and outreach services Child and family health services Links with Children s Information Service and Job Centre plus. Centres should be community driven and professionally co-ordinated, providing:- A high quality environment for children from pre-birth to five and their families Service to about 800 children under five (either from the centre or through outreach activity A base for child minder networks. 3.2 Currently 4 children s centres are open or in development (Bridlington, Goole, Old Goole and Withernsea) and the East Riding s target is a further ten by Capital funding to support this target is 1.4m plus 2.4m revenue support plus rural uplift of 200k. A planning seminar was held for colleagues across a range of services in trying to identify priority areas and creative opportunities for delivery, given the low level of capital funding available. As a result of this, and in order to meet the criteria outlined in 3.1, the following areas have been identified:- Beverley Swinemoor Bridlington (a second centre here was planned as part of round 1 but the chosen site failed to gain planning permission). Brough Cottingham Driffield Hedon Hessle Hornsea Howden Pocklington 3.3 In addition to the limited capital funding available to develop centres, there is also the need to ensure long term sustainability. One option would be to create a charitable trust. The main benefit of creating a charity (company or otherwise) is that it could have access to additional funding required to supplement the limited amounts available for the 10 centres. The Charity would be able to apply for grants that are not available to the Council. Further there is the possibility of avoiding up to 85+% of the Council Tax liability on any Centre. The Council could use its monies as a grant to the Charity which could then seek matched funding. This would be a new departure for the Council and raises a number of issues which would need further exploration, not least who would be the charitable trustees. Ideally they would be one of our partners (eg Health, Connexions) but issues of liability and accountability would need to be resolved. The timescales required to explore and resolve these issues mean that this is not an option for the programme up till 2008, but it is suggested that this is explored further in respect of children s centres to be created after Local authorities are required to submit details of planned centres to DfES Sure Start by November The Cabinet is asked to approve the areas identified in paragraph 3.2 to

4 enable identification of possible sites and consultation with partners and local communities to take place to enable this deadline to be met. 4. Children s Workforce Strategy 4.1 The 10 year childcare strategy identifies the workforce as the biggest single factor that determines the quality of childcare: Research shows that the skills and qualifications of staff are directly linked to developmental outcomes for children, with a strong impact when practice is led by a qualified teacher. 4.2 In April 2005, the DfES published a consultation document on The Children s Workforce. This looks across all children s services and highlights early years as one of the areas needing urgent attention to increase the quality and capacity of staff. The strategy proposes:- An early years professional in all children s centres by An early years professional in every full daycare setting across England by 2015 A longer term vision of an early years professional in every Foundation Stage setting. The strategy suggests two models which could provide inspiration for the proposed early years professional: i) New teacher The new teacher works across care and education settings, from birth to sixth form, adopting a holistic approach. In Sweden, all graduates working with children aged 0-19 are teachers, whether they work with pre-school children, after-school services, or in a school. To achieve this, they recently merged the professions of pre-school teachers, school teachers and free-time pedagogues. In Spain and New Zealand early childhood has become an option in teacher training. ii) Pedagogue The word pedagogy relates to the overall support for children s development. The European social pedagogue model is based on the idea of upbringing which recognises the inseparability of care, learning, health and development. In Denmark, the pedagogue is a graduate qualified to work across all non-school settings for children and young people, as well as in residential care for young people, adults and the elderly, and in services for the disabled. 4.3 The strategy also outlines the need for a separate managerial role in all full daycare settings referred to as a graduate manager. The Strategy suggests that the appointment of graduate managers with strong leadership skills is essential to integrating services and enhancing management, business and professional competence and capacity, and is therefore vital to raising the overall quality of experience for the child. The strategy proposes that this role should be separate from the new early years professionals. Research has shown the benefits to children s outcomes of having an early years professional who is free to meet the educational and developmental aims of the setting without the distraction of managerial responsibilities.

5 A purpose-designed professional qualification has been developed to train graduate managers in integrated leadership. The pilot National Professional Qualification in Integrated Centre Leadership will finish in July and will roll out in universities this September. 4.4 The perception that jobs are dead-end due the lack of a clear career progression is one of the reasons suggested in the strategy for the low level of qualified workers in the early years sector. The DfES proposes to create a single qualifications framework for the early years workforce. Such a framework would allow people to build careers in the full range of services in early years and childcare, play work, schools, social care and youth support. The development of the framework will be led by the Children s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) one of five bodies making up the new Skills for Care and Development Sector Skills Council. 4.5 The Common Core of Skills and Knowledge was published at the same time as the Workforce Strategy to aid the process of multi-agency working and the integration of children s services. Use of the Common Core should mean that all those working with children will have a common set of basic skills and knowledge. The Common Core will be used in the design of induction and in-service and inter-agency training, as a tool to identify the training needs of staff, and to assist workforce planning. In time, all qualifications for work with children and families will include appropriate elements of the Common Core. 5. Extended Schools 5.1 Childcare is a part of the core offer for extended schools and the government prospectus on extended schools (published in June 2005) emphasises the need for strong links between extended schools and children s centres. The proposals set out in paragraph 7.2 (below) include therefore the bringing together of Early Years and Extended School work. 5.2 The Early Years and Childcare Development Team is currently developing an Extended Schools Childcare Strategy. The purpose of the strategy is to ensure a standardised, corporate approach to the provision of high quality, affordable accessible childcare in schools (either delivered directly through the extended schools agenda or in partnership with Private and Voluntary providers). This will link with the current Extended Schools Strategy which does not currently take account of the proposed legislation for childcare in the 10 Year Childcare Strategy and subsequent Childcare Bill. 6. Quality Standards Framework 6.1 To ensure a consistency of quality across Children s Centres in the East Riding, it is proposed to develop a quality standards framework relating to the different elements of the service that will be provided. As partners are identified to work together to deliver integrated services for young children and their families, they will be asked to commit to the quality standard and any Children s Centre revenue funding made available to their organisation will be monitored against the quality standards. It is likely that quality standards will be developed around the following areas: Integrated childcare and early education for 3 and 4 year olds Childcare for children aged 0-3 and aged 5-14 (16 for children with special needs) Family Support and outreach services Inclusion (including traditionally hard to reach groups and families living in rural areas) Joint training linked to the Common Core of Skills and Knowledge.

6 7. Structure of the Early Years Team 7.1 Currently support for Early Years sits in two separate areas within the Children, Families and Adults services Directorate. The Early Years Manager sits with the Inclusion Team, with a remit which covers Surestart, Children s Centres, the delivery of childcare targets and Children s Information Services (now Family Information Services). Within Improvement and Learning is a (currently vacant) adviser post for Early Years, with management responsibility for a team of 3 Teaching and Learning Consultants for the Foundation Stage and 3 Area SENCOs with a dual role of support for SEN and Qualified Teacher support for early years settings. The post of Extended Schools Co-ordinator currently reports directly to the Head of Inclusion, but the vital role of childcare in the extended schools offer makes closer links with early years sensible. 7.2 This area of activity has seen rapid growth over the past few years and the development of 10 new children s centres by 2008 will be a huge challenge. The current structure reflects an increasingly artificial division between schools and private and voluntary providers. Discussions are being held with existing team members and Human Resources to address these issues and to identify the best fit with emerging Children s Trust developments. It is intended that any revisions to the structure minimise disruption and are achieveable within existing financial resources. It is hoped to finalise proposals by the end of November for approval by the Director of Corporate Resources and implementation once appropriate consultations have been completed. 8. Financial Implications 8.1 Appendix 2 sets out the overall funding arrangements. From 2006/07, funding for nursery education will be contained within the Dedicated Schools Grant. 8.2 The increase in entitlement to free early education for 3 and 4 year olds from 33 weeks a year to 38 weeks (see paragraph 2.1) is estimated to lead to a budget pressure of 615k in 2006/07 and is subject of a resource allocation paper. Further increase in entitlement (as set out in paragraphs 2.2 and 2.3) are estimated to cost and additional annual increase of 140k over the period 2007/8 to 2009/ Other issues 9.1 Currently 1000 children receive their early education in pre school settings, most of which operate in accommodation which is unsuitable for longer periods beyond 2½ hours per day. Similarly the part time places currently provided in maintained schools and nurseries will not meet these requirements nor the flexibility necessary to meet parental requests for provision over 3 days. It will be necessary therefore to undertake a review of this provision specifically maintained nursery schools, nursery classes and the peripatetic nursery service in order to ensure that these requirements can be met. Members are requested therefore to authorise officers to undertake detailed discussions with headteachers and other partners to consider options and develop proposals for further consideration. Jon Mager Director of Children, Family and Adult Services Contact Officer: Denise Shaw Head of Inclusion Services Telephone Number: E.mail: denise.shaw@eastriding.gov.uk Background Papers

7 Appendix 1 The following key principles will underpin planning and delivery of the Early Years Service: All children have the right to be safe and to access high quality care and education this ideal is paramount, overriding any other considerations. High quality early years experiences positively contribute to a child s education and lifelong potential. Effective Early Years provision will assist in raising education standards across the East Riding. Families will be given choice reflecting their diverse needs, services will be flexible enough to respond to changes to these needs. Services will be fully accessible to all children and families so that those with particular needs can be involved in a non-stigmatised way. In each part of the East Riding services will be developed that can be maintained and are able to respond to the changing needs now and in the future. Provision will make the best use of public funding to achieve maximum benefit for children and families. Substantial investment in Early Years will assist children, their families and communities to gain long-term benefits. Effective Early Years provision will help redress disadvantage in the East Riding. Children and families will be encouraged to participate effectively in planning, monitoring and evaluating services.

8 Appendix 2 EARLY YEARS AND EXTENDED SCHOOLS FUNDING 1) Sure Start grant Delivery Support Fund Workforce Development New Childcare Places SEN/Inclusion Nursery Schools Development Childminder Support Scheme 975, , , , , ,647 n/k n/k 2) Children s Centres Revenue Capital 435, , ,295,874 1,436,025 3) Extended Schools a) Surestart Grant Revenue Capital 79, , , , ,080 b) Standards Fund Revenue 435, , ,876 4) ERYC Fund the following posts: Early Years Manager Children s Information Service Information Officer Childminding Network Coordinator x2 NB these sums include all staff related costs and in some cases some funding for service development and delivery. 65,000 39,680 56,050 66,950 40,870 57,731 68,958 42,096 59,463