Agenda item

To consider a report of the Strategic Director of Children, Families and Adults (to follow).

Following a request made at the previous meeting, Mark Thornton, Project Advisor (Early Years and Childcare) and Carol Sharples, Early Years and Childcare Manager, attended to present an initial background paper on what the Council could do to help stop children arriving at school with below average levels of cognition and behaviour.

Carol made the initial point that whilst good quality early years provision was important for enhancing behavioural and cognitive outcomes, it was only part of a broader picture that included a good early years home learning environment.

Carol continued to outline the service that the Council provided. She noted that the Council was responsible for securing sufficient childcare to enable children to access their 2/3/4 year olds Free Early Education Entitlement and to enable parents to access work and training. This early years provision could be delivered by a range of settings such as childminders, day nurseries, maintained nurseries or crèches. A list of settings is provided to the Council via Ofsted and all providers and children in receipt of the Free Entitlement were known to the Council. Carol noted that of the provision that delivered the Free Entitlement, over 78% was ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’.

Carol explained that since Local Government Reorganisation, the Early Years service had become more focused and targeted. This was achieved by using data and impact measures to direct work to those areas most requiring support. Carol reported that the service also provided a variety of training for all practitioners and that this helped to ensure high quality support in settings.

Carol made reference to the recent Plymouth case, the lessons from which had led the Council to make changes to its safeguarding processes. Part of this was to ensure that all settings that had a contract with the Council completed and submitted a safeguarding audit. The service was also planning to follow this up by awarding a safer Cheshire East kite mark to those settings that met a safeguarding criterion.

Mark added that another key focus for the service was to provide training to practitioners to work with parents. Carol drew attention to the fact that the service’s Quality Support Training programme had been taken on by Whitehall as an example of good practice.

It was commented that it was pleasing to see the positive results that the service had achieved and how dedicated and passionate Carol and Mark were about achieving positive outcomes for the Borough’s children.

It was queried whether the service was funded from the Direct Schools Grant (DSG). Mark confirmed that for the 3 to 4 year olds there was a statutory entitlement and therefore this was funded through the DSG. In terms of the 2 year old, this was not yet statutory and consequently it was funded from the un-ring fenced Early Intervention Grant. Mark added that when 2 year old provision became statutory in 2015 then the funding would be provided by the DSG.

It was questioned how the figure of 78% for ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ provision compared with national figures. Carol confirmed that she would circulate this information via email.

In terms of the remaining 22% of settings that were not deemed ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’, it was queried what measures were being taken to improve them. Mark confirmed that the service had an action plan for each setting which was then monitored. He added that they were currently drafting a quality assurance document which would assist this. Those setting that required improvement also received additional targeted funding and programmes.

A comment was made that as this was such a detailed policy area, it would be difficult for the Committee to fully understand it in such a short session. It was suggested therefore that a small group be established to follow the early years service and in particular the introduction of the 2 year old programme.

RESOLVED

a)    That the report be noted

b)     That the Early Years and Childcare Manager be requested provide:

a.    Information on national comparator figures for settings rated as ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’

b.    The ‘Supporting families in the foundation years’ DfE document

c.    The ‘Early Years Foundation Stage’ DfE document