Childcare Sufficiency audit 2021

Barton rural locality

* Childminders who are registered with the council to deliver funded early education

*Modelled (estimate demand from 21% of population for 2 weeks per annum)

Barton Rural locality take up of funded early education

• 86% of 3 and 4 year old children access their funded early education at an Ofsted setting judged good or better

There are sufficient childcare places in the Barton locality, with an increase in the number of places available as a percentage of the population due to a reduction in the birth rate. However, there is a reduction in the number of childminders and there remains some concerns in relation to demand/sustainability for small rural pre-schools.

Brigg rural locality

* Childminders who are registered with the council to deliver funded early education

*Modelled (estimate demand from 21% of population for 2 weeks per annum).

Brigg Rural locality take up of funded early education

• 38% of 3&4-year olds accessed early education in outstanding Ofsted graded settings
• 62% of children accessed 30-hours funding in the Ridge ward.

There are no sufficiency gaps in the Brigg rural locality; however, holiday care for school age children is provided in a nursery environment. Potentially there may be a demand for competitively priced school holiday care for children over five years. In Broughton, the large majority of early years places are provided term time only, families do however have the opportunity of accessing all-year round care in nearby Brigg or Scunthorpe.

Isle rural locality

* Childminders who are registered with the council to deliver funded early education

^There are an additional three small rural schools offering activity clubs to 4.30pm which may be used by parents as childcare.

*Modelled (estimate demand from 21% of population for 2 weeks per annum).

Isle Rural locality take up of funded early education

• All children access funded early education in a good or better Ofsted registered setting. More than 1 in 4 children access 30-hours.

There are sufficient places in the Isle locality to meet parental demand. Demand fluctuates in some of the more isolated communities and there is limited early years care during the school holidays in Axholme Central, however this demand can be met within the wider locality. There has been a 15% reduction in the number of childminders in the locality.

Scunthorpe North locality

* Childminders who are registered with the council to deliver funded early education

*Modelled (estimate demand from 21% of population for 2 weeks per annum).

Scunthorpe North locality take up of funded early education

• Take-up of funded early education – 92% children accessed funded early education in a good or better Ofsted registered setting.

There is sufficient childcare in Scunthorpe North to meet demand for places, take-up data illustrates a lower take-up of funded early education in the locality, however the population is quite transient and when school registrations are considered it is likely take-up and place availability is sufficient to the actual population.

Scunthorpe South locality

* Childminders who are registered with the council to deliver funded early education

*Modelled (estimate demand from 21% of population for 2 weeks per annum).

Scunthorpe South locality take up of funded early education

• Take up of funded early education – A quarter of children accessed early education in an outstanding Ofsted graded setting. More children in Ashby access the additional 30-hours than in any other ward in North Lincolnshire (11%).

There are no sufficiency gaps in the Scunthorpe South locality, there are ample places to meet parental demand. However there has been a 23% decline in childminders in the locality, a loss of 24 childminders in the main due to retirement.

Population data source North Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group (August 2021)

*2021 – Actual Population Data Source: Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board
^2043 – Population projections by single year of age – Local Authority, ONS SNPPZ1

Ethnicity

Children of all ethnic origins are attending settings in North Lincolnshire. To qualify this of funded three and four-year olds the large majority are white British (81%), compared to 88% of the population of North Lincolnshire . (Ethnic Group, England and Wales: Census 2021)

To support families with the cost of childcare there are several options available, almost all families are eligible for some form of assistance. Support with the cost of childcare includes:

• Funded hours for two-year olds
• Funded hours for three and four-year olds (universal 15-hours)

Working Parents

• 30 funded hours for three and four-year olds
• Tax Free Childcare – 20% of childcare costs up to a maximum of £2000 per child per year or £4000 for disabled children
• Universal Credit – 85% of childcare costs up to £175 per week for one child £300 for two or more children
• Childcare element of Working Tax Credit (being phased out)
• Student financial support/grants

Visit Childcare Choices website for more information

A Department for Education funded Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents in 2021 found the median weekly payments to childcare providers varies by the age of the child. In families with pre-school children the median stood at £83.55, in families with both pre-school and school age children £50 and in families with school age children only at £21.17.

Parents that access support with the cost of childcare were most likely to say that financial support with the cost of childcare had enabled them to stay in work (28%), maintain their working hours (19%) or increase their working hours (14%).

Furthermore, just over two in five (42%) parents rated the affordability of local childcare as very or fairly good and three in ten (30%) parents rated affordability of local childcare as very or fairly poor. This is comparable to data from 2018 in North Lincolnshire where 37% of parents agreed that their childcare was value for money whilst 27% stated that childcare was too expensive.

4.2 Children of families in receipt Universal Credit

Key aims of Universal Credit are to support parents to return to work and to increase financial support for families. Families in work claim a childcare element to support them with up to 85% of the cost. Take-up of Universal Credit and the childcare element are illustrated in figure four. In February 2020, just prior to the lockdown 184 families were in receipt of the childcare element of Universal Credit, by April 2021 this had recovered to 200 families.

The amount of funding for childcare claimed by families in receipt of Universal credit is variable with some families claiming less than £20 a week and others claiming more than £150 per week. Almost one in four families nationally (25,000 families) claim more than £150 per week, this is the same for both single parents and couples.

When the legacy benefits of Working Tax Credits is considered, the most recent information shows 200 families in receipt of the childcare element in April 2021; the average payment across the country is £63.70. (Child and Working Tax Credit statistics: provisional awards geographical analysis April 2021 ONS)

Families in receipt of Universal Credit and Working Tax Credits are eligible for a funded two-year old place, 86% of eligible family’s take-up a place. The Department for Education (DfE) in partnership with Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) supplies details of families who meet the eligibility criteria on a termly basis (approximately 570 each term). The DWP data is valuable to contact the eligible families and encourage them to apply, however a high percentage of the families receive four to five contacts prior to applying for the funding. There are several different marketing messages that are used when contacting parents. These include examples of parent’s views, the benefits to the child of accessing their free place, how to apply for their place and quotographs from the DfE highlighting the benefits of the funded early education.

The contacts are followed up by the local Children’s Centre workers who visit the families to discuss the funding and the benefits to the child of attending, and proactively encourage an application.

Families in receipt of Universal Credit with a household income of less than £7400 are eligible for Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) in setting. An average of 24% of funded three and four-year old children are eligible for EYPP during any term. The objective of the funding is narrowing the gap between the most and least advantaged. The maximum amount of funding for a child in any one year is £330.

The SEND Local Offer website aims to provide parents and carers with the information they may need. There is a specific area for early years and childcare in which providers are listed along with specific details of how they meet the needs of children with additional needs.

When consulting with families, research findings show that families were able to access a place at their first choice of setting, suggesting that settings are fully inclusive. More than half of the families felt that no improvements were needed to their childcare. Importantly the improvements cited related to timings, flexibility, and affordability. In addition, there are no reports from parents that suggest families have not been able to find a suitable place for their child.

Parents said:

• “My childcare is adapted each year to ensure the needs of my children are met.”
• “They liaise very well with the specialists.”
• “Super positive experience throughout provision over past six to seven years.”
• “Our childcare setting is always helpful and willing to go extra steps for our children.”

For children and young people in infant and junior schools there are breakfast, after school and holiday clubs, as well as childminders offering care for children. These are fully inclusive and aim to meet the needs of all children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The Council Short Breaks Team regularly fund respite care in the school holidays at childcare settings.

The Local Offer website provides a summary of each settings experience and how they support children with disabilities and special educational needs.

Disabled children and young people with complex needs, physical and/or learning disabilities are invited to attend a holiday play scheme in the Easter (four days over two weeks) and summer holidays (three days over four weeks) at St Luke’s Primary School. In the summer term 2020 a total of 25 children were offered places, however six children were shielding. The numbers of children attending lower than in previous years due to Covid-19 and additional measures being in place (28 children in 2019). The children were in bubbles with the same children invited on the same days each week, to minimise cross infection. Between five and seven (in previous years 12 and 18 children) attended daily. In total there were 68 attendances, compared to 185 in 2019.

7. Perceptions of Childcare

To determine demand and assess the suitability of the current early years and childcare offer parents are regularly consulted.

In September 2020, the North Lincolnshire Residents Panel rated ‘how easy it is for you to access good quality childcare’. Respondents were able to rank from one to seven with one being poor and seven excellent. The average rating for this question is 4.14, as such more than half of the respondents were happy with access to good quality childcare in their area.

In 2019 parents were consulted on their views of school holiday childcare, the arrangements and whether they met their needs. In total 268 responses were received from families, with the families having a total of 473 children.

Key findings:

• The majority (64%) of respondents use annual leave, flexible working or family and friends to care for their children during school holidays
• 22% of families are using formal Ofsted registered childcare or an activity club, for example sports or dance camp
• The majority (51%) of families stated that their arrangements did meet their needs in the school holidays. However, 49% stated that their existing arrangements did not meet their needs
• A demand for 12 weeks holiday childcare per year (27% of families) and families prefer childcare to be offered as full days (53%, 8am to 6pm) to meet their needs
• Families were asked how they found out about childcare in the holidays, the highest percentage (44%) used word of mouth. The second most popular responses, forming the majority were related to use of the internet (34%) and social media (21%)
• Finally, parents were asked a question about Tax Free Childcare to gauge awareness of the support, the large majority (75%) of families have not heard of the support available.

In 2018 a random sample of the population were used to determine views of childcare by both families using childcare and those that were not. In total 658 responses were received from parents, 73% of questionnaires were completed by families who use childcare and 27% by families who do not.

Key findings of the consultation with families that use childcare include:

• A large majority of parents (75%), main reason for using childcare is to enable them to work or study (69% nationally – Childcare and Early Years survey of parents 2019, DFE, 19 December 2019). Parents also choose childcare:
  • to help their child to socialise and make friends (61 %)
  • to help their child prepare for school (49%)
  • and for their child’s development and education (both 49%, 50% nationally).
• Key factors that influenced the majority of parent’s choice of childcare are its location (58%, 62% nationally), reputation (53%, 57% nationally), recommendations (50%) and opening hours (45%).
• Almost all parents are satisfied with their childcare (98%) and feel that their childcare arrangements met their needs (90%). There is also a perception by most parents that their childcare setting is of a high quality (86%, 75% nationally).
• Parents were asked if any improvements were needed to their childcare, less than half (43%) felt no improvements were needed. Where improvements were cited by a small minority of parents, they indicated that childcare could be more affordable (35%), available at different times (22%) and more flexible (18%). Very few parents highlighted opening hours, school holiday care and travel to childcare.
• Single parents have a more positive experience of childcare, with the majority citing that no improvements are need to their childcare (48%). Fewer parents also felt that childcare should be more affordable or be more flexible.
• In relation to the extended hours (30-hours) families were generally positive stating that their childcare fees had remained the same or reduced, where they had stayed the same or increase this was usually due to accessing additional hours for the child or a sibling. Twenty-five per cent were using less informal childcare. Other impacts of the funding include parents increasing their working hours or working patterns and a 10% felt that their career prospects had improved as a result of 30-hours funding.
  • Research by the Department for Education found that parents applied for 30-hours to help with childcare costs (72%), to maintain (39%), or increase their working hours (21%) or to help prepare their child for school (30%). Almost all (94%) parents using the 30-hours were satisfied with the way they were able to use the hours for their child.

Key finding from the research with families that do not currently use childcare include:

• The large majority (70%, 69% nationally) of families cited that they either chose not to use childcare, do not work, and do not require childcare, or other family members looked after their child.
• A small minority (21%) of families said that childcare issues had stopped them or their partner working more hours and a few (nine%) said it has caused them problems at work, all families were in employment and were using informal childcare arrangements.
• A very small minority (six%) of families cited that there was no childcare to meet their needs, the reasons included no childcare in the right location, poor quality of childcare and no qualified staff. This would suggest that parents are not fully aware of the childcare offer in North Lincolnshire, as the large majority of settings have a good or better Ofsted inspection outcome, a key factor in the quality of provision and almost all staff are qualified to at least a level two, with many having a degree in childcare.

8. Sufficiency Action Plan