Childcare Sufficiency Resources and Toolkits

GOL have worked in partnership with a number of organisations (Cordis Bright, Daycare Trust and Firstcare Consultancy) and London LAs to develop a series of toolkits as part of the bank of useful resources, information tools and action plans to support LAs in strategy development and action planning for children and young people.

These resources and toolkits have been developed to provide a practical resource to support professionals in London’s local authorities with responsibilities around early learning and childcare to help London’s children, young people and families.

Each section focuses on a separate topic 

	1. Childcare Sufficiency Assessment Toolkit
	2. Targeted sufficiency
	3. Free and Flexible Entitlement Offer and Single Funding Formula
	4. Increasing the Take up of Formal Childcare by lower income families

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Childcare Sufficiency Assessment Toolkit
This toolkit has been designed to help local authorities in planning for and implementing future Childcare Sufficiency Assessment refreshes.

2. Targeted sufficiency
This looks at supporting local authorities to meet their statutory requirements to provide childcare in three target areas:
• Older children
• Those with English as a new or additional language and
• Disabled children and those with Special Educational Needs (SEN).

3.  Free and Flexible Entitlement Offer and Single Funding Formula

4.  Increasing the Take up of Formal Childcare by lower income families

Each of these topic areas contain information specifically targeted to help LAs achieve sufficiency of childcare in that area by focusing on closing the gaps in childcare supply so parents have access to childcare that meets their needs. Each toolkit is designed to be printed out as a fact sheet to disseminate learning and good practice. 

This is an interactive site. We hope you will contribute further information and examples of good practice to share with London’s local authorities.

 

 

Every Child Matters

Every Child Matters (ECM) is the driver behind all the legislation and initiatives of the Government which are designed to improve outcomes for children, young people and their families. The legislative framework for implementing ECM is the Children Act 2004 and the Childcare Act 2006 is firmly situated within the context of both ECM and the Children Act. Hence, the Section 12 duty, and, indeed, all the duties contained in the Childcare Act also aim to contribute to better outcomes for children, young people and their families. Click HERE  for further detail on government policy, legislation and guidance for Local Authorities.

The Childcare Act 2006 requires Local Authorities (LAs) to carry out an assessment of the provision of childcare (the childcare sufficiency assessment) and then to take steps to ensure that sufficient care is available to meet the identified needs. Following the completion and analysis of the first assessments, GOL has commissioned work to provide support to London Boroughs on childcare sufficiency assessments, developing action plans and securing sufficient childcare. GOL has identified the need to focus on the needs of:
• older children
• those with English as a new or additional language and
• disabled children and those with special educational needs.


There are a number of documents that offer guidance and clarification for topic areas in this toolkit. These include:
• Legislation and Guidance
• Definitions
• Planning the best approach for your local authority
• Meeting the costs of achieving sufficiency
• Further Information and Resources
• Case Studies
       o HAFAD
       o Contact a Family & Hounslow Language Service
       o Case study for older children