Decision details

Committee to receive a report relating to childcare sufficiency.

The Commissioning Director for Children and Young People introduced the item which related to the Childcare Sufficiency Assessment. A wide ranging discussion was held about the statutory duty and how the council were delivering the requirements. Members noted the proposed actions.

Councillor Levine suggested that a strategic document is circulated to Members on how to address the issues in the Jewish community.

Councillor Levine moved a motion to amend Recommendation 5 in the report to add ‘…and the Jewish Community’ so that it reads:

That across relevant areas of the council there are plans for the impending demand for additional childcare in areas where regeneration work is currently taking place, actively promoting the creation of new childcare provision in Colindale and Burnt Oak and the Jewish Community, where there is a current shortfall in childcare and where there is predicted to be a higher demand for places.

The committee unanimously agreed the motion.

Following discussion of the item, the Chairman moved to the recommendations as outlined in the report and recommendation 5 as amended.

The committee unanimously agreed the recommendations, the following was therefore RESOLVED:

That the Committee approve the following:

1.    The Child Sufficiency Assessment is agreed for 2015/16

2.    That the Early Years’ Service continue working to improve the London Borough of Barnet’s childcare information so that parents are able to access better information about childcare in their area.

3.    That the council is in the process of rolling out a new Provider Portal which will capture live information about childcare providers and vacancies. This will belinked to the LB Barnet website, giving greater transparency of local childcare services to parents.

4.    That the Early Years’ Service continues to work closely with those groups identified in this report that are not accessing the two year old offer. This work includes addressing specific barriers to accessing services by particular groups and continued delivery of a targeted action plan of support to increase take-up.

5.    That across relevant areas of the council there are plans for the impending demand for additional childcare in areas where regeneration work is currently taking place, actively promoting the creation of new childcare provision in Colindale and Burnt Oak and the Jewish Community, where there is a current shortfall in childcare and where there is predicted to be a higher demand for places.

6.    That the Early Years’ service work closely with Private, Voluntary andIndependent (PVI) providers to explore opportunities to expand provision for the forthcoming childcare policy to provide an additional free 15 hours for 3 and 4 year old children in working families, and increasing out of school childcare. The policy will include creating a clear Strategy to respond to the demands placed on the childcare system in Barnet by the additional 15 hours childcare for working families.

7.    That the Early Years’ service and Cambridge Education will work with schools to look for further opportunities to develop the role they play in providing early years services, and addressing the shortage of out of school childcare provision.

8.    That the Early Years’ service are developing a robust system to ensure the childcare needs of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities are met and to promote the additional support on offer by childcare providers for children with special educational needs.