Issue - meetings

To approve the outcomes of the Gloucestershire Childcare Sufficiency Assessment 2019 and associated action plan.

Cllr Richard Boyles, Cabinet Member for Children’s Safeguarding and Early Years, sought approval of the Gloucestershire Childcare Sufficiency Assessment 2019.

Having considered all of the information, including known proposals, alternative options and reasons for recommendations, Cabinet noted the report and,

RESOLVED to: -

Approve the Childcare Sufficiency Assessment 2019 and to delegate authority to the Director of Education, (in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Children's Safeguarding and Early Years), to make any final changes prior to publication.

Cllr Richard Boyles, Cabinet Member for Children’s Safeguarding and Early Years, sought approval of the Gloucestershire Childcare Sufficiency Assessment 2019.

Cllr Boyles explained that the County Council had a statutory duty to secure childcare provision for children aged 0-14 and up to 18 for disabled children. One of the requirements of this duty was for local authorities to carry out an annual assessment of the childcare in their area and to produce an annual report on how the duty is being met. The aim of the Childcare Sufficiency Assessment 2019 was to provide the council with an analysis of childcare supply and demand in Gloucestershire, including information about the quality, accessibility and affordability of local childcare provision and identifying any gaps that might exist.

Cllr Boyles confirmed that there were 784 childcare settings and over 16,500 places available for children aged 0-5 years in the county. The quality of childcare in Gloucestershire was high, with 88% of 2 year olds and 92% of 3 and 4 year olds who access their funding entitlement in Ofsted rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ provision.

The issue of increasing staffing costs and funding levels, however, continued to create challenges for providers in sustaining and developing provision. Cllr Boyles advised that, for a number of years, the proportion of children in Gloucestershire achieving a good level of development or ‘school readiness’, (a key ‘early years’ performance indicator), had been lower than the national average.  Intensive work during the past year had reversed this trend, with the 2018/19 data showing a 2.8% increase in the ‘good level of development’ indicator for children living in Gloucestershire. This placed the county above the national average at 71.9%.

Cllr Boyles reinforced the need for children to have the best possible start in life. He reported that, whilst the take up of funded early education provision for 2 year olds remained 3% higher than the national average at 71%, this continued to remain a priority for the council’s Early Years Team. The take up of universal funded early years education for 3 and 4 year olds was currently broadly in line with national averages and had remained fairly consistent in recent years.

Cllr Boyles stated that the Childcare Sufficiency Assessment would provide a reassurance that there was sufficient provision to meet the needs of children requiring childcare across the county; with the greater majority of provision being good or outstanding.

Having considered all of the information, including known proposals, alternative options and reasons for recommendations, Cabinet noted the report and,

RESOLVED to: -

Approve the Childcare Sufficiency Assessment 2019 and to delegate authority to the Director of Education, (in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Children's Safeguarding and Early Years), to make any final changes prior to publication.