Childcare Sufficiency
Childcare Sufficiency Assessment
The Childcare Sufficiency Assessment is a process designed to ensure there is enough childcare to meet the needs of parents and carers with children aged up to 14 years old (or up to 17 years old for disabled children and children with additional needs) to take up or remain in work, or undertake training that could assist them to obtain work. It is a requirement by the Department for Education (DfE) and has to be completed every three years
The latest assessment of the sufficiency of childcare is now available. Childcare Sufficiency Assessment 2011 
(1.56MB - pdf help).A summary of the report has also been published. Childcare Sufficiency Assessment 2011 -Summary (820KB - pdf help)
What has changed since the 2008 Childcare Sufficiency Assessment?
What is involved in assessing childcare?
What are the factors affecting demand?
How is childcare supply analysed?
How is parental demand being assessed?
Consulting with childcare providers
Listening to children and young people
What has changed since the 2008 Childcare Sufficiency Assessment?
- Since the last Childcare Sufficiency Assessment, there have been significant changes in the economic, social and policy context. As the economy recovers and moves out of recession, new jobs and new demand for childcare will be created.
- A fast changing policy includes the following new initiatives and changes:
- The introduction of the Early Years Foundation Stage in September 2008.
- Universal rollout of the extension of the free entitlement from 12.5 to 15 hours per week, delivered more flexibly from September 2010.
- Proposals to ensure parents have the choice to stretch the free entitlement over more than the 38 weeks from September 2012.
- All full daycare settings in the private, voluntary and independent sector to be graduate-led by 2015.
- Free part-time childcare places for the most disadvantaged 2 year olds.
- Extended services in schools full core offer which includes, for primary schools, offering access to wrap-around childcare, for secondary schools, a safe place to be.
What is involved in assessing childcare?
The Childcare Sufficiency Assessment is about measuring the supply of, and demand for, formal childcare which meets the needs of working parents. This includes the early years provision which Devon County Council must secure, free of charge for eligible children aged 3 and 4 years. As part of this, the Early Years and Childcare Service are seeking the views of parents, employers, childcare providers, children and young people.
The Childcare Sufficiency Assessment can be divided up into the following areas:
- Factors affecting demand – demographics, socio-economic data
- ·Supply of all types of formal childcare including unregistered provision
- ·Understanding the needs of parents/carers
- ·Obtaining the views of childcare providers on capacity and plans for the future
- ·Considering the views of employers
- ·Listening to children and young people
What are the factors affecting demand?
Demographic and socio-economic data provide indicators in building a picture about the demand for childcare and the parent’s ability to pay. They include measuring the size of Devon’s child population, number of lone parents, current birth rates and the ethnicity of the local population. The assessment should also include the numbers of disabled children, ethnic minority children, looked after children and children from socially excluded groups.
In order for childcare to meet parents’ needs to remain in or take up work, there needs to be an understanding of the local labour market in Devon and working patterns such as shift work and commuting. Other demographic factors which affect the size of the population due to planned and proposed property development will impact on the need for childcare and will also need to be taken into account.
How is childcare supply analysed?
“The local authority will need to measure accurately the supply of all types of formal childcare, including (as far as possible) unregistered provision. It will need to assess the current level of provision of each type of care, in terms of hours of opening, the number of places offered by each provider, the age group it caters for, and the cost per hour, day and week.” (DCSF, 2006)
There are a number of different dimensions and domains that can be collected and analysed for an analysis of supply. For instance:
- ·Structure of the market: number of providers, number of places, fees, take-up and vacancies, quality.
- ·Characteristics of the market: type of provider, term time versus school holidays, opening times, flexibility.
- ·The market’s clients/customers: age, locality, key group.
The supply of all types of care is core data to the Early Years and Childcare Service and is updated annually. For the Childcare Sufficiency Assessment 2011, a number of areas were strengthened:
- ·Childcare supply for disabled children
- ·Childcare supply for other key groups e.g. Black and minority ethnic groups
- ·‘A safe place to go’ assessment for secondary age children
- ·Schools ‘varied menu of activities’ which are contributing to the childcare offer
- ·Projections for the future in terms of population change and demand
How is parental demand being assessed?
Consultation with parents / carers is essential in providing a profile of the current nature of the childcare market in Devon.
For the 2011 Childcare Sufficiency Assessment, a comprehensive survey of parents and carers living across the county was commissioned. The work for 2011 was undertaken jointly by Hempsall’s Consultancies and Morgans Research. Hempsall’s Consultancies are a specialist early years and childcare consultancy delivering research, training and consultancy work on behalf of regional Government, local authorities and childcare settings; Morgans Research is an independent, full service agency conducting a variety of marketing research projects in a wide variety of sectors.
In addition we have run focus groups to address the specific needs of parents for whom English is an additional language, Traveller, Gypsy and Roma parents, parents under 25 years of age, parents with mental health conditions and parents with substance misuse issues. The results from this new work will be added to work completed in the autumn with parents whose children go to Devon’s Special Schools.
Parent's Survey-Devon's Special Schools (48KB - pdf help)
Parental Survey for Devon 2010 (3.02MB - pdf help)
Report on parental views and experiences of childcare in Devon (636KB - pdf help)
Data from the survey and the more qualitative work provides a robust assessment of the extent to which childcare provision in Devon is meeting the childcare needs of parent/carers to remain in work or undertake education or training for work.
A total of 2000 parents completed the parental questionnaire, the majority were interviewed by telephone.
Headline results from the survey are:
- ·A high proportion of parents report childcare provision in their area is of good quality
- ·The majority of parents were using informal childcare or a mix of informal and formal childcare
- ·Only 18% of parents used formal childcare only
For those using childcare:
- ·A higher proportion of parents with younger children reported a high use of formal childcare . The use of formal childcare for for children aged 11-14 was low.
- ·Overall 95% of parents using some form of childcare (formal and or informal) were satisfied with their childcare arrangements.
- ·89% of parents using childcare reported that their current arrangement met their needs.
Consulting with childcare providers
“The mapping of supply should include consultation with providers on their capacity and plans, which will help the local authority with future planning”.
(DCSF 2006)
It is important that we consult with our providers who are offering childcare for children up to 14 years (or 17 years if the young person has a disability) to gain information about what they think about the current state and future of the childcare market in Devon.
926 providers gave their views on the childcare in their area through group discussions at their local network meetings and by questionnaire. These included 783 childcare settings, 128 schools and 15 children's centres.
Consultation with providers February/March 2010 -report (325KB - pdf help)
Headline findings from the survey are:
Views were divided on whether there is sufficient childcare in their area. 45% said "yes", 42% said "no" and 12% said they "didn't know".
For those who said there was not enough childcare, a high proportion felt Devon needs:
- ·more childminders
- ·more childcare for children aged 5 to 7 years .
- ·more childcare between 3.30pm and 6pm
Providers have in addition completed a questionnaire on their plans to fulfil the extension to the free early years entitlement.
Working with employers
“Local authorities will need to take account of the views of employers, through surveys or group discussions, to obtain a better understanding of employment patterns which will affect demand for childcare. In addition, local authorities might find it helpful to engage in a dialogue with employers about how employer-provided childcare, encouragement of the take-up of tax credits, more flexible working patterns, and assistance for employees with the costs of childcare through allowances or vouchers could help them with recruitment, retention and motivation.”
(DCSF, 2006)
"We have consulted with employers about demand for childcare and how improvements to childcare could assist them with recruitment, retention and motivation of staff. The report of the consultation with employers by Bournemouth University is now completed and available.
Childcare Sufficiency Assessment Employer Survey 2009 – 2010 (1.07MB - pdf help)
A total of 55 employers across Devon gave their views.
Headlines from the survey are:
- ·Choice, availability and provision of childcare are not major issues for employers
- ·Affordability, flexibility and location are issues of concern
- ·There is some evidence for a lack of after school childcare, holiday care and emergency care.
- ·Employers do not know how to find information about childcare, they were unaware of the Devon Family Information Service - DISC."
Listening to children and young people
It is key that our children and young people have an opportunity to express their views on what they see as strengths, weaknesses and gaps in childcare. They are the main users and beneficiaries of the childcare services and their views and concerns need to be understood.
We have been talking to children in childcare settings, in schools and other more specific need groups about their use of childcare.
Part 1 Consultation with children (1.99MB - pdf help)
Part 2 Devon Special Schools pupil report (158KB - pdf help)
