Can you expand, stretch, grow or start a new provision?

Posted on 3 April 2025 in News and updates

The Department for Education has estimated that 1488 more places are required in Devon by September 2025 for 2 year olds and under. Those of you who have received capital and revenue expansion funding will be chipping away at that estimated number, but we still need more places…

Devon County Council must ensure there are enough places; we are required to do that by law, ‘so far as is reasonably practicable’. To do this we need to know about supply and demand: what places are on offer and what parents need.

Providers information about the services offered is collected through the Provider Self Update (PSU). This information is vital to us. We use it to understand what is available and plan for new places where there are not enough. If the information is missing or incorrect this could lead to over provision and increased competition between providers or under provision and parents not having the childcare they need to go to work or training.

We want to work with you and would like you to get in touch with your Early Years and Childcare Adviser if you are thinking about making changes to the services you offer. They can support and guide you. If you have already changed something, please check that the PSU accurately reflects what you offer.

Changes include:

  • Opening earlier
  • Closing later
  • Opening for more weeks
  • Opening at weekends
  • Opening for more days
  • Taking more children
  • Taking younger children
  • Taking older children
  • Setting up a new service
  • Offering funded time for more hours
  • Stretching funding over more weeks
  • Increasing the number of funded places

Keep an eye on the Opportunities for development webpage if you want to expand your portfolio. We look forward to hearing from you soon!