Learning Hubs to give parents a 'blended' solution, as well as
encouraging providers to work more closely together.
Childcare and early years survey of parents: 2012-2013, published in January,highlights the scale of the challenge for families seeking a 'blended' childcare solution that supports the demands of modern life. Part of the problem is lack of awareness of what is available, with 39 per cent of parents saying they have too little information about local childcare.
In a bid to address this, 4Children is trialling Community Childcare and Early Learning Hubs in nine areas across the country. The vision is that they will enable parents to access different types of early years provision from a single co-ordinated source, rather than piecing together childcare from individual providers.
As well as providing parents with information about local provision, the hubs will help them to source childcare for difficult times, such as during school holidays and in emergencies, and act as a co-ordinator for local providers. The service will be free of charge to both parents and providers.
The initiative has the potential to reshape the future offer of childcare. By encouraging settings to work more closely together, it may also improve the quality of provision and boost providers' capacity - and sustainability. The hubs, which represent a good cross-section of providers in both urban and rural areas, are working with local settings and preparing to take their much-needed help out to families in their communities. The ultimate aim is to create a model that can be replicated across the country.
CASE STUDY: SEVERN VIEW PRIMARY ACADEMY, STROUD
'This pilot was immediately exciting to us as it opened up opportunities for a different way of working,' says Claire Wirth, principal at Severn View Primary Academy in Stroud, Gloucestershire.
'The area we serve is an area of deprivation, despite being situated in the heart of the Cotswolds. Many families work shifts across several jobs. Helping them to get the childcare they need is important to us. Our vision of "blended" childcare would include providing high-quality childcare support at nights and weekends as well as during weekdays,' she adds.
'We work closely with our on-site children's centre, and becoming a "hub" provided an ideal way of enhancing one another's work. We have been working with Academies Enterprise Trust to develop an online platform through which the settings can communicate with one another and, eventually, that parents can use to design their childcare preferences.
'We are still some way off this goal, but we have been successful in recruiting a fantastic group of childminders and nurseries to work with us. At the moment, we're focused on encouraging local practitioners to sign up to working with us to develop a CPD programme, share expertise and, importantly, start to share childcare.
'Some of the challenges we have encountered have been around bringing everyone together for face-to-face meetings. Childminders and daycare workers don't work neat 8am-4pm days, which has meant that much of the communication has been via emails and text messages and, when they do occur, evening meetings must be short, sharp and focused.
'Changing the childcare approach in a community was never going to be an easy feat, but we are committed to ploughing all our powers of resilience and perseverance into the worthwhile goal of finding new and better ways to support practitioners and families.'
CASE STUDY: HOMERTON CHILDREN'S CENTRE, CAMBRIDGE
'We had been working with local early years settings and became involved in the hubs programme because we wanted to work more closely and build on our links to develop into a network,' says Bernie Cafferkey, nursery worker and hub lead at Homerton Children's Centre in Cambridge.
'So far we have recruited 14 providers from a range of settings and, despite challenges in bringing everyone together under the same roof at the same time, have successfully held a number of in-depth meetings.
'We have focused on communication and language and are developing practice together by sharing what we do across our network. Feedback has been positive, with settings showing a huge will to develop quality together. We are receiving a lot of interest in the pilot but are focused on developing as a group and working out how best we can deliver blended childcare and advise parents of their options.
'We are developing marketing material to provide information about the hubs. We also have an eye on the data collection we can gather for children's development, to explore areas we may be able to support.
'We plan to measure the impact of the hub by tracking comments from parents and providers, as well as keeping a clear record of activity with feedback and photos.'
MORE INFORMATION
- If you are interested in becoming a Community Childcare and Early Learning Hub, contact Tamar Shaw on 020 7522 6949 or email tamar.shaw@4Children.org.uk
- Childcare and early years survey of parents: 2012-2013 is available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/ childcare-and-early-years-survey-of-parents-2012-to-2013.
