Scotland's 1,140 hours has exacerbated the decline in childminders

Research by the SCMA reveals that the sector has lost 1,457 childminders in the last five years, during which time local authority nursery provision was expanded in the country to deliver the increase in funded childcare for three- and four-year-olds and eligible two-year-olds.

The SCMA warns that the decline in childminders has ‘significant’ implications for parental choice.

The SCMA’s findings are based on an audit of childcare providers in August and surveys of childminders and parents.

The association was commissioned by the Scottish Government in 2016, when plans to expand the funded hours were announced, to undertake an annual audit charting progress of all Scottish local authorities, including childminders, in the delivery of the 1,140 hours.

It was not possible to conduct an audit last year due to the pandemic, however.

Key findings from the audits and surveys reveal:

• Just 18 per cent of the childminding workforce are delivering the 1,140 hours for three and four-year-olds and only 2 per cent of children receiving the funded hours are accessing them through childminders.
• A number of local authorities continue to prioritise their own nursery provision in delivering the 1,140 hours and fail to promote childminders as an option to parents, this is despite a stated aim o.
• Local authority settings continue to be inflexible with how parents can use their funded hours.
• Of the childminders delivering 1,140-hour places, the vast majority are splitting hours with a nursery.
• Added bureaucracy and paperwork for childminders has stopped them from delivering the funded hours and has led many to leave the profession or prevented new people from joining.

Graeme McAlister, chief executive, SCMA, said, ‘The findings of our latest audit may make stark, challenging or uncomfortable reading. We do not under-estimate the scale and complexity of implementing the expansion of ELC; nor do we under-estimate the unprecedented nature of the pandemic and the disruption which this has caused. However, the reality for childminding is that many of the problems which childminding has faced with ELC expansion were deeply embedded before Covid-19 emerged and have not been adequately addressed. 

‘The childminding workforce has declined by 26 per cent in the last five years - and this has accelerated in parallel to ELC expansion. This cannot be sustained and has significant implications for families, access to childcare and parental choice. It could also threaten the Scottish Government’s ability to deliver on it’s commitments in the Programme for Government to extend ELC downwards to one-year-olds and to develop a new system of wraparound school-aged childcare – both areas in which childminders are heavily involved and will play a vital role. As such, a step change in action is now urgently required’.

The SCMA has put forward a number of recommendations to Scottish Government, they are:

• Ensure the principle of provider neutrality as a matter of urgency.
• Make funded places more flexible and based upon parental need.
• An independent follow-up audit to be undertaken by either Audit Scotland or the Scottish Parliament’s Education, Children and Young People Committee.
• Urgent and immediate action by to reduce the level of bureaucracy and paperwork for childminders associated with the 1,140 hours.
• An urgent review of the wider scrutiny before expanding free childcare to one-year-olds.
• The provision of financial support to extend the planned demographically-targeted childminder recruitment campaign, initially for remote and rural areas, over the short, medium and long term.
• Review how many eligible two-year-olds are taking up their funded place, implementing measure to increase the use of childminders for these children.

Susannah Knox, a childminder, with 14 years’ experience, said, ‘Parents should be able to choose the type of childcare that best suits the needs of their family.

‘Nursery isn’t for all children and it’s vital that parents and families have the ability to choose what’s best for the wellbeing of their child.’

A Scottish Government spokesperson said, 'Childminders are a valued part of our ELC sector, providing high-quality childcare in a nurturing, home-based environment.

'The audit found that a majority of parents surveyed are receiving their first choice of childcare provider. However, we recognise that the report highlights some challenges for the childminding sector. We will consider the findings in detail and work with our local government partners to ensure councils are supported to further develop their ELC offers in response to parental demand and local circumstances.'