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30-Hours Offer – “We Don’t Recommend Waiting For More Information Before The Action Starts”

In the first of a regular series of columns for Teachwire, James Hempsall OBE outlines how the new Childcare Works support programme will assist settings with implementing the government's 30-hour offer…

James Hempsall OBE
by James Hempsall OBE
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In the run-up to the last general election, each political party developed their early years and childcare offer. There was a frenzy of activity to outbid each other and create a new offer for parents and children.

The winning party was the Conservatives, and its offer which has since been launched by the new government – 30-hours of free childcare for 3- and 4-year-olds of working parents, representing a doubling of the existing – and highly popular – universal free entitlement of 15 hours.

This quickly became a similarly popular policy among parents, but one that has had providers and practitioners pondering its implications ever since it as announced. Now, however, we know much more detail about this ambitious plan.

Rising to the challenge

The delivery of 30-hours free childcare will start everywhere in September 2017. We know it will be a challenge, but we all have our roles to play in rising to that challenge, and making sure that it’s a success for parents, children and providers alike.

What has been helpful is that eight early implementer areas have been trialling the new offer for over 400 children this year. They’ve also been linking to further areas designated as ‘early innovators’, which have been looking at some of the additional challenges related to the offer, such as the need to allow for flexibility and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

These early starters have been great at identifying the practical, financial and operational details we will need to consider between now and September next year. My colleagues have also been working in many other local authority areas to support their preparations and planning – a process that has helped to reveal lots of tools, ideas and resources that we’re keen to share more widely.

We are used to seeing the introduction of new policies, changes and expansions in early years. Indeed, the sector has made an outstanding success of the free entitlements for 3- and 4-year-olds. Establishing the entitlement as something wholeheartedly expected by families across the country, we have extended it from 12.5 hours, delivered it more flexibly and opened it up to the 40% least advantaged 2-year-olds.

The latter is something that has occupied my colleagues and I for the past four years, tasked as we were with delivering the Achieving Two Year Olds (A2YO) national support programme, which has been an outstanding success and made a difference to hundreds of thousands of young children.

Introducing Childcare Works

So, what’s next? Well, I am excited about leading Childcare Works, which is the new DfE national support programme for 30-hours of free childcare. The programme will run for two years, with aim of helping settings and councils work together to create sufficient places to implement the policy. As with A2YO, there will be a whole series of activities and events for providers and local authorities to benefit from, supported by resources that can be accessed online and forums though which to connect and share ideas with others.

Everyone is keen to explore the main questions and issues, such as funding rates, quality, sustainability, flexibility and ensuring access for children with SEND. These will all form the foundation of our work, along with keeping a weather eye on take-up of the 2-year-old entitlement and childcare in rural areas.

It will also be our role to ensure that everyone has the information they need to take informed actions and decisions. We will have a named contact with each LA and hold termly progress review meetings, as well training sessions in business remodelling and seminars that will tackle the key areas of activity. Look out for the launch in 2017 of a new Childcare Works website (www.childcareworks.co.uk), where we will post our various tools, plans and resources for settings and practitioners.

That will also be the place to find links to our events and details of how to book; Teachwire and Foundation Years will publishing the relevant particulars in their respective events diaries too, so the information will be hard to miss.

We are further thrilled to be working closely with the foundation years team at Action for Children in delivering a series of special 30-hours Learn Explore Debate events. The first set of dates for November and December 2016 were fully booked within days, so keep an eye out for when next set of February and March 2017 dates are announced. By signing up to the Foundation Years and Hempsall’s PS newsletters, you can be among the first to know.

Start planning now

Our big message is there is much that can be done now to prepare for 30-hours. We don’t recommend waiting for more information before the action starts.

Start by talking to parents – what are their thoughts and preferences for the 30-hours? What demands will be placed on your setting, and what changes may be needed in order to meet these? What do your staff team think?

We at Childcare Works and your LA(s) can then support you to plan with confidence, and assess the financial requirements, business plan opportunities and tasks that lie ahead.

James Hempsall OBE is the national programme director for Childcare Works and director of Hempsall’s training, research and consultancy; follow him at @jhempsall