Archived decisions

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    Hampshire County Council

    Executive Member for Education Decision Day

    13 May 2004

    Grants to Voluntary Organisations 2004 - 2005

    Report of the County Education Officer

    Item 15

    Contact: Maggie Macdonald, Head of Corporate Unit, Early Education & Childcare, Ext 3872

    1. Summary

        1.1 This report proposes the level of grant allocations for 2004 - 2005 to voluntary organisations within the early years, childcare and family support sectors, funded through the Education Department's budgets via the Early Education and Childcare Unit. Theses voluntary organisations work in partnership with the Early Education and Childcare Unit, and through the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership, work to the aims and objectives of the Sure Start Strategic Plan for 2004-2006. These commissioned services all have grant agreements, which sets out the specification for the service they provide.

      2. Strategic Implications

      2.1 The Sure Start (Overview and local delivery arrangements) Guidance for 2004-2006 requires local authorities to work in partnership with a variety of organisation s, but particularly children, parents and communities and the voluntary sector, to ensure that early education and childcare is part of the wider consideration about children's services and the local economy.

      2.2 The voluntary sector has a vital contribution to make in providing services as well as representing interest groups such as childminders, pre-schools, out of school clubs and day nurseries.

      2.3 The Strategic Guidance asks that local authorities find creative ways of involving families in their work, both providing feedback and early participation in setting up new services. Children, young people, their parents and carers and local communities are all vital partners for Sure Start. Their involvement at all stages in planning and delivering services is crucial if outcomes are to be achieved.

      2.4 This work links to the following corporate aims:

          Aim 1, maximising life opportunities for young children and their families.

          Aim 3, achieving economic prosperity by providing early education, childcare and playwork career and training opportunities for local communities and supporting the development of new, small businesses as early education and childcare providers.

          Aim 4, building strong and safe communities by the early preventative work, which takes place with children and young people in early education and out of school childcare settings.

          Aim 5, improving services, particularly the development of integrated services for young children and their families.

          Aim 6, developieng councillors and staff through the many training, networking and planning oportrunities provided by the Early Education and Childcare Unit.

      3. Background

    2.1.1 The Social Services and Education Committee have previously been able to make provision for grants to a wide range of voluntary organisations, including those serving the needs of children in the early years and within the extended field of childcare. The corporate Early Education and Childcare Unit now holds and administers this budget for early years and childcare.

    2.1 Grants of £5000 and less have been devolved to officers of both departments who work with children under eight, so that local needs can be responded to rapidly. Details of these grants are not included in this report. Approval of County Council grants in excess of £5000 in respect of children under eight is a decision of the Executive Member for Education and proposals are included for approval in this report. There were no other applications for County Council grants within this phase.

      2.2 The amounts and on going nature of these strategically important grants make it necessary to have grant agreements with clear service specifications, a schedule of quarterly reporting, robust monitoring and a system for remedial action should targets not be met. Such investment in key services within the voluntary sector is seen to be in line with the principles of best value and public private partnership.

      2.3 The allocations proposed reflect the work scheduled during the first year of the Sure Start Startegic Plan for 2004-2006.

    4. Proposed grants to voluntary organistaions 2004-2005

     

    Organisation

    Grants

    2003-2004

    Grants 2004-2005

       

    £

    £

    1

    Hampshire Pre-school Learning Alliance (PLA)

    178,600

    185,000

    2

    National Childminding Association (NMCA)

    42,000

    60,500

    3

    Hampshire Children & Families Forum (HCFF)

    42,000

    50,300

    4

    KIDS Centre

    23,600

    26,800

    5

    Elizabeth Foundation

    23,500

    41,500

    6

    Voices

    53,400

    0

     

    Total

    363,100

    634,100

    4.1 Hampshire Pre-school Learning Alliance

        The grant will enable the Pre-School Learning Alliance to work with the Early Education and Childcare Unit and the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership Board to enhance the development and educational attainment of young children by supporting community groups and day nurseries to provide high quality care and education.

        This is to be achieved by:

          · Providing a comprehensive 0-3 year old development worker service to support, advise and inform full day care provision throughout Hampshire.

          · Providing a comprehensive pre-school development worker service to support, advise and inform voluntary sessional care in relation to management issues, committee structures HR and payroll.

          · Senior development workers to establish an information sharing with the Early Years Advisrory Teacher team.

          · Senior development workers to establish a protcol for pre-Ofsted support to be negotiated and agereed by the Senior Advisory Officer for Ealrly Eduaction.

          · The County Executive Officer to be involved in regular strategic discussions with th Head of the Early Education and Childcare Unit and contribute to the work of The Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership and the Children and Young People's Strategic Partnershp and other strategy groups.

          · The County Executive Officerand the senior development workers to work co-operatively with the Senior Advisory Officer for Ealrly Eduaction and the Strategic Mnagare for Family Support and Childcare Development to arrange conferences, training and celebratory events.

    3.2 National Childminding Association

        The grant will enable the National Childminding Association to work with the Early Education and Childcare Unit and the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership Board to meet the aims and objectives of the Sure Start Strategic Plan for 2004-2006 and in particular to :

          · Support childminding networks

          · Ensure quality of provision

          · Work towards providing intergrated provision

          · Sustaion existing childmoinedsr

          · Recruit new childminders

          · Provide initial and on-going training

          · Support the recruitment of new childmibnders through the provision of the start up grant package at £300 per childminder, rising to £400 in areas of rural disadvantage and £600 in areas of multiple disadvantage. The start up grant will pay for the initial childminding practice and first aid training courses, insurance and medical checks. Any money outstanding from the inirial allocation may be spent on equipment, toys and books.

    3.3 Hampshire Children's and Families Forum (HCFF)

        The grant will enable the Hampshire Children's and Families Forum to work with the Early Education and Childcare Unit and the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership Board to meet the aims and objectives of the Sure Start Strategic Plan for 2004-2006 and in particular to :

          · distribute and collect information as specified by the Early Education and childcare Board to and from statutory bodies, voluntary and community groups, carers, families, children and young people. Any other information distributed by HCFF in relation to the work of the Early Years Development & Chidcare Partnership must be presented to and receive the approval of the Partnership Board.

          · Conduct surveys and consultations with parents, carers, children and young people every quarter on matters to be specified by the Early Years Development & Chidcare Partnership Board

          · Conduct research to identify gaps in provision of services for young children, their families and carers, a maximum of four times a year as specified in advance by the Early Years Development & Chidcare Partnership Board.

          · Support projects which meet identified and edidence-based gaps in service provision. Signpost parents and carers to the Children's Information Service as the first point of contact for information on early education and childcare provsion.

          ·

        The Elizabeth Foundation

        The Elizabeth Foundation offers support to hearing impaired children. It provides a parent counselling service, a demonstration home, early education and childcare 0-2 years, parental advice, guidance and support and an early detection of deafness centre.

The purpose of this grant is to work in a manner consistent with the aims and objectives of the Sure Start Strategic Plan for 2004 - 2006 to support the needs of babies and children in the county of Hampshire (of pre-school age 0-4) who are deaf or have hearing impairment, and their parents/carers, families who have chosen to develop oral/aural language and communication skills which will help to maximise the child's future life choices and inclusion into mainstream education.

In particular this his grant will contribute towards the provision of:

    · an early intervention service for children and their parents this will include

    _ activities for babies and toddlers

    _ parents counselling service

    _ parents support group.

    · one specialist teacher of the deaf employed by the Foundation.

        4.5 KIDS Centre, Gosport

        KIDS Centre is a voluntary initiative jointly funded by KIDS, a national organisation for children with special needs and the King George's Fund for Sailors. It is recognised that such a family centre, providing good quality services to children with special needs, requires grant funding to support its work.

The purpose of this grant agreement is to enable the development of high quality inclusive nursery provision for children with special educational needs, and to assist in providing information, training and support to those caring for and working with these children.

The service specification sets out that KIDS Family Centre is commissioned to:

    · provide inclusive nursery places for 40 children on a part time basis;

    · Seek to enable children with disabilities to develop their skills and abilities and fulfil their potential hopes and aspirations.

    · provide high quality inclusive educational opportunities within the framework of a broad balanced curriculum to benefit children with a diverse range of needs;

    · demonstrate that assessment procedures are consistent with the Special Needs Code of Practice;

    · provide training opportunities for staff and volunteers ensuring the highest possible levels of professionalism are maintained. The training will include;

    _ Special needs awareness

    _ Child protection

    _ Communication

    _ Behaviour management

    _ Health & Safety (including moving & handling)

    _ Personal care

    Recommendations

    That the Executive Member for Education be advised to approve the awarding of grants to the voluntary organisations listed above.

    Section 100D - Local Government Act 1972 - Background Papers

    The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

    NB The list excludes:

      1 Published works

      2 Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

      · Sure Start Strategic Guidance 2004 - 2006

      Grant applications and agreements for:

        · Hampshire Pre-school Learning Alliance

        · National Childminding Association

        · Hampshire Children and Families Forum

        · KIDS Centre

        · Elizabeth foundation