7.4.1 Subsided Childcare Scheme |
Contents
1. Criteria
Consideration will be given to;
- Families where either the parent or child has a disability or SEN as defined within the 3 Year Strategy for Disabled Children and / or those with a SEN. Where a child has a complex disability consideration will be given to funding any associated staff support costs if one to one support is required.
- Families who are receiving family support will be offered childcare, where appropriate, as part of a planned programme of work. Evidence of improved outcomes for children should be measured and evaluated.
- Parents and carers who are undertaking volunteering opportunities either within Children's Centres or that have been driven by Children's Centres.
- In extreme cases consideration will be given to funding transport costs to the childcare setting.
All referrals will be subject to an assessment of need and agreed by the Integrated Services Co-ordinator and Parental Involvement Worker.
All places will be reviewed on a 3 monthly basis by the Integrated Services Co-ordinator and Parental Involvement Worker.
All emergency places will be at the discretion of Integrated Services Co-ordinator. E.g. Attending job interview, hospital appointments, domestic crisis.
These places should not be a substitute for Local Authority, Children in Need places but could compliment that provision e.g. could be used in the short term until a social worker has undertaken the assessment.
All approved referrals should be signposted to the Families Information Service who will support parents and carers to access a childcare place. Parents and carers will have the option to access childcare at a diverse range of settings.
2. Referral
Referrals would be accepted from a variety of sources e.g. Health Visitor, Parental Involvement Worker, Voluntary Agency, Area Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) or Self Referral.
All referrals must have a completed referral form in place that has been assessed by the appropriate officers, e.g. - Integrated Services Co-ordinator, Parental Involvement Worker or SENCO if the child has a disability or SEN.
3. Process
Following approval of the referral the Children's Centre representative contacts the Families Information Service to share the details of the referral. The Families Information Service would then contact the parents / carer and offer a brokerage service working in partnership with the Children's Centre representative.
The Families Information Service would lead on ascertaining the availability of childcare places and making arrangements to visit childcare settings.
The Children's Centre representative and childcare provider would work in partnership to develop the relationship with the parent /carer and child whilst in the childcare setting.
All referrals should be reviewed in 3 months, by Integrated Services Co-ordinator.
4. Budget
An amount of £10,000 is allocated within your Children's Centre Budget to provide this service to the Reach Area which is served.
5. Responsibility
It is the Children's Centre responsibility to manage this budget over a financial year to meet the needs of parents and children. Quarterly updates on expenditure should be submitted to the Service Manager for Strategy and Commissioning
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