Agenda item

- report by Melanie Hunt, Early Years and Childcare Services Project Officer.

The Early Years and Childcare Strategy Manager, School Improvement Section,  submitted a report on Rotherham’s progress, in partnership with Sheffield, Doncaster and Barnsley, towards the promotion of flexible working and childcare options to employers in the area.

The proposals and details set out in the report  were :-

The Early Years and Childcare Service has worked in partnership with the Early Years and Childcare Services of Doncaster and Barnsley and the Children’s Information Service in Sheffield to successfully access funding from Objective 1 to promote work life balance and family friendly policies to employers in South Yorkshire. This has enabled each authority to employ a project officer to support this role as part of the Creating More Balance (CMB) project.

The project supports the vision in the Government’s 10 year strategy for childcare published in December, 2004: to ensure that every child gets the best start in life and to give parents more choice about how to balance work and family life. 

The remit of the project is to provide 35 hours of free consultancy support to employers. This can include support on any aspect of work life balance/family friendly policies including developing work life balance policies and practice, supporting employers to offer childcare vouchers to staff, provision of information to parents and development of links with childcare providers.  Since August, 2004, 236 employers have contacted and are currently working with 56 of these.

One of the key tools used to support the work life balance initiative is the promotion of childcare vouchers and the benefits for parents.  The project officer is currently raising awareness of childcare vouchers to parents, childcare providers and employers across Rotherham. 

The remit of the CMB project allows time for the project officer to promote the benefits of the childcare voucher scheme within RMBC and offers a direct contact for employees who have any queries about the scheme and how it can benefit them.  The parent fact-sheet sent out to RMBC employees recently highlighting the changes for April, 2005 attracted over 35 enquiries, a large number from school-based staff, and has resulted in additional people signing up to the scheme.

The use of childcare vouchers to pay for high quality childcare encourages the use of childcare provision within Rotherham contributing towards the sustainability of local childcare provision.  This will impact on the economy as a whole as it assists people who have childcare requirements with the costs enabling them to return to work. It also plays a key role in supporting the retention of existing staff.

March, 2005 saw the official launch of the CMB project, and was attended by 62 delegates from 47 companies based throughout South Yorkshire.  Additional companies who registered and were unable to attend on the day are currently being contacted to follow-up their interest in the project. The project also carried out a survey with all childcare providers to find out what sustainability issues local providers face.

Resolved:-   (1)  That the report be received and progress being made be welcomed. 

(2)  That any feedback from employers on the work life balance policies and practice be reported to this Sub-Group at the appropriate time.