Agenda item

The Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services, the Assistant Director - Early Help and Business Support, the Outreach and Engagement Manager and the Outreach and Engagement Senior Practitioner  attended the meeting to provide a report on the operation of the activities provided by the Council’s Healthy Holidays programme that had been funded by the Government’s Holiday Activities Fund Grant over the Easter and Summer holidays. The report stated that the purpose of the grant was for local authorities to make free places at holiday clubs available in the Easter, Summer, and Christmas school holidays in 2021 for children who were eligible for, and received benefits-related free school meals.

In introducing the report, the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services noted the success of the Healthy Holidays programme and how the offer provided by Rotherham that had been funded by the Government’s Holiday Activities Fund Grant had been a much more comprehensive offer by than similar schemes offered by other local authorities. The Cabinet Member noted the successful visit from the Department for Education that had taken place during August where officials had been shown the Healthy Holidays programme in Rotherham and who had given excellent feedback on the scheme.

The Cabinet Member noted her thanks to Amy Woodhead the Outreach and Engagement Manager for ensuring the smooth running and successful delivery of the Healthy Holidays programme and to the Catering Service and volunteers from Rotherham Heroes for preparing and delivering the meals that had been an integral part of the successful delivery of the programme.

The Outreach and Engagement Manager and the Outreach and Engagement Senior Practitioner made a presentation to the meeting that provided information on:

·       the Holiday Activities and Food Programme grant including eligibility criteria and the minimum requirements of what local authorities needed to provide.

·       how delivery partners including Rotherham Heroes, the Early Help team, the school meals service and Voluntary Action Rotherham, amongst others had played an integral part in the delivery of the Healthy Holidays programme.

·       how the programme had been delivered over the Easter and Summer holidays.

·       the types of activities that had been offered as part of the programme.

·       the positive feedback that had been received from both children and parents regarding the programme.

·       the planning activity that was taking place in preparation of the delivery of the programme during the Christmas holidays.

The Chair and members welcomed the report noting the positive feedback that they had received regarding the Healthy Holidays programme from residents. Members noted that the scheme had given children a welcome opportunity to spend time away from screen, relax and to make new friends whilst participating in a wide variety of activities.

Members noted that the Council had not been given specific targets regarding the number of children who attended the holiday clubs but asked whether the monitoring of uptake that had been carried out had shown any areas of the Borough where attendance had been lower than had been hoped. The Outreach and Engagement Manager advised that the full analysis of attendance had not yet been completed but assured members that work would be done to increase attendance in areas where attendance had been lower. The Outreach and Engagement Manager advised that once complete the information on attendance and uptake would be circulated to the members of the committee.

Members asked if there had been any confirmation received from the Government regarding the continuation of the funding to deliver holiday activities after the current funding ended with the delivery of a programme over the Christmas holidays. The Outreach and Engagement Manager advised that no decision had yet been made by Government but that the Department for Education had advised that they were hopeful that a decision would be communicated with local authorities by mid-November 2021. 

Members asked what procedures were in place regarding a child’s attendance on the programme if their entitlement to Free School Meals ended part way through a holiday period. The Outreach and Engagement Manager advised that in such circumstances each case would be examined on a case-by-case basis, noting that it was always better for a child to continue their attendance on the programme if at possible. The Outreach and Engagement Manager advised that if members had any enquiries regarding continued eligibility for a child that they should contact the team directly for advice and guidance.

The Assistant Director - Early Help and Business Support noted the importance in the delivery of holiday activity schemes aimed towards a particular group to be delivered as part of a universal offer, with this approach supporting community cohesion and helping to avoid the risk of stigmatisation of those children attending. The Assistant Director noted that ideally the delivery of the activities offered through the Healthy Holidays scheme should be normal activity for local authorities and not be seen as a one-off provision made in exceptional circumstances. The Assistant Director noted his thanks to all of those who had been involved in the successful delivery of the programme.

The Cabinet Member assured members that work was being carried out to see what types of activities could be offered during school holidays in the future, noting that it was never acceptable for any child to go hungry during the school holidays.

The Chair thanked the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services, the Assistant Director - Early Help and Business Support the Outreach and Engagement Manager and the Senior Family Support Worker for attending the meeting and answering member questions.

Resolved: -

1)    That the report be noted.

2)    That the information collated regarding attendance and uptake around the programme of activities delivered via the Holiday Activities Fund Grant be circulated to the members of the Improving Lives Select Commission as soon as it is available.