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SCHOOL'S OUT: Framework for the Development of Out-of-School Care
Section 9
Access issues
Children in need and children with additional support needs
Children in need and children with additional support needs often benefit from going to OSC.
Section 4 of School's Out refers to the fact that just over half of local authorities offer OSC places to children in need, including children from vulnerable families and to children with additional support needs. At the time of the survey of local authorities carried out on behalf of the working group, local authorities had placed 445 children in OSC.
The New Opportunities Fund has funded over 2,300 places in OSC for children in need or with additional support needs.
Good practice The New Opportunities Fund awarded 22,450 to the East Lothian Special Needs Playscheme. The project has created holiday places for children with moderate or severe disabilities. Some of the children go to inclusion units in mainstream schools in East Lothian, while others go to specialist schools in the wider area. Young volunteers work in the project along with the qualified staff. This project benefits children, parents and siblings. The New Opportunities Fund awarded 10,800 to RASCALS (Redburn After-School Care and Leisure Scheme) Children's Committee for places for children with complex needs and a smaller number of children from a specialist unit in a mainstream school. North Lanarkshire Carers' Strategy Group, Lloyds TSB Foundation and others also supported this project. |
Local authorities and clubs have a range of practices in relation to making places available to children in need or with additional support needs.
Despite the extra resource requirements often associated with funding places for children in need or with additional support needs, there is a wide range of good practice across local authorities. These authorities recognise the benefits of funding these places (for example, the social learning and development of friendships for children and the support for vulnerable families) and are prepared to accept the ongoing resource commitments. Children educated in special schools may gain a lot from being able to attend integrated or mixed-ability OSC where they can mix with other children. Some local authorities support clubs in a number of different ways to make places available to children in need or with additional support needs.
Good practice North Lanarkshire is committed to including children with disabilities and children with additional support needs in existing and new OSC services. 'Partners in Play' provides training for providers and manages six inclusive holiday playschemes across North Lanarkshire. The Aberdeen Childcare Partnership works closely with Voluntary Services Aberdeen to run the 'linkworker scheme'. The aim is to create more childcare services for working parents of children in need or with additional support needs. Playplus in Stirling, mainly funded by Children's Services in Stirling Council, helps provide access to inclusive play, leisure and social opportunities for children and young people in need or with additional support needs. There are also a number of funds set up by local authorities that help children in need and with additional support needs to be included in OSC. |
Good practice In South Ayrshire, grants from the childcare strategy can be awarded to any registered childcare service looking after a child in need or with additional support needs. Extra financial support can be provided to OSC services that need extra staff to meet the needs of the child. Moray Childcare Partnership has developed a 'Supported Places Initiative'. Grants will be given to clubs to include children or young people in need or with particular needs. The average grant offered is 3,000 and children who have additional support needs, including disabilities or social, emotional or behavioural challenges, will be a priority under the scheme. The money can be used for extra staff, or equipment to support the child's needs. Perth and Kinross Council has a special fund. The fund helps to meet the extra costs of extended hours of care and learning for children who would benefit in this way. This fund is being used more and more by children going to OSC. Support through the fund is agreed by a multidisciplinary group using the conditions based on the Children (Scotland) Act to make its assessment. |
A number of clubs also work hard to include children in need or with additional support needs.
Good practice Greenburn and Maxwellton New Community School in East Kilbride has a 50:50 split between those with additional support needs and those without. Some of the parents of those children with additional support needs do not work. They use the service to have a break and, at the same time, the children have an opportunity to develop important social skills. |
A voluntary sector provider said:
'Because of our integration aim, practice and achievements, we have been selected by the childcare partnership to receive additional funding, training and support. This will allow us to upgrade one of our facilities, train specialist staff and further enhance our integration capacity. We have also received funding to install ramps and multi-user toilets. Two long-term attendees with additional support needs have been successfully involved in the disabled Olympics and Children's Award-winning advocacy groups.'
A private childcare provider said:
'10% of children attending have special needs ranging from Asperger's Syndrome and dyslexia to a chromosome disorder. We manage to accommodate all of them within our club. We try to provide extra members of staff but this is not always possible financially. We feel that our policy of integration has had a beneficial effect for all the children in terms of learning to tolerate, understand and respect one another as human beings no matter what our abilities.'
(SOSCN case studies)
Guidance We encourage local authorities to support clubs to make places available to children in need or with additional support needs. We would like to see progress in this area. Although there is a lot of good practice, we need to make sure that we deal with any restrictions. For example, holiday playscheme activities for children in need or with additional support needs should be organised before opening so that the placements are available without a last-minute rush. |
Older children and young people
OSC services mainly cater for primary-school children. The average age of children going to OSC is 8. Clearly, clubs cater very well for younger children. But older children, and their parents too, are keen to have appropriate services for older children that are not called 'childcare'.
Some older (and younger) children or young people will attend Out of School Hours Learning (OSHL), or take part in extra-curricular activities. But these services were never intended to tie in with the working pattern of parents. The need for childcare does not end when a child moves to secondary school.
Some childcare partnerships have told us that there are not many services available for children aged 11 to 14, five days a week, that cater for working parents too. Recent research studies carried out by MORI and BMRB with teenagers and parents in England show that teenagers and parents do not believe that current services are meeting their needs. 7 For many years this has been a neglected age group (too old for childcare and too young for other structured activities) but this is the age where peer pressure can encourage negative behaviour, and where interest and achievement in school can decline.
Young people aged 11 to 14 need a service that has 'street cred' and which is tailored specifically to their needs. Depending on local needs, a new generation of modern clubs providing appropriate activities may be needed.
The focused consultation with older children who no longer go to OSC shows that 67% thought they were old enough to look after themselves and 12% didn't like the after-school club. One of the children taking part in the focused consultation said:
'I think there should be more to do for the senior primary children.'
A childcare provider who was interviewed by the National Care Standards Committee with children, parents, other carers and the general public said:
'Older ones value being able to do homework together. It is useful for subjects like social studies when they have to do interviews with older children.'
There are some good examples of either collecting the views of young people on OSC or setting up age-specific services. There are also indications that the needs of older children and young people are beginning to be tackled.
Good practice Fife Council has used the Changing Children's Services Fund to get young people involved in helping to make decisions about the services they would like. This is supported by Fife Childcare Partnership. |
Good practice yipworld.com is an East Ayrshire Coalfield Area Social Inclusion Partnership project supported by a number of agencies, including East Ayrshire Council. The project provides a range of activities for young people aged 10-25 years. These include computers and internet; arts and craft; recreational activities; outdoor sports; and music and drama. The project runs an after-school club funded through the New Opportunities Fund. It provides places for about 50 young people. The House at the Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh is a new out-of-school centre for young people aged between 11 and 14. It is open every day after school until 6 pm and during the school holidays. Young people can take part in a wide range of activities including art and design, dance, music, sports and have access to the pulse centre and to the internet. There is also a Youth Club running from 6 pm to 8 pm. The House welcomes young people with disabilities. The House was funded by Edinburgh Leisure, the Edinburgh Childcare Partnership and the New Opportunities Fund. |
We also want to encourage closer links between schools and local sports clubs including schools using club facilities and coaching. This is important for making the best use of available facilities and also for encouraging young people to stay active and involved in sport after they leave school. Active Primary School
Co-ordinators and School Sport Development Officers in secondary schools will have an important part to play in developing and maintaining links between schools and sports clubs.
Guidance We encourage local authorities and childcare partnerships to set up services for older children and young people if there is a local need. |
Equality strategies
We are committed to promoting equal opportunities for everyone, whatever their race, sex, disability, religion, age or sexuality.
Everyone involved in providing OSC needs to be sensitive to issues of culture, race, disability, age and sexuality. They should be sensitive in such areas as:
- recruiting staff;
- training staff in awareness of equality and diversity as part of their ongoing professional development;
- involving parents from all communities in providing services; and
- identifying and respecting the needs of all children.
Children and families of minority ethnic backgrounds
We are raising public awareness of racist attitudes and behaviour and the negative effect this has on individuals and society more generally. An anti-racism campaign was launched in September 2002 with the theme of 'One Scotland, Many Cultures'.
The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 aims to make equality part of all public services, including education. By law, public authorities must:
- prevent unlawful racial discrimination;
- promote equal opportunities; and
- promote good race relations.
As far as out-of-school care is concerned (which is not covered by the Act unless it is managed directly by local authorities and schools), clubs should follow the general principle of equal opportunities in a multi-cultural society.
We, and others, accept that there is a need to look at how to increase participation in early-years and childcare services by under-represented ethnic and socio-linguistic minority groups.
Examples of childcare provision for children and families of minority ethnic backgrounds are as follows.
Good practice The Taleem Trust's Network House in Govanhill, Glasgow is a brand-new centre that is home to a number of different projects. The one-stop-shop approach allows community members to use a range of support services. The Convenor for Taleem Trust Childcare, says: 'Culturally sensitive childcare will help to prevent the alienation of young people and the loss of their identity. We understand the needs of diverse cultures and religions and the impact that this has on a young child's life. The crèche is available for women accessing the centre. Primarily, it caters for pre-school children, but in response to demand it is now open on Saturdays for children up to the age of 14. This helps those who are attending courses run by projects such as Muslim Women's Resource Centre and Reach Community Health. Parents have to feel comfortable so they can undertake training.' |
Good practice East Pollokshields out-of-school care club serves an area of Glasgow with a relatively high percentage of families of minority ethnic backgrounds. The co-ordinator of the club and two members of staff have minority ethnic backgrounds. They can speak Urdu or Punjabi. The children who go to the club can get support, if needed, to learn English. East Pollokshields club respects different traditions. All snacks provided are halal. There is a dual-language library for the children. |
Good practice Angela works for Glasgow YWCA as childcare co-ordinator for four OSC clubs. She is based in a family centre that supports families from a wide range of minority ethnic backgrounds, including refugees and asylum seekers. Angela says: 'We have a number of staff, as well as children, from different minority ethnic backgrounds. We encourage all staff to share their cultural experiences, for example, festivals, dance or food, to give all children a better understanding of different cultures.' The equal opportunities policy for Kelvinside ASK club (one of the Glasgow YWCA clubs) states: 'Staff will demonstrate awareness that from a very early age, children learn about the values of different races and culture. Staff and volunteers will work with the children to ensure that all children develop a positive self-identity and will encourage children to respect others of different cultures, religious or linguistic backgrounds, gender or ability.' |
Gaelic
Our policy on supporting the Gaelic language and culture, and strengthening and maintaining the Gaelic community, is set out in Building a Better Scotland. 8 Our support for Gaelic covers three main areas: education, cultural organisations, and broadcasting. Gaelic now features at all levels of education: pre-school, primary, secondary, further and higher education, and in teacher training. We also provide grants to Gaelic cultural organisations and we support Comataidh Craolaidh Gàidhlig (CCG), the Gaelic broadcasting committee. We have recently set up Bòrd Gàidhlig na h-Alba, the Gaelic development agency, to take forward Gaelic development in Scotland.
The New Opportunities Fund will consider applications from Gaelic groups if the application meets the conditions for the programme.
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