Early learning and childcare (ELC): provision for 1 and 2 year olds in Scotland

Appendix 1: Primary research materials (Phase 1)

Focus group and interview discussion guide

Question 1: Current funded offer

To get started, we are interested in getting your views on the current offer of funded Early Learning and Childcare. Currently, all 3- and 4-year-olds (and 2-year-olds with certain characteristics) are eligible for 1,140 hours of funded childcare from approved providers. What are the challenges of the current offer of funded hours?

Prompt 1.1: In order to offer funded provision, Early Learning and Childcare providers must meet the criteria set out in the National Standard, receive the sustainable rate provided by the local authority, and sign a contract with the local authority. To your knowledge, are providers interested in being included within the funded offer? Why or why not?

Prompt 1.2: Are there gaps in the funded offer, in terms of provision types, hours for certain groups of children, or in certain geographic areas?

Prompt 1.3: Are there any lessons learned from the current offer that you think should be considered when designing future childcare policy?

Prompt 1.4: Can you think of any specific examples of good practice within the current offer?

Question 2: Provision for 1- and 2-year-olds

From your experience, what type of Early Learning and Childcare provision works best for 1- and 2-year-olds and their families? Are there certain types of provision that are more effective or popular for this age group?

Prompt 2.1: Do providers need additional support in offering childcare places to 1- and 2-year-olds?

Prompt 2.2: Do parents and carers of 1- and 2-year-olds have significantly different needs than parents of older children?

Prompt 2.3: What are the gaps in provision for 1- and 2-year-olds, are they different to other age groups?

Prompt 2.4: Can you think of any specific examples of good practice among services for 1- and 2-year-olds?

Prompt 2.5: What are the differences generally in high-quality Early Learning and Childcare for 1- and 2-year-olds, as compared to older children?

Question 3: Expansion of funded offer

The Scottish Government has committed to expanding the funded Early Learning and Childcare offer to all 1- and 2-year-olds. How do you think this expansion will impact providers, parents and children?

Prompt 3.1: Should there be significant differences between the offer for 1- and 2-year-olds, as compared to the offer for 3- and 4-year-olds?

Prompt 3.2: What are the key challenges providers will face in the expansion of the offer?

Prompt 3.3: Will providers need to make significant changes to their services (i.e. hiring more staff, making changes to the physical environment, existing staff undergoing retraining)?

Prompt 3.4: What are the key challenges your organisations may face in expansion of the offer?

Question 4: Additional support needs

Do you have any views on current Early Learning and Childcare provision with regards to children and families with Additional Support Needs (ASN)? What about ELC provision for 1- and 2-year-olds with ASN specifically?

Prompt 4.1: What specialised or ASN, Early Learning and Childcare or family support programmes are you aware of?

Prompt 4.2: Are there specific needs that are not catered to, or areas that do not have access to ASN provision?

Prompt 4.3: What are the main challenges of providing places to children with ASN? Are these challenges different for 1- and 2-year-olds (as opposed to 3- and 4-year-olds)?

Prompt 4.4: Are you aware of any specific examples of good practice with regards to provision for children with ASN?

Local Authority survey questionnaire

The full text of the survey distributed to local authorities in the first phase of the research is presented below. Graphs depicting the local authorities answers' are included within the relevant questions.

Question 1

I have read and understand the terms of participation as these are outlined above, and agree to proceed with taking the survey

• Yes

Question 2

Which Council are you working in?

• Aberdeen City Council
• Aberdeenshire Council
• Angus Council
• Argyll and Bute Council
• City of Edinburgh Council
• Clackmannanshire Council
• Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
• Dumfries and Galloway Council
• Dundee City Council
• East Ayrshire Council
• East Dunbartonshire Council
• East Lothian Council
• East Renfrewshire Council
• Falkirk Council
• Fife Council
• Glasgow City Council
• Inverclyde Council
• Midlothian Council
• Moray Council
• North Ayrshire Council
• North Lanarkshire Council
• Orkney Islands Council
• Perth and Kinross Council
• Renfrewshire Council
• Scottish Borders Council
• Shetland Islands Council
• South Ayrshire Council
• South Lanarkshire Council
• Stirling Council
• The Highland Council
• West Dunbartonshire Council
• West Lothian Council

Question 3

Which types of ELC or other family support programmes are available in your local authority for 1- and 2-year-olds? Please select all that apply. If there are additional regulated types of ELC or family support provision that offer places to 1- and 2-year-olds in your local authority that we have not specified, please list them in the 'Other' option.

• Children and family centres
• Childminding
• Creches
• Nurseries
• Playgroups
• Other

LA representatives' responses to Question 3. All respondents (26) reported having childminding settings and nurseries in their areas, 8 LAs reported playgroups, 8 children and family centres, 6 creches and 7 mentioned other types of provision."/>

Question 4

Are there any other types of ELC or family support programmes for 1- and 2-year-olds in your local authority that are not registered as ELC provision and/or are not regulated by the Care Inspectorate? For example, these programmes/provision types could include family support programmes, community childminding services, and services arranged through referrals from social work or health visiting teams.

• A. Yes
• B. No
• C. I don't know

Question 5

If you replied 'A' above, please list those types of ELC or family support programmes for 1- and 2-year-olds in your local authority that are not registered as ELC provision and/or not regulated by the Care Inspectorate.

Question 6

Are there specific gaps in ELC provision for 1- and 2-year-olds in your local authority? Please select any providers where the number of places is very limited, or provision is not available in your local authority for 1- and 2-year-olds.

• Childminders
• Children and family centres
• Creches
• Nurseries
• Playgroups
• There are no gaps in provision in my local authority
• Other

LA representatives reported gaps in nurseries, 18 in childminders, 14 in children and family centres, 11 in creches, 10 in playgroups, 6 in other types and 2 reported no gaps in provision."/>

Question 7

Are the gaps in ELC provision for younger children (1- and 2-year-olds) different than gaps in provision for older children (3- and 4-year-olds)? Please select only one.

• Both age groups have gaps, and the gaps are different.
• There are no gaps in ELC provision for older children, but there are gaps in provision for younger children.
• There are no gaps in ELC provision for younger children, but there are gaps in provision for older children.
• The gaps are the same for older and younger children.
• There are no gaps in provision for either group.
• I don't know.

LA representatives reported no gaps for older children but gaps for younger children, 6 reported gaps in both groups and 1 LA reported no gaps in either age groups."/>

Question 8.

What are the main challenges to ELC provision for 1- and 2-year-olds in your local authority? Do these challenges contribute to gaps in provision?

Question 9

Are providers more reluctant to offer ELC to 1- and 2-year-olds?

• Yes, they are more reluctant to provide to 1- and 2-year-olds
• No, they are not more reluctant to provide to 1- and 2-year-olds
• I don't know

LA representatives reported that providers are more reluctant to provide care for 1- and 2-year-olds, 4 reported that this is not true, and 10 respondents didn't know if this is true or not."/>

Question 10

If you selected 'A' above, why do you think this is the case? Please select all that apply.

• 1- and 2-year-olds require more attention than older children, so providers must hire more staff to facilitate smaller group sizes
• 1- and 2-year-olds have different developmental needs than older children, so it is difficult to offer ELC to both age groups in one setting.
• Providing ELC to 1- and 2-year-olds requires staff to undertake additional qualifications.
• There are additional safeguarding regulations associated with provided ELC to 1- and 2-year-olds.
• Providing ELC to 1- and 2-year-olds requires settings to alter or update their physical environments (outdoor or indoor), which can be costly and inconvenient.
• There are other additional costs associated with providing ELC to 1- and 2-year-olds.

LA responses to the question Why are providers more reluctant to provide ELC to younger children?. The options they require more attention and therefore more staff and other additional costs receive 11 responses. 10 respondents chose needing to alter physical environment, 7 respondents chose difficult to offer provision to both age groups, and 4 respondents chose staff require additional qualifications and additional safeguarding concerns./">

Question 11

Are you aware of any ELC or family support providers specifically serving pre-school children (all ages) with additional support needs (ASN) in your local authority?

• A. Yes
• B. No

LA representatives reported that they are aware of ELC or family support providers specifically serving pre-school children (all ages) with additional support needs (ASN) in their local authority, and 6 responded that they are not aware of such providers."/>

Question 12

If you selected 'A' above, please select any of the following programmes that are available in your local authority. Please select all that apply.

• Bilingual or sign language translation services
• Speech and language therapy
• At home ELC
• Family play and parenting programmes
• Sensory play programmes
• I don't know in detail about programmes for children with ASN in my local authority
• Other

Alt The figure shows the responses to Question 12. Family play and parenting programmes was chosen by 15 LA representatives. Speech and language therapy was chosen 15 respondents as well. Bilingual or sign language translation and sensory play were selected by 8 respondents each. 4 LAs chose at home ELC and 8 respondents chose "other".

LA representatives. Speech and language therapy was chosen 15 respondents as well. Bilingual or sign language translation and sensory play were selected by 8 respondents each. 4 LAs chose at home ELC and 8 respondents chose other"/>

Question 13

Do the above programmes offer services to 1- and 2-year-olds with additional support needs in your local authority?

• A. Yes, the above programmes do offer services to 1- and 2-year-olds.
• B. No, the above programmes do not offer services to 1- and 2-year-olds.
• C. Some of the above programmes offer services to 1- and 2-year-olds.
• D. I don't know

LAs responded that the above ASN programmes offer services to 1- and 2-year-olds, another 7 respondents answered that some of them do, 6 responded that they don't and 3 participants did not know."/>

Question 14

If you selected 'C' above, please specify which programmes mentioned above offer services to 1- and 2-year-olds?

Question 15

In your local authority, is ELC for children with ASN usually provided in the same setting as for children without ASN, or within separate settings?

• In settings alongside children without ASN
• Within separate providers, specialising in ASN support
• Both types of settings are common in my local authority
• Other

LAs responded that ELC for children with ASN is usually provided in mainstream settings, 5 LAs responded that it's provided in both mainstream and specialist settings, 3 responded other, and no one responded that its provided within specialised providers solely."/>

Question 16

What is the most common provider type of ELC for children with ASN in your local authority? Please select only one.

• Voluntary organisations or not-for-profit
• Private providers
• Local authority providers
• I don't know
• Other

LAs responded that ELC for children with ASN is usually provided in LA settings, 1 LA responded that it's provided in private settings, 7 responded other, 1 responded didn't know and no one responded that it's mainly provided in the voluntary sector."/>

Question 17

Do you track demand for ELC places in your local authority? Please select all that apply.

• Yes, we track ELC demand by age group
• Yes, we track ELC demand by type of provider (i.e., demand for childminders, nurseries, etc.)
• No, we do not track demand
• I don't know
• Other

LAs responded that they track demand by age group, 14 LAs responded that they track demand by type of provision, 2 LAs responded that they do not track demand, and 4 LAs responded other."/>

Question 18

If you track demand, does it match the number of places available? Please select all that apply.

• A. There are too many places..
• B. There are not enough places compared to the number of children.
• C. There are not enough places for certain groups of children, or in certain areas in my local authority (e.g. children in remote or rural areas, children with ASN, younger children etc.)
• D. There are a good number of places

LAs responded that there are not enough places for certain groups of children, 8 LAs responded that there are a good number of places, while no LAs reported that there are not enough places overall or that there are too many places."/>

Question 19

If you selected 'C' above, please specify which groups of children do not have enough places in your local authority.

Question 20

What are your primary concerns with the expansion of the funded offer to all 1- and 2-year-olds? Select all that apply.

• There is not enough capacity within existing providers to accommodate increased demand.
• It will be difficult to recruit staff with the appropriate experience and qualifications.
• It will be difficult for providers to offer a wider range of services potentially included in the new offer.
• I am not sure or aware of any concerns.
• Other

LAs reported that they are concerned due to not enough capacity within existing providers to accommodate increased demand, and due to the difficulty to recruit staff with the appropriate experience and qualifications. 24 respondents reported that it will be difficult for providers to offer wider range of services potentially included in the new offer. Finally, 5 LAs reported having other concerns and no one responded not being aware of any concern or not being sure."/>

Question 21

Do you have any additional views about ELC provision for 1- and 2-year-olds or the new offer that you would like to share?

Question 22

If you would like to be considered for an interview, please provide the following details in the field below:
- Your name
- Your role in the Council
- Your email address