Childcare Sector Working Group minutes: November 2025

Attendees and apologies

• Care Inspectorate (CI)
• Care and Learning Alliance (CALA)
• Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA) 
• Early Years Scotland (EYS)
• National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) 
• Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES) 
• Scottish Out of School Care Network (SOSCN) 
• The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS)
• Association of Headteachers and Deputes in Scotland (AHDS) 
• Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC)
• Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) 
• Sottish Government (Chair) (SG) 

Items and actions

1. Welcome, apologies, minutes and actions

The Chair opened the meeting and welcomed the group. The Chair introduced himself as the new Deputy Director for ELC and expressed his commitment to working collaboratively with members. 

Minutes from the previous meeting have now been published online. 

The Chair updated on actions from the previous meeting – 

• these actions are complete: 
  • SG to circulate updated National Standard to CSWG members in summer ahead of publication.
  • SG to issue comms on rLW monitoring ahead of Care Inspectorate Annual Return in December – this will be picked up later in the agenda.
  • Members to share further details of the ‘overflow’ issue with SG – members raised concerns at the previous meeting about LA’s procurement procedures for funded partners (one LA only looking to private provider for ‘overflow’ place
• these actions are still underway:
  • Arrange discussion on comms during severe weather occurrences between SG, COSLA and ADES - In progress. Dates for discussion to be circulated. SG officials considering internal lessons learned from storm Eowyn.
  • SG to issue comms on rLW monitoring ahead of Care Inspectorate Annual Return in December – this will be picked up later in the agenda.
  • We note there was an action for members to share further details of concerns about LA management of funded places – we are not aware of anything further that has been shared but encourage members to keep in touch. 
  • SG to ensure that appropriate links are made between early learning and childcare policy and the Curriculum Improvement Cycle. ELC team and colleagues at Education Scotland are in regular contact about this and other issues.

2. Scottish Social Services Council update 

SSSC provided an update on work currently underway update qualifications in light of the National Occupational Standards Review and the recently refreshed Common Core. 

SSSC thanked those who had been able to support the review of National Occupational Standards (NOS), including participation in the recent consultation. Following the NOS review SSSC are now focussing on a review of SVQ benchmark qualifications and apprenticeship frameworks. Colleagues are encouraged to participate in the groups reviewing the SVQ qualifications and can contact SSSC or SG if not already a part of the ongoing work. 

Members asked if there was any indication of future proofing. SSSC noted that this would fit for registration across any part of the health and social care workforce and they are looking towards flexible integrated qualifications. Care planning has been identified as a gap and they are considering this in terms of both children and adults. 

Members noted that there must be a continued focus on the early learning element of early learning and childcare. Members asked whether there was the flexibility for the SACC workforce not to go through ELC specific training. SSSC noted that they are aware of the differences between ELC and SACC and that they are working with colleagues to consider a potential new category on the register for SACC workers and to ensure revised qualifications are fit for purpose.

SSSC noted that the recently released Supporting Scotland's Children - Core Knowledge and Values has now replaced the ‘Common Core’ which was developed and released in 2012. It outlines the essential skills, knowledge, understanding and values that everyone, paid or unpaid, should display when working with children, young people and their families.

3. Updates from the Scottish Government

Budget 2026 to 2027

• Colleagues will be aware that the UK Government has confirmed its 2026 to 2027 Budget will be published at the end of November and the Scottish Government has confirmed that as a consequence, the draft Scottish Budget will be published on 15 January 2026 rather than before Christmas as in previous years. 
• From a childcare perspective, over the coming months Ministers and COSLA will give careful consideration to a number of priority issues against an exceptionally challenging financial outlook. This will include of course any findings from the Diffley Partnership’s funded ELC costs survey when these are available and the implications of the Living Wage Foundation’s recent confirmation that the real Living Wage will rise to £13.45 from April 2026. 
• SG are aware of the potential challenges caused by the Budget timeline, particularly from the perspective of third sector organisations. Concerns were helpfully articulated in recent correspondence to SG from the SCMA on behalf of a number of organisations on this group. 
• Scottish Government leadership is giving urgent consideration to how the coming period will be managed, given the pressing need to confirm funding and safeguard delivery of ongoing projects and priorities. 
• The team will keep in close contact with members and appreciate their ongoing support with the various requests to inform internal Accountable Officer protocols. 
• Members queried whether letters of comfort would be issued before the Christmas break. SG noted that work is underway on a consistent approach across the Education and Justice DG family and further updates will be provided to members in due course.

Early Learning and Childcare Division Updates

ELC Staff changes 

The Chair noted that there are currently staff absences and resourcing gaps within the Division. Recruitment is underway for key posts. Work is underway to address the resourcing gaps and members who are in regular contact should have been informed about interim arrangements. 

Real Living Wage monitoring arrangements 

The group previously approved proposed arrangements earlier in the year.
Care Inspectorate annual returns due to be issued in January will ask whether staff delivering funded ELC are paid the rLW.
SSSC will also utilise their annual ‘Have Your Say’ of all staff on the register, to ask about pay.

1140 Evaluation 

In line with the Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy published in 2022, an evaluation of the 1140 expansion programme is underway. 

Publication of a package of evaluation reports on the ELC 1140 expansion for the period 2018 to 2025 is scheduled for early 2026. 

The package of 1140 evaluation reports is expected to include the Scottish Study of ELC Final report, the 2025 ELC Parent and Carer Survey, as well as an overall 1140 evaluation report. 

Once the evaluation package has been published, SG propose to dedicate agenda time to a presentation and discussion about the efindings. 

Quality Improvement Framework

• Implementation and Statutory Alignment

Roll-out Status: The QIF was officially launched on 18 September 2025. The Care Inspectorate is actively using the new framework in all single and shared inspections since 22 September 2025.

HMIE Timeline: His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) is on track to implement the QIF in its single inspections starting January 2026.

Structural Update: The QIF content has been migrated to the new HMIE website. Providers should be assured that the structure, navigation, and content of the framework remain unchanged, reflecting a stable approach despite the structural changes following the Education Scotland Act.

Focus on Reduced Burden: Both inspectorates continue to use the QIF to ensure a more thorough, yet proportionate, approach to scrutiny, leveraging the reduction in Quality Indicators (from 28 to 11).

• Practical Sector Support and Guidance

Thematic Guidance: The Care Inspectorate is issuing regular, focused guidance to assist providers with practical self-evaluation under the new framework.

Outdoor Play Focus: Recent guidance has centred on the Children experience high-quality spaces Quality Indicator, emphasizing Outdoor Play and Learning as a basic right and a powerful tool for development.

Sharing Best Practice: The CI is actively supporting the sector by sharing examples of effective practice, including case studies and "Provider Spotlights," to link the QIF criteria directly to real-world ELC settings.

• Next Steps

Ministerial Meeting: The next Ministerial meeting is scheduled for January 2026 to review the initial implementation phase.

Enhanced Collaboration: Discussions are ongoing with the inspectorates regarding options for resourcing more shared inspections moving forward.

SG presented the following questions to the group: 

1. Consistency of Application: Since the Care Inspectorate began using the QIF in September, is the sector experiencing a more consistent and proportionate approach to inspection?
2. Structural Transition: Has the recent migration of the QIF web content to the new HMIE site caused any confusion or accessibility issues for providers?

Members queried how the inspection process is going to dovetail with the Education Scotland Act (ESA) 2025. SG noted that the delay to January is to dovetail with the ESA more appropriately and noted that they will feedback on those not involved in the consultation. Members noted that there will be an impact on nursery classes within schools as primary schools will need to comply with 2 different standards and inspections frameworks. They noted that whilst the intention may have been to streamline for one part of the sector, this has made things more complicated for another. It was noted that it was too early to provide answers to the questions asked by SG as there have not been enough inspections yet to confirm there has been consistent improvement.

Petition PE2158: Introduce a maximum temperature for serving hot liquids to children in childcare settings'

A public petition was launched “PE2158 : Introduce a maximum temperature for serving hot liquids to children in childcare settings” called for legislation to introduce a maximum serving temperature for food and drink in Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) settings. The petition was submitted following a 2-year-old child being badly scalded by hot soup in an ELC setting.

SG provided background and evidence to the Petitions Committee including that: 

• Updated Setting the Table guidance, CI’s Good practice guidance: prevention and management of scalding episodes in daycare of children and childminding services and also Keeping children safe: supporting positive mealtime experiences in early learning and childcare provides advice to practitioners. 
• Most Local Authorities already set their own max temperatures for serving hot liquids under H&S regulations. 

The Petitions Committee discussed the matter and closed the petition on 10 September 2025. They requested that further communications should be issued to the sector to remind them to follow the appropriate guidance.

The Care Inspectorate issued a provider notice on 14 October 2025.

ELC Improving Quality Group paper

Members were invited to note the previously circulated ELC Improving Quality Group paper; Member Update Reporting Template considered at the 15 October meeting. The paper captures an overview of the range of work taking place across our organisations to support the sector to deliver high quality ELC experiences. The group is next due to meet on 3 December 2025. 

Members queried whether it would be useful for the sector to look at the modules used by the CI.

Action: SG to follow up with colleagues on the discussion about the modules noted in the ELC Improving Quality Group paper. 

School Age Childcare Division Updates 

Resourcing

It was noted that there are changes underway in the SACC Division in terms of staffing and they will keep members updated on this as things progress. 

Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC) presented to SACC Strategic Group

At the end of October the SACC programme presented high level options from the draft Strategic Outline Business Case to the SACC Strategic Group.

The Strategic Group is made up of all senior sector representatives and stakeholders.

The main purpose of the SOBC is to establish the case for future investment in the SACC Programme, and provide enough information for senior decision-makers to agree that the programme should proceed to a more detailed planning and implementation phase.

All the learning gathered from our delivery projects, including Early Adopter Communities, have fed into the evidence and arguments used in the Business Case. 

The SOBC is structured using the 5 Case Model:

• Strategic Case – Why the programme is needed and how it fits with national policy priorities, specifically TCP. 
• Economic Case – Initial options appraisal and value-for-money considerations. 
• Commercial Case – Early thoughts on procurement, market capability and sufficiency required. 
• Financial Case – Indicative costs and funding approach. 
• Management Case – Initial governance and delivery arrangements.

Each of these are considered across a range of options:

• Do Nothing
• Continue early delivery and tests of change 
• Targeted Free / Limited Free
• Progressive Universalism/ Contributory model
• Universal Free

The Strategic Group had the opportunity to discuss these options and feed in their expertise and experience of working close to or in test-of-change into the SOBC. An analysis of the group discussions is currently underway and will be reflected in the final version of the SOBC.

The plan is to present the SOBC at the next SACC Programme Board, and to present the case to Ministers for consideration and decision ahead of the publication of the next tackling child poverty delivery plan in March next year, and the new Parliamentary term. 

Digital Service Project

The SACC Programme’s Digital Service project is continuing with its work to consider the future role of a digital service in expanding access to SACC in Scotland and improving users’ experience of the SACC system.

SG have been finalising a standalone business case for the Digital Service, alongside the Programme’s case, because they anticipate that many of the proposed future options for the Programme will require digital infrastructure to implement.

The team are due to publish an ITT for a short Discovery project into this work. This project will provide them with detail about user needs, user journeys, technology options, and developed estimates of costs and timescales for implementation of a digital service. They will use this information to support further decisions about the work.

Regulations Project

In August last year SG commenced a 6-month feasibility study with the CI to review the current regulatory framework to improve sustainability and support any future expansion. 

This was completed in February and a report was prepared with an options appraisal and contained draft models which would be feasible. 

The team had a discussion with the Minister following this and confirmed they would be progressing Models A (Create a new specific definition for school age childcare) & C (Develop a new oversight process for organised children’s activities). 

Initial engagement has taken place with service providers through the Access to Childcare Fund (ACF) and rural providers, and work is underway with SSSC and CI on next steps which will include pre-consultation work to understand the views of the sector and what a definition of SACC could look like ahead of a formal consultation. This work will be undertaken over the next few months. 

4. Feedback from the sector on current issues

Members were invited to share their thoughts and feedback. The following points were raised in discussion: 

• The SCMA’s latest ELC audit is in development ahead of planned publication in December. This will include data on the current experiences of childminders involved in funded ELC provision. 
• Representative bodies noted that core funding from SG for third sector organisations had remained flat despite growing pressures (eg National Insurance employer contributions and real Living Wage) and that third sector organisations are under increasing financial pressure as a result. The delay to the Scottish Budget due to the UK Government’s later Budget was noted as a concern given the need for funding certainty to enable continuity of employment contracts ahead of the new financial year. 
• Members reflected that funded providers are feeling particular pressures on pay given differential pay rates between local authority and funded provider settings. 
• It was noted that rural providers are particularly concerned about the long term sustainability of services.
• The group reflected on the First Minister’s comments at a recent Whole Family Support roundtable about the importance of joining up services and benefits to better support families and the role of childcare in tackling child poverty. There was some discussion of potential longer term changes to the system to increase parental choice, and recognition of the importance of income and benefit maximisation to ensure families are benefitting from all avenues of support. 
• It was noted that there have been instances of deteriorating relationships between funded providers and LAs over the period.
• ADES updated that Lesley Gibb is stepping down as Early Years Network Chair on 21 November 2025. Heather Douglas and Lisa McCabe will be co-chairing. 

Action: Follow up conversation to be held between NDNA and SG in relation to specific concerns.

5. Findings from SG audit of professional learning and next steps

SG presented a slide pack outlining findings from an audit of professional learning in ELC, which was subsequently shared with members.

Members asked if the background data was available at an aggregated level. SG noted that the data collected from SDS, SSSC. The Improvement Service are looking to improve data and SG have put in a request to SFC for further qualifications data.

Members noted that there are issues around support workers. The roles are not well-paid and they have seen a lot of people taking up the role and moving on. Members noted mixed experiences with Graduate Apprentices, with some areas struggling to recruit and high drop out rates. Providers have questions around what is best to do when they are not yet qualified including whether they should be counted in ratios and the time required for training. There were experiences of individuals expecting to be moved to a promoted post once they have completed their training when in reality they are not ready to move into a management role. 

Members noted the lack of rural provision evidenced in the work. There is only one provider, UHI, and there is a lack of funded options. 

Members queried whether childminders were included in the audit. SG noted that they were not included in the audit as this focused exclusively on staff working in group settings. However this work is open to further iterations and there could be scope in the future to consider this. Members asked if the audit considered anyone in SACC, SG note that the focus was on qualifications so they could have been included. 

6. Honours Secretariat 

SG presented an item on the Honours System. SG are intent on ensuring that the profession is recognised and feels valued for the work it does to support children and families. They are looking for opportunities to celebrate the contributions made across the sector. 

The Honours System celebrates those who go above and beyond to change the world around them for the better. The system recognises people who have: 

• Selflessly volunteered their time and efforts;
• Displayed moral and physical courage;
• Showed real innovation and entrepreneurship
• The honours system rewards those doing vital and extraordinary work across the country.
• Honours are awarded twice a year, on the official birthday of The King and on New Year’s Day.
• This is a continuous process, as once the list is announced, the next round of nominations is submitted.
• Members were asked to consider STAR (Situation, Task Action, Result) when making nominations. 

7. Forward look to agenda for next meeting and Any Other Business

Next meeting scheduled for 4th February 2025 with a focus on private, third sector and childminding provision. 

SG requested feedback from members on the structure and pattern of meetings and the current membership to inform a refresh of the Terms of Reference and new meeting calendar for the next parliamentary session. 

Action: SG to circulate survey to members for feedback on the meeting.