New legal definition for school age childcare: consultation

Scottish Government Feasibility Study

We wanted to find out more about these challenges, so in August 2024 the Scottish Government and the Care Inspectorate started work on a joint six month feasibility study. The aim of the study was to:

• carry out a review of current regulation,
• better understand the challenges faced by the SACC sector, and
• look at whether regulatory change might support services to operate more sustainably.

The study also looked at whether it might be possible to bring a wider range of services into the scope of SACC. The study finished at the beginning of February 2025.

Over the six months, the feasibility study team reviewed existing legislation, guidance and research. The team spoke with a range of stakeholders in Scotland and in the rest of the UK. The team also held focus group sessions with SACC providers (small and large, rural and urban) and with local authorities. Some of the topics we discussed included: the opportunities and challenges of changing the definition of SACC, qualification requirements and how to create a more diverse workforce, and the challenges around finding appropriate community spaces for SACC services.

Using the findings from the study, the Scottish Government has now identified two areas where changes could be made to benefit both families and the SACC sector.

• change the legal definition of “day care of children” and create a new separate registration category for “school age childcare”.
• consider how independent oversight could be put in place for organised children’s activity services.

This consultation will only focus on the first of these two pieces of work. The second is being taken forward separately.