Publication - Advice and guidance
School age childcare services - regulation review: feasibility study – final options appraisal
This options appraisal summarises findings from a joint Scottish Government and Care Inspectorate feasibility study to consider the future regulation of school age childcare services, aiming to better understand the challenges and whether regulatory change could support sustainability.
12. SWOT Analysis: Model C (New oversight process for organised children’s activities)
12.1 Model C - Political Factors
Strengths
- Demonstrates that the SG have listened to the views of families and are working to increase the amount of regulated childcare/activity provision available
- Works towards fulfilling commitments made in PfG
- Brings access to regulated provision in Scotland into line with that in England
Weaknesses
- Creation of perceived unnecessary red tape and costs for businesses
- Criticism from existing regulated services about two tier system
- Will take several years to develop and implement
Opportunities
- More families lifted out of poverty
- Improved outcomes for children, especially in priority family types
- Greater uptake of sporting activities contributes to SG health targets
- Growth in grassroots sporting participation supporting national sporting bodies
Threats
- Potential for reduced availability of organised children’s activities provision if services cannot meet requirements
12.2 Model C – Economic Factors
Strengths
- UK childcare tax support and benefits could be used for a wider range of services than at present Increased support for low-income families
Weaknesses
- Cost implications for the organisation(s) taking on oversight/registration and/or inspection
- New cost implications for organised children’s activity services
Opportunities
- Parents and carers able to access more career and training opportunities due to increased availability of childcare
- Increased household incomes
Threats
- Cannot quantify how many services may fall within new regulatory requirements or what the costs of registration/inspection/enforcement might be for the oversight organisation(s)
- Ongoing cost to administer the oversight scheme. Would fees/licences cover costs?
- Services may stop operating due to costs and new administrative burden
- Existing activity services become more expensive
12.3 Model C - Social Factors
Strengths
- Wider choice of childcare and activity options for families
- Greater focus on importance of play and activities, especially for older children
- Increased focus and assurances on safeguarding and wellbeing of children
Weaknesses
- None identified
Opportunities
- Services may become more “professional” through higher training/qualification requirements
- Improved quality of activity-based services
- Opportunity for more services to enter sector and increase capacity
- Opportunity to gather more robust data on supply and demand of activities services in communities
- New career opportunities for more diverse range of people
- Improved physical and mental wellbeing for both children and families
Threats
- If services reduce their offering there may be less choice for families
- Services may not offer enough flexibility to support families
- If the oversight is not adequate, this may open up children to risk and offer false assurance to parents
12.4 Model C - Technological Factors
Strengths
- Access to data on the full range of childcare/activity services available for children
Weaknesses
- Will require new or amended system to pass information from activities providers to HMRC/DWP for purposes of TFC or UC childcare support
Opportunities
- Registration would enable data on organised children’s activities services to be held centrally
- Opportunity to increase awareness for parents about the services available locally
Threats
- It may be difficult and time consuming to set up new system for passing information to HMRC/DWP
- Too many services applying for new scheme could lead to backlog and lack of confidence in system
12.5 Model C – Legal Factors
Strengths
- Increased independent oversight and governance over organised children’s activities services
- Consistent set of minimum standards for all organised children’s activities services
Weaknesses
- Will require significant legislative change, both devolved and reserved
- Still a two-tier system with different requirements on services in different parts of the system
Opportunities
- None identified
Threats
- Developing the new process will be complex and time-consuming
12.6 Model C – Environmental Factors
No Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities or Threats identified
Contact
Email: schoolagechildcare@gov.scot