Sustainable Rates Review Implementation Working Group Minutes: May 2025

Attendees and apologies

• Care and Learning Alliance (CALA)
• Early Years Scotland (EYS)
• National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) Scotland
• Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES) Early Years
• Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES) Resources
• Scottish Childminding Association 
• Scottish Government (SG) (Chair)
• Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA)

Apologies 

• Directors of Finance Network 
• Improvement Service

Items and actions

Update from Diffley Partnership 

Diffley Partnership provided an update on the initial feedback from the pilot phase and how this will be reflected in the next version of the survey.

The pilot single setting survey has been issued to a number of providers, with detailed feedback already received from four providers. The Diffley Partnership have also observed a session where a provider completed the survey in real time which provided a helpful insight from the providers perspective. 

The childminding survey is yet to commence piloting but this is expected to go live on the week commencing 5 May.  

Feedback from pilot participants highlights the need to streamline and clarify the questions from the survey as providers feel that the survey is currently too long, and the information requested may not be proportionate. There is a need for transparency around why specific questions are being asked. This will be addressed in the supporting guidance.

As part of the pilot, the Diffley Partnership asked survey participants whether the questions in the survey are clearly worded, whether the formatting and flow make sense, whether respondents can easily access the information needed to answer, and whether the questions being asked feels proportionate to the purpose of the exercise. A list of the proposed changes includes:

• A clearer explanation will be provided on the definition of an indoor/outdoor service
• A new approach is being explored to capture the Additional Support Needs (ASN) data
• Survey respondents will be able to choose between providing either monthly or annual cost figures
• Streamline the ask around fee structures and session lengths
• Expenditure categories are being reduced to focus primarily on staffing and core running costs. The breakdown of income sources (e.g. private fees) will be retained, with guidance explaining why this information is needed
• The question asking providers to provide the number of volunteers in their settings will be removed. It was suggested that this could phrased differently to ask about the number of staffing committee members or board members

Participation Challenges 

The Diffley Partnership outlined that providers are experiencing difficulties in retrieving data to show the split in costs to deliver childcare for two year olds and three to five year olds. It has also proven difficult to provide information to support the questions on some staffing elements and detailed splits of expenditure categories.

Members agreed that it is important to keep property costs in the expenditure categories as there can be significant variations across Scotland. 

Members agreed that it is important to allow respondents to provide information regarding the potential impacts on the cost of delivery of supporting children with additional support needs (ASN). The questions asked in the survey should have clear parameters and will provide clarification on whether this applies to confirmed diagnosis in the guidance. 

It was highlighted that childminders have an important role to support children with additional support needs (ASN), with some families who have a child with ASN looking to place them with a childminder as they can provide more one on one support. However, this has a financial impact as it can limit childminders capacity and the number of children they can care for. 

It is expected that the survey will go live within the next two to three weeks. Providers will have four to five weeks to complete the survey. The Diffley Partnership will provide survey participants with accompanying guidance and a link to a webpage containing resources in alternative formats to assist with completion of the survey. 

Actions

• A copy of the updated survey and supporting guidance, outlining the rationale behind each question will be shared with members on Friday 2 May for views.  Comments and feedback requested by Thursday 8 May
• A copy of the presentation slides from the meeting will be circulated to members
• Draft communication materials will be shared with Working Group members to seek their views ahead of the surveys going live

Forward look to agenda for next meeting and AOB

The Chair thanked members for attending and participating.

SG and COSLA will consider the schedule for upcoming meetings, based on project milestones.

Actions

• The next SRRIWG meeting will be on Tuesday 20 May. Agenda is expected to include an item on how the outputs from this exercise should be presented, what outputs are required (for local authorities and the sector), and the need to ensure transparency