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1714514

registered interest
date	29/04/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Childcare: Staff
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the impact of her policies on the childcare workforce.
tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
uin	24021
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/05/2024 answer text <p>In accordance with standard practice, new policies which have been introduced to support the early years workforce will be evaluated to understand their impact and effectiveness. This includes the recently announced national recruitment campaign and early years financial incentives pilot, details of which can be found at: <a href="https://earlyyearscareers.campaign.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://earlyyearscareers.campaign.gov.uk/</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The department is also regularly engaging with both local authorities and early years providers from across the country to better understand the impact of workforce policies on the early years workforce in their local areas.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally, the department collects information on the childcare workforce through the Survey of Childcare and Early Years Providers which showed 13,000 more people working in the sector in 2023 alone. The survey can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2023" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2023</a>.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston question first answered 10/05/2024 16:28:25 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson

1713590

registered interest
date	24/04/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Childcare: Staff
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the National Audit Office's value for money report entitled Preparations to extend early years entitlements for working parents in England on the expansion of government funded childcare, published on 24 April 2024, what steps she is taking to track the number of childcare staff required in each region for the expansion in 30-hours funded childcare, in addition to her Department’s national level projection.
tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
uin	23463
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2024 answer text <p>Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area.</p><p> </p><p>The department has regular contact with each local authority in England to discuss the rollout of the expanded entitlements and the sufficiency of childcare. This includes understanding whether early years workforce recruitment and retention in each local authority is sufficient to meet the demand for new places.</p><p> </p><p>Where local authorities report sufficiency challenges, the department discusses what action the local authority is taking to address those issues and where needed provide support to the local authority with any specific requirements through the department’s childcare sufficiency support contract.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally, the department collects information on the childcare workforce through the Survey of Childcare and Early Years Providers and regular pulse surveys. The Childcare and Early Years Providers survey is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2023" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2023</a>, and the pulse survey is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-impact-of-childcare-reforms-on-childcare-and-early-years-providers" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-impact-of-childcare-reforms-on-childcare-and-early-years-providers</a>.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston question first answered 02/05/2024 16:58:19 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson

1656258

registered interest
date	01/09/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Childcare: Staff
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish a list of the number and proportion of childcare staff who were aged (a) under 25, (b) 25-39, (c) 40-49 and (d) over 50 years in each year between 2012 and 2021.
tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
uin	196239
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/09/2023 answer text <p>The department collects information on the childcare workforce through the survey of childcare and early years providers. This is a long-standing, nationally representative survey of 10,000 childcare and early years providers. The latest data was published on 15 December 2022 and is available on GOV.UK at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2022" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2022</a>.</p><p>Surveys were run in 2013, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2021. The surveys can be found on GOV.UK at the following links:</p><ul><li>2013: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2013" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2013</a>.</li><li>2016: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2016" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2016</a>.</li><li>2018: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2018</a>.</li><li>2019: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2019</a>.</li><li>2021: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2021" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2021</a>.</li></ul><p>Comparable workforce data is only available from 2019 and 2021. The survey of childcare and early years providers was re-purposed in 2018 so time series comparisons cannot be made before that date.</p><p>Age breakdown of the childcare and early years workforce (2019, 2021):</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>2019</p></td><td><p>2021</p></td><td><p>2019</p></td><td><p>2021</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Under 25</p></td><td><p>18%</p></td><td><p>17%</p></td><td><p>63,000</p></td><td><p>56,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>25-39</p></td><td><p>40%</p></td><td><p>42%</p></td><td><p>137,000</p></td><td><p>136,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>40-49</p></td><td><p>23%</p></td><td><p>22%</p></td><td><p>78,000</p></td><td><p>73,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Over 50</p></td><td><p>19%</p></td><td><p>19%</p></td><td><p>66,000</p></td><td><p>63,000</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston question first answered 12/09/2023 12:39:43 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson

1605421

registered interest
date	20/03/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Childcare: Staff
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Spring Budget 2023, if she will publish the labour market modelling which underpinned the decision to (a) pilot incentive payments to childminders signing up to the profession and (b) double incentive payments for childminders joining the profession though an agency.
tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
uin	169252
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/04/2023 answer text <p>The department recognises that registering as a childminder can be costly, and the start-up grants will help new childminders to cover their expenses. The grant values take into account the likely costs of registering, which include undertaking training in paediatric first aid and applying for Disclosure and Barring checks.</p><p>Childminders can choose to register with Ofsted or a childminder agency (CMA). The department is providing a higher grant to childminders registering with a CMA in recognition of the higher fees they charge. This is because Ofsted fees are subsidised by the government, and also because CMAs offer additional support and services to their childminders that Ofsted does not provide. For example, CMAs can support providers through registration and look after invoicing and other paperwork, and they have ready-made professional networks that they support and promote to providers. They are also required to provide at least 20 hours of practice development a year to their early years childminders although they can offer more than that. Our grant allocations reflect this fee difference, offering prospective childminders the flexibility to choose the pathway into the sector that best suits their needs.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Claire Coutinho question first answered 06/04/2023 09:11:41 answering member 4806 label Biography information for Claire Coutinho
tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson

1604640

registered interest
date	15/03/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Childcare: Staff
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number and proportion of early years settings that will reduce (a) staffing ratios and (b) charges to parents following the changes to childcare staffing ratios announced in the Spring Budget 2023; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
uin	166198
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/04/2023 answer text <p>The government remains committed to supporting the childcare sector and providing flexibility to providers, to help more parents to access childcare in support of their working lives. On 15 March 2023, the government announced a significant new investment in childcare, worth over £4.1 billion by 2027/28. In addition, the government has decided to proceed with the proposed changes to staff to child ratios for 2-year-olds from 1:4 to 1:5, bringing English ratios in line with Scottish ratios.</p><p>Early Years settings managers know their children and staff best. The department supports the judgement of managers and practitioners to work at the ratios that are right for the individual needs of their staff and children. The proposed changes to ratios are a statutory minimum requirement for settings, and there will be no obligation on providers to operate at the statutory minimums. As such, providers can continue to work to tighter ratios if they decide that is best for the children and staff in their setting. A full response to the consultation is available at: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1142987/Childcare_regulatory_changes_government_consultation_response.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1142987/Childcare_regulatory_changes_government_consultation_response.pdf</a>.</p><p>Alongside the consultation, the department ran a survey of early years providers to establish the likely impact of the changes on the quality of provision. Findings from the survey showed the majority of group settings with 2-year-olds (70%) said they would be unlikely or very unlikely to change their provision if ratio requirements were relaxed, with 45% saying they would be very unlikely. 28% of group settings with 2-year-olds said they would be likely or very likely to make any changes to provision. This corresponds to 19% of all group settings, including those with and without 2-year-olds.</p><p>Additionally, findings from the survey showed that just under half of the settings offering provision for 2-year-olds said they were very unlikely to implement the change. However, of the providers who were likely to move to new ratios, around three in five said that they would use any income or cost savings generated to improve the financial sustainability of the setting, and around half would use it to improve the quality of their provision. This could benefit children in the long run.</p><p>The published survey is available at: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1143005/Findings_from_the_early_years_staff-child_ratio_consultation_survey.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1143005/Findings_from_the_early_years_staff-child_ratio_consultation_survey.pdf</a>.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Claire Coutinho question first answered 06/04/2023 16:15:05 answering member 4806 label Biography information for Claire Coutinho
tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson