Slough Borough Council: Childcare

Childcare

Childcare sufficiency assessment 2011

The Childcare Act 2006 places a duty on local authorities to carry out a Childcare Sufficiency Assessment every 3 years.

Slough's first assessment was published in March 2008 and the second in March 2011. The assessment involves:

measuring the demand for childcare,
auditing the supply of childcare and then;
using this information to identify any gaps in the provision of childcare.

Once the Childcare Sufficiency Assessment is completed, the local authority has a duty to make sure sufficient childcare is provided (as far as is reasonably practicable) for children aged 0 – 14 years (up to 18 years for disabled children), to meet the needs of all parents in Slough who require childcare to allow them to:

work
take-up work or;
undertake training to assist them to obtain work

The childcare offered by childcare providers should be affordable, flexible and of high quality.

Slough Sure Start Service has recently undertaken the second Childcare Sufficiency Assessment on behalf of Slough Borough Council. For this, QA Research was commissioned to carry out a consultation with parents and prospective parents to look at their need for childcare now and in the future. Also, the provision of childcare in Slough was audited to provide details of the childcare supply in Slough.

The Childcare Sufficiency Assessment 2011 report can be found below as well as the 2008 report.

If you would like to comment on the Sufficiency Assessment or make an enquiry about childcare in Slough, please email on sure.start@slough.gov.uk or contact Slough Children & Young People's Information Service on 01753 476589.