The childcare strategy team supports existing and developing childcare provision to meet the local childcare sufficiency assessment planning requirements.
Childcare support officers can assist those wishing to develop group care support throughout the registration process in obtaining appropriate funding, identifying equipment and resources and developing business plans, as well as supporting existing settings in their sustainability and quality.
Dudley childcare strategy team also co-ordinates a childminder network which supports quality assured childminders working to NCMA Quality Standards. The childminder quality support officers develop and support the network, liasing with a range of agencies who may benefit from the variety of quality care the network can offer.
New childminders within the Dudley borough are supported through a voluntary childminder support scheme, which links potential childminders with quality assured childminders, who offer a range of support and guidance.
Our objectives:
-
to ensure there is sufficient good quality childcare to meet the needs of all parents and carers
-
to ensure that all childcare providers or potential providers can have access to good quality support, including guidance and information
- to work with all providers and agencies, as appropriate, to promote an effective partnership approach to the provision of inclusive early years and childcare services
-
to ensure that all registered childcare meets the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage, the Children Act 1989 and the Childcare Act 2006, and are supported through relevant Ofsted inspections
-
to ensure that all registered childcare providers provide a high quality service, working towards quality improvements principles
-
to assist childcare providers in the private, voluntary and maintained sectors to provide affordable and sustainable childcare
-
to support and facilitate childcare provision which meet the needs of communities and local and central government agendas
What we can do:
-
support new and existing providers, where appropriate, with applications for funding. This may also include guidance on feasibility studies, business plans and quality improvement
-
support the development of voluntary management committees with Dudley Council for Voluntary Service
-
support and guidance in the development of policies and procedures to help you meet Ofsted registration and regulation requirements
-
link existing providers with extended schools and childrens centres to ensure sufficient range of childcare is available
-
support new providers with registration to the Ofsted early years register and the compulsory and voluntary childcare registers
