Agenda item

The Year 1 Childcare Sufficiency Assessment Progress Report presented to Scrutiny in July 2023 highlighted the insufficiency of childcare availability in Lampeter. There was a concern with regard to supporting the Welsh Government’s (WG) commitment to rolling out the Flying Start childcare entitlement of 12.5 hours a week of funded childcare for 2 – 3 year old’s in the town.

Following the agreement to extend funded childcare through the Flying Start programme to 2 year olds in Wales, Ceredigion undertook a large scoping exercise to identify the areas for expansion. Following submission of a business case to WG the following LSOAs were agreed as the expansion areas, which commenced in April 2023:

• Lampeter 1 & 2

• Tregaron

• New Quay

• Lledrod

• Llangeitho

• Borth

• Ceulanmaemawr

Lampeter was the only town without a Cylch Meithrin or sessional childcare provision for 2-4 year olds. Currently, many 3 year olds were  starting school (mornings only) having not attended any form of childcare.   

Although Lampeter LSOA 1 & 2 were approved for the expansion, the number of childcare places available did not meet the demand, therefore many children weren’t able to access eligible childcare. Lampeter had 1 private day nursery registered for 36 children and 3 childminders

offering 22 places. All providers were currently full and were unable to accept any additional children who were eligible for the 12.5 hours a week of funded Flying Start childcare.

The primary objectives for expanding Flying Start were:

• to ensure children get the best possible start in life;

• to tackle poverty and deprivation; and

• to increase the provision of childcare services and of Welsh medium childcare places and settings.

19 children were currently eligible for Flying Start childcare in the Lampeter 1 & 2 area. However, the Local Authority could only fund places for 10 children due to insufficient spaces being available. Initial conversations and investigations into expansion were held with the private Day Nursery. Following the decision by the Day Nursery not to

expand its service due to premises issues, Flying Start officers had been working with Mudiad Meithrin to investigate the potential to establish a new Cylch Meithrin in Lampeter.

Finding a suitable venue to accommodate a Cylch Meithrin/Sessional childcare had been difficult due to requirements to adhere to Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) /National Minimum standards (NMS) regulations. However, progress was now being made. Discussions are taking place to establish a Cylch in either the Scouts Hut in

Lampeter or possibly within Ysgol Bro Pedr. The Cylch would aim to open in January as an unregistered setting to begin with, which means that children can only access the provision for less than two hours, with the intention to become registered with Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) by April 2024.

It was reported that a meeting was due to be held on the 07 December with between Officers an Governors of Ysgol Bro Pedr to discuss and hopefully finalise the location of the Cylch Meithrin at the school.

It was AGREED to note the report for information and that further updates would be presented to the Committee as part as part of the Year 2 CSA Progress Report.