Agenda item

1.

Title of Item/Report

Scrutiny Review of Holidays are Fun

2.

Record of the Decision

Consideration was given to a report from the Children and Young People Select Committee following a scrutiny review of the Holidays are Fun programme.

The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme was funded by the Department for Education and the Holiday Enrichment Programme (HEP) was funded by Public Health. The Stockton-on-Tees HAF team held a competition to rename the programme and selected “Holidays Are Fun” to remove some of the stigma some parents associated with holiday hunger.

HAF was offered free to school aged children from reception to year 11 who were in receipt of benefit related free school meals.

The two programmes covered the following holiday periods:

·       Holiday Activities and Food – DfE funded – covered Easter, Summer and Christmas and the provision had to be 4 hours a day for at least 4 days a week

·       Holiday Enrichment Programme – Public Health funded – covered May, October and February and the provision had to be two hours a day for at least four days

The overall aim of the review was to understand if HAF was inclusive of and attended by those families who most needed it and the impact that the programme has had on family health and social and economic wellbeing.

The Select Committee report concluded that the HAF programme provided much needed support to children and families in need over holiday periods and feedback illustrated that the programme was highly valued. Work was continuing to ensure that the programme was meeting the needs of children in most need and it was encouraging that auto-enrolment of free school meals was helping to identify eligible children. Providers had a good working relationship with the Council and children benefited from taking part in a wide variety of activities, many of which they would otherwise be unable to due to cost. In addition, the programme offered the opportunities for lifelong learning and had been a vehicle for providing support outside of holiday periods.

The Select Committee acknowledged the contribution from Public Health which enabled the programme to also operate during half term periods. The Select Committee were also mindful that ongoing Government funding was uncertain and consideration needed to be given making the programme sustainable in the longer term, for example, through the introduction of some paid for places.

RESOLVED that:-

1.    The Council continues to develop and promote the HAF programme to the residents of the Borough to ensure that the programme is meeting the needs of children in most need.

2.    The offer for SEND and secondary school children is further developed and promotional materials refreshed to target these children.

3.    Communications with town and parish councils are reviewed and strengthened.

4.    The Council works with providers to increase up take in all wards and decrease non-attendance.

5.    Consideration be given to how paid for places could be introduced to help make the programme sustainable.

6.    The Council works with schools to remove the barriers to them being primary delivery partners (for example, through the employment of a key holder to take responsibility for the premises, and staff choosing to take extra hours to support the programme on their premises).

7.    The in-house booking system is replaced with a bespoke fit for purpose booking system with functionality to capture appropriate demographic information, including which school the child attends and that this information is used to identify gaps in provision, analyse take up and inform future targeting of promotional activities.

8.    One grant application form be introduced for providers for all holiday periods.

9.    Opportunities to link the programme to the curriculum and promote lifelong learning for all the family are enhanced.

10. A summer school programme is developed with the Careers Team, to create opportunities for young people aged 13 plus to participate in paid employment (within the law).

11. Opportunities are created for post 16 young people to take an active leadership role in the programme, linking in with local colleges who are delivering T levels thereby making the programme more sustainable.

12. The Council works with providers to extend whole family support outside of the school holidays.

13. The Council considers how best to collect information around SEND children attending activities to ensure that providers are properly prepared, and children’s needs are met when attending sessions.

14. A mapping exercise is undertaken to ensure that provision is represented across all wards across the whole borough, especially those rural areas.

15. The potential to explore utilising in house community transport during the school holidays be explored.

16. The possibility of creating a ‘free holiday meals’ element of the programme in line with the DfE guidance, utilising our own facilities that are in place during term time be explored along with the opportunity of creating our own ‘student’ kitchen to provide the meals.

3.

Reasons for the Decision

This topic was included on the Scrutiny Work Programme for 2024-2025.  The review is now complete, and the recommendations have been endorsed by the Children and Young People Select Committee for submission to Cabinet.

4.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

None

5.

Declared (Cabinet Member) Conflicts of Interest

None

6.

Details of any Dispensations

None

7.

Date and Time by which Call In must be executed

Midnight Friday 23 May 2025