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Families

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Previous events

COVID-19 Inquiry Discussion

Skills Development Funding

A Register for the Future

SSSC Codes of Practice Conversation

Access to Childcare Fund

Getting it Right for Business

Get Ready for Summer

International Learning Session

Local Networking

Safer Staffing

Autism Learning Session

Getting Help with Childcare Costs

In-Person Play Training

Jim Taylor Knows Autism - Session 2

Building Resilience Event

Online Membership Catch-up

Support to Pay for Childcare

SOSCN Conference 2024

Induction Training

Managing Distressed Behaviour with Trauma Informed Practice

Quality Improvement Framework for Early Learning and Childcare Sectors

OSC Practice during COVID

Networking Opportunity

What it Takes

Teaching Stem in OSC

Seeing the Whole Child

Shaping the Framework

Seeing the Potential

SOSCN Regional Events

Celebrating Out of School Care

Staying Out

Activity and Wellbeing 29/11/2022

Networking Meetings

Networking Meetings - May and June 2021

Back to Basics

Delivering a Playful and Active Summer 2021

Scottish Government School Age Childcare Update

Care Inspectorate Update and 'Q and A' Session

SOSCN Members Online Network Meetings - October

Back to basics- financial planning in OSC

Not just a dream

more

Professional Development Book Club

Play Training

Looking back at the past 30+ years of SOSCN - Membership Online Catch-Up

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Practice Focus

2025

April

Safe Staffing

February

Outdoor Play in Winter

January

Quality Assurance

2024

November

Service Environment

October

Experiences for Older Children

September

Communication and Engagement with Parents and Carers

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OSC A to Z

A - B

Accessibility

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Ch - Co

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Getting it Right

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About SOSCN

The Scottish Out of School Care Network is a Scottish registered charity, established in 1991 and is the national infrastructure umbrella organisation providing support, mentoring, training, information and resources to the nearly 1,000 school-aged childcare services in Scotland, which provide childcare, play and learning to over 50,000 children.

All of our work is underpinned by a commitment to supporting and promoting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), in particular Articles 31; the right to culture leisure, rest and play; Article 12, the right to consultation and Article 18; states parties to develop appropriate services to support families, including assistance with childcare for working parents. We also have a particular focus on children in need or on poverty (Article 22) and support the provision of care for children with disabilities (article 23).

We are also committed to promoting and delivering the outcomes of Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) and the Playwork Principles. We also engage strategically at national and local levels to assist in the development and delivery of policies relating to childcare, children's rights and family support.

Information for Services

information

Business Support

It is vital that in addition to expert childcare knowledge, services need to have good business knowledge

information

Financial Support to Parents

Understanding Financial Support to Parents to Pay for Childcare

information

Essential Guidance For School Age Childcare Services

Documents and guidance most relevance currently to registered school age childcare services

home

Practice Focus

Regular information focusing on areas of best practice within the school age childcare, out of school care and playwork sector

BLOG

2023

June

Limited or Lack of Local School Age Childcare

Irene Audain MBE

14/06/2023

March

SOSCN's letter to First Minister Candidates

Irene Audain MBE

01/03/2023

January

Children's safeguarding at risk in unregulated out of school settings in England

Irene Audain MBE

09/01/2023

2022

December

Staying Safe and Professional Online as a Social Care Worker

Andrew Shoolbread

07/12/2022

November

Reconnecting - to care for others you need to care for yourself

Andrew Shoolbread

18/11/2022

Access to Childcare Fund - The Learning So Far

soscn

Andrew Shoolbread

14/11/2022

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Newsletters

2025

July

Jul 2025

09/07/2025

soscn-newsletter-jul-2025.pdf

4 MB

April

Apr 2024

15/04/2025

soscn-newsletter-apr-2025.pdf

2 MB

2024

December

Dec 2024

02/12/2024

soscn-newsletter-dec-2024.pdf

5 MB

June

Jun 2024

17/06/2024

soscn-newsletter-jun-2024.pdf

7 MB

March

Mar 2024

26/03/2024

soscn-newsletter-mar-2024.pdf

8 MB

2023

December

Dec 2023

01/12/2023

soscn-newsletter-dec-2023.pdf

6 MB

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Reports

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Training

GIRFEC and SHANARRI

Physical activity training

Heartstart training

More training

What is School Age Childcare?

Daycare of children is defined by the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 as a service that provides care for children on non-domestic premises for a total of more than two hours a day and on at least six days per year.

The school age care childcare sector is the largest provider of play, care, and informal learning opportunities for school-aged children. There are nearly 1000 registered school age childcare services in Scotland, 588 breakfast clubs and 482 holiday services. More than 50,000 children of school age are registered in childcare. (Care Inspectorate, 2021).