http://freeonlinesurveys.com/s/QMtJZfhs

To ensure that SOSCN accurately represents Scotland's out of school care sector at a national level when meeting with government, registration and regulatory body representatives it is vital that we have current and accurate data relating to the sector. It is has been highlighted by yourselves and also by Professor Siraj in her "Review of the Scottish Early Learning and Childcare Workforce and Out of School Care Workforce" that there is a lack of academic research on out of school care at present; this means we have to start creating our own and this requires everyone's participation.

We have noticed in recent years that participation in the workforce survey has decreased so this year we are hoping that you, and all your staff, will complete the survey so we create a true representation of the workforce in 2016. Furthermore, this year for the first time, a similar workforce survey will be conducted with our colleagues in Australia so we can publish a comparative study between Scotland and Australia. However, this can only happen if we receive a good number of responses.

We have also streamlined the survey questions, survey themes include: your job satisfaction; pay; training and qualifications; as well as your professional registration.

All questions are voluntary, and submitted responses can opt into a prize draw: 1st place of £60, and 2nd place of £40.

The survey can be accessed by clicking this link: http://freeonlinesurveys.com/s/QMtJZfhs

If you would rather complete paper copies of the survey to return by post, these can be accessed here: www.soscn.org/downloads/workforce-survey.pdf. If completing paper versions of the survey, these should be sent to SOSCN, Level 2, 100 Wellington Street, Glasgow G2 6DH.

Deadline for completed surveys: Friday 25th November 2016

NB Please do not complete the online survey and return a paper copy- you should do one or the other, not both.

Please also encourage colleagues in other services to undertake this survey- the greater the participation, the better the data.

Thank you for your support!

National policy for OSC - Upcoming information and consultation events

We are working behind the scenes on a draft policy for OSC and as part of this we have prepared a plan to gather research and case studies of innovative OSC services of different kinds. As part of these case studies we shall also be consulting children and parents. What do you do that is innovative? Let us know.

FREE SOSCN Member Consultation Events

"Raising the profile of out of school care- locally & nationally"

We are holding four FREE member events around the country (Nov – Feb) where we shall share new national policies, strategies and resources and how these relate to out of school care practice.

We shall also be consulting you on your ideas as to how the sector can raise the profile of out of school care at local and national levels. We have our own ideas and strategies but we need to hear yours: as a sector we need to work together to ensure that out of school care does not drop from the political agenda.

Come along and have your say – we hope to see you there.

Events will be held in the morning: 10am - 1pm

• Aberdeen - 22/11/2016 - Jurys Inn, Central Aberdeen
• Glasgow - 13/12/2016 - The Grand Central Hotel, Central Glasgow
• Edinburgh - 07/02/2017 - COSLA Offices, Haymarket
• Dundee - 21/02/2017 - Apex Hotel, Central Dundee

Further information about the events will be forthcoming, in the meantime here are the dates and a booking form: BOOKING FORM

Do you need a new website?

In response to demand from services, SOSCN is offering a basic website build package deal for Out of School Care Services. The amenity is tailored for you, keeping it simple, as a place to help market your service.

It includes, e.g.:
contact details; location map; opening times; and space to post news, advertise vacancies and jobs, including recruitment packs, newsletters and annual reports where applicable. It can be linked to your twitter and facebook (if you have them or we can help you set them up) as part of your overall social media coverage.

You will have your own domain name - for example: www.yourOSCname.co.uk - and a simple, basic content management system for you to keep your website up to date. More complex designs can also be considered.

Services with existing websites which need updating may also be interested.

Prices range from £400 to £600 plus expenses where applicable, more complex websites might cost more.

This package deal is available to any SOSCN member in Scotland as it is possible to develop this via online and phone contact only.

For a chat and more information about this website package contact finlay@soscn.org.

Getting it Right in OSC

Earlier this year SOSCN held a national event in Edinburgh looking at Getting it Right in Out of School Care. There were presentations from Ronnie Hill, GIRFEC Implementation Advisor, 3rd Sector Lead, Scottish Government; Catherine Agnew, Chief Inspector Children’s Services - scrutiny and assurance; and Vivien Struthers, Chairperson, and Tracey Bellany, Group Manager, from the Edinburgh & Lothians Out of School Care Network (ELOSCN).

Delegates heard presentations and also took part in a discussion session talking through how to respond to scenarios that might be encountered in the out of school care setting and whether these issues were child protection issues, family issues, something that GIRFEC and the named person approach could help with, or perhaps a combination thereof. Delegates were also updated on new Care Inspectorate inspection methodologies and their new proportionate and targeted regulation. Moreover, there was a Ministerial Address from Mark McDonald, Minister for Childcare and Early Years who gave an overview of the Government's commitment to childcare and children's rights and GIRFEC, as well as treating us to a few personal stories reflecting on his experiences that have shaped how he feels about the rights of children and young people today. It happened to be Mark McDonald's birthday on the day of the event so we thought we would present the Minister with a small birthday cake to say thanks for his contribution to the event.

Overall, it was a greatly enjoyable day with very positive feedback from delegates, many of whom reported learning new and useful pieces of information. Thanks to all the presenters and delegates for coming and making it such a positive event.

Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) - Named Person and Information Sharing Update

Following a legal challenge to the Named Person element of GIRFEC, the UK Supreme Court's judgment ruled that changes are required to the information-sharing provisions of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act to make those provisions compatible with Article 8 of the ECHR.

In response to this, Deputy First Minister, John Swinney has said that the government is still committed to delivering the Named Person scheme however this will now be delayed until August 2017. In the meantime the government will participate in an engagement process about the Named Person with the wider public until mid-November and will also review the information-sharing provisions of the act. SOSCN attended a meeting at the end of September as part of this process.

Whilst we wait for renewed guidance on information sharing, both the Scottish Government and the Information Commissioner's Offices are saying that currently information should only be shared on a consensual basis unless there is a child protection issue:

Scottish Government's advice on information sharing

The following information has been taken from the Scottish Government website:

“Appropriate sharing of relevant information is a vital part of the early intervention approach that is at the heart of GIRFEC. Sharing the right information at the right time improves outcomes for children, young people and their families and can help prevent concerns growing into problems.”

“The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act provides that information should be shared between services and the Named Person if it is likely to be relevant to promote, support or safeguard the wellbeing of the child. Information to be shared should be discussed with child and family unless there is a specific reason not to i.e. a child protection concern.”

"Current data protection principles and privacy laws already permit information sharing when it is necessary to prevent or address a risk to wellbeing. These laws apply to all existing information management and data processing by public bodies and those who provide services on their behalf." (http://www.gov.scot/Topics/People/Young-People/gettingitright/information-sharing, accessed 10th October 2016)

New statement from Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) about the Named Person scheme

The ICO has released a new statement on the Named Person and information sharing in light of the Supreme Court ruling. This new statement is now nearly 3 pages long and fairly dense in terms of referring to various aspects of legislation and as such does not provide great clarity, however in the concluding paragraphs it states:

“...(the) over-riding the duty of confidentiality owed by GIRFEC partners to children and young people by sharing their personal data without their consent should only occur where such sharing may be carried out on the basis of an appropriate condition for fair and lawful processing under Schedule 2 (and for sensitive personal data, under Schedule 3) of the Data Protection Act. The failure to identify appropriate conditions for such sharing may amount to a breach of the DPA as well as a breach of the Article 8 rights of the individual.

The sharing of personal data without the consent of the individual is likely to take place only in very particular and clearly justified circumstances rather than as common practice. It should be exceptional for this to take place for sensitive personal data of children.”

Read in full the new statement from the ICO regards the named person:
https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/news-and-events/news-and-blogs/2016/09/ico-statement-on-named-person-scheme/

Please note:

We would advise all out of school care services to contact the relevant individual within their local authorities to find out about the local situation with regards to information sharing.

Services should still embed the SHANARRI wellbeing principles in their daily practice and gathering of outcome-focused evidence- the Supreme Court ruling does not affect in anyway the use of these principles, only the information sharing aspect of GIRFEC.

SOSCN shall share knowledge as and when we gain further information about developments to the Named Person and information sharing.

Wellbeing in Practice - What Does This Mean? - Free Training

Wellbeing and the associated SHANARRI (safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, respected, responsible, included) indicators are central to the Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) approach and also Care Inspectorate inspections.

Aims of the training session:

By the end of the session participants will have a clear understanding of what wellbeing is and how they can achieve better outcomes for the children in their care using reflexive practice based upon the SHANARRI wellbeing indicators.

Course descriptor:

This training session will look at how to successfully implement the SHANARRI wellbeing indicators within daily out of school care practice, and how to evidence this, including the creation of children’s personal development plans. We shall look at each wellbeing indicator and what this means in terms of developing good practice, how this relates to the UNCRC and also signpost to additional resources.

PLEASE NOTE: This takes elements from our previous GIRFEC course however the SHANARRI discussion in relation to practice is expanded and includes new material. If you have previously undertaken out GIRFEC training this session will provide you with a reminder but additionally provide you with new materials and suggestions.

Practical Information:

The sessions last 2 – 2 ½ hours and are suitable for a maximum of 20 participants and a minimum of 5 services. Please note that this training is not designed to train whole (or nearly entire) staff teams unless the service operates a minimum of 5 services. SOSCN can deliver the training for free but interested individuals will need to organise the venue and bookings for other services. This is ideal for local out of school care networks or groups of local out of school care services which would like to undertake collective training.

How to book:

If you are interested in having the Wellbeing in Practice training session delivered locally then please email: training@soscn.org or telephone: 0141 564 1284.

Physical Activity and Wellbeing Training

The Scottish out of School Care Network is currently offering FREE Physical Activity training sessions to out of school care services. This training looks at barriers to physical activity, how these can be overcome and the importance of being active for supporting the healthy development of children.

Services attending will receive copies of the British Heart Foundation Active Pack and shown the electronic version of the Set4Sport resource which can be used actively in your service via phone, iPod Etc.; both resources have been designed to be delivered with limited equipment and no prior knowledge or expertise in delivering physically activity. The trainer will support participants by talking them through the packs and demonstrating some of the activities (second hour)

The training sessions are designed to be delivered to clusters of out of school care services: local networks, local forums or services with multiple sites and is targeting approximately 2 members of staff from each service, this can still be done. We are looking for services who are interested in receiving the training to get in touch with other local services to arrange a suitable venue, participants numbers (of no less than 10 and no more than 20 per session) and some potential dates.

The training will last for a total of 2 hours and will consist of an hour long information session covering many topics such as, the Wellbeing Wheel (specifically related to services), benefits of physical activity (children & adults), books and physically activity resources (British Heart Foundation & Set 4 Sport). A practical workshop will then take place involving physical activity participation of moderate intensity. The venue therefore must be able to accommodate for this. Participants do not need any prior experience or skills and the activities are suitable for different ages and levels of fitness and all equipment will be supplied. Participants are advised to wear suitable footwear for the session.

Please note that if you are organising the training it is your responsibility to book the venue and arrange the participant numbers. (Min 10 – Max 20)

Participants will receive a certificate in recognition of successfully taking part in the Physical Activity and Play Training.

How to book:

If you are interested in having the physical activity training session delivered locally (single service or multiple services) then please contact Greig Cavanagh
via email: greig.cavanagh@soscn.org
or by phone: 0141 564 1284.
There are currently dates available and bookings will be made on a first come first served basis.

Free online taining courses from Future Learn

futurelearn.com have a number of training resources available that you can access for free. Many of these will be useful in childcare settings. Here is a list of courses starting soon that may be of interest. Keep a look out for interesting courses starting in future.

• Starts 21st Nov: Urgent Care Childcare - https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/urgent-care-children - Learn to recognise and treat the commonest medical and trauma conditions affecting children with this short, free online course.
• Starts 31st Oct: Compassionate Care - https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/compassionate-care - This free online course will explore the impact of compassionate care, for both practitioners and users of health and social care.
• Starts 17th Oct: Childhood In The Digital Age - https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/childhood-in-the-digital-age - Delve into the lives of children and discuss the potential benefits and limitations of technology in their lives.

New National Minimum Wage

The National Minimum Wage rates changed on 1st October 2016.

New Rates:

• Year
• 25 and over
• 21 to 24
• 18 to 20
• Under 18
• Apprentice

• From October 2016
• £7.20
• £6.95
• £5.55
• £4.00
• £3.40

You can find out more about the Minimum Wage, and also at the ACAS website:
http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1902

Education Governance Review - Open Consultation Events

The education Governance Review offers an opportunity to build on the best of Scottish education and to take part in a positive and open debate. The review specifically asks questions about responsibilities and functions at every level of our education system (from early years through to secondary schools) and how these can be improved to ensure Scottish education is world class for all our children and young people. It also asks about how funding for education can be made fairer through the development of a needs based funding formula for schools.

The Scottish Government are keen to hear views from children and young people, parents, teachers, practitioners and the wider community - they have a number of open events across the country, most of which will be attended and chaired by a Minister, which you can book online now at http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Education/thegovernancereview

I would encourage all out of school care services to respond to this consultation and send a rep to the events - any help you can give in giving parents and children's views will be appreciated. For all, please ensure the role of out of school care in your community and for your school is well highlighted. Thank you, Irene Audain, SOSCN Chief Executive

Achieving Quality Scotland Update

This summer we were delighted to award Mount Florida Out of School Project a GOLD level for their AQS award. Mount Florida had worked incredibly hard at collecting the evidence for their portfolio and across the award, work was of a high standard. Children's rights, GIRFEC and partnership work with the school and other agencies were of particular merit and strong indicators of quality. Congratulations for all the hard work.

There are now 112 services registered from 15 local authorities and thanks must go to Glasgow City Council for investing in 29 Glasgow services/sites through covering the costs of their AQS journey. SOSCN held an introductory meeting with Glasgow services where it was clear there is enthusiasm to take this forward. GCC investment in this was announced at the very successful OSC conference and we are pleased to hear that there will be another OSC conference next year.

Summer Holiday Fun

Here are some great photos from this summer. Featured below are Stoneyhill After School Club in Musselburgh having their Olympic Games Day, and Dunard After School Care in Glasgow on their trip to Gleniffer Braes Country Park.

Recent relevant government reports

Please see links below for government research reports:

• Children, Young People & Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning & Empowering Communities’ Fund Evaluation: Baseline Report - Research Findings
• Evaluation of the Children, Young People & Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning & Empowering Communities’ Fund Evaluation – Baseline Report
• Cost of Early Learning and Childcare Provision in Partner Provider Settings
• Financial review of early learning and childcare in Scotland: the current landscape

Recommended Reading

Inspiring Scotland have just published this comprehensive toolkit about delivering loose parts play in OSC, other early years settings and schools.

This guide covers everything you need to know about providing loose parts for more creative play experiences for children.

Download the toolkit here.

Great Outdoors - New resource to encourage outdoor play from the Care Inspectorate

The Care Inspectorate have produced a new good practice resource to encourage services to explore the benefits of outdoor play for children; 'My world outdoors'.

The resource contains stories and provides ideas for childcare service to make the most of the natural environment. This resource is aimed at both rural and urban based services so will be useful for everyone.

You can access the resource at hub.careinspectorate.com