Information

Families

Events

Previous events

Safer Staffing

Getting Help with Childcare Costs

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

Not just a dream

Autism Learning Session

COVID-19 Inquiry Discussion

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

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

more

Managing Distressed Behaviour with Trauma Informed Practice

Quality Improvement Framework for Early Learning and Childcare Sectors

Professional Development Book Club

more

Quality Assurance

Policy

SOSCN

OSC A to Z

Training

BLOG

Membership

Library

News

Shop

Online Learning

more

Soscn home

Useful Guides

Practice Focus

2024

November

Service Environment

October

Experiences for Older Children

September

Communication and Engagement with Parents and Carers

May

Snack Time

22/05/2024

practice-focus-snack-time-may-24.pdf

1 MB

April

Health and Safety

17/04/2024

practice-focus-health-and-safety-apr-24.pdf

1 MB

February

Medication Management

05/02/2024

practice-focus-medication-management-feb-24.pdf

2 MB

more

OSC A to Z

A - B

Accessibility

Accidents and emergencies

Additional support needs

Allergies

Anti-bullying

Attainment

Behaviour rules

Ch - Co

Childcare tax credits

Childcare vouchers

Child protection

Children's charter

Children's participation - UNCRC

Codes of conduct

Consent

Co - G

Contracts, costs, fees and cancellations

Creativity

Data Protection

Equality and diversity

First-Aid Training

Food choices

Getting it Right

H - J

Health and safety and insurance

Homework

Illness, infection and medication

Induction

Introduction

Jargon Buster

Just A...

K - Pa

Kids' Club

Learning

Lone Parents

Moving and Handling

Nature

Outdoor Play

Parental rights and involvement

Pe - T

Personal Plans

Play

Play and risk

Quality in OSC

Risk and Challenge

Social media and mobile phones

Trips and outings

U - Z

United Nations

Volunteers

Workforce

X-Boxes and Screens

Young Adults

Zero Tolerance

Start up guide

Introduction

Process

Setting up

Interest

Research

Premises

Policies

Business

Marketing

Quality

News

SAC Jobs

soscn homepage

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

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

information

Business Support

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

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

more

Newsletters

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

June

June 2023

21/06/2023

soscn-newsletter-jun-2023.pdf

4 MB

May

May 2023

17/05/2023

more

Reports

Consultations

Training

GIRFEC and SHANARRI

Physical activity training

Heartstart training

More training

Resilience and ACEs

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).