Elected Member Briefing - Summer Holiday Food, Childcare and Activities Update

About this briefing note

Report by: Bernadette Martin-Scott, Service Manager Early Years and Childcare

Date: 5 August 2022

Subject: Update on summer holiday food, childcare and activities

Responsible Officer: Susan Johnstone, Team Leader Early Years and Primary

Publication

This Briefing Note has been published on the Council's website following circulation to Councillors. Its contents may be disclosed or shared outwith the Council. 

Details

Purpose

The purpose of this Briefing Note is to update Elected Members on the 2022 Summer Holiday Programme offering activities, food and childcare targeted to children aged 5 to 14 years old from families in need around Perth and Kinross. A full report will be issued later in the year. 

Briefing information

Over 45 services have delivered a range of free summer holiday activity programmes across Perth and Kinross.
 
These programmes have given children from low-income families the opportunity to play, socialise, get active and access a range of activities that broaden their experiences, supplement their learning and deliver positive outcomes, integrating food into the activities. 
 
Funding has come from our share of Scottish Government funding for these activities (£242,363 for Summer 2022) in addition to our own investment to support families experiencing food insecurity during school holiday periods through the "Fuelled for Fun" project.  

A further £104,000 was agreed by the Council in ongoing support for these efforts during the October 2022, Christmas 2022-23 and Easter 2023 school holidays.  
 
Education and Children's Services has also made available £35,000 to assist local youth groups around Perth and Kinross to provide a range of activities such as swimming, cooking, outdoor sports etc.  

With just over a week of the holidays left to go, these are some of the programmes that have taken place, with lots still going on:

• Forest Kindergarten Sessions, have been organised and delivered by the Childcare Strategy Team, Play Practitioners.  This has involved over 170 school aged children identified by the school staff from Our Lady's, St John's, Balhousie, Inch View and Tulloch attending a weekly play session.  Initially weeks 1 and 2 took place in the playground, then off to Kinnoull Hill to take part in Forest Kindergarten activities: den building, making shelters, exploring the natural environment, storytelling, team games, fire pits and cooking (paella, pizza, fruit, vegetables and marshmallows). 
• The final week beginning 8 August each group of children are off on a trip to Tentsmuir Beach and Woodland. 
• Kids Clubs and Wraparound Care, running in Blairgowrie, Milnathort, Oakbank, St Dominic's, Luncarty and Pitlochry (open three weeks) have been offering two free places each day of the summer holidays for families identified by the school as living in poverty.  These families have been accessing the service as part of the universal provision taking part in the planned programme of activities and receiving a lunch. 
• Family Learning Sessions, have been delivered by the Parenting and Family Learning Team in partnership with the Early Years Family Learning Practitioners across Perth and Kinross. 48 session have been delivered with the final four being delivered over the remainder of this week and week beginning the 8th August. There have been over 450 attendances (parent/carers & children) at these sessions. The sessions have included a range of sports, arts & crafts, den building, buggy walks, scavenger hunts and cooking. A free packed lunch has been given to all families attending the sessions.
• Men and Children Matter (MCM) MCM is a constituted group that promotes and supports the involvement of men in learning activities with their children.  Activities offered by Men and Children Matter are open to the 'main man' in any child's life including fathers, step dads, uncles and Grandads, so that positive male role models are promoted regardless of the makeup of the family.  This also promotes and strengthens positive attachment.  MCM provide a range of physical activities focussing on health promotion.  Activities have included blocks of sessions of Paddleboarding, a Saturday trip to Landmark and 2 x football session during the summer holidays. All of the activities are free or low cost attend, funding has been sourced from CIF and FHIP. 
• Community Connectors is a constituted group that promotes and supports families in North Perth, providing a range of opportunities for adult and family learning. Over the summer holidays Community Connectors have arranged five day trips for families including Blair Drummond, Briarlands Farm, Almond Valley, Camperdown and Lochore Meadows. Trips are free for families to attend and lunch is provided to those that request it. Over the first four trips 274 parents/carers and children have enjoyed the day trips with the final trip on Thursday 4 August.
• Live Active Leisure Football Camps have delivered in different venues each week Perth, Blairgowrie, Crieff and Aberfeldy through the holidays. It is a universal service with free places allocated to children through local Primary Schools and the Parenting and Family Learning Team.  The week beginning 1 - 5 August the camp is running at Strathearn Community Campus and 8 - 12 August is the Perth Camp on the North Inch from 10am - 3pm, 24 children have been allocated a free place with lunch provided. 

Groups will be submitting their evaluation, with a report being collated at the end of August.