SECTION K - INTEGRATION
This chapter considers how services in Bristol are being and could be developed further in order to achieve fuller integration of child care and education. Inevitably issues raised here overlap considerably with those raised when considering affordable child care - Section L. These two sections are therefore inextricably linked and should be read together. For the purposes of this report the Bristol Partnership has assumed the definition of integration of child care and education to include ways in which day care needs identified under the 1989 Children Act can be met in provision which also meets educational needs and may be provided universally.
Current Arrangemen ts
Although there are examples of networks across sectors in Bristol no provision is currently integrated across sectors. Many providers in the private and voluntary sector meet childrens day care and educational needs in one setting for an extended day over a full calendar year. The promotion of the Bristol Standard across all settings is designed to ensure high quality standards in both care and education are achieved across all providers. In addition there are a number of multi-service settings in the voluntary sector which provide a range of different services, some of which facilitate parents/carers access to training. (e.g. Barton Hill Settlement, Easton Christian Family Centre). In particular such centres often offer a range of education projects with creche facilities.
The Local Authority is a major provider of early years education and day care for children in need. At present most educational provision is organised around the traditional school day (although a number of full time places are provided). (Out of School Clubs are examined in Section L Affordable Child Care). Social Services emphasis on children in need tends to exclude placement for working/training parents/carers. The Local Authority has already recognised a need to work towards increased integration of child care and education in its own nursery provision. It has issued a draft vision for Early Years which promotes, integrated, non-stigmatising services and the creation of a number of Early Years Centres.
Current Local Authority Projects
1. Integration of Hartcliffe Nursery School and Day Nurser y
 | plans are well advanced with integrating these two services to provide an Early Years Centre from 0 - 5 years, open all year round with an extended day ; |
| new job descriptions and management structure are currently being consulted upon, the service will be managed by Education but still provide a service to children in need. |
2. Re-development of services from Coronation Road Day Nursery
| This is a large Social Services day nursery in the South part of the city. The nursery has been reviewed and approval given for its closure and replacement with two smaller units on two school sites. These developments will create a more locally accessible service and give the opportunity to develop an integrated early years service on a school site. This project is in its infancy and further detailed planning and consultation will be necessary to ensure the new services meet local needs. |
Issues
| Social Services only now funding places for Children in Need. Education places not organised specifically to meet the needs of working/training parents/carers. |
| Services are still arranged in ways so that children move between settings quickly in their early years e.g. from childminder ! day nursery ! nursery school ! infant school. Children in Need may be most likely to experience these changes. |
| Providers often have few links with other settings in their local areas and therefore cannot plan to avoid duplication and complement each other - this applies to all sectors. |
| Education based provision is still based around traditional school day hours (or part time 22 hours) and facilities are often not available for before and after school care. |
| Full-time nursery school/class places are not uniformly available across the city and this inevitably impacts on parents= ability to work/train. |
| Integrating provision has large implications for the shape of Social Services and Education provision - it will not be simple to bring services together and it will be important not to lose aspects of good practice in the process. |
| Children in Need will benefit from integrated provision by not being stigmatised and having experiences with groups of children with a wide range of abilities and backgrounds. This should include young children placed with foster carers, who need to be actively involved in packages of support. |
| There are no current plans to integrate services involving the private or voluntary sector in Bristol but there is no reason why partnerships should not be set up e.g. private or voluntary sector day nursery on a school site. There are a few secondary schools with day nurseries on site and more developments planned. |
| Different communities and areas have differing needs and one model of integration cannot be applied across the city. |
| Despite a large volume of provision it is not always possible for parents to achieve a package of care and education which meets their childrens needs and their own. |
| All sectors need to plan more flexibly and reconsider working practices if individual needs are to be met. |
| Services for Children in Need should be provided in non-stigmatising settings either through use of sponsored day care scheme or integration of Social Services nurseries with Education. |
| Partnerships between the Local Authority, voluntary and private sectors need to be developed although there is much informal networking. |
| The differing needs of localities within the city need to be recognised and reflected when planning for more integrated provision - different models may emerge in different areas. |
| The development of local provider networks will promote a more co-ordinated service for children and families and may ultimately lead to partnerships. |
| DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS : K . INTEGRATION | ||||
| OVERALL AIM: To promote the integration of childcare & education in all settings in order to provide a more flexible service as well as developing services for Children in Need (1989 Children Act) in non stigmatising settings. | ||||
| Specific Objectives | Task | Lead Responsibility | Timescale | Resource Implications |
1) Bristol City Council to consider developing an integrated early years service across the city. |
i) Lead departments - Education and Social Services to develop specific proposals and undertake a consultation exercise | Education/Social Services | Year 1 | Within existing resources |
| 2) Bristol City Council to create more flexible, integrated services using existing resources within its own provision | i) Education/Social Services
to undertake a feasibility study into developing an Early Years Centre which offers some
places to working/training parents through a charging policy ii) Implementation of above |
Social Services/Education
Social Services/Education |
Year 1
Years 2 - 3 |
Within existing resources Possible capital expenditure |
| 3) To co-ordinate different services/networks in order to provide | i) Partnership to promote
development of childminder networks into settings
|
All providers/Fourways Childminding Association | Ongoing Years 1, 2, and 3 | Within existing resources |
Forward A:Introduction B:Background C:Early Years in Bristol D:The Partnership & Consultation E:Audit of Need & Provision F: Quality & Inspection G: Curriculum & role of Qualified Teachers H: Training & Staff Development I: Family Support/ Parent Involvement & Under 3's J: SEN K: Integration L: Affordable Childcare M: Information Services Conclusions Annexes Executive Summary/Action Plan Supplementary Info