Teddies Nurseries

1. Carole Edmond MD, Teddies Nurseries Major Providers’ Group Teddies Nurseries

2. Who are part of the major providers’ group? • The ‘major provider forum’ initially started in 2001 • Since beginning of 2007 working collaboratively with the Pre School Learning Alliance • Group now consists of 14 of the largest providers

3. Government Strategy – ‘Foundation for life’ • Ten year strategy –right vision and intent for children and families • Childcare on the political agenda as never before • Raising the bar on quality of childcare for families and improving outcomes for children

4. As PVI providers what we expect to see in a mixed economy • Genuine choice and flexibility for parents in accessing affordable and good quality childcare that is sustainable in every local community • Quality framework that focuses on the needs of all children Service Delivery through; • Effective childcare infrastructure and sustainable provision • Robust public –private partnerships • Stable and motivated workforce valued and rewarded for the role played in society • Engaging with families and employers to provide the right childcare solutions • Appropriate quality standards and robust regulation that is objective • Financially viable enterprises attracting ongoing and future investment

5. Is the PVI sector on a firm foundation or very shaky ground! • Less than 27% providers make a profit • Average vacancy level is 22.5%. National occupancy levels decreasing • Increasing capacity (children’s centres) when demand is slowing down • Cost of childcare for parents has increased by 30% • Still a poorly paid and undervalued sector • Limited examples of strong, effective and efficient public- private partnerships • The government appears to pay lip service to the real notion of a mixed economy

6. Risks for mixed economy • Supply led initiatives are government target driven rather than market led leading to over-capacity • Lack of level playing field with public sector including schools • Public-private partnerships need to improve • Insufficient investment to realise governments political vision and strategy For example; • Nursery Education Funding = Price control and a reduction in choice and flexibility for parents and lack of continuity of care for child • Good quality operators will be driven out of the sector as sustainability starts to bite • Financial investment will falter/slow down or even stop • Nationalisation by stealth?

7. Opportunities – for a Sustainable Mixed Economy Government needs to: • Decide if it truly wants a mixed economy • Act upon its own independent report recommendations, listen and properly consult with the PVI sector and other childcare experts • Utilise the existing universal capacity to help achieve targets for children’s centres and improve accessibility for all parents • Commissioning – recognise the enormity and difficulty of this task for LA’s. Provide support and proper guidance and consider standardised contracts • Free entitlement – truly understand the impact of the Code of Practice for the nursery education funding on the PVI sector. Make significant changes to the funding and the administration • Provide direct funding for all providers for major regulatory changes such as EYFS to ensure workforce development and parental awareness

8. Address these opportunities and…. The mixed economy of childcare will be: • Sustainable • Vibrant and flourishing • Able to develop a more stable, capable and motivated workforce • Attract greater levels of UK and international investment • Deliver the right support for all families and improved outcomes for all children