Childcare Sufficiency

Ci Research is committed to supporting local authority staff in enabling parents to access affordable and quality childcare. We believe our experience of working with third sector and private sector organisations provides a unique set of values, skills and expertise to support clients in delivering sufficient childcare in their local area.

The Childcare Act 2006 provided the legislative framework for Local Authorities to act as strategic leaders in the provision of local childcare. Within the Act, duty six placed an obligation on local authorities to ensure sufficient childcare for parents who are either working, are thinking of returning to work, or who are engaged in training. To support the development of sufficient childcare, the Act also included a duty to assess the current levels of childcare provision, including the supply of childcare compared to the demand from parents and to set this within the wider context of a local area in order to identify any gaps in availability and affordability.

To deliver these sufficiency assessments, the Childcare Act 2006 placed a legal duty on Local Authorities to carry out an audit of childcare provision at least every three years. Local authorities carried out their first assessments in 2008, and their next assessment is due by April 2011.

Ci Research has delivered a wide range of studies involving consultations with parents and providers of childcare and conducting comprehensive analysis and reporting of childcare supply and demand data in order to inform Local Authorities where to focus their planned childcare requirements in order to meet parental needs. Ci Research has delivered childcare sufficiency assessments for Bedfordshire County Council (2009), Peterborough City Council (2009), Wokingham Borough Council (2008), Stoke-On-Trent City Council (2007), and Hertfordshire County Council (2007).

We have a number of cutting edge resources and tools, such as bespoke analysis packages, state of the art CATI facilities, and online survey and panel management software which allows us to use a range of methods to engage with parents and providers, depending on what is most appropriate. Our software allows us to develop secure on-line portals for clients to monitor fieldwork progress and disseminate survey results in real time. This enables us to ensure that the survey has been completed by the correct audience and that the results will provide meaningful information and actionable insights.

We regularly work to tight deadlines for our clients, and have a full appreciation of the delivery schedules when undertaking childcare sufficiency assessment. We have established quality assurance procedures in place and have gained accreditation to IS0 20252, the quality assurance management standard for the market research industry.

All project members of Ci Research have enhanced CRB checks and therefore we can offer a sufficient pool of resources to work on projects dealing with sensitive subjects such as the whereabouts of children.

The following diagram illustrates the key components of Ci Research’s proposed methodology for securing sufficiency in accordance with guidance recommended by DCSF.

For more information on what Ci Research can offer please contact Katie Waterhouse or Anna Davydova Nicholls:

By email: k.waterhouse@ci-research.com or anna.nicholls@ci-research.com

By phone: 01625 628000

By post: Ci Research Ltd, First Floor, Alderley House, Alderley Road, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 1AT