Early learning and childcare (ELC): provision for 1 and 2 year olds in Scotland

Appendix 2: Primary research materials (Phase 2)

Care Inspectorate discussion guide

1. Can you tell me a bit about the Care Inspectorate and the role that you have, specifically in relation to Early Learning and Childcare provision?

Current provision for 1- and 2-year-olds

Good practice

2. In terms of the existing provision for 1- and 2-year-olds in your local authority, can you think of any specific provision models that work particularly well for this age group and their families?

3. Prompt: Are there specific types of provision that seem more popular among 1- and 2-year-olds and their families?

4. Prompt: Are you aware of any provision that works particularly well for children that have ASN?

5. From your experience, is there anything that works particularly well for providers and/or members of staff when providing ELC for 1- and 2-year-olds?

6. Overall, are there any changes or additions to the provision models that exist in your local authority that you would recommend to better support this age group?

Demand

7. Do you feel that there is a good understanding within the Care Inspectorate about the current supply and demand of ELC for 1- and 2-year-olds locally?

8. Now thinking more specifically about the current demand for ELC within your local authority, have you found that there is a mismatch between the available provision and the number of children seeking ELC?

9. Prompt: If there is such a mismatch, is this consistent across areas within your local authority? E.g., urban vs. rural areas; more or less affluent areas.

Gaps and challenges

10. Thinking about the current provision of ELC (incl. funded and not funded) in your local authority, what are the gaps in provision for 1- and 2-year-olds?

11. What are the main challenges with ELC provision for 1- and 2-year-olds in your local authority? Do these challenges contribute to the gaps in provision?

12. What are the main issues identified during inspections for providers that support this younger age group?

13. Prompt: What can be done to support providers to be better able to support 1- and 2-year-olds?

A new ELC offer for 1- and 2-year-olds

14. Are there any lessons learnt from the current 1,140 hours funded offer mainly delivered to 3- and 4-year-olds that you think should be taken into consideration when designing the new ELC offer for 1- and 2-year-olds?

15. What do you think is important to consider in the new offer based on existing successful provision for 1- and 2-year-olds in your Local Authority?

16. Are there any specific things to keep in mind when developing the new offer, to ensure that children with ASN are supported?

17. The Scottish Government has committed to expanding funded Early Learning and Childcare to all 1- and 2-year-olds, what are the key challenges that will be faced in the expansion of this offer?

18. Prompt: What are the key challenges providers will face in a further expansion of funded ELC?

19. Prompt: Are there any challenges that families will face in a further expansion of funded ELC?

20. Prompt: To your knowledge, are providers and families aware of the anticipated expansion to 1- and 2-year-olds?

Final thoughts

21. Do you have any other views or comments (that we haven't discussed already) about the proposed ELC offer for 1- and 2-year-olds?

Local Authority discussion guide

Current provision for 1- and 2-year-olds

Good practice

1. In terms of the existing provision for 1- and 2-year-olds in your local authority (LA), can you think of any specific provision models that work particularly well for this age group and their families?

2. Prompt: Are there specific types of provision that seem more popular among 1- and 2-year-olds and their families?

3. Prompt: Are you aware of any provision that works particularly well for children that have ASN?

4. From your experience, is there anything that works particularly well for providers and/or members of staff when providing ELC for 1- and 2-year-olds?

Demand

5. Do you feel that there is a good understanding within your LA about the current supply and demand of ELC for 1- and 2-year-olds?

6. Thinking about the general process of tracking demand, can you tell me about the steps that your LA takes to track demand for ELC? Is this different for funded, not funded and PVI provision?

7. Are there any challenges to tracking demand?

8. Can you think of anything that has worked well for your LA in terms of tracking demand? (E.g., something that you would recommend that other LAs implement.)

9. Now thinking more specifically about the current demand for ELC within your LA, have you found that there is a mismatch between the available provision and the number of children seeking ELC?

10. Prompt: If there is such a mismatch, is this consistent across areas within your LA? E.g., urban vs. rural areas; more or less affluent areas.

11. Prompt: Does the demand for ELC remain consistent throughout the year?

Gaps and challenges

12. Thinking about the current provision of ELC (incl. funded and not funded) in your LA, what are the gaps in provision for 1- and 2-year-olds? E.g.: different types or models of ELC; differences between rural and urban areas; differences between funded and not funded provision; differences between more and less affluent areas.

13. What are the main challenges with ELC provision for 1- and 2-year-olds in your LA? Do these challenges contribute to the gaps in provision?

A new ELC offer for 1- and 2-year-olds

14. Are there any lessons learnt from the current 1140 hours funded offer mainly delivered to 3- and 4-year-olds that you think should be taken into consideration when designing the new ELC offer for 1- and 2-year-olds?

15. Along with lessons learnt from the current funded offer, what do you think is important to consider in the new offer based on existing successful provision for 1- and 2-year-olds age in your LA?

16. Are there any specific things to keep in mind when developing the new offer, to ensure that children with ASN are supported?

17. The Scottish Government has committed to expanding funded Early Learning and Childcare to all 1- and 2-year-olds, what are the key challenges that your LA will face in the expansion of this offer?

18. Prompt: What are the key challenges providers will face in a further expansion of funded ELC?

19. Prompt: Are there any challenges that families will face in a further expansion of funded ELC?

20. Prompt: To your knowledge, are providers and families aware of the anticipated expansion to 1- and 2-year-olds? Has your LA had the opportunity to collect their views on this?

Final thoughts

21. To get a comprehensive view of the provision of ELC within your LA, we're also interested in speaking with a representative from either a third sector or partnership organisation (we're particularly interested in organisations that have a role in implementing good practice) as well as a CI Inspector that can speak on behalf of ELC provision within your LA. We are therefore wondering if you have any contacts you can share with us?

22. Do you have any other views or comments (that we haven't discussed already) about the proposed ELC offer for 1- and 2-year-olds?

Provider discussion guide

Current provision for 1- and 2-year-olds

Good practice

1. What type of provider is the organisation you are working for (third sector/local authority provider/private provider/other)? [Ask only if they haven't completed survey].

2. Can you tell me about the services that you provide for 1- and 2-year-olds and their families?

3. Prompt: Do you provide services for older children as well?

4. Prompt: How do families access these services?

5. Prompt: Do you provide services in a more rural or urban area?

6. Prompt: Do you support children that have additional support needs?

7. From your experience, are there any types of services (e.g., provision models) that work particularly well for children of this age group?

8. Do 1- and 2-year-old children have different needs when it comes to providing support compared to older children?

9. From your experience, is there anything that works particularly well for providers and/or members of staff when providing ELC for 1- and 2-year-olds?

Demand

10. How do the number of places that you have available for 1- and 2-year-olds compare to the number of children seeking a place?

11. Prompt: Does the demand remain consistent throughout the year?

Gaps and challenges

12. From your experience, what are the main challenges with providing ELC for 1- and 2-year-olds? Do these challenges contribute to the gaps in provision?

13. Are these challenges the same for older age groups?

A new ELC offer for 1- and 2-year-olds

14. Background information for interviewee: The Scottish Government has committed to expanding funded Early Learning and Childcare to all 1- and 2-year-olds. The following questions aim at gathering important considerations regarding the design of this expansion.

15. Are there any lessons learnt from the current 1140 hours funded offer mainly delivered to 3- and 4-year-olds that you think should be taken into consideration when designing the new ELC offer for 1- and 2-year-olds?

16. Based on any successful provision for 1- and 2-year-olds that you are aware of, what do you think is important to incorporate into the new offer?

17. Are there any specific considerations to keep in mind when developing the new offer, to ensure that children with ASN are also supported?

18. What are the key challenges that your organisation will face in the expansion of this offer?

19. Prompt: Are there any challenges that families will face in a further expansion of funded ELC?

20. Prompt: To your knowledge, are families aware of the anticipated expansion to 1- and 2-year-olds?

Final thoughts

21. Do you have any other views or comments (that we haven't discussed already) about the proposed ELC offer for 1- and 2-year-olds?

Provider survey

Current service provision

1. The following questions concern your organisation and the services you currently provide.

2. What type of provider are you?

a. Voluntary or not for profit

b. Local authority provider

c. Private provider

d. Other (please, specify)

3. Please let us know which local authority you provide services in. If your organisation provides services in multiple areas, please type the local authority you are personally working in.

4. Which of the following does your organisation provide? Please select all that apply.

a. Children and family centre

b. Childminding

c. Creche

d. Nursery

e. Playgroup

f. Out of school care

5. From the list below, please select all the groups that are able to access the services you selected above.

a. Children under the age of 1

b. 1-year-olds

c. 2-year-olds

d. Children aged 3 and over

6. Please describe any additional services to the ones listed in Question 4 that you provide to 1- and 2-year-olds and/or their families? (E.g., parent support programmes, community childminding services, parent and toddler groups etc.). Please tell us the name of the services and their main purpose.

Service provision for a new funded offer

7. The following questions relate to important considerations for the development of a new funded Early Learning and Childcare offer for 1- and 2-year-olds.

8. While the details of the new funded offer have not yet been specified, what do you anticipate would be the main challenges for your organisation to deliver funded Early Learning and Childcare for 1- and 2-year-olds? Please select all that apply. If there are additional challenges not listed, please describe these using the 'Other' option below.

a. Recruiting and retaining staff

b. Training and retraining staff

c. Lack of suitable infrastructure / spaces

d. Meeting Care Inspectorate registration criteria

e. Geographic barriers (e.g., poor transport links)

f. Cost of providing services is high

g. Insufficient funding from the local authority to cover the cost of providing services

h. Business sustainability if there is a reduced number of private places

i. Managing family expectations (e.g., if their child does not meet eligibility criteria)

j. Demand for services is lower than available places

k. Demand for services is higher than available places

l. Other [please specify].

9. Please consider again the challenges you selected in Question 7. Which of those are specific to the age group of interest (1- and 2-year-olds)? [Select all that apply, but please make sure you don't select any options that were left unselected in Question 7.]

a. Recruiting and retaining staff

b. Training and retraining staff

c. Lack of suitable infrastructure

d. Meeting Care Inspectorate criteria

e. Geographic limitations (e.g., poor transport links)

f. Cost of providing services is high

g. Insufficient funding from LA to cover the cost to provide services

h. Business sustainability if there is a reduced number of private places

i. Managing family expectations (e.g., if their child does not meet eligibility criteria)

j. Demand for services is lower than available places

k. Demand for services is higher than available places

l. Other [please specify].

10. Which of the following do you think the new funded offer for 1- and 2-year-olds should incorporate to meet the needs of this younger age group? Please select all that apply. If you have additional suggestions to the ones listed below, please specify which ones using the 'Other' option below.

a. Parenting support programmes

b. Parental engagement and family learning programmes (e.g., Stay and Play; Parents as Early Education Partners (PEEP))

c. Cognitive and emotional development support programmes

d. Tailored support for children with ASN

e. Smaller classes or groups of children

f. Smaller physical spaces (e.g., smaller rooms)

g. Different physical spaces (other than size of space)

h. Other [please specify].

11. As part of our research, we will also be conducting interviews with a number of providers to understand in more detail challenges and best practice of ELC provision in Scotland. This is an opportunity for providers to share their views, which, together with other findings, will feed into policy development. Interviews are expected to take place between mid-May and mid-June 2023, remotely on the MS Teams platform, and we anticipate each interview lasting up to 1 hour.

If you would be willing to take part in an interview, please provide your contact details below. Please note that your information will only be used to contact you in case you are selected for an interview. Your name, your job title, the name of your organisation (if applicable), and email address will not be associated with your answers.