Councillors will vote on plans to move forward with new delivery models for our childcare facilities and our catering services to primary schools when they meet to set our budget for next year. The plans seek to deliver an improved nursery provision with a greater range of hours to local families, while also saving council taxpayers money.
Our Family Hubs offer a range of support and services to families, including nursery places that are currently used by 204 children across six sites.
We’ve been reviewing the evolving needs of families and looking at how we get the most effective use of council resources. This may include alternative providers who are able to provide an expanded childcare offer of at least 30 hours, which is something the current model is unable to provide. Our Family hubs will remain open to support children and families if an external provider takes over the nursery provision.
Alongside this, we’ve also been reviewing our Barnsley Schools Catering service, which provides school meals to about half of Barnsley’s primary schools. This may include schools using different providers or delivering catering services in-house.
Moving to alternative providers for both our school meals service and our nurseries will bring an end to the council subsidising the cost of these services, which will help us achieve a balanced budget as the pressure to provide day-to-day services continues.
In the event new providers are brought in to deliver these services, employment law regulations make sure jobs are safeguarded, as existing council staff will transfer to the new provider on their existing terms and conditions. We're already regularly talking to our staff, schools, and trade unions, offering advice and support, which will continue throughout the process.
Background
In 2023, the government announced the expansion of free childcare for children. This expansion increased the free entitlement for eligible children from 15 to 30 hours per week and changed the age of entitlement from 3 years to 9 months. The expectation is that families can access this entitlement from September this year.
Our current childcare offer is limited, offering only 15 hours of childcare entitlement in term time only for children aged two and over. As a result of this, we have had to review our role as a childcare provider, considering the future needs of both families and the council.
Under the current model, the council taxpayer effectively subsidises the cost of childcare at these nurseries by more than £480,000. To offer 30 hours funded places, we need additional investment. Due to the council's current financial position, it is not viable at this time to invest funding to test this out. Therefore, we can neither expand the offer to meet the requirements nor continue to operate as we are. School meals are subsidised by £535,000.
Next steps
We’re exploring an alternative model that could provide expanded and improved services to families and provide better value without any subsidy. We’re also looking at alternatives for the primary schools that currently use our own Barnsley Schools Catering service, which is just one of the providers operating in Barnsley. Many schools have already turned to other providers, particularly those that have converted to academy status.
Cllr Robert Frost, Cabinet Spokesperson for Core Services, said: “Children and families in Barnsley deserve to have access to high-quality childcare which meets the changing needs of family life.
“We know that our current childcare offer is limited - offering 15 hours of childcare entitlement in term time only for children aged two and over.
“We’re currently seeking feedback from potential alternative providers that could offer high-quality childcare at six sites across Barnsley. This could mean a better offer that meets families’ changing needs, such as childcare broader than term time only, access to at least 30 hours of childcare entitlement and access for children aged nine months upwards.
"This review looks to get the maximum benefits for children through a high-quality early years education while helping parents and carers with home life and work commitments.
“Alongside this, we also know many schools have already moved away from the council’s school meal service, and we believe there are providers who are better placed to deliver school catering without the need for a council investment.
“Throughout these reviews and beyond, children in our primary schools will continue to get a hot, nutritious meal, and I can reassure families that children will still have access to nursery places. We’ll still provide children with the high standard of care that they’ve always received.
“We understand that these reviews may be unsettling for staff in both these services. We've been working with them, and the Trade Unions, throughout, keeping them informed and providing advice and support."
Both reviews are included in our budget proposals for 2025-26, which are to be presented to the Full Council for approval on Thursday, 27 February.
