1718-0254 Early Education and Childcare Provision in Children’s Centres

Islington Council invites expressions of interest from suitably qualified organisations with relevant experience to deliver and manage early education and childcare provision in children’s centre buildings in the following locations:
• Lot 1: Hornsey Road Children’s Centre (8 Tiltman Pl, Hornsey Rd, London N7 7EN)
• Lot 2: Paradise Park Children’s Centre (164 MacKenzie Rd, London N7 8SE)
The successful providers will have to demonstrate a strong track record and extensive experience of providing early education and childcare. They will need to demonstrate how they have improved outcomes for all children, including children with special educational needs and disabilities.
In addition, the successful providers will manage the children’s centre building and be an active partner in the network of early childhood services organised through Bright Start Islington.

Background
Children’s centres are placed in areas of most need. The provision of integrated early childhood services including education and childcare on these sites supports children and families in a range of outcomes. The Early Years Outcomes duty requires partners to work together so that children begin their school lives in good health, are able to do well at school and the gap is narrowed between those children who do least well and their peers by the age of five.
Islington Council believes every child should have an equal chance to fulfil their potential and remains committed to ensuring that childcare is affordable and that children can receive high quality support, whatever the family circumstances. Good quality childcare is important to children’s development and allows parents to take up training or work, helping the family to be independent and have a better standard of living. We contribute to the cost of childcare for low to middle income Islington resident families and make 30% of early education and childcare places in children’s centre nurseries available for children who are assessed as being ‘in need’ according to Islington’s Early Years Priority Referral criteria. Hornsey Road Children’s Centre also has three specialist places reserved for children with severe and complex educational needs.
The Bright Start Islington model sees the co-ordination and delivery of wider early childhood services organised on an area basis and led by three integrated Bright Start Islington teams. The teams work closely with other health partners and providers of early education and childcare to plan and deliver services which meet the needs of local families. Services include a range of antenatal and child health services, family and parenting support, adult training and employment opportunities. Services continue to be delivered from the existing children’s centre buildings and more use is now made of local community venues and libraries to engage a wider range of families.

The requirement
Our duty is to ensure that universal and targeted early childhood services are made available for young children and their families, particularly for disadvantaged families, in order to improve outcomes and reduce inequalities in child development and school readiness.
We are seeking to commission two organisations with relevant skills and knowledge that are able to demonstrate their experience to make a contribution to this core purpose by:
• improving outcomes for children and families by offering high quality care and education services for children under 5 years in accordance with the council’s early years admissions and charging policies;
• ensuring local families have access to affordable, high quality provision and support, whatever the family circumstances;
• managing the children’s centre building including hosting Bright Start Islington integrated services;
• being an active partner in Bright Start Islington, contributing expertise and working collaboratively to ensure local families can access the full range of services organised through Bright Start Islington.
The providers must ensure that the service is provided in a non-discriminatory, non-patronising and professional manner by staff who are experienced, appropriately qualified and courteous. At all times, staff will need to demonstrate respect for the dignity and value of children and their parents/carers and sensitivity to their individual situation and experiences.