School age childcare
School aged childcare, often referred to as out of school care (OOSC), is for primary school children which can be provided by the council, private providers and the voluntary sector.
It can include:
- Breakfast provision – children are dropped off by their parents, breakfast is provided and children are escorted to school
- After school provision – children are collected from school, escorted to the OOSC site and are collected by parents at the end of the day
- Holiday provision – over 2 hours of childcare a day during school holidays and in-service days (often half or full days)
OOSC is a non-statutory service. This means local authorities have no legal obligation to provide it and are not involved in assessing quality of individual providers. However, the council can support and offer advice to existing settings as well as individuals and groups on setting up their own OOSC within the local community.
Families should explore which services meet the needs of their child best. To help with that, we have put together a list of questions to consider when looking for childcare services.
Families can get help with childcare costs though various schemes. Your childcare service must be registered with the Care Inspectorate to be able to access this support.
Registered childcare service
A setting in a non-domestic space (that is not someone’s home) that provides childcare for 2 hours or more each day (in total), is legally required to register with the Care Inspectorate. Registered services must:
- Make sure there is always a minimum of 2 staff on site and adhere to legal ratios
- All staff must hold a PVG Certificate
- Managers of out of school care services must:
- hold a recognised level three qualification
- be willing to work towards a relevant degree-level course within a period specified by Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC)
- Playworkers should hold or be willing to work towards the relevant qualification within a period specified by SSSC
- All OOSC staff should be registered with the SSSC within 3 months of employment
Registered childminder
A setting in a domestic space (that is someone’s home) that provides childcare for 2 hours or more each day (in total), is legally required to register with the Care Inspectorate.
Un-registered or activity based service
An un-registered setting may be a setting that provides childcare for under 2 hours per day (in total) or operates an activity-based club, for example active schools, sports, crafts or homework clubs rather than formal childcare. These are often run by volunteers and not required to register with the Care Inspectorate.
Families who may receive financial support towards childcare costs will not be eligible if using an un-registered service. You can find out more on the Childcare Choices website.
Find childcare service
You can view details of registered services and registered childminders on the Care Inspectorate website.
For out of school care provision in Aberdeenshire, including information about religious and cultural provision, additional support needs, dietary requirements, wheelchair accessibility and languages spoken, please contact afis@aberdeenshire.gov.uk.
Contact
For further support and advice on out of school care, please contact outofschoolclubs@aberdeenshire.gov.uk.