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SOSCN Professional Development Book Club - First Book
Personal Plan Toolkit
Everything you need to create personal plans within your service
Medication Management Toolkit
Medication storage, administration and record keeping
Experiences for Older Children
This month's practice focus area is experiences for older children
Service Environment
This month's practice focus area is Service Environment
Dec 2024
Winter edition with updates from Care Inspectorate, SSSC, Members Stories, and more
Professional Development Book Club
Join up with your colleagues in the school age childcare sector from across the country, to read, learn, network and develop
Happy Playday 2024- the culture of childhood!
SOSCN is a committed play champion. This year's theme is Play- the culture of childhood. Supporting play, fun and friendships
Muthill Kiddy Club
We took a trip to visit the children, parents and staff at Muthill Kiddy Club in Perthshire, to learn more about what it’s like at a rural service
Workforce Survey 2024
The SOSCN School Age Childcare Workforce survey 2024 is now live
Key UK Budget announcements October 2024
National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage, and National Insurance Contributions
Season's Greetings
We hope you enjoy the holidays and wish you all the best for 2025
children's guide
SOSCN Children's Guide to Out of School Care and your 20 questions play book
information
Information for service providers and practitioners
Impact Assessments
Information and a sample impact assessment form
Factsheets
download information PDFs here
sick pay
Pensions
Guidance on pay rates
Adverse Weather and Extreme Temperature
video (DVD) licences
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
anti-bullying guidance
STEM in OSC
Information on STEM in school age childcare and SOSCN previous work in the area
Physical Activity in OSC
We are committed to encouraging physical activity and active play both indoors and outdoors at school age childcare services
Essential Guidance For School Age Childcare Services
Documents and guidance most relevance currently to registered school age childcare services
Business Support
It is vital that in addition to expert childcare knowledge, services need to have good business knowledge
Play
Article 31 of the UNCRC states that children have a right to culture, leisure, rest and play
funding
Information for funding opportunities for services
Financial Support to Parents
Understanding Financial Support to Parents to Pay for Childcare
Wellbeing in OSC
GIRFEC, SHANARRI, professional responsibility and more
management
different management structures for school age childcare servicves
regulation
Registration requirements for school age childcare in Scotland, including information on Scottish Social Services Council, Care Inspectorate and PVG Scheme
SSSC
Regulation of the out of school care workforce
Care Inspectorate
Regulation and inspection of out of school care services
PVG Scheme
Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme<
BLOG
Thought and opinions from SOSCN staff and other colleagues
2023
June
Limited or Lack of Local School Age Childcare
This survey addressed the issue of whether parents and carers have access to sufficient school age childcare to meet their needs
March
SOSCN's letter to First Minister Candidates
We have sent a letter to each of the three candidates for First Minister
January
Children's safeguarding at risk in unregulated out of school settings in England
The UK Government Department for Education published a report in November 2022 which has raised serious concerns about the safety and wellbeing of the millions of children in England who attend out of school settings
2022
December
Staying Safe and Professional Online as a Social Care Worker
November
Reconnecting - to care for others you need to care for yourself
Access to Childcare Fund - The Learning So Far
September
It's good to chat - SSSC Codes of Practice Conversation
Having a ball in the holidays
August
Superheroes are real- they work in school age childcare
March
A time for change- reflection on the 2021 OSC Workforce Survey Results
2021
August
Stories of Summer 2021
April
Scottish Parliament Election Manifesto Overview 2021
March
The longest year- a reflection
February
The Finnish way to a happier childhood - Putting Children First
2020
November
Reflections on the Week
September
Re-opening services - keeping your staff onside!
Low pay and limited hours are push and pull factors which create a churn in the Out of School Care Workforce
April
Reflections on our journey and the way ahead
March
Coronavirus Covid-19 Potential Impact on Out of School Care, Breakfast and Holiday Clubs
Coronavirus Covid-19 Information Update Monday 2nd March 2020
February
Promising Children - a brief overview of the Care Review
2019
November
OSC draft framework consultation- the time to have your say is now!
Working to live or struggling to get by? Why the Real Living Wage is important.
October
Welcome proposal for free holiday childcare
Giving Parents and Children a say in the Framework for Out of School Care
Out of School Care in Scotland Continues to Grow
April
Success for our STEM Champions in Out of School Care
OSC Workforce - Most Recent Scottish Social Services Council Statistics
Training Opportunities for Out of School Care services- a selection of what's available
March
Supporting OSC Across the Country
February
Recent International policy and research briefing for members February 2019
Equal play? Does your service support or challenge gender stereotypes and roles?
CHANGE Project and T.I.C.T.A.C.S. - low cost quality template test of change
2018
August
Animal Magic- animals in care settings and children in animal settings...
July
Top free foody activities you can do over the summer break
March
Out of School Care - believing that children matter
OSC A to Z
A comprehensive list of information about school age childcare
A - B
accessibility
Services should be as far as possible, accessible to all families and children in their community
accidents and emergencies
Every service will have accident and emergency procedures in place and a method of recording information on anything that happens to children while in the care of the service
additional support needs
Services should do their utmost to be inclusive of children with additional support needs, including children with sensory or physical disabilities, or with a range of learning difficulties
allergies
It is very important that services are informed of any allergies a child has as well as any medication they require
anti-bullying
Anti-bullying Policy Guidance
attainment
Children learn informally through good quality play and social interactions in out of school care
behaviour rules
In general SOSCN advocates a promoting positive behaviour approach which ensures children receive attention for good behaviour
Ch - Co
childcare tax credits
Parents and carers who work and pay for childcare may be able to get extra tax credits to help with childcare costs
childcare vouchers
Employee voucher schemes are being phased out except for those who have already joined.
child protection
As a parent or carer, volunteer or member of staff in a service, the need to ensure children are protected is fundamental
children's charter
Every Out of School Care Service should have its own Children's Charter
children's participation - UNCRC
Links for UNCRC
codes of conduct
All staff members employed in out of school care have to be registered with the SSSC, unless they are already registered with another equivalent regulatory body
consent
Services must seek parental/carer consent for children to have their photographs taken and to clearly state what these purposes may be used for
Co - G
contracts, costs, fees and cancellations
It often comes as a surprise to many parents that their local out of school service or holiday care service is not a statutory service run by their local council
creativity
Creativity and opportunities for self-expression are key
Data Protection
The Data Protection Act controls how your personal information is used. Everyone has to follow rules called data protection principles
equality and diversity
Parents, children and staff involved in an out of school care service should expect that the service has a clear equality policy and is inclusive of local communities
First-Aid Training
The Care Inspectorate and the SSSC require that staff are appropriately trained to do their role
food choices
Information on the Health and Social Care Standards and food
Getting it Right
Links for GIRFEC
H - J
health and safety and insurance
Information on infection control; safety of equipment and food preparation, transport and escorting children to and from school, or on outings
homework
Out of school care is not a homework club or extracurricular club, provided by the school
illness, infection and medication
Information on illness, medication and more
Induction
All new children attending an out of school care service should be supported in their transition into the service
introduction
Jargon Buster
Find out what the terms mean
Just A...
Childcare workers are carers, role models, teachers, counsellors and many other roles, who will consistently support children and families over a number of years
K - Pa
Kids' Club
This term is more often used in England and Wales to describe an out of school care or after school or holiday club
Learning
Children learn in after school care through a wide range of physical activities indoors and outdoors, mental challenges and creative experiences
Lone Parents
Lone parents are often those who are most in need of out of school care, especially if they are living and working away from family network
Moving and Handling
Every service, especially those including children with disabilities, will have a policy on moving and handling children
Nature
A good quality service will give children daily access to natural pursuits, including exploring outdoors and growing plants amongst other activities
Outdoor Play
The benefits of outdoor play are recognised but there is a concern that today's children are becoming more accustomed to indoor activities rather than playing out
parental rights and involvement
Information for parents and carers about rights and getting involved
Pe - T
Personal Plans
Services are legally required to keep up-to-date records of children in their care which must be reviewed on a 6-monthly basis
Play
Article 31 of the UNCRC states that children have a right to culture, leisure, rest and play- play is a fundamental right for children
play and risk
Parents and the professional play and care staff in out of school care have to get the balance right for children and young people in terms of play and risk
Quality in OSC
Ensuring ongoing quality experiences should be at the heart of all services and embedded in all aspects of the service from delivery to administration
Risk and Challenge
Information for taking a positive approach to risk in order to achieve the best outcomes for children
social media and mobile phones
OSC services should have a comprehensive social media policy
trips and outings
Things to consider for trips and outings
U - Z
United Nations
Links for the United Nations
volunteers
Information on volunteering in services
workforce
Workforce considerations
X-Boxes and Screens
There is growing concern in academia and the media about the negative impact pro-longed screen time can have on children and young people
Young Adults
Services can provide care for young people up to age 16 or even 18, if they have a disability, although the majority of services provide care for children attending primary school
Zero Tolerance
Zero Tolerance is acharity working to end men's violence against women by promoting gender equality and challenging attitudes which normalise violence and abuse
Jun 2022
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Summer 2022

This is a quick update and recap newsletter before you all either start your full and long days of holiday care, or stop for a well-earned rest for the summer. As ever, we all appreciate how well you all do providing children and families with your much needed support and opportunities for fun and friendship. We wish you all a lovely summer and hope (fingers crossed) the great Scottish weather is on our side.

We love to feature your summer holiday stories, photos, wee films on our website, so please remember us when you have gathered such materials and send in to finlay@soscn.org.

SOSCN Surveys

A reminder that both our surveys are still open, and they do not take long to complete. Thanks to everyone who already submitted responses, but there is still time for those who have not done so yet. The first survey is looking at services’ recruitment and retention experiences, capacity and uptake of places, and financial sustainability. The second survey seeks to gather a picture of how local authorities are including (or not) registered school-age childcare services to deliver holiday programmes to low-income families. Closing date for both surveys is 8th July.

SOSCN Service Membership Survey 2022:

https://freeonlinesurveys.com/s/ZaJgQYyX

Summer 2022 Holiday Funding:

https://freeonlinesurveys.com/s/SsMiaXb3

SOSCN Events Presentations

SOSCN has held some very informative events so far this year, and thanks to all of you who have attended these. We are extremely grateful for the contributions of our partner organisations and colleagues who gave up their time to present at these events and make available their resources and expertise. The presentations below have been shared with those in attendance, so some of you may have these already, however in case you missed these events, please find links below for some invaluable resources from:

Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland - getting help with childcare costs:

https://soscn.org/downloads/news/cpag-help-to-pay-for-childcare.pdf

Skills Development Scotland - the apprenticeship suite and wider SDS support:

https://soscn.org/downloads/news/sds-the-apprenticeship-suite.pdf

The Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities - Exploring the barriers and facilitators to early learning and childcare for children with learning disabilities in Scotland:

https://soscn.org/downloads/news/scld-building-blocks.pdf

Early Learning and Childcare: update no. 23 - June 2022

Download the latest update from the Scottish Government here:

https://soscn.org/downloads/news/elc-covid-19-update-june-2022.pdf

Quality Framework for Daycare of Children, Childminding and School-age Childcare

https://www.careinspectorate.com/index.php/inspections/quality-framework-for-elc-services

The Care Inspectorate published their quality framework in March 2022 and from 1st June 2022 it is the framework being used in inspections.

The framework focuses on children's wellbeing and sets out the elements that will help Care Inspectors answer key questions about the impact care and learning is making to outcomes for children. The primary use of the framework is as a tool for self-evaluation to assist settings self-evaluate their own performance in delivering good care and learning for children. This framework should support settings to showcase their strengths and identify improvement, where required.

If you are going to use this framework to assess your holiday care, or for example, inducting new staff for start of next term, then the Care Inspectorate are looking for some case studies of how the framework works in real practice situations. If you are interested in taking part as a case study, please contact us to discuss it further: irene@soscn.org Thank you.

School uniforms in Scotland - Consultation

https://www.gov.scot/publications/school-uniform-guidance-consultation/

The Scottish Government has committed to introduce statutory guidance in Scotland which aims to address equalities issues around uniform policy and reduce the cost of school uniform, as this can be a significant barrier to participation in learning.

It is not intended that the school uniform items will be mandated at national levels, and it is not intended that there will be a national school uniform policy which is applied in all schools. Instead, it is intended that the national guidance will inform local authorities and schools policies.

This consultation is open to anyone with an interest in school uniform policy, but especially pupils, parents and carers, education authorities and education authority schools, and those who provide school uniform items. Closing date for responses is 14th October.

To find out more and for how to respond, please see this link:

https://consult.gov.scot/learning-directorate/school-uniforms-statutory-guidance-scotland/

2024
December
Dec 2024
Winter edition with updates from Care Inspectorate, SSSC, Members Stories, and more
June
Jun 2024
Summer edition with information on holiday guidance, campaigning, activities ideas, and more features
March
Mar 2024
Spring edition highlighting our new shop and online training platform, with guest articles, essential updates, activities, and much more
2023
December
Dec 2023
Essential updates, information resources and much more
June
June 2023
May
May 2023
January
Jan 2023
2022
November
Nov 2022
August
Aug 2022
June
Jun 2022
April
Apr 2022
January
Jan 2022
2021
November
Nov 2021
October
Oct 2021
April
April 2021
March
March 2021
2020
December
December 2020
July
July 2020
May
May (End) 2020
May 2020
January
January 2020
2019
December
December 2019
November
November 2019
October
October 2019
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September 2019
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August 2019
April
April 2019
February
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2018
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December 2018
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2017
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December 2017
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2016
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2015
December
December 2015