FOI Request - Early Years Childcare Expansion

Request 101002388413

I would like to make a request for information under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

The information I require is as follows –

1. Please provide a copy of the most recent data given to Improvement Scotland regarding the 1140 hours early years childcare expansion.

2. Please provide any other documents detailing the council’s preparedness for the expansion.

3. How many FTE employees do you expect to have to recruit to cover the expansion?

4. How many have you recruited so far?

5. Does the council require any new infrastructure to accommodate the additional hours?

6. How much of this has been completed so far?

7. Does the council have the appropriate funding in place for the expansion?

8. If not, how much is the shortfall?

Many thanks for your help.

1. Please see attached Infra Tracker.

2. Please see attached papers submitted to the February meeting of our ELC Programme Board Action Log, Highlight Report and Joint Delivery Board Self Evaluation.

3. The ELC delivery plan estimates that the expansion will create an additional 120FTE posts.

4. From the start of the expansion until the end of Sept 2019, a total of 53 FTE additional posts had been created and filled.

5. Yes. New Build programme. This related Pilmuir (Forres), Keith, Linkwood (Elgin) and Cullen.

6. Pilmuir and Cullen will be complete by March 2020 and Linkwood by April 2020. Keith will be completed by the end of the year.

7. Yes. As per the attached Highlight report (capital and revenue) £11,575,000.

8. None to date.