AfC Info website - Kingston and Richmond

All childcare providers should be inclusive and will work with you to ensure that they can best meet your child's needs. Childcare providers have access to information, advice, support and training to help them meet the needs of all children.

Where and how can I find suitable childcare?

There is a Childcare Search to help you find local childcare options. 

These include:

• Registered childminders 
• Pre schools and playgroups
• Day nurseries
• After school or out of school clubs
• Holiday playschemes

All childcare providers are required to provide clear information about the support they provide. This may be on their website, if they have one, or in the form of a policy or report. The Families and Childcare Trust have useful advice on their website when choosing childcare if your child has additional needs.

When you are contacting childcare settings, speak to the SENCo and discuss how they can meet the needs of your child, including any additional equipment, language support or other assistance they may need. Childcare providers should make "reasonable adjustments" to their services so that your child has access to the same activities as anyone else.

You should not be charged extra because your child has a disability or special educational needs. There may be additional funds available to support your child in a setting and the SENCo in the setting will be able to discuss this with you.

We recommend that families visit and speak to a variety of providers to find an environment that their child will enjoy.  Childcare providers will arrange this if you contact them to ask to visit.

Helping you find childcare - Childcare Brokerage 

Support is available if you need extra support to help you understand your childcare options and to find the right childcare provider for your child. Brokerage means providing help for someone who may need support using services. The broker acts as a middle person, helping, advising, searching and maybe negotiating on your behalf to help you find the childcare you need. This could be when you are looking for long term childcare or if you need short term, emergency or ad hoc childcare. They can also provide support finding suitable childcare for parents of children over 5 years who may need after school or holiday childcare. Although the childcare brokerage service does not offer free childcare or provide funding towards childcare, they can advise about other help that may be available to help pay for childcare.

Contact the Childcare Brokerage Service:

Phone: 020 8547 5215

Email: early.years@achievingforchildren.org.uk

How your child is supported in childcare settings

You can read more about how childcare providers support children in childcare settings and the access to advice and support providers have if they need it.  This includes out of school (or after school clubs) and holiday playschemes that provide childcare for older children. Please note that this does not cover activity/leisure clubs that may run after school or during school hoildays - such as a football club or holiday sports club.

If you have any concerns about the support your child receives in a childcare setting you should talk to the setting or provider directly.

You can also contact the Family Information Service if you have any general questions about childcare.

Contact the FIS

Phone: 020 8547 5215

Email: fis@achievingforchildren.org.uk

Helping your child access mainstream activities - Inclusion Development Officers

The main aims of Inclusion Development Officers are:

• To enable children and young people who have disabilities to access mainstream settings and out of school activities, and specifically to increase leisure and sports activities arranged around the needs of children and young people.
• Advise service providers on the reasonable adjustments required to increase access by children and young people who have disabilities, identifying training and support needs as required.  
• Actively promote access and inclusion, embracing the rights of all children to participate fully in mainstream provision and out of school activities, as well as the rights of their parents and families to go to work and gain access to breaks from caring.
• Provide support, advice, training and funding (where appropriate) to mainstream providers to increase and maintain the inclusion of children and young people who have disabilities within these settings. This would include the recruitment of additional staff to enhance ratios and all aspects of disability inclusion.
• Actively work with schools, voluntary, statutory and private sector providers of childcare, leisure opportunities and out of school activities to create, and develop new opportunities for children and young people who have disabilities and support settings in all aspects of inclusion.

Contact: