Issue - meetings

Report of the Director of Education and Skills

The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Education and Skills which indicated that the Government have extended their Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme 2021 to deliver free activities and food during school holidays nationwide for pupils who are entitled to benefits-related free school meals (FSM) . The Programme was previously in a pilot phase and delivered in 17 Local Authority area (not including Coventry).

Coventry has a provisional allocation of £1.5M which will be dependent on demonstrating delivery plans for the Programme and eventual delivery. The report detailed the HAF Programme, which is designed to provide healthy food and enriching activities to disadvantaged children. The HAF Programme is not a direct replacement for current arrangements. It offers more in terms of activities for disadvantaged children and young people, but it only covers 6 of the 13 holiday weeks, 4 days per week.

Although there is local flexibility in terms of how this is delivered, the Programme has some clear aims, which are:

·  Healthy eating and greater knowledge of health and nutrition

·  Being more active during the school holidays

·  Taking part in engaging and enriching activities (with a focus on resilience, wellbeing, and wider educational attainment

·  Being safe and not socially isolated

·  Increased engagement with school and other local services

Local Authorities are encouraged to work with a wide range of providers in the delivery of this Programme, in recognition of the important role that community and voluntary organisations have played in the delivery of this.

Due to short timescales and uncertainty in relation to COVID 19 restrictions, for the Easter holiday food parcel/hampers, activity packs, and online activity sessions are proposed for children and young people. The Council have been working with the Coventry Food Network to deliver this, and a delivery plan will be submitted to the DfE in line with this. The ambition will be to reach 25% of benefits eligible FSM pupils.

For the Summer and Christmas holidays requirements will be mapped out and the Council will be engaging with schools, existing providers of holiday care/activities, and other relevant providers to coordinate provision. A team to deliver this project will be recruited.

The Programme recognises that approaches will need to be adapted where there are COVID restrictions in place.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet recommends that Council:-

1)  Approves receipt of the grant allocation of up to £1.5M dependent on level of delivery

2)  Delegates authority to the Director of Education and Skills, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, to deliver the Programme. The City Council will centrally co-ordinate and will award monies to relevant organisations to deliver the programme.