Read Jon's discussion about HAF programmes and the key features an objectives of these programmes.
Interviewer
Welcome to the deep dive. Today, we're taking a closer look, a real deep dive into the holiday activities and Food Programme. You probably know it is as HAF. Now, you might not have come across it or maybe seen it running locally. But our aim today, well, it's to get past the surface level stuff. We want to understand the actual framework, what the UK government demands to make sure this huge scheme runs safely and effectively, yeah, it's quite the machine. So we're digging into the standards, the compliance. It's serious business,
Jon
Absolutely right. And HAF is, I mean, it's a massive undertaking. It's funded by the Department for Education, the DfE.
Interviewer
Right, and its core mission, fundamentally, is providing healthy meals, yes, but also enriching activities, and, crucially, free holiday club places for children who get benefits related free school meals, free school meals or FSM.
Jon
Definitely. FSM eligibility is sort of the main gateway into the programme and the scale. I mean, you mentioned massive. The numbers really back that up, don't they? They do quite eye opening. Since 2022 alone, it's provided something like 15.6 million HAF days.
Interviewer
Wow. It's huge. Millions of days of provision across England. That's an incredible amount of coordination, logistics, safeguarding, so understanding the well, the skeleton holding it all up seems vital, especially for anyone working in, say, social policy or education.
Jon
Couldn't agree more. So maybe let's start with the why. You know what problem is HAF actually trying to solve? It really comes down to tackling what researchers call the holiday experience gap. The evidence is pretty clear. Once term ends, children from lower income families often fall behind. They're much less likely to get into organised activities, you know, like camps or clubs,
Interviewer
Right things that cost money or need transport,
Jon
Exactly. And they're also more likely to have unhealthy holidays, maybe poor nutrition, less physical activity, and sometimes more social isolation too
Interviewer
So HAF steps in to try and level that playing field during the breaks
Jon
Precisely. It's about providing that structure, that support when the usual school safety net isn't there,
Interviewer
And who exactly qualifies you mentioned?
Jon
FSM, yes. So primarily it's targeted at school age children right from about age four or five, all the way up to year 11, who are receiving those benefits related free school meals,
Interviewer
Okay, so up to year 11 on FSM. That's the core group.
Jon
That's the core group. But, and this is important, there's built in flexibility for the local authorities. The LAs run it locally and have discretion. They can use up to 15% of their funding pot, to offer free or maybe subsidised places to other children, kids who aren't on FSM, but who the LA thinks would really benefit - so other vulnerable groups. It lets them align the programme with specific local needs, maybe children with safeguarding needs, or those known to social care or young carers, for instance, it allows for that local tailoring, that
Interviewer
15% sounds like a really crucial lever, then for targeting, a key strategic tool. And looking at the official goals, it's, well, it's quite broad, isn't it? It's not just about keeping kids busy or fed.
Jon
No, definitely not. The DfE actually lists seven specific benefits they expect HAFs to deliver for children.
Interviewer
Let's hear them
Jon
Well, obviously receiving healthy meals is key, but also maintaining physical activity levels, feeling happy and being able to socialise, okay, understanding more about nutrition, feeling safe in the environment, getting access to other support, if needed, and then the big one, perhaps returning to school, feeling more engaged and ready to learn
Interviewer
That's quite a holistic list. Very ambitious
Jon
But I mean, none of that happens without a solid, safe, operational structure underpinning it all
Interviewer
Absolutely, which brings us nicely to well, how do they make it happen? What's the minimum the LA's have to provide the operational nuts and bolts
Jon
Okay, so the core requirement is that LA's must offer the equivalent of six full weeks of HAF provision across the year, six weeks spread across which holidays the main ones, Easter, summer and Christmas,
Interviewer
And are there set amounts for each like you can't just do six weeks in the summer.
Jon
No, exactly, there are minimums for each period. So for Easter and Christmas, they must offer at least four days of face to face provision. Then the summer holiday is the big one. It's usually 16 days, if it's a standard six week summer break, or if the LA has a shorter summer holiday, it's 12 days minimum, okay? And they have the option then to use those extra four days maybe in another half term break, like October or February,
Interviewer
Right? So there's some flexibility there for summer, depending on the local school calendar. Now Christmas always seems, I don't know, uniquely challenging, logistically, four days face to face is the standard, you said
Jon
That's the expectation. Yes. But the DfE acknowledges Christmas can be tricky, so there's a specific bit of flexibility there. Okay, LA's can if they need to substitute up to two of those four face to face days with what they call equivalent support,
Interviewer
What does that actually mean in practice? Does it mean vouchers?
Jon
No, absolutely not. Vouchers or cash. That's explicitly banned for this substitution,
Interviewer
Okay? So no cash or vouchers. What then?
Jon
It has to be tangible goods, specifically, high quality food, hampers and activity packs, things children can actually use and benefit from directly. So food and activity is just delivered differently for those two days if needed.
Interviewer
Right, so hampers and packs only, that's quite specific. Let's dive into the food itself, because you mentioned healthy meals as a core goal. What are the actual standards?
Jon
They're very robust, non negotiable. Really, every provider has to offer at least one meal a day. Could be breakfast, lunch or maybe an evening meal, depending on the session timings
Interviewer
And the standard that food must meet?
Jon
Crucially, all food provided must meet the school food standards.
Interviewer
The official school food standards, okay, that's a high bar.
Jon
It is. It dictates things like, you know, ensuring enough starchy foods, fruit and veg, limiting fried foods, confectionary, sugary drinks. It's about proper nutrition, not just filling bellies
Interviewer
And does that apply to everything, even snacks? Can they give out biscuits?
Jon
The standards cover all food snacks included. So sugary snacks or drinks would generally be out unless they meet the specific, quite strict criteria within the school food standards.
Interviewer
Okay. And beyond the nutritional content, what about food safety regulations?
Jon
Absolutely paramount. Providers must be registered as a food business with their local council unless they have a specific, valid exemption right, and they also have to comply fully with Natasha's Law
Interviewer
Natasha's law, refresh my memory, that's the one about allergens on pre packed food, isn't it? Why is that so critical for a holiday club setting?
Jon
Yes, the food information regulations updated in 2021 it's vital, because many clubs might prepare, say packed lunches on site for a day trip, or maybe give kids a wrap to take home. Previously, food packed on the premises for direct sale didn't need full labelling. Natasha's law changed that. Now if they pre pack it on site, it must have a full ingredients list with allergens clearly highlighted for children, especially those with allergies, that clarity is absolutely essential for safety
Interviewer
Makes complete sense. And there's another layer to the food rules. Isn't there something about avoiding stigma?
Jon
Yes, a really important point, if a provider offers places to both HAF funded children and children whose parents pay a fee, mixed provision and the food offer has to be identical, absolutely identical.
Interviewer
So no different menus, none.
Jon
You can't have the paying kids getting pizza while the HAF, kids get something else perceived as less desirable. It has to be completely stigma free. Same food for everyone.
Interviewer
That seems fair. Okay, so that's food covered, yeah. Let's switch to the activities part of HAF, what are the requirements there physical activity?
Jon
Yes, there's a clear standard for physical activity. Children should be doing moderate to vigorous physical activity. For an average of at least 60 minutes per day,
Interviewer
An hour a day, minimum, average and does that have to be organised sports?
Jon
Not necessarily. It can be structured games or sports, yes, but it could also include active free play, or even things like walking or cycling to the venue, if that's encouraged. The key is getting them Ling actively for that duration.
Interviewer
And what about other types of enrichment? Is it just running around?
Jon
No far from it. The programme also requires enrichment activities that focus on increasing awareness of healthy lifestyles,
Interviewer
Like what, cooking?
Jon
Exactly Things like learning about nutrition, maybe through cooking sessions, taste tests, talking about where food comes from, practical stuff, okay, but the guidance also suggests this enrichment can, and maybe should, cover other important life skills too, things relevant to keeping children safe and well, such as well, things like understanding the risks associated with vaping or drugs, online safety, awareness of potential exploitation, or even steering clear of criminality. It's broader than just food and fitness,
Interviewer
Right, using that time to impart wider life lessons. We heard about a great example, didn't we, in Lambeth and Southwark?
Jon
Ah, yes, the Take and Make idea. It was quite innovative. They gave children ingredient boxes designed by nutritionists to be, you know, low cost, easy to cook and meeting those school food standards, along with recipe cards. The idea was to encourage the children to cook the meals with their families at home, building skills involving the family.
Interviewer
That sounds brilliant. Taking the learning beyond the club itself.
Jon
Exactly, that kind of skills transfer and family engagement is really what the DfE hopes to see.
Interviewer
Okay, but none of this works if it's not safe. Let's talk about safeguarding and the regulatory side. It feels like the local authority has a huge weight of responsibility here.
Jon
Immense. Absolutely immense. The LA is essentially the central coordinator, and crucially, the quality assurer for all HAF provision in their area. So they have to check out all the providers they fund thoroughly. They have to conduct robust due diligence before funding anyone. They need a strong system for monitoring providers throughout the delivery period to ensure they're meeting all the framework standards, and monitoring means checks, but critically, it means visits. The DFE requires that an assurance visit must be made to every single funded provider at least once a year.
Interviewer
Once a year, boots on the ground, and providers have to prove they're up to scratch. There's like a checklist.
Jon
Yes, there's a comprehensive provider checklist, and it's definitely not just box ticking. They need to demonstrate they have proper, up to date policies and procedures for everything, safeguarding, food safety, health and safety, insurance, accessibility, data protection, the works.
Interviewer
And specific staff roles are mandated too, aren't they, particularly for safeguarding,
Jon
Yes, absolutely critical safeguarding policies must explicitly refer to the key statutory guidance which is working together to safeguard children. And every single HAF scheme, no matter how small, must have a designated safeguarding lead, a DSL, and they need special training, specific DSL training, which has to be formally refreshed at least every two years, and general safeguarding training for all other staff needs refreshing at least every three years,
Interviewer
Two years for the DSL, three for other staff. And what if, heaven forbid, an allegation is made against someone working or volunteering there?
Jon
There must be clear written procedures for exactly that scenario. And crucially, those procedures must include contacting the local authority designated officer, immediately. That's the required route for managing such allegations
Interviewer
That ensures external oversight
Jon
precisely accountability is key.
Interviewer
And vetting staff before they even start, DBS checks.
Jon
All paid staff must have an enhanced DBS check, which includes barred list information that's the highest level of check.
Interviewer
Must have no exceptions for paid staff. What about volunteers?
Jon
For volunteers, the guidance says it's strongly recommended they also get an enhanced DBS check, but the absolute hard and fast rule is this okay, under no circumstances should a volunteer who has not been DBS checked, be left unsupervised or allowed to work in regulated activity with children. Never. The risk is simply too high
Interviewer
Crystal clear, unchecked volunteers must always be supervised. Okay, that makes sense. Now, let's tackle something I know causes a lot of head scratching. Ofsted registration? Does a HAF provider need to be Ofsted registered?
Jon
Ah, the million dollar question, yeah, it is, well, it's complicated. It's not a simple yes or no. Why so complex? Because whether you need to register depends on a combination of three main factors, okay.
Interviewer
What are they?
Jon
One, the age of the children being cared for. Two, the number of days the care is provided for and three, the specific type of activity being offered?
Interviewer
The type of activity. How does that affect registration?
Jon
Well certain activity based sessions, like, say, a pure sports club or maybe just an art workshop or purely study support, can be exempt from Ofsted registration, but only if they offer just one or perhaps two of those specific types of activities.
Interviewer
Okay, so if my football camp just does football, I might be exempt. What if I add, say, an hour of coding club each day too?
Jon
Ah, now you might lose the exemption if you start mixing more than two types of activity or offering a wider range of activities that looks more like general child care rather than a specific skill based session, you could trigger the need to register.
Interviewer
Okay, so the activity focus matters, and what's the really critical threshold, the point where registration becomes compulsory, not optional.
Jon
The main rule, the one providers really need to know, is this, you must register on the compulsory Ofsted register if you are providing care for children aged under eight, for more than two hours a day. There's some very limited exceptions, but that's the key trigger.
Interviewer
Wow, under eight more than two hours a day means compulsory registration. So my football camp for seven year old is running 10am at a 3pm
Jon
That would almost certainly require compulsory offset registration. Yes,
Interviewer
That's huge. Yeah, that changes everything for a provider, the cost, the inspections, the paperwork.
Jon
It does. It's a significant regulatory burden, but it exists to ensure standards for younger children in childcare settings, and providing care that requires registration without being registered is actually a criminal offence
Interviewer
Okay, but what if I'm providing for older kids or for less than two hours, so I don't legally have to register. Is there any reason I might choose to register voluntarily?
Jon
Yes, there's a very practical reason, mainly benefiting the parents, which is money. If a provider registers with Ofsted even on the voluntary register, it allows parents to use government schemes to help with child care costs, if they pay for extra hours.
Interviewer
Ah, right. You mean things like tax free child care, yeah, or the child care element of Universal
Jon
Credit, exactly those. So imagine the free HAF place is, say, 10am till 2pm, okay, but a working parent needs cover from 8am until 6pm they have to pay the provider for those extra hours outside the HAF funding, right, the wrap around care. If that provider is Ofsted registered, the parent can use tax free child care or Universal Credit to claim back a significant chunk, potentially up to 85% of the cost of those paid for hours. If the provider isn't registered, parents can't use those schemes for that provider.
Interviewer
So Ofsted registration, even voluntary, unlocks financial help for parents needing top up care, that's a big incentive
Jon
It really is. It makes those extra hours much more affordable for many families.
Interviewer
Good to know. And thinking about different needs. Haf, provision has to be inclusive, right? Yeah. What about children with disabilities or additional needs? Absolutely.
Jon
HAF must comply with the Equality Act 2010 las have a duty to ensure provision is accessible and that providers make reasonable adjustments for children with special educational needs and disabilities. SEND.
Interviewer
So LAs need to actively seek out providers who can cater for those needs.
Jon
Yes, they need to think about the range of needs in their area and commission provision that can meet them inclusively,
Interviewer
And the style of provision, it must vary hugely depending on the age group, too. You wouldn't run the same club for a five year old as a 15 year old
Jon
Definitely not provision for secondary age young people often looks quite different. So you might see shorter sessions, maybe Twilight clubs running into the evening with a meal, provided they might use different venues, not necessarily schools. Maybe pop up parks, youth centres, less child care, more youth work focus, more focus on skills development, maybe leadership opportunities, pathways into volunteering or even pre employment skills. It has to appeal and be relevant to teenagers, and
Interviewer
we saw evidence that this kind of targeted approach can have really tangible results, didn't we? That's Stoke on Trent example.
Jon
Yes, that was fascinating. The LA there specifically targeted some of their HAF places at pupils who had very poor school attendance records during term time. And what happened? The results were quite striking. They tracked the attendance after the pupils had attended the summer HAF programme in one family, one sibling reduced their unauthorised absences by over 23% and another sibling improved their overall attendance by almost 29%
Interviewer
That's incredible. So haf wasn't just filling the holiday gap, it was actively helping to re engage those children with school itself.
Jon
It shows the potential, doesn't it, that positive engagement during the holidays can have a knock on effect back into term time, a powerful re engagement tool.
Interviewer
It really does. So pulling this all together, this deep dive, has shown, I think, the sheer scale of HAF, the really detailed standards for food and activities, and that absolute, non negotiable focus on safety from those annual assurance visits by the LA to needing a trained DSL in every setting and those enhanced DBS checks. Yeah, it's a serious operation.
Jon
It really is. And we shouldn't forget the family support element either. It's not just about the child in isolation, right? Providers are actually required as part of the standards to engage with and support the families too. This means sign, posting them to other services, if needed. Anything helpful, citizens, advice for debt or benefits, help, local health services, parenting support groups, even Job Centre plus for employment, advice, making those connections
Interviewer
And sometimes engaging them directly in activities?
Jon
Yes, like those family cookery sessions we talked about, or giving out the ingredient boxes and recipes, the Take and Make idea. It's about building that wider supportive network around the child and family.
Interviewer
Okay, so HAF, aims to close that holiday experience gap. That's the fundamental goal
Jon
That's the core mission. Yes, for disadvantaged children, but there's maybe a lingering tension here, a provocative thought to end on. Well, local authorities are also bound by something called the child care sufficiency duty. They have a legal responsibility to ensure there's enough child care for working parents in their area generally. And the HAF guidance actually encourages LAS, where possible, to have providers offer paid for places alongside the free HAF places, partly to help meet that sufficiency duty, partly for financial viability for the provider, the mixed provision model we discussed earlier. But if the core aim of HAF is to provide a stigma free experience for the most disadvantaged children, how easy is that to achieve really, when you have this explicit blending of free, subsidised places funded by HAF sitting right alongside fee paying places funded by parents, often within the very same club session.
Interviewer
I see the tension. Does the need to track the haf funding so strictly and operate alongside paid provision potentially undermine that pure stigma free ideal.
Jon
It certainly raises the question, how truly stigma free can an environment be when the funding mechanisms themselves create these distinct categories of attendees, even if the food and activities are meant to be identical? It's a challenge inherent in blending targeted support with universal service provision.
Interviewer
That is a really knotty issue, a potential conflict between the policy aims and the operational reality, something for us all to think about. Thank you for joining us for this deep dive into the holiday activities and Food Programme standards.
Welcome to the deep dive. Today, we're taking a closer look, a real deep dive into the holiday activities and Food Programme. You probably know it is as HAF. Now, you might not have come across it or maybe seen it running locally. But our aim today, well, it's to get past the surface level stuff. We want to understand the actual framework, what the UK government demands to make sure this huge scheme runs safely and effectively, yeah, it's quite the machine. So we're digging into the standards, the compliance. It's serious business,
Jon
Absolutely right. And HAF is, I mean, it's a massive undertaking. It's funded by the Department for Education, the DfE.
Interviewer
Right, and its core mission, fundamentally, is providing healthy meals, yes, but also enriching activities, and, crucially, free holiday club places for children who get benefits related free school meals, free school meals or FSM.
Jon
Definitely. FSM eligibility is sort of the main gateway into the programme and the scale. I mean, you mentioned massive. The numbers really back that up, don't they? They do quite eye opening. Since 2022 alone, it's provided something like 15.6 million HAF days.
Interviewer
Wow. It's huge. Millions of days of provision across England. That's an incredible amount of coordination, logistics, safeguarding, so understanding the well, the skeleton holding it all up seems vital, especially for anyone working in, say, social policy or education.
Jon
Couldn't agree more. So maybe let's start with the why. You know what problem is HAF actually trying to solve? It really comes down to tackling what researchers call the holiday experience gap. The evidence is pretty clear. Once term ends, children from lower income families often fall behind. They're much less likely to get into organised activities, you know, like camps or clubs,
Interviewer
Right things that cost money or need transport,
Jon
Exactly. And they're also more likely to have unhealthy holidays, maybe poor nutrition, less physical activity, and sometimes more social isolation too
Interviewer
So HAF steps in to try and level that playing field during the breaks
Jon
Precisely. It's about providing that structure, that support when the usual school safety net isn't there,
Interviewer
And who exactly qualifies you mentioned?
Jon
FSM, yes. So primarily it's targeted at school age children right from about age four or five, all the way up to year 11, who are receiving those benefits related free school meals,
Interviewer
Okay, so up to year 11 on FSM. That's the core group.
Jon
That's the core group. But, and this is important, there's built in flexibility for the local authorities. The LAs run it locally and have discretion. They can use up to 15% of their funding pot, to offer free or maybe subsidised places to other children, kids who aren't on FSM, but who the LA thinks would really benefit - so other vulnerable groups. It lets them align the programme with specific local needs, maybe children with safeguarding needs, or those known to social care or young carers, for instance, it allows for that local tailoring, that
Interviewer
15% sounds like a really crucial lever, then for targeting, a key strategic tool. And looking at the official goals, it's, well, it's quite broad, isn't it? It's not just about keeping kids busy or fed.
Jon
No, definitely not. The DfE actually lists seven specific benefits they expect HAFs to deliver for children.
Interviewer
Let's hear them
Jon
Well, obviously receiving healthy meals is key, but also maintaining physical activity levels, feeling happy and being able to socialise, okay, understanding more about nutrition, feeling safe in the environment, getting access to other support, if needed, and then the big one, perhaps returning to school, feeling more engaged and ready to learn
Interviewer
That's quite a holistic list. Very ambitious
Jon
But I mean, none of that happens without a solid, safe, operational structure underpinning it all
Interviewer
Absolutely, which brings us nicely to well, how do they make it happen? What's the minimum the LA's have to provide the operational nuts and bolts
Jon
Okay, so the core requirement is that LA's must offer the equivalent of six full weeks of HAF provision across the year, six weeks spread across which holidays the main ones, Easter, summer and Christmas,
Interviewer
And are there set amounts for each like you can't just do six weeks in the summer.
Jon
No, exactly, there are minimums for each period. So for Easter and Christmas, they must offer at least four days of face to face provision. Then the summer holiday is the big one. It's usually 16 days, if it's a standard six week summer break, or if the LA has a shorter summer holiday, it's 12 days minimum, okay? And they have the option then to use those extra four days maybe in another half term break, like October or February,
Interviewer
Right? So there's some flexibility there for summer, depending on the local school calendar. Now Christmas always seems, I don't know, uniquely challenging, logistically, four days face to face is the standard, you said
Jon
That's the expectation. Yes. But the DfE acknowledges Christmas can be tricky, so there's a specific bit of flexibility there. Okay, LA's can if they need to substitute up to two of those four face to face days with what they call equivalent support,
Interviewer
What does that actually mean in practice? Does it mean vouchers?
Jon
No, absolutely not. Vouchers or cash. That's explicitly banned for this substitution,
Interviewer
Okay? So no cash or vouchers. What then?
Jon
It has to be tangible goods, specifically, high quality food, hampers and activity packs, things children can actually use and benefit from directly. So food and activity is just delivered differently for those two days if needed.
Interviewer
Right, so hampers and packs only, that's quite specific. Let's dive into the food itself, because you mentioned healthy meals as a core goal. What are the actual standards?
Jon
They're very robust, non negotiable. Really, every provider has to offer at least one meal a day. Could be breakfast, lunch or maybe an evening meal, depending on the session timings
Interviewer
And the standard that food must meet?
Jon
Crucially, all food provided must meet the school food standards.
Interviewer
The official school food standards, okay, that's a high bar.
Jon
It is. It dictates things like, you know, ensuring enough starchy foods, fruit and veg, limiting fried foods, confectionary, sugary drinks. It's about proper nutrition, not just filling bellies
Interviewer
And does that apply to everything, even snacks? Can they give out biscuits?
Jon
The standards cover all food snacks included. So sugary snacks or drinks would generally be out unless they meet the specific, quite strict criteria within the school food standards.
Interviewer
Okay. And beyond the nutritional content, what about food safety regulations?
Jon
Absolutely paramount. Providers must be registered as a food business with their local council unless they have a specific, valid exemption right, and they also have to comply fully with Natasha's Law
Interviewer
Natasha's law, refresh my memory, that's the one about allergens on pre packed food, isn't it? Why is that so critical for a holiday club setting?
Jon
Yes, the food information regulations updated in 2021 it's vital, because many clubs might prepare, say packed lunches on site for a day trip, or maybe give kids a wrap to take home. Previously, food packed on the premises for direct sale didn't need full labelling. Natasha's law changed that. Now if they pre pack it on site, it must have a full ingredients list with allergens clearly highlighted for children, especially those with allergies, that clarity is absolutely essential for safety
Interviewer
Makes complete sense. And there's another layer to the food rules. Isn't there something about avoiding stigma?
Jon
Yes, a really important point, if a provider offers places to both HAF funded children and children whose parents pay a fee, mixed provision and the food offer has to be identical, absolutely identical.
Interviewer
So no different menus, none.
Jon
You can't have the paying kids getting pizza while the HAF, kids get something else perceived as less desirable. It has to be completely stigma free. Same food for everyone.
Interviewer
That seems fair. Okay, so that's food covered, yeah. Let's switch to the activities part of HAF, what are the requirements there physical activity?
Jon
Yes, there's a clear standard for physical activity. Children should be doing moderate to vigorous physical activity. For an average of at least 60 minutes per day,
Interviewer
An hour a day, minimum, average and does that have to be organised sports?
Jon
Not necessarily. It can be structured games or sports, yes, but it could also include active free play, or even things like walking or cycling to the venue, if that's encouraged. The key is getting them Ling actively for that duration.
Interviewer
And what about other types of enrichment? Is it just running around?
Jon
No far from it. The programme also requires enrichment activities that focus on increasing awareness of healthy lifestyles,
Interviewer
Like what, cooking?
Jon
Exactly Things like learning about nutrition, maybe through cooking sessions, taste tests, talking about where food comes from, practical stuff, okay, but the guidance also suggests this enrichment can, and maybe should, cover other important life skills too, things relevant to keeping children safe and well, such as well, things like understanding the risks associated with vaping or drugs, online safety, awareness of potential exploitation, or even steering clear of criminality. It's broader than just food and fitness,
Interviewer
Right, using that time to impart wider life lessons. We heard about a great example, didn't we, in Lambeth and Southwark?
Jon
Ah, yes, the Take and Make idea. It was quite innovative. They gave children ingredient boxes designed by nutritionists to be, you know, low cost, easy to cook and meeting those school food standards, along with recipe cards. The idea was to encourage the children to cook the meals with their families at home, building skills involving the family.
Interviewer
That sounds brilliant. Taking the learning beyond the club itself.
Jon
Exactly, that kind of skills transfer and family engagement is really what the DfE hopes to see.
Interviewer
Okay, but none of this works if it's not safe. Let's talk about safeguarding and the regulatory side. It feels like the local authority has a huge weight of responsibility here.
Jon
Immense. Absolutely immense. The LA is essentially the central coordinator, and crucially, the quality assurer for all HAF provision in their area. So they have to check out all the providers they fund thoroughly. They have to conduct robust due diligence before funding anyone. They need a strong system for monitoring providers throughout the delivery period to ensure they're meeting all the framework standards, and monitoring means checks, but critically, it means visits. The DFE requires that an assurance visit must be made to every single funded provider at least once a year.
Interviewer
Once a year, boots on the ground, and providers have to prove they're up to scratch. There's like a checklist.
Jon
Yes, there's a comprehensive provider checklist, and it's definitely not just box ticking. They need to demonstrate they have proper, up to date policies and procedures for everything, safeguarding, food safety, health and safety, insurance, accessibility, data protection, the works.
Interviewer
And specific staff roles are mandated too, aren't they, particularly for safeguarding,
Jon
Yes, absolutely critical safeguarding policies must explicitly refer to the key statutory guidance which is working together to safeguard children. And every single HAF scheme, no matter how small, must have a designated safeguarding lead, a DSL, and they need special training, specific DSL training, which has to be formally refreshed at least every two years, and general safeguarding training for all other staff needs refreshing at least every three years,
Interviewer
Two years for the DSL, three for other staff. And what if, heaven forbid, an allegation is made against someone working or volunteering there?
Jon
There must be clear written procedures for exactly that scenario. And crucially, those procedures must include contacting the local authority designated officer, immediately. That's the required route for managing such allegations
Interviewer
That ensures external oversight
Jon
precisely accountability is key.
Interviewer
And vetting staff before they even start, DBS checks.
Jon
All paid staff must have an enhanced DBS check, which includes barred list information that's the highest level of check.
Interviewer
Must have no exceptions for paid staff. What about volunteers?
Jon
For volunteers, the guidance says it's strongly recommended they also get an enhanced DBS check, but the absolute hard and fast rule is this okay, under no circumstances should a volunteer who has not been DBS checked, be left unsupervised or allowed to work in regulated activity with children. Never. The risk is simply too high
Interviewer
Crystal clear, unchecked volunteers must always be supervised. Okay, that makes sense. Now, let's tackle something I know causes a lot of head scratching. Ofsted registration? Does a HAF provider need to be Ofsted registered?
Jon
Ah, the million dollar question, yeah, it is, well, it's complicated. It's not a simple yes or no. Why so complex? Because whether you need to register depends on a combination of three main factors, okay.
Interviewer
What are they?
Jon
One, the age of the children being cared for. Two, the number of days the care is provided for and three, the specific type of activity being offered?
Interviewer
The type of activity. How does that affect registration?
Jon
Well certain activity based sessions, like, say, a pure sports club or maybe just an art workshop or purely study support, can be exempt from Ofsted registration, but only if they offer just one or perhaps two of those specific types of activities.
Interviewer
Okay, so if my football camp just does football, I might be exempt. What if I add, say, an hour of coding club each day too?
Jon
Ah, now you might lose the exemption if you start mixing more than two types of activity or offering a wider range of activities that looks more like general child care rather than a specific skill based session, you could trigger the need to register.
Interviewer
Okay, so the activity focus matters, and what's the really critical threshold, the point where registration becomes compulsory, not optional.
Jon
The main rule, the one providers really need to know, is this, you must register on the compulsory Ofsted register if you are providing care for children aged under eight, for more than two hours a day. There's some very limited exceptions, but that's the key trigger.
Interviewer
Wow, under eight more than two hours a day means compulsory registration. So my football camp for seven year old is running 10am at a 3pm
Jon
That would almost certainly require compulsory offset registration. Yes,
Interviewer
That's huge. Yeah, that changes everything for a provider, the cost, the inspections, the paperwork.
Jon
It does. It's a significant regulatory burden, but it exists to ensure standards for younger children in childcare settings, and providing care that requires registration without being registered is actually a criminal offence
Interviewer
Okay, but what if I'm providing for older kids or for less than two hours, so I don't legally have to register. Is there any reason I might choose to register voluntarily?
Jon
Yes, there's a very practical reason, mainly benefiting the parents, which is money. If a provider registers with Ofsted even on the voluntary register, it allows parents to use government schemes to help with child care costs, if they pay for extra hours.
Interviewer
Ah, right. You mean things like tax free child care, yeah, or the child care element of Universal
Jon
Credit, exactly those. So imagine the free HAF place is, say, 10am till 2pm, okay, but a working parent needs cover from 8am until 6pm they have to pay the provider for those extra hours outside the HAF funding, right, the wrap around care. If that provider is Ofsted registered, the parent can use tax free child care or Universal Credit to claim back a significant chunk, potentially up to 85% of the cost of those paid for hours. If the provider isn't registered, parents can't use those schemes for that provider.
Interviewer
So Ofsted registration, even voluntary, unlocks financial help for parents needing top up care, that's a big incentive
Jon
It really is. It makes those extra hours much more affordable for many families.
Interviewer
Good to know. And thinking about different needs. Haf, provision has to be inclusive, right? Yeah. What about children with disabilities or additional needs? Absolutely.
Jon
HAF must comply with the Equality Act 2010 las have a duty to ensure provision is accessible and that providers make reasonable adjustments for children with special educational needs and disabilities. SEND.
Interviewer
So LAs need to actively seek out providers who can cater for those needs.
Jon
Yes, they need to think about the range of needs in their area and commission provision that can meet them inclusively,
Interviewer
And the style of provision, it must vary hugely depending on the age group, too. You wouldn't run the same club for a five year old as a 15 year old
Jon
Definitely not provision for secondary age young people often looks quite different. So you might see shorter sessions, maybe Twilight clubs running into the evening with a meal, provided they might use different venues, not necessarily schools. Maybe pop up parks, youth centres, less child care, more youth work focus, more focus on skills development, maybe leadership opportunities, pathways into volunteering or even pre employment skills. It has to appeal and be relevant to teenagers, and
Interviewer
we saw evidence that this kind of targeted approach can have really tangible results, didn't we? That's Stoke on Trent example.
Jon
Yes, that was fascinating. The LA there specifically targeted some of their HAF places at pupils who had very poor school attendance records during term time. And what happened? The results were quite striking. They tracked the attendance after the pupils had attended the summer HAF programme in one family, one sibling reduced their unauthorised absences by over 23% and another sibling improved their overall attendance by almost 29%
Interviewer
That's incredible. So haf wasn't just filling the holiday gap, it was actively helping to re engage those children with school itself.
Jon
It shows the potential, doesn't it, that positive engagement during the holidays can have a knock on effect back into term time, a powerful re engagement tool.
Interviewer
It really does. So pulling this all together, this deep dive, has shown, I think, the sheer scale of HAF, the really detailed standards for food and activities, and that absolute, non negotiable focus on safety from those annual assurance visits by the LA to needing a trained DSL in every setting and those enhanced DBS checks. Yeah, it's a serious operation.
Jon
It really is. And we shouldn't forget the family support element either. It's not just about the child in isolation, right? Providers are actually required as part of the standards to engage with and support the families too. This means sign, posting them to other services, if needed. Anything helpful, citizens, advice for debt or benefits, help, local health services, parenting support groups, even Job Centre plus for employment, advice, making those connections
Interviewer
And sometimes engaging them directly in activities?
Jon
Yes, like those family cookery sessions we talked about, or giving out the ingredient boxes and recipes, the Take and Make idea. It's about building that wider supportive network around the child and family.
Interviewer
Okay, so HAF, aims to close that holiday experience gap. That's the fundamental goal
Jon
That's the core mission. Yes, for disadvantaged children, but there's maybe a lingering tension here, a provocative thought to end on. Well, local authorities are also bound by something called the child care sufficiency duty. They have a legal responsibility to ensure there's enough child care for working parents in their area generally. And the HAF guidance actually encourages LAS, where possible, to have providers offer paid for places alongside the free HAF places, partly to help meet that sufficiency duty, partly for financial viability for the provider, the mixed provision model we discussed earlier. But if the core aim of HAF is to provide a stigma free experience for the most disadvantaged children, how easy is that to achieve really, when you have this explicit blending of free, subsidised places funded by HAF sitting right alongside fee paying places funded by parents, often within the very same club session.
Interviewer
I see the tension. Does the need to track the haf funding so strictly and operate alongside paid provision potentially undermine that pure stigma free ideal.
Jon
It certainly raises the question, how truly stigma free can an environment be when the funding mechanisms themselves create these distinct categories of attendees, even if the food and activities are meant to be identical? It's a challenge inherent in blending targeted support with universal service provision.
Interviewer
That is a really knotty issue, a potential conflict between the policy aims and the operational reality, something for us all to think about. Thank you for joining us for this deep dive into the holiday activities and Food Programme standards.