Review of the Regulations and the National Minimum Standards for Daycare and Childminding

In November 2008, Melyn Consulting were appointed by the Welsh Assembly Government to undertake a Review of the Regulations and the National Minimum Standards for Daycare and Childminding in Wales. The overriding aim of the Review was to effect consultation to enable those with an interest in childcare in Wales to highlight relevant issues or concerns and propose actions that might arise from such concerns or issues in relation to the regulation of early years and childcare in Wales.

The report was submitted to the Welsh Assembly Government in March 2009

View the Final Report

Workforce Planning Tools

Local integrated workforce planning is a new activity for many Children & Young People's Partnerships, and while each  will need to develop at their own pace and to meet their own needs, they will undoubtedly face many common issues.

Working with Care Council for Wales and Welsh Local Government Association we developed a web-based set of tool guiding partnerships through the workforce planning process.

Children & Young People's Workforce Development Strategy for Wales

Between 2008 and 2009 we supported the Children & Young People's Workforce Development Network in Wales in developing a Workforce Development Strategy for the Welsh Assembly Government.

We facilitated discussion amongst stakeholders and developed a strategy to create some clarity around the Children and Young People's workforce and the issues which need to be addressed as it reshapes itself to provide the quality services for the children and young people of Wales which the Welsh Assembly Government aims to provide.

View the Consultation Draft

View the draft Workforce Strategy

Childcare Sufficiency Assessments

Follow this link to the Childcare Sufficiency Assessment pages

Halton Play Service Review

In 2008 we undertook a review of Halton Council's Play Service. 

The aim of the review was to examine the existing Play Service within the context of a changing policy agenda that had significantly raised the status of play itself.

Welsh Assembly Government: Ensuring Childcare Sufficiency and Improving Information

In the Autumn of 2007, we delivered a series of one-day conferences on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government on the Childcare Act (2006) and its implementation in Wales. The events attracted over 180 delegates from local authorities and other interested organisations and feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

You can view copies of the conference materials here:

Conference Programme

Ensuring Childcare Sufficiency [Melyn Consulting]

Data Handling [Tribal]

Improving Information (Wrexham CIB)

Parent Participation (Children in Wales)

Parent Participation (Contact a Family)

Excellence in Crewe - School Social Enterprise

In 2006 we were asked to provide advice to a group of schools in Crewe who were interested in delivering childcare services in newly established Children's Centres. As schools, they were restricted in being able to develop competitive services in the marketplace therefore needed a structure that would enable them to develop sustainable childcare services outside of school governance but still within school control.

We guided the group through the process of establishing a School Enterprise Company. The Company is not-for-profit and wholly owned by the schools. There are currently three schools involved, each of which nominates a Director to the Company. Other schools in the area will be joining the Company as and when they need to deliver extended services. We assisted the Company in successfully bidding for three contracts from Cheshire County Council to run daycare services in Children's Centres and are continuing to provide development support as the scheme progresses.

During the late part of 2005 and early part of 2006, we undertook a Review of Family Centre services in Trafford to provide Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council with the information needed to take strategic decisions regarding the future development of Children’s Centres; the Partington and Carrington local Sure Start Programme; and funded or supported Family Centres.

The Review looked at relevant local and national policy and strategy and made an assessment of current service provision in Trafford through visits, structured assessments, focus groups and consultation interviews involving parents and professionals.

Halton Borough Council - Integration of services for children, families and young people in Halton

We were commissioned to make detailed preparations for the integration and co-location of services in Halton including comprehensive mapping of universal and support services; identification of the potential barriers to effective integration of services; the establishment of models of good practice for service integration; development of models for corporate governance and accountability; and the dissemination of such information to service providers.

Widnes Sure Start Trailblazer - Programme Review

Four years into it’s ten year life-cycle this trailblazer programme sought our help to undertake a comprehensive review of the programme objectives; the services delivered by the programme; and the future direction of the programme in light of the experience gained to date.

Over a six-month period, we worked closely with programme managers, parents and other stakeholders and facilitated a comprehensive review that provided a new focus to the programme, new commissioning structure and direction for the programme that focused upon the outcomes that will be necessary to ensure a lasting legacy in the local community.

North Halifax Partnership - Children's Centre Development

This regeneration partnership asked for our help in developing business structures and plans for two developing Children's Centres in challenging communities.

We facilitated full-day workshops with the emerging management groups and developed business strategy and action plans to enable the Partnership to meet it's outputs and obligations, and to develop the childcare elements of the Children's Centres on a sound business footing. We worked with management to examine sustainable fee structures, staffing structures, costs and income projections. We developed short-term marketing plans to set the ventures on a sustainable footing from the start, and we suggested longer-term strategies that needed to be considered once the centres were operational.