Torbay Childcare Sufficiency Assessment - Torbay Council

March 2008
Torbay Childcare
Sufficiency Assessment

FOREWORD
Torbay Early Years and Childcare Service is responsible for
implementing the government’s ten year strategy for childcare. The
strategy has been developed in the context of the Every Child Matters
agenda, the Childcare Act 2006 and the National Childcare Strategy.
The Childcare Act 2006 is the first Government Act solely concerned
with early years and childcare. It places a number of duties on local
authorities, one of which is to provide sufficient childcare for working
parents.
‘Sufficient childcare’ means ensuring the provision of local childcare
to meet the requirements of parents to enable them to work or
undertake training leading to work. In essence, this means ensuring
there is enough, and the right type of, childcare in Torbay, now and in
the future.
To establish the current status of childcare in Torbay the Childcare
Sufficiency Assessment was undertaken. The results are based on
extensive consultation, which has been carried out with local parents,
children, childcare providers and employers over the last twelve
months.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who took
part in Torbay’s Childcare Sufficiency Assessment. Their valuable
contributions have enabled us to establish a clearer picture of the
childcare needs of parents and families in Torbay.
The assessment is an extremely important piece of research and will
be reviewed yearly. This will enable us to map the supply of childcare
in Torbay against the demand for it – and continue to provide better
outcomes for local children and their families.
Lyn Armitage
Early Years and Childcare Manager

CONTENTS
1. 1 Introduction .................................................................... 2
2. 2 Methodology .................................................................. 5
3. 3 Demographics ................................................................ 9
4. 4 Economic Activity ....................................................... 16
5. 5 Early Years Education ................................................ 21
6. 6 Childcare Supply ......................................................... 26
7. 7 Childcare Demand ...................................................... 38
8. 8 Matching Supply to Demand .................................... 51
9. 9
Summary of Key Findings ....................................... 56

1.0
INTRODUCTION
The Childcare Act 2006 expands the
role that local authorities must take in
delivering the government’s
commitment to give every child the best
start in life and to give parents greater
choice in balancing work and family life.
This Act places duties on local
authorities to improve outcomes for
children and young people and reduce
the inequalities between them. Local
authorities are tasked with ensuring
there is sufficient childcare for working
parents and those wishing to return to
work or undertake training / education
to enable them to return to work. They
are also required to provide information
to parents about childcare and the wide
range of services which are available
and may be of benefit to them.
2

1.0 INTRODUCTION
Under the Childcare Act 2006, Torbay Council has to take a vital role as
strategic leaders in the local childcare market. Together with the
providers from the private, voluntary and independent (PVI) sector,
Torbay must work towards creating a strong, sustainable and diverse
childcare market which will meet the needs of parents. From April
2008, Torbay has a duty to secure sufficient childcare in the area. In
preparation for this the council was required to undertake a detailed
sufficiency assessment of the supply of local childcare and the demand
for it.
Aims and Objectives
The purpose of this report is to provide a detailed assessment of
childcare sufficiency regarding the supply of childcare against the
parental demand for it. This assessment is the first step in enabling
Torbay to secure sufficient provision and meet our duties under Section
11 of the Childcare Act 2006.
The assessment is required to be a measurement of the nature and
extent of both the need for, and supply of, childcare within the local
authority area (and sub-authority area). It will help Torbay identify
where there are gaps in the market and in consultation with parents,
communities and employers, plan how to support the market to address
these gaps.
This duty to assess childcare must take into consideration the supply of
and demand for formal childcare which may be registered, unregistered,
or approved and which meets the needs of working parents or those
wishing to return to work. This assessment must also take account of
the early years provision for 3 and 4 year olds which local authorities
must secure, free of charge.
This assessment will be a comprehensive and robust analysis of the
local childcare market which will enable Torbay Council to confidently
plan the action needed to secure sufficient childcare and to take a lead
role in facilitating the local childcare market.
Sufficient childcare is defined in Section 6 of The Childcare Act 2006 as
3
“sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in [the local authority’s]
area who require childcare in order to enable them to:
a) Take up or remain in work
b) Undertake education or training which could reasonably be
expected to assist them to obtain work.
In determining whether provision of childcare is sufficient Torbay Council:
a) Must have regard to the needs of parents in their area for
i) the provision of childcare in respect of which the childcare
element of the Working Tax Credit is payable, and
ii) the provision of childcare which is suitable for disabled
children
b) May have regard to any childcare which they expect to be
available outside their area.”
Outline of this Assessment
This assessment has followed a series of steps in its preparation:
a) Assessing the supply of childcare in each sub-local authority
area, taking into account the following:
■ The number of childcare places available for children up
to and including the age of 14 (and up to 17 for disabled
children)
■ The number of places available for which parents would
be able to use the childcare element of the Working Tax
Credit
■ The number of free entitlement places available for 3 and
4 year olds
■ The times at which childcare is available, the maximum
length of time that childcare providers will care for
children in a day and their flexibility in catering for
irregular patterns across the day, the week and the year
■ The number and nature of places available for children
who need special care due to a disability or special
educational need
■ The number of vacant places
■ The range of session lengths offered by childcare
providers, and

The purpose of this
report is to provide
a detailed
assessment of
childcare sufficiency
in Torbay
■ The range of charges for childcare and parents’ ability to
pay those charges
b) Assessing the demand for childcare in each sub local
authority area, taking into account at least the following, by
age range and type:
■ The number of childcare places required for children up
to and including the age of 14 (or 17 for disabled children)
■ The number of childcare places required in respect of
which the childcare element of the Working Tax Credit
may be claimed
■ The number of free entitlement places required for 3 and
4 year olds
■ The times at which childcare is required, including the
demand for flexible childcare that caters for irregular
patterns of usage across the day, the week and year
■ The requirements for specialist childcare for disabled
children and those with special educational needs
c) Analysing the gap between demand and supply in each sublocal
authority area, taking into account at least the
following:
■ Geographical gaps – where a geographical area has a
general shortage of supply
■ Income gaps – where there is a shortage of affordable
childcare for the income groups populating an area
■ Specific need gaps – where there is a shortage of suitable
places for disabled children, or children with other
specific needs or requirements
■ Time gaps – where there is a shortage of childcare at a
time that parents would wish to use childcare
■ Age gaps – where there is a shortage of childcare
suitable to meet the needs and requirements of a certain
age group
■ Type gaps – where there is a shortage in the type of
childcare for which parents may be expressing a
preference
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Firstly, this assessment provides a methodology detailing the
geographic level at which the data has been analysed. This chapter also
identifies the cohort of children which has been used so that we may be
able to identify the potential demand for childcare. The methodology
also outlines how all strands of consultation were designed and
conducted.
The chapters on demographics and economic activity provide this
assessment with some context. The demographics chapter considers
how the population of Torbay is made up, the current population of
children and how this may change in future years and outlines the level
of deprivation across the area. The economic activity chapter outlines
patterns of work, levels of income, rank of income deprivation and the
take up of Working Tax Credits (WTC), in particular the take up of the
childcare element. The information in these chapters not only provides
a useful context, but much of the data contained in them will
undoubtedly have an impact on the demand for childcare.
The current supply of, and demand for, free nursery education places is
analysed in chapter 5 which looks at the supply and demand of early
years education places. It considers the number of places available
across the private, voluntary and independent (PVI) sector and
maintained sector, and also considers the take up of these places and
issues around the demand for free nursery education.
The current supply of childcare is considered in chapter 6 which
analyses supply at a local authority wide level and sub-authority level.
It considers the level of supply by type, age group, availability of
flexible / irregular hours and also analyses the cost of provision.
The level of demand for childcare is analysed in chapter 7 which
includes occupancy rates by type of provider, enquiries made to our
children’s information service and the key findings from the
consultation which considers the demand for childcare by type,
location and age group. Following on from this, chapter 8 considers
demand against supply and identifies any gaps in the current
childcare market.
4

5
METHODOLOGY 2.0
This assessment of childcare sufficiency
must take into account a number of
demographic factors. It must identify,
geographically, the supply and demand
of childcare at local authority wide level
and sub-local authority level. Finally it
must consult with parents, children,
employers and the providers themselves
to establish an accurate picture of the
current childcare market in order to
effectively identify any gaps in
provisions. This chapter outlines the
geography at which analysis has taken
place, the data used throughout this
assessment and outlines how parents,
employers, children and providers have
been consulted.

Figure 1
Torbay Ward Boundaries
Torquay
1 Wellswood
2 St Marychurch
3 Ellacombe
4 Tormohun
5 Watcombe
6 Shiphay with the Willows
7 Cockington with Chelston
Paignton
8 Preston
9 Roundham with Hyde
10 Clifton with Maidenway
11 Blatchcombe
12 Goodrington with Roselands
13 Churston with
Galmpton
Brixham
14 Berryhead
with Furzeham
15 St Mary’s
with Summercombe
11
10
8
12
7
9
13
Geography
This assessment is required to analyse the childcare market at a local
authority wide level, but must also take into account the pattern of
supply and demand below local authority level. Given that Torbay is a
small local authority, the sub-local authority areas used in this
assessment are the administrative wards. The number of providers
across Torbay is not great, so analysing patterns of supply and demand
at ward level allows us to draw more meaningful conclusions than had
the geography identified been any smaller. Information has also been
easier to collate at ward level and because Torbay is
a small authority, ward level data allows this
assessment to conduct thorough analysis without
identifying individual providers. An outline of the
ward boundaries are shown in Figure 1.
5
In most cases throughout this assessment, analysis
6
2 has been conducted at ward level, where data has
not been gathered at this level then analysis has
4
been conducted at town level (Torquay,
3
Paignton and Brixham).
1
Where new data has been collected for this
assessment, it has been aggregated to ward
level using the postcode or super output areas (SOAs).
15
14
Demographic Data
Demographic data for this assessment has largely been collected from
the 2001 Census, where it has been possible to use more up to date
information then this has taken preference over the Census data.
Information about the population has been collated from numerous
national sources, including the Office for National Statistics and HM
Revenue and Custom (for information on Working Tax Credits
claimants). Further data and local information has been collated from
Torbay Council’s Research Team.
For this assessment it was particularly important to identify the cohort
of children on which the analysis would be based (for example, when
identifying the number of places per 100 children). The data used for
this was the 2001 Census, given that it is still widely regarded as the
most accurate measure of numbers of children at the required
geography (ward level). This assessment must take into account the
needs of children aged 0 to 14 and up to 17 for disabled children and has
to be broken down further into specific age groups. These age groups
and the number of children within each age group are outlined in Figure
2 below. The total number of children in the cohort for this assessment
is 21,909.
Figure 2
Number Of Children By Age Group
0 to 2 3 to 4 5, 6 & 7 8, 9 & 10
11, 12,
13 & 14
2.0 METHODOLOGY
14 to 17
(disabled
children)
Total
3,620 2,690 4,241 4,816 6,498 44 21,909
6

2.0 METHODOLOGY
Consultation
The consultation with parents and carers was a key factor in this
assessment being able to analyse and establish the demand for
childcare. A number of methods were used to ensure that parents had
the opportunity to have their say about the local childcare market. The
main route through which parents were consulted was a questionnaire.
This questionnaire asked parents to identify their current use of
childcare, what they looked for when choosing childcare and whether
they thought more childcare was needed. Given the importance of this
survey for this assessment, it was decided that an incentive would be
offered to parents to ensure as high a return rate as possible. Parents
who consented were entered into a prize draw to win one of five £100
gift vouchers for a high street shop.
In total 4,000 surveys were issued to parents using a variety of existing
structures. The majority of the questionnaires were distributed through
Torbay’s Children’s Centres and staff in these settings went through the
surveys with parents to ensure they were completed. The survey was
distributed through nurseries / pre-schools and schools and was also
available on the Torbay Council website.
The most successful mechanism for getting parents to complete the
surveys was via family events held throughout the summer. The Early
Years and Childcare Service made use of Children’s Week held in August
on Paignton seafront. This event provided a captive audience and the
team offered incentives for completed surveys (free goody bags for
children on completion of a questionnaire). From one day at this event,
just fewer than 200 surveys were completed. Building on this success
the Early Years and Childcare Service organised another event, a Family
Fun Day at the end of September which was free for all families to
attend. ‘Free goody bags’ were again used as an incentive for parents
to complete the questionnaire. In total, 946 parents completed the
questionnaire, which equates to a response rate of 23.7%.
The majority of respondents who completed the survey were female
(91%) and aged between 25 and 44 years old (86%), 8% of the
respondents were aged under 24 years old. The majority of parents
7
who completed the survey lived in Torbay and the surrounding towns,
although through children’s week, the consultation inevitably reached a
small number of parents who lived further away (see Figure 3).
In terms of the ethnic origin of respondents, the survey was fairly
representative of the population of Torbay (see Figure 4). The same
can be said for the make up of households, the sample was fairly
representative of the population (Figure 5).
In addition to the questionnaires, parents were invited to be a part of
focus groups which were arranged at children’s centres. In total eight
focus groups were arranged and 125 parents were invited to participate,
unfortunately take up was low and only 14 parents attended. The
parents who were able to attend came from different backgrounds and
one group in particular involved parents who all had English as their
second language. A focus group session was also arranged with parents
of disabled children, this made use of an existing parents’ group that
the Early Years Inclusion Service organised regularly. A further group
the research team made use of was the disabled parents’ parent and
toddler group. These focus groups provided the opportunity to gain
more in-depth information from parents about any issues they had
relating to childcare.
Children were also consulted through this assessment across all ages
from 3 to 18. The research with 3 to 5 year olds was small scale and
coordinated by the Integrated Nursery Manager. The children all
attended children’s centre nurseries and received integrated care and
education, they attended nursery for at least 1.5 days a week. This
piece of research involved 12 children and aimed to assess their views /
feelings about attending nursery. In order to do this, consent was first
gained by the parents and then three activities were undertaken:
■ Observation of children, on arrival and on departure from
nursery
■ Asking children what makes them happy and sad at nursery
■ Small world play activity
Figure 3
Respondents By Home Town
Town
Torquay 408 43.1
Paignton
Brixham
Newton Abbot
Totnes
Other
No. %
296 31.3
72 7.6
30 3.2
9 1
132 14
Figure 4
Ethnic Origin Of Respondents
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
White
British
Figure 5
Make Up Of Household
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Two parent
family
Survey
Respondents
Other Ethnic
Group
Single parent
family
Census

The consultation with parents and carers
was a key factor in this assessment to
analyse and establish the demand for
childcare. A number of methods were used
to ensure that parents had the opportunity
to have their say about the local childcare
market.
2.0 METHODOLOGY
Consultation with older children and young people was conducted
through the Youth e-Panel (YEP) which was coordinated by Torbay’s
Consultation and Research Team. Questionnaires were sent to over 400
children and young people and only 26 were returned. It is considered
that the reason why this part of the consultation received such a low
response rate is that the panel tends to be quite fluid. Another reason
could be that the consultation, which occurred last year, received much
negative public attention (from adults) because of the subject matter.
This negative attention may well have impacted on young people’s
enthusiasm to complete this survey.
Another key group this assessment had a duty to consult with was
employers. Consultation with this group aimed to gauge what barriers
they understand to be present in terms of childcare. Attempts were
made to contact employers through local business breakfasts. While
many employers did not engage in the consultation responses were
returned from six employers who represented industries ranging from
visitor attractions to publishing.
Finally, a large consultation was undertaken with providers of childcare.
All staff in the Early Years and Childcare Service, with assistance from
the Pre-School Learning Alliance (PLA), made visits to providers and
talked them through the survey for childcare providers. This ensured a
100% response rate from day nurseries, pre-schools and independent
schools. In addition to this, our development worker from Devon
Childminding Association (DCMA) visited 50% of Torbay’s Childminders.
Through this survey we were able to confirm what providers offer, their
occupancy, costs and charges, care for disabled children or those with
additional needs, as well as their thoughts on the current childcare
market. In addition to the visits, telephone interviews were conducted
with a further ten childminders to gain their thoughts on the childcare
market as this was not covered in their visits.
8

9
3.0
DEMOGRAPHICS
There are a number of demographic
factors which can impact on the demand
for childcare and this chapter will
consider these factors and how the
population is expected to change over
the next couple of years. Information in
this chapter includes:
■ Total population
■ Population projections
■ Household composition
■ Housing developments

Total Population
According to the most recent Census (2001 1 ) Torbay’s total population
was 129,702. However, the mid year estimates (2006 2 ) show that the
population has grown since 2001 and is now estimated to be 133,200,
but these show some significant changes among different age groups as
the graph below indicates. The number of children aged 0 to 14 has
decreased since the Census as have the number of adults aged 25 to
40, these two age groups pose the greatest relevance when assessing
the demand for childcare.
Figure 6
Change In Population By Age
12000
10000
8000
6000
4000
2000
0
0-4 5-9 10-14 15-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70-74 75-84 85-89 90+
Age of people (in years)
1 Office for National Statistics Census 2001
2 Office for National Statistics 2006 Mid Year Estimates
3 Office for National Statistics Revised 2004 Population Projections
Census 2001
MYE 2006
Population size
Figure 7
Population Forecast for People Aged 20 to 49
50000
49000
48000
47000
46000
45000
44000
Population Projections
The total population of Torbay is expected to increase to 150,700 by
2017 3 . The number of people aged 20 to 49 is also expected to increase
in the next 5 years by 4%, but following this increase the population of
this age group is expected to remain steady from 2012.
Children in Torbay
The latest estimates (2006) indicate that there are 20,900 children in
Torbay aged between 0 and 14 (age group which need to be considered
for this assessment). This is a decrease of 3.9% than the figures
recorded by the Census in 2001 and represents on average a decrease
of 193 children a year.
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
3.0 DEMOGRAPHICS
The distribution of children in
this age group is not equal
across Torbay ranging from 8%
in Wellswood to 22% in
Blatchcombe. The wards of
Ellacombe and Watcombe in
Torquay, Blatchcombe in
Paignton and St Marys with
Summercombe in Brixham have
the highest proportions of
children aged between 0 and 14.
The wards of Wellswood in
Torquay and Churston with
Galmpton in between Brixham
and Paignton have the lowest
proportion of children in this age
group.
10

3.0 DEMOGRAPHICS
Figure 8
Distribution Of Children
Aged 0 to 14
% of Children
Aged 0 to 14
11
20-23% (3)
17-19.9% (4)
14-16.9% (5)
11-13.9% (2)
8-10.9% (1)
Figure 9
Children By Age Group And Ward
Ward 2 & under 3 to 4 5 to 7 8 to 10 11 to 14 Total
Berryhead with Furzeham 228 175 239 346 539 1,527
Blatchcombe 407 272 448 495 638 2,260
Churston with Galmpton 109 87 155 203 302 856
Clifton with Maidenway 182 155 206 280 356 1,179
Cockington with Chelston 357 230 411 472 612 2,082
Ellacombe 284 196 281 338 432 1,531
Goodrington with Roselands 168 143 196 240 323 1,070
Preston 245 229 276 345 417 1,512
Roundham with Hyde 177 117 179 213 286 972
Shiphay with the Willows 305 228 349 347 406 1,635
St Marychurch 276 214 391 399 584 1,864
St Marys with Summercombe 204 147 248 287 406 1,292
Tormohun 322 226 392 332 556 1,828
Watcombe 248 198 316 382 466 1,610
Wellswood 108 73 154 137 175 647
Total children - Torbay 3,620 2,690 4,241 4,816 6,498 21,865
Children Aged Under 2
Children under the age of 2 make up just 3% of the total population
(3,620). The distribution of children in this age group tends to follow
the pattern of overall children. The areas with the highest numbers of
children under 2 are Blatchcombe, Cockington with Chelston and
Tormohun. The areas with the lowest number of children are Wellswood,
Churston with Galmpton and Goodrington with Roselands.
Children Aged 3 and 4
According to the Census, there are 2,690 children who are aged 3 and 4
in Torbay, children in this age group make up just 2.1% of the total
population and 12.3% of the total population of children and young
Source: Census 2001, Office for National
Statistics

4 Torbay Council Schools Census,
August 2007
people (aged 0 to 14). The wards with the highest proportion of children
in this age group are Blatchcombe, Cockington with Chelston, Shiphay
with the Willows and Preston. The population of this age group is of
particular interest when this assessment comes to examine the supply
and demand of early years education.
Children Aged 5, 6 and 7
There are 4,241 children aged 5, 6 and 7, they make up 3.3% of the total
population and just under a fifth of the population of children and
young people. Again, Blatchcombe and Shiphay with the Willows have
the higher proportions of children in this age group, as do Tormohun
and St Marychurch.
Children Aged 8, 9 and 10
Children aged between 8 and 10 make up just over a fifth of the
population of children and young people (22%). The distribution of
children in this age group tends to be fairly even across Torbay, with the
exception of Wellswood. Wards with the highest proportion of children
in this age group again are Blatchcombe, Shiphay with the Willows and
St Marychurch.
Children Aged 11, 12, 13 and 14
Children and young people aged between 11 and 14 make up just under a
third (30%) of the population under 14. As above the highest
proportions of children in this age group can be found in Blatchcombe,
Cockington with Chelston and St Marychurch.
Disabled Children
With the requirement for childcare to meet the needs of disabled
children up to and including the age of 17. It is useful to be able to
quantify the number of disabled children and young people in relation
to the overall population aged 0 to 14, and specifically between 15 and
17. Defining the exact number of children with disabilities and special
needs can be difficult as the data tends to be collected about those with
more severe difficulties or disabilities that require additional support.
In 2007, there were 788 4 children identified as having Statements of
Special Education Need (SEN) or are known to the Disability Service,
this represents 2.7% of the population of all children and young people.
There are 44 young people aged between 14 and 17 who are disabled
and known to the Disability Service.
000s
Figure 10
Proportion Of Total Population By Age Group
7.0%
6.0%
5.0%
Figure 11
Projected Population Change
9.0
8.5
8.0
7.5
7.0
6.5
6.0
5.5
Age 15-19
Age 10-14
Age 15-19
Age 10-14
3.0 DEMOGRAPHICS
Age 5-9
Age 0-4
4.0%
2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 2026 2028
Age 5-9
Age 0-4
5.0
2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 2026 2028
Source: Office for National Statistics
12

3.0 DEMOGRAPHICS
Population Forecast for Children
Torbay has been identified as a high growth authority area with
projections showing an estimated 26% increase in the overall
population from 132,500 in 2004 to 166,500 in 2029. However, over the
next 25 years the overall proportion of young people in the total
population is projected to decrease, this is shown in Figure 10 (see
previous page).
Despite the proportionate decrease in the younger people population,
the actual number in each age group is projected to increase. Most
notably the early years (0 to 4) age group is projected to increase by
12.9% over the next 25 years. Figure 11 (see previous page) shows the
projected change in numbers by age group over the 25 years.
Birth Rate
Since 1981, the birth rate in Torbay has remained fairly static with on
average 1,233 births a year 5 . Data collected from the Registrar
(January 2006 to September 2007) shows that the
highest number of births are in the wards of Shiphay with
the Willows, Cockington with Chelston and Tormohun.
The wards which have seen the lowest number of births
have been Wellswood, Goodrington with Roselands and
Churston with Galmpton. Figure 12 shows the numbers of
new births by ward.
Household Composition
On average the make up of households with dependent children in
Torbay is fairly similar to that of England and to the South West,
although the proportion of married couples in Torbay is slightly lower
than regional and national averages (see Figure 13).
While the pattern of household composition appears to be fairly
consistent across the bay, it is apparent that there is a higher
proportion of lone parents in the wards of Tormohun, Ellacombe and
Roundham with Hyde.
5 Office for National Statistics
13
Figure 12
Number Of Births By Ward
Births Jan 06 to Sep 07
180 to 225 (3)
134 to 179 (5)
88 to 133 (4)
42 to 87 (3)
Figure 13
Proportion Of Households With Dependent Children
Married couples 13.5% 17.3% 17.6%
Co-habiting couples
Lone parents
Other households
Berryhead with Furzeham
Blatchcombe
Churston with Galmpton
Clifton with Maidenway
Cockington with Chelston
Ellacombe
Goodrington with Roselands
Preston
Roundham with Hyde
Shiphay with the Willows
St Marychurch
St Marys with Summercombe
Tormohun
Watcombe
Wellswood
Torbay South West England
3.0% 3.1% 3.2%
6.6% 5.4% 6.4%
2.0% 1.7% 2.2%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Married couples
Lone couples
Co-habiting couples
Other households
Source: Census 2001, Office for National Statistics

Ethnic Origin
The number of people from a black and minority ethnic background
living in Torbay has increased significantly since 1991 and now accounts
for 3.2% of the resident population 6 . However, this figure is still well
below the national average, Figure 14 shows the population by ethnic
origin as counted by the Census.
Like many areas across England, Torbay has experienced an increase in
the number of people moving from eastern European countries. Figure
15 (below right) shows the number
of applicants to the Workers
Registration Scheme who are
working in Torbay (May 2004 to
September 2007) by nationality.
The table shows registered workers
rather than the number of
applications made.
Indices of Deprivation
(2007)
The latest Indices of Multiple
Deprivation (2007) show Torbay
ranking 71st most deprived Local
Authority in England, this is well
within the top quartile. In the last
three years, since the 2004 index was released the number of super
output areas (SOAs) in Torbay which rank in the 30% most deprived
nationally has increased from 28 to 38, with the number of areas
ranking in the 10% most deprived nationally increasing from four to ten.
The map in Figure 16 shows the rank of deprivation across Torbay. It is
clear the wards which cover central Torquay and Paignton are some of
the most disadvantaged in England. The wards of Tormohun, Ellacombe,
Watcombe, Roundham with Hyde and Blatchcombe are comprised of
SOAs which rank in the most deprived nationally.
6 Census 2001, Office for National
Statistics
Figure 14
Population By Ethnic Origin
Source: Census 2001,
Office for National Statistics
Figure 15
Worker Registration Scheme
Source: Home Office
*Because of rounding up and
confidentiality figures may not
add up to totals shown
White British 97% 87%
White Irish
White Other
Mixed: White and Black Caribbean
Mixed: White & Black African
Mixed: White and Asian
Mixed: Other
Asian: Indian
Asian: Pakistani
Asian: Bangladeshi
Asian: Other
Black: Black Caribbean
Black: African
Black: Other
Chinese
Other Ethnic Group
Torbay England & Wales
0.6% 1.3%
1.3% 2.7%
0.2% 0.5%
0.1% 0.2%
0.2% 0.4%
0.2% 0.3%
0.1% 2.1%
0.1% 1.4%
0.02% 0.6%
0.1% 0.5%
0.1% 1.1%
0.04% 0.1%
0.02% 0.2%
0.2% 0.5%
0.1% 0.4%
Czech Republic 60 5.0
Estonia
Hungary
Latvia
Lithuania
Poland
Slovakia
Slovenia
Total
3.0 DEMOGRAPHICS
Nationality Number
%
20* 1.5
23 1.9
20* 1.5
98 8.2
855 71.3
137 11.4
20* 0.2
1,200* 100%
14

3.0 DEMOGRAPHICS
Housing Developments
The development of new housing in significant quantities has the
potential to impact greatly on the demand for childcare, although the
extent of this impact will depend on the type of housing being
developed. Torbay has been identified as one of 29 New Growth Points
across the country. The New Growth Point Programme (2007) sets out
the short and medium term plans for housing development and
regeneration schemes in all three towns.
Torbay is committed to delivering at least 500
dwellings per year to 2016 and beyond, although the
Regional Spatial Strategy, due for publication early
2008, will set out the final level of housing so the figure
of 500 dwellings a year could change.
The short and medium term programme will emphasise the
development of brownfield areas at the optimum and housing sites will
be delivered through committed sites, particularly: Torre Marine and
Scotts Bridge in Torquay; Great Parks and Foxhole in Paignton; and
Dolphin in Brixham; as well as windfall development.
In the medium term (2008-2011) key areas of housing to be delivered
are likely to include Scotts Bridge and Hollicombe in Torquay, and Great
Parks in Paignton.
Regeneration will include Brixham Harbourside, waterfront and central
car park to provide a mixed development, including residential, retail
and employment uses. Medium term regeneration includes the Torquay
Harbourside and town centre, together with Paignton town centre.
15
Figure 16
Rank Of Overall
Deprivation
Ward boundary
SOA boundary
2007 Index Of Multiple Deprivation
Top 10% in England (10)
10% to 20% (4)
20% to 30% (24)
Key Findings
■ The number of children aged 0 to 14 is not equally distributed
across the bay, Ellacombe, Watcombe, Blatchcombe and St Marys
with Summercombe have the highest proportion of children and
young people in this age group
■ The early years age group (0 to 4) is expected to see an increase of
approximately 12.9% over the next 25 years
■ The population of children aged 5 and above is set to decrease in
the short term but increase overall over the next 25 years
■ While the birth rate has remained fairly static in recent years, areas
in Torquay such as Shiphay with the Willows, Cockington with
Chelston and Tormohun have seen higher numbers of new births.
Some of this can be attributed to the development of new housing,
particularly in the case of Shiphay with the Willows
■ Torbay is committed to delivering at least 500 dwellings a year until
2016 and beyond. The areas which will see this growth are Shiphay
with the Willows in Torquay, Blatchcombe in Paignton and St Marys
with Summercombe in Brixham
30% to 40% (18)
40% to 50% (8)
50% to 60% (15)
60% to 70% (5)
70% to 80% (4)
80% to 90% (1)

4.0
ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
Economic activity in Torbay is undoubtedly linked to the need and demand for
childcare. Understanding the economic activity of parents and income of
families is crucial in undertaking this assessment of childcare sufficiency.
A person is considered to be economically active if they are aged 16 to 74 and
employed (in the week before the Census is conducted) or unemployed and
actively looking for work. A person is economically inactive if they are retired,
a student (not including those who are working), looking after home / family
and permanently sick or disabled.
16

4.0 ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
Working Patterns
In Torbay 79.2% of adults were economically active in 2006 7 , this is
similar to the national figure of 78.6%, but slightly lower than the
average for the south west, 81%.
Figure 17 (top, right) shows that the proportion of people (as measured
in the Census 2001) in full time employment is 33.3% in Torbay,
compared to 39.1% in the south west and 40.8% for England. This table
also shows the proportion of people who are unemployed as slightly
higher than national and regional averages.
Figure 18 (below, right) shows the wards of Shiphay with the Willows,
Blatchcombe and Goodrington with Roselands have the highest
proportions of people who are in full time employment. In contrast to
this, Tormohun, Roundham with Hyde and Ellacombe have higher than
average rates of unemployment 8 . In Tormohun and Roundham with
Hyde just under 10% of the population is unemployed. Wards where
there are higher levels of unemployment may not have the same
requirement from childcare as those areas where there are higher
proportions of people working full time.
Female Economic Activity
Within families women are more likely to be the main carers and tend to
be the person who takes responsibility for childcare. It is important to
consider the proportion of women who work within Torbay as this is an
important factor in the demand for childcare. It is also crucial to
consider the working patterns of women given that a higher proportion
of women in the UK now return to work within a year of childbirth than
in previous years, 76% in 2004 compared to 45% in 1988 9 .
7 NOMIS, Annual Population Survey, numbers are people aged 16 and over, % is for
those of working age, January 2006 to December 2006
8 Census 2001, Office for National Statistics
9 Equality Unit. Women and Work: Challenge and Opportunity February 2005
17
Part time employed 12.98% 13.23% 11.81%
Full time employed
Self employed
Unemployed
Berryhead with Furzeham
Blatchcombe
Churston with Galmpton
Clifton with Maidenway
Cockington with Chelston
Ellacombe
Goodrington with Roselands
Preston
Roundham with Hyde
Shiphay with the Willows
St Marychurch
St Marys with Summercombe
Tormohun
Watcombe
Wellswood
Torbay South West England
33.30% 39.08% 40.81%
10.78% 10.08% 8.32%
4.14% 2.57% 3.35%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Employed part time Self employed
Employed full time
Unemployed
Figure 17
Proportion Of Population By
Type Of Employment
Figure 18
Economic Activity By Ward

Figure 19
Female Economic Activity By Ward
Ward
% employed
full time
% employed
part time
% self
employed
%
unemployed
%
looking after
home/family
Berryhead with Furzeham 21.8 20.4 6.1 3.2 10.2
Blatchcombe 26.1 21.8 3.6 3.6 14.1
Churston with Galmpton 19.1 21.5 6.0 2.0 9.4
Clifton with Maidenway 26.5 23.9 3.9 2.7 11.2
Cockington with Chelston 24.3 24.0 6.6 2.6 11.1
Ellacombe 27.3 23.4 4.6 4.0 11.8
Goodrington with Roselands 27.0 22.3 5.2 3.2 9.7
Preston 24.8 19.7 5.9 1.6 9.6
Roundham with Hyde 21.9 16.9 9.8 3.7 10.5
Shiphay with the Willows 30.3 24.4 4.4 2.5 10.2
St Marychurch 23.9 22.2 6.6 2.4 10.5
St Marys with Summercombe 21.5 20.7 5.0 2.4 14.1
Tormohun 25.6 20.2 8.1 3.8 10.8
Watcombe 23.5 22.7 3.2 3.1 12.4
Wellswood 22.3 13.8 9.9 3.3 10.0
Torbay 24.5 21.3 6.0 2.9 12.0
Figure 20
Mean Gross Pay Comparison
Annual pay £19,012 £22,072 £25,284
Weekly pay
% earning less than £250 per week
Torbay South West England & Wales
£336.10 £408.20 £456.50
44.2% 31.4% 28.1%
Source: Office for National Statistics
Source: Census 2001, Office for National Statistics
Across Torbay almost a quarter of women
are employed full time (24.5%) compared
to 30% in England. Just under one fifth
(21.3%) work part time, compared to 23%
in England 10 . The number of women who
are looking after home / family is only
slightly higher than the national average
(12% in Torbay compared to 11.1% in
England).
4.0 ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
Unsurprisingly, working age women who
have dependent children are less likely to
be economically active than those
without dependent children. The age of the youngest child also appears
to be a factor in the economic activity of mothers, those with children
under 5 are less likely to be in employment than those with children
aged 5 or over. It is also interesting to note that a smaller proportion of
lone mothers are in the labour force than mothers who are married or
co-habiting.
Income
Average earnings in Torbay are lower than national and regional
averages. Figure 20 shows the mean gross pay for all employees. The
average annual gross pay for people working in Torbay is 75% of the
England and Wales figure, a higher proportion of the population in the
bay are earning less than £250 a week.
The gender breakdown for people in Torbay is more pronounced, with
the male earners only earning 73% of the England and Wales figure.
Female earners, however, earn around 91% of the national average
(Figure 21).
10 Census 2001, Office for National Statistics
18

4.0 ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
Average earnings in Torbay are lower than
national and regional averages. The
average annual gross pay for people
working in Torbay is 75% of the England
and Wales figure and a higher proportion of
the population in Torbay are earning less
than £250 per week
Figure 21
Gender Pay Difference
Gender pay gap England & Wales South West Torbay
All £25,884 £22,072 £19,012
Full time
Part time
Male
Male full time
Female
Female full time
19
£30,463 £27,046 £23,888
£10,241 £10,101 £9,786
£32,119 £27,857 £23,604
£34,284 £29,935 £25,318
£18,145 £16,375 £16,571
£24,286 £22,332 £22,865
Source: ONS 2007 Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings
Income Deprivation
As discussed in chapter 3, Torbay has a number of areas which rank
highly in terms of the deprivation indices. This is also the case for the
income domain which is one of the seven indicators which make up the
overall indices. As the map in Figure 22 shows, there are 38 SOAs
across Torbay which rank in the 30% most deprived areas for income.
These areas are based in the wards of Tormohun, Ellacombe, Watcombe,
Blatchcombe, Roundham with Hyde and St Marys with Summercombe.
This undoubtedly has a huge impact on the affordability of childcare in
these locations.
Take up of Tax Credits
Data from HM Revenue and Customs on eligibility for tax credits
can provide us with an indication of income levels. There
are two forms of tax credits which families can be
eligible for, Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit.
This assessment needs to consider the number of
childcare places which will be eligible for the childcare
element of the Working Tax Credit.
Child Tax Credit (CTC) provides support to families for the
children (up to the 31st August after their 16th birthday) and the
“qualifying” young people for which they are responsible. It is paid
to families in addition to Child Benefit for families with incomes under
the threshold of £55,000 for a family with two working parents.
Working Tax Credit (WTC) is additional to CTC for families with children.
It tops up the earnings of families on low or moderate incomes and
includes an element equal to 80% of eligible childcare costs. A family’s
entitlement to CTC and WTC depends on their income, in general,
Top 10% in England (6)
10% to 20% (10)
20% to 30% (22)
30% to 40% (21)
40% to 50% (12)
50% to 60% (9)
Figure 22
Rank Of Income
Deprivation
Ward boundary
SOA boundary
Source: Department for Communities
and Local Government
SOA Rank Of Income Deprivation
60% to 70% (6)
70% to 80% (2)
80% to 100% (1)

households with a total net income of less than £13,910 a year will
receive maximum tax credits, while families with incomes of up to
£55,000 will receive some benefit.
Of all the families with dependent children in 2005, 88% were claiming
child tax credits 11 . Yet just under a third were families who are classified
as in work and receiving both Working Tax Credits and Child Tax Credits.
However, a small number of families who were classified as in work were
benefiting from the childcare element of tax credits, the proportion of
working families being 7%, whereas 21.5% of lone parents who were in
work were benefiting from the childcare element of tax credits.
In terms of children in families, 32% of children were in families who are
in receipt of both Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit.
Key Findings
■ Torbay has a slightly higher unemployment rate compared to
national and regional averages
■ The wards of Tormohun in Torquay and Roundham with Hyde in
Paignton have the highest rates of unemployment across Torbay
■ Almost a quarter of women in Torbay are employed full time and
just under one fifth work part time
■ Average earnings in Torbay are lower than national and regional
averages, with 44% of people earning less than £250 a week
■ 38 of the 89 super output areas (SOAs) in Torbay rank in the 30%
most deprived nationally for income
■ Of all families in Torbay, 88% were claiming Child Tax Credit and
just under a third are receiving both Child Tax Credit and Working
Tax Credit
11 Child Tax Credit Statistics, August 2005 HM Revenue and Customs
Figure 23
Number Of Families Receiving A CTC And WTC Award - August 2005
Ward
CTC
recipients
All Families Lone Parents
In work
families –
CTC & WTC
recipients
% benefiting
from
childcare
element
In work
lone parents
% benefiting
from
childcare
element
Berryhead with Furzeham 745 240 5.3 145 13.8
Blatchcombe 1,365 440 5.5 220 22.7
Churston with Galmpton 455 120 4.4 80 0
Clifton with Maidenway 765 255 7.8 140 21.4
Cockington with Chelston 1,100 305 9.1 200 22.5
Ellacombe 915 310 7.7 185 24.3
Goodrington with Roselands 675 225 6.7 120 20.1
Preston 820 230 4.9 135 18.5
Roundham with Hyde 675 255 8.1 130 30.1
Shiphay with the Willows 1,060 310 9.0 200 27.5
St Marychurch 1,050 345 6.7 200 25
St Marys with Summercombe 735 220 5.4 100 15
Tormohun 1,140 415 7.9 235 19.1
Watcombe 895 310 5.6 140 17.9
Wellswood 325 110 10.7 70 35.7
Torbay 12,720 3,887 7.0 2,300 21.5
■ Economic activity is clearly an important factor in assessing the
demand for childcare. The number of women who work part time
can provide an indication that some women may have changed their
working patterns to look after / bring up children. What people earn
has an impact on the affordability of childcare, which will be covered
in subsequent chapters
4.0 ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
20

EARLY YEARS EDUCATION 5.0
21
This chapter takes into account the provision of the
free early years education entitlement for all 3 and 4
year olds. This free nursery education entitles each
3 and 4 year old to five 2.5 hour sessions over a
week, these sessions can be accessed in a number of
different settings. The first part of the chapter will
consider the supply of early years education and the
second half of the chapter will take into account the
demand for the free entitlement. Due to the fact
that many private, voluntary and independent
settings will be providing integrated care and
education it is not so straight forward in terms of
analysing the take up of this provision, therefore, the
supply has been calculated on the basis of providers
offering two sessions a day and the take up of places
analysed in accordance with this.

Figure 24
Number Of Providers By Type
Figure 25
Early Years Education Providers
By Ward
Berryhead with Furzeham
Type of provider
Day Nurseries
Maintained Nurseries
Pre-school / Playgroup
Childminders
Independent Schools
Total
Day Nursery Pre-school / Playgroup
Independent
Blatchcombe
Churston with Galmpton
Clifton with Maidenway
Cockington with Chelston
Ellacombe
Goodrington with Roselands
Preston
Roundham with Hyde
Shiphay with the Willows
St Marychurch
St Marys with Summercombe
Tormohun
Watcombe
Wellswood
No.
17
16
13
3
67
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Childminder
Maintained Nursery
18
Supply
Across Torbay a mix of statutory, private, voluntary and independent
settings provide early years education for 3 and 4 year old children. In
2007 there were 67 providers of this free entitlement, as can be seen in
Figure 24.
The types of provider offering early years education is not equally
distributed across Torbay. In Brixham, for example, provision is only
available through the maintained sector and pre-school settings.
Provision in Ellacombe and Churston with Galmpton is only available
through pre-school settings. Most other wards have a selection of three
different types of providers as can be seen in Figure 25.
Together these 67 settings provided a total of 2,740 sessions. Set
against the population of children in this age group (2,690) this means
there is a place available for every 3 and 4 year old in Torbay.
Figure 26 (overleaf) shows the number of sessions which are available
by ward against the number of children in those areas. In five of the 15
wards there are more places available than there are children, the
number of surplus places is particularly high in St. Marychurch, Shiphay
with the Willows and Wellswood. In Ellacombe there are significantly
more children aged 3 and 4 than places available, although it is worth
noting that in close proximity to the Ellacombe ward boundary are a
further two maintained settings.
The number of places available by type of provider is fairly equal, with
the obvious exception of childminders and independent schools. The
reason being the number of children childminders can take is much
smaller and for the case of the independent schools, there is a low
number of providers, please see Figure 27 (overleaf).
5.0 EARLY YEARS EDUCATION
The types of
provider offering
early years
education is not
equally distributed
across Torbay
22

5.0 EARLY YEARS EDUCATION
Figure 26
Places Available By Ward For 3 And 4 Year Olds
Ward Number of providers
Figure 27
Places By Provider Type
Type of provider
Maintained Nurseries
Pre-school / Playgroup
Childminders
Independent Schools
Total
23
No.
17
16
13
3
67
Places available for
3 & 4 year olds
916
744
82
256
2,740
Places available for
3 & 4 year olds
Figure 28
Numbers Of Children Attending Early Years Education Places
Type of provider
Demand
Whilst the take up of early years education places is voluntary, the take
up of places in settings can provide some indication of the demand.
The table in Figure 28 below shows the number of children attending
sessions. It shows that 2,839 children in the Spring term 2007 attended
nursery education sessions, therefore, this provides a good indication
that the majority of children are taking at least one place. While the
table shows that there is a higher number of children attending than
places available for 2007, this can be explained by the fact that not all
children will take all five sessions available to them. However, if we
exclude the number of children in reception classes then take up is
clearly much lower with only 1,680 children taking an education place.
This suggests that there are more than enough places to meet the
demand.
Analysis of the headcount data for Spring terms of 2007 and 2006
shows that children are accessing an average of 4.3 sessions a week.
Figure 29 shows the average number of sessions attended by age and
year.
Day Nurseries 18 742 Private, Voluntary & Independent 1015 1079 3 year olds 4.2 4.3
Maintained Nurseries
Reception Classes
Total
Number of children
aged 3 & 4 year
Berryhead with Furzeham 2 104 175
Blatchcombe 6 233 272
Churston with Galmpton 2 92 87
Clifton with Maidenway 3 114 155
Cockington with Chelston 5 174 230
Ellacombe 1 34 196
Goodrington with Roselands 4 186 143
Preston 3 166 229
Roundham with Hyde 4 168 117
Shiphay with the Willows 9 345 228
St Marychurch 9 408 214
St Marys with Summercombe 3 136 147
Tormohun 7 219 226
Watcombe 6 173 198
Wellswood 3 188 73
Total 67 2,740 2,690
Spring Term 2006
567
1070
2,652
Spring Term 2007
601
1159
2,839
Source: Early Years Headcount and PLASC data, Torbay Council
Figure 29
Average Number Of Sessions
Attended
4 year olds
3 & 4 year olds
Spring
2007
4.4
4.3
Spring
2006
4.5
4.3
Source: Early Years Headcount

In the PVI sector it is clear that the majority of children are accessing
five sessions and in the Spring term 2007 just under two thirds (62%)
of 3 year olds and three quarters (74%) of 4 year olds were accessing
five sessions. This was very similar to the same period in 2006, as can
be seen in Figure 30.
The consultation showed that parents we spoke to were aware of the
free entitlement and many were, or had, used the sessions available to
them. Although one parent told us that efforts should be made to make
parents aware of the free entitlements much earlier, perhaps when
children are one instead of when they are three. Although this focus
group acknowledged that some parents just won’t be reached and those
who are pro-active will find the information anyway.
Parents told us that the PVI sector is able to offer them more flexibility
than the maintained sector. For one parent, a pre-school which only
provided sessional care also posed a problem for arranging additional
childcare.
However, despite maintained settings being able to offer less flexibility
for the parents, there is still a perception that if children go to the
nursery in a school, there is a guaranteed place in that school when the
child reaches statutory school age – for example, one parent said:
“There is a perception that in a maintained nursery the child
automatically gets a place at the school”.
Providers and parents alike mentioned that the one point of entry into
schools was having an impact. Both were keen to point out the negative
impact and it is also clear also that some parents do not fully
understand what is available to them and what they are entitled to.
Through the consultation two providers also noted the differences in the
way the maintained and PVI sector were funded and how, in their
opinion, maintained settings had an unfair advantage.
Figure 30
Number Of Sessions Attended
Sessions
Five
Four
Three
Two
One
“
% of 3 yr olds in PVI settings
Spring 2006 Spring 2007
The early years education is very rigid in schools.
It is more flexible with the nursery; at least you can
pay for extra sessions if you want them.
The nursery class in school is not flexible in the sessions it
offers. This does not support working parents.
Schools only offer mornings or afternoons. There
is no flexibility. At the pre-school we can do extra
and pay for it. At least by doing a full day at the
pre school my son is getting prepared for going to
school. Also, we can pick and choose our sessions;
so long as they are available the pre-school are
happy to accommodate.
If you don’t work it is easier to take on the education
sessions.
My child has started a nursery class at school
which is part-time. As I work it was difficult to
arrange pick-ups and find a nursery where she
could go for the rest of the day.
13
11
10
2
15
11
10
3
% of 4 yr olds in PVI settings
Spring 2006 Spring 2007
64 62 75 74
12
7
5
2
8
9
6
3
5.0 EARLY YEARS EDUCATION
It is not possible to pay for extra time if my son is at a school
nursery, i.e. lunches, additional care.
My son was offered sessions at a pre-school but I
needed to arrange childcare outside of the free
sessions, so the pre-school was not ideal.
I am very dissatisfied with the current part-time school entry
for rising fives. As a full-time working parent I do not think
the system is at all supportive and will put me under
enormous pressure when my child starts school
”
next
September. I will find it very difficult to find childcare parttime
for that first month as I don’t have family I can rely on.
24

5.0 EARLY YEARS EDUCATION
“
The September term is financially challenging for
us because of the one intake into schools.
(provider)
The one point of entry (into schools) has been a major factor
in some provisions closing and others struggling for
sustainability.
(provider)
My pre-school is ideal because of its links to the
school, although there is an issue with the number
of places. There are not enough places to fulfil the
need for 3 and 4 year olds. With one point of entry
into school, places are kept open and so they get
booked easily and quickly. I would really like my
kids to do two full years at pre-school (some
children do get this) but, because of the way my
kids’ birthdays fall, they will only get a year. (parent)
Day nurseries only have one intake per year due to schools
only having one intake. I therefore have to pay from
September even though I do not need it until January.
(parent)
25
The one intake into schools is the problem because
children are not moving to school throughout the
year so there are not always places available in preschool
when we need them.
(parent)
”
I think availability of free sessions might be an issue for my
daughter. I would like to get her placed in Easter, but there
is not a place available until September.
(parent)
“The funding is geared up to support the schools.
They can take children at 3, yet nurseries have to
wait until the term after their third birthday.
There is unfair competition from schools who receive their
funding whether the place is filled or not. Schools can also
have children before 3. Private nurseries receive the nursery
education grant (NEG) after the child is 3, so nurseries
really struggle and parents are bound to go for the cheaper
option.
Key Findings
■ The 67 Providers of the free entitlement for 3 and 4 year olds offer
a total of 2,740 places which is enough supply to ensure that every
child can access a place
■ We can safely assume that the majority of 3 and 4 year olds are
accessing some of their free entitlement
■ The majority of 3 and 4 year olds were accessing at least four
sessions a week
■ Many parents are aware of the free entitlement and how and where
they can access it
■ For parents, the PVI sector appears to be able to meet the needs of
those who work because they can offer more flexibility and the
ability to provide more ‘wrap around’ care compared to the
maintained sector
■ The one point of entry into schools appears to have had an impact
on both providers in the PVI sector and parents. For parents it
would seem that there is more competition / demand for places as
children are only moving up to school once a year. Parents want to
ensure that when their children will be entitled to their free
sessions, they will get what they want, even if it means having to
pay for an extra term

CHILDCARE
SUPPLY
This assessment is required to
map the existing supply of
childcare and must accurately
measure the supply of all types
of formal childcare and so far as
possible informal (unregistered)
provision. The assessment must
take into account the following:
■ Type of care available
■ Opening hours
■ Number of places offered
■ Age groups catered for
■ Costs and charges
This chapter will focus on all of
the above at local authority wide
and also at the lower
geographical level of
administrative ward. The supply
of provision covered in this
chapter comprises full daycare
and sessional care, childminders,
out of school provision and
crèches registered with Ofsted.
Consultation with parents and
carers showed that 70% relied
on family and friends to provide
childcare, this use of informal
childcare will be covered in
greater detail in chapter 7
(Childcare Demand).
6.0
26

6.0 CHILDCARE SUPPLY
Number Of Childcare Places
At the time of writing this assessment (November 2007) there were 165
registered providers in Torbay, providing a total of 2,825 places. The
breakdown in different types of provision is shown in Figure 31.
The supply of childcare can be measured by taking the number of
registered places in any area and setting it against the resident
population of children. The calculation for this is:
Using this calculation we know that there are 12.9 registered childcare
places per 100 children in Torbay.
Compared to our statistical neighbours, Torbay has a lower than
average number of childcare places per 100 children and also has the
lowest number across our statistical neighbours 12 , please see Figure 32.
Geographical Spread
Across the bay there are varying levels of childcare provision and some
quite interesting differences in the types of provision available to
parents across wards, see Figure 33. The highest number of places
available can be found in Torquay in the wards of St Marychurch (463)
and Shiphay with the Willows (422). In comparison the wards with the
lowest number of childcare places are Churston with Galmpton (64) in
Brixham and Ellacombe (94) in central Torquay.
Notable differences in the type of provision available can also be seen
across wards. Wellswood, Ellacombe and Roundham with Hyde all have
lower levels of places available with childminders. Clifton with
Maidenway has no daycare places with nurseries but has the second
highest number of places available for out of school childcare. In
Brixham 90% of the places available are in daycare settings or with
childminders, there is one out of school club in the town which provides
a holiday club only and has 24 places.
27
Number of Childcare Places
Resident child population
x 100
12 Ofsted Quarterly Childcare Statistics as at 30th September 2006 and Census 2001, ONS.
Figure 31
Places By Provider Type
Type of provider
Daycare (full day & sessional) 41
Childminders
Out of school (breakfast, after school & holiday)
Crèches
Total
Number of
providers
97
24
3
165
Figure 32
Statistical Neighbour Comparison Childcare Places
Per 100 Children 0-14
Places per 100 children
25
20
15
10
5
0
Blackpool
Average
Bournemouth
Cornwall
Isle of Wight
North
Lincolnshire
Plymouth
Poole
Portsmouth
Southend
Number of
places
1,617
482
665
61
2,825
Telford &
Wrekin
Torbay

Figure 33
Number of Registered Childcare Places By Type Of Provider And Ward
Berryhead with Furzeham
Daycare Places Childminders
Out of School
Blatchcombe
Churston with Galmpton
Clifton with Maidenway
Cockington with Chelston
Ellacombe
Goodrington with Roselands
Preston
Roundham with Hyde
Shiphay with the Willows
St Marychurch
St Marys with Summercombe
Tormohun
Watcombe
Wellswood
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500
Crèches
Figure 34
Childcare Places Per
100 Children By Ward
Childcare places per 100 children
Between 20 and 30 (2)
Between 10 and 20 (6)
Less than 10 (7)
6.0 CHILDCARE SUPPLY
While Figure 33 shows the volume of childcare places available by type
and ward, a more accurate picture can be obtained by considering the
number of registered places against the resident population of
children aged 0 to 14 (and up to 17 for disabled children).
It is clear from Figure 34 that Shiphay with the Willows and
St Marychurch have the highest number of childcare places available
per 100 children, the number of places available is significantly
higher than the average across Torbay (13 places per 100 children).
The wards of Ellacombe, Preston and Cockington with Chelston
have the lowest number of places per 100 children.
The charts in Figures 35, 36 and 37 show the number of
childcare places per 100 children broken down into type
of childcare across wards, excluding crèche provision, as
Ward
Number of
places
Berryhead with Furzeham 127
Blatchcombe 271
Churston with Galmpton 64
Clifton with Maidenway 183
Cockington with Chelston 162
Ellacombe 94
Goodrington with Roselands 167
Preston 106
Roundham with Hyde 148
Shiphay with the Willows 422
St Marychurch 463
St Marys with Summercombe 103
Tormohun 274
Watcombe 139
Wellswood 102
Total 2,825
Places per
100 children
8.5
12.1
7.7
15.2
7.9
6.4
14.4
7.1
15.1
26.0
25.1
7.8
15.2
8.7
15.2
13.0
28

6.0 CHILDCARE SUPPLY
the numbers of providers are so low. The graphs below show quite
clearly the wards where the number of places per 100 are higher and
lower than the average across Torbay. For daycare noticeably, Shiphay
with the Willows, St Marychurch, Roundham with Hyde and Wellswood
have higher numbers of places per 100 children than the average across
the bay, whereas Clifton with Maidenway, Ellacombe and Cockington
with Chelston have much lower number of places per 100 children than
the average.
In terms of places with childminders (Figure 36), again Shiphay with the
Figure 35
Places Per 100 Children By Ward: Daycare
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
29
Berryhead
with Furzeham
Blatchcombe
Churston with Galmpton
Torbay Average
Clifton with Maidenway
Cockington with
Chelston
Ellacombe
Goodrington with
Roselands
Preston
Roundham with Hyde
Shiphay with the Willows
St Marychurch
St Marys with
Summercombe
Tormohun
Watcombe
Wellswood
Willows is one of the areas with the
highest number of places per 100
children, but also Clifton with
Maidenway and St Marys with
Summercombe have a high proportion
of places compared to the Torbay
average. Among the lowest
proportion of places with childminders
is Ellacombe, Roundham with Hyde
and Wellswood.
Figure 36
Places Per 100 Children By Ward: Childminders
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
Berryhead
with Furzeham
Blatchcombe
Churston with Galmpton
Torbay Average
Clifton with Maidenway
Cockington with
Chelston
Ellacombe
Goodrington with
Roselands
Preston
Roundham with Hyde
Shiphay with the Willows
St Marychurch
St Marys with
Summercombe
Tormohun
Watcombe
Wellswood
Across the bay
there are varying
levels of childcare
provision and some
quite interesting
differences in the
types of provision
available to parents

With regards to childcare available out of school, Figure 37 clearly
shows that Clifton with Maidenway and St Marychurch have the highest
number of places available per 100 children (8.7 and 7.2 respectively),
which is higher than the average across Torbay of 3.1. In comparison,
eight out of the 15 wards in Torbay have lower than average numbers of
registered places per 100 children. Churston with Galmpton, Preston and
St Marys with Summercombe do not have any registered places for out
of school care.
Figure 37
Places Per 100 Children By Ward: Out of School Clubs
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Berryhead
with Furzeham
Blatchcombe
Churston with Galmpton
Torbay Average
Clifton with Maidenway
Cockington with
Chelston
Ellacombe
Goodrington with
Roselands
Preston
Roundham with Hyde
Shiphay with the Willows
St Marychurch
St Marys with
Summercombe
Tormohun
Watcombe
Wellswood
Daycare for Pre-school Children
The majority of settings in Torbay which provide care for children under
the age of 5 are registered for full daycare, only two settings who are
registered as sessional provide care for less than four hours a day.
Settings who provide full day care for children under 5 include day
nurseries, childminders, independent schools and preschools.
Across Torbay there were 1,801 registered full daycare places for
children under 5. This is across 22 day nurseries (1,063 places), 16
playgroups (356 places), three independent schools (158 places), and 96
childminders (224 places). The total population of children in Torbay
aged under 5 is 6,275. Therefore, 28.7 childcare places per 100 children
under 5 which works out as just over one place for every four children.
However, this is not equally distributed across the wards as can
be seen in Figure 38.
Figure 38 shows that three out of 15 wards have more
than 40 places per 100 children under 5 (Shiphay with
the Willows – 64, St Marychurch – 56.1 and Roundham with
Hyde – 43.3). There are a further three wards where the
number of places per 100 children is lower than the average
across the bay. These areas are Clifton with Maidenway (seven
places), Cockington with Chelston (15.8 places) and Ellacombe (four
places).
Levels of daycare for children under 5 vary across the bay by type, for
example in Wellswood a significant amount of childcare is provided by
the independent sector (provided by a single sex school). In Clifton with
Maidenway all of the childcare is available through childminders. In
Shiphay with the Willows the vast majority of childcare is provided by
day nurseries.
While nine out of the 15 wards have at least three different types of
provision available, in some areas the types of provider are not equally
distributed. For example, in Roundham with Hyde there is a high
proportion of childcare provided by day nurseries and in Wellswood
childcare provision is primarily available through the independent
sector. A third of wards in the bay have two types of provision, again
6.0 CHILDCARE SUPPLY
Figure 38
Daycare Places Per
100 Children Under
5 By Ward
Childcare Places Per 100 Children
Under Five
52 to 64 (2)
40 to 51.9 (1)
28 to 39.9 (4)
16 to 27.9 (5)
4 to 15.9 (3)
30

6.0 CHILDCARE SUPPLY
31
Figure 39
Daycare Places Per 100 Children Under 5 by Ward and Type
Berryhead with Furzeham
Blatchcombe
Churston with Galmpton
Clifton with Maidenway
Cockington with Chelston
Ellacombe
Goodrington with Roselands
Day Nurseries Playgroups
Independent Schools
Preston
Roundham with Hyde
Shiphay with the Willows
St Marychurch
St Marys with Summercombe
Tormohun
Watcombe
Wellswood
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Childminders
the types are not equally distributed, for example, in Preston childcare
is primarily available through playgroups / pre-schools. Only
St Marychurch offers a variety of all types of childcare. The type of
childcare available in different areas is important in being able to
provide parents with what they need, offering a choice between day
care and home based settings, as well as flexibility, which parents may
require due to their own working hours.
Daycare for Children Under 2 Years Old
This assessment is required to take into account the availability of
childcare places for children under the age of 2. While this is easy to
assess for day care settings as their registration is broken down into
children under 2, it is not so easy to assess for childminders as their
registration categories are for children under 1 and then children aged
between 1 and 5. Therefore, when calculating the number of very young
children childminders can take, this assessment will only take into
consideration the number of children they are registered to take under
the age of 1.
Geographically, all wards offer childcare for children under 2, although
in some wards this is very limited, for example, Ellacombe, Wellswood
and Preston. The patterns of where this childcare is available is largely
similar to overall pattern of childcare across the bay, with Shiphay with
the Willows and St Marychurch being the wards with the highest number
of places available. Six of the wards only have childcare available for
under 2s with childminders, so the numbers are very limited, see Figure
40.
In terms of places available per 100 children under 2 the average across
the bay is 10.7 and, unsurprisingly, Shiphay with the Willows and
St Marychurch have higher than average places available per 100
children (39.7 and 19.6 respectively). However, when considering places
available in proportion to the actual population, the following wards also
record higher than average places available:
■ Roundham with Hyde (18.1)
■ Goodrington with Roselands (16.7)
■ Tormohun (12.1)

Tormohun and Roundham with Hyde are two wards which cover the
town centre areas of Torquay and Paignton respectively. Shiphay with
the Willows covers the major travel route into Torquay and includes
large housing developments and one of Torbay’s biggest employers,
Torbay Hospital. Therefore, it is not surprising to find that these are the
areas which offer more childcare places for children under the age of 2.
At the time of writing this assessment there were some vacancies
available for children under the age of 2. Two thirds of the providers
who offer care for children in this age group had occupancy rates under
80%, this is further explored in chapter 7, Childcare Demand.
Out of School Care
Out of school childcare is defined as care that is provided before school,
after school and during the school holidays. In most cases this is
available for children aged 4 and over, although only providers who
offer care for children under the age of 8 are able to register. Providers
offering care for children over the age of 8 are able to go on the
Voluntary Childcare Register so that parents are able to use their tax
credits towards the cost of this care. In addition to formal out of school
care, there are a number of agencies who provide activities for children
and young people throughout the holidays, especially in the summer
holidays. This could be considered informal childcare if it allows the
parent to work, but as this is not registered it is difficult to quantify the
number of places which are available through these activities, examples
of this in the bay are:
■ Torbay Sports Programme
■ Adventure Play in the Bay
■ Youth Service
■ Paignton Zoo and Living Coasts
■ Football Courses
■ Faith Groups
Figure 40
Number Of Providers Who Offer Care For Children Under 2 And Number of Places
Ward
Day
Nurseries
Number of providers Number of places
Childminders Independent
Schools
6.0 CHILDCARE SUPPLY
There are a total of 24 providers (not including childminders) offering
some kind of out of school care across Torbay. These 24 providers
generate a total of 689 places, set against the population of children
and young people, there are 3.2 out of school places per 100 children
aged 0 to 14. This calculation is based on children 0 to 14 as some of
the providers do offer out of school in the holidays for children under 4
years old. It is also important to note that this number is likely to
change as two settings are likely to close in the near future, if this does
happen it would bring the number of places available down to 2.9 per
Total
places
Places per
100 children
Berryhead with Furzeham 1 9 0 18 7.9
Blatchcombe 2 8 0 33 8.1
Churston with Galmpton 0 3 0 4 3.7
Clifton with Maidenway 0 8 0 9 4.9
Cockington with Chelston 0 5 0 5 1.4
Ellacombe 0 1 0 1 0.4
Goodrington with Roselands 2 2 0 28 16.7
Preston 0 6 0 6 2.4
Roundham with Hyde 2 1 0 32 18.1
Shiphay with the Willows* 4 11 0 121 39.7
St Marychurch 3 12 1 54 19.6
St Marys with Summercombe 1 10 0 20 9.8
Tormohun 3 3 0 39 12.1
Watcombe 1 3 0 15 6.0
Registered out of school childcare in Torbay is primarily provided through
Wellswood 0 1 0 1 0.9
schools, a small number are run by the private or voluntary sector and one
setting is run by the local authority. The majority of childminders (89%) in
Total 19 83 1 386 10.7
Torbay are registered to take children over the age of 5. * a new provider is due to open in January 2008
32

6.0 CHILDCARE SUPPLY
Figure 41
Number Of Places For Children Under 2 By Ward And Type Of Provider
Berryhead with Furzeham
33
Blatchcombe
Churston with Galmpton
Clifton with Maidenway
Cockington with Chelston
Ellacombe
Goodrington with Roselands
Preston
Roundham with Hyde
Shiphay with the Willows
St Marychurch
St Marys with Summercombe
Tormohun
Watcombe
Wellswood
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 150
Day Nurseries Childminders Independent Schools
13 Ofsted Quarterly Childcare Statistics
as at 30th September 2006
Figure 42
Out Of School Places Statistical Neighbour Comparison
Places per 100 children
9.0
8.0
7.0
6.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0
Blackpool
Bournemouth
Cornwall
Isle of Wight
North
Lincolnshire
100 children. This is lower than the average across England which is 5.8
places per 100 children 13 .
As the number of places available per 100 children appears to be quite
low, Figure 42 shows a comparison of the number of places across
Torbay’s statistical neighbours. The graph clearly indicates that
compared to similar authorities the number of places Torbay offers is
just below the average for all the authorities.
Plymouth
Poole
Portsmouth
Southend
Telford &
Wrekin
Average Source: Ofsted Quarterly Childcare Statistics as at 30th September 2006
Torbay

Figure 43
Out Of School Places In Term Time
(Before/After School) Per 100 Children
Term Time Places (Before/After
School) Per 100 Children
9.1 to 12 (1)
5.6 to 9 (1)
3.1 to 5.5 (4)
0.1 to 3 (9)
Figure 44
Out Of School Places During School
Holidays Per 100 Children
Holiday Places
Per 100 Children
6.1 to 9 (1)
3.01 to 6 (5)
0 to 3 (9)
6.0 CHILDCARE SUPPLY
If we include the number of registered places with childminders then
the number of out of school places per 100 children increases, but only
slightly to 4.3.
The maps in Figures 43 and 44 show the distribution of places for term
time and holiday childcare including the number of registered places
with childminders for children over the age of 5.
While the distribution of places available for term time and holiday
childcare are fairly similar to one another, the distribution of out of
school care does not follow the same overall pattern of childcare supply.
Noticeably in the case of out of school care, Clifton with Maidenway has
the highest number of places per 100 children with 11.5 places for before
and after school and nine places for holiday care (per 100 children).
The table in Figure 45 shows the number of places by ward compared to
the average across the bay. The area with the lowest number of places
across both types of registered out of school provision is Preston, in
terms of holiday care, Wellswood and Tormohun have low numbers, 0.4
and 0.5 places per 100 children respectively.
The number of places available in Shiphay with the Willows is higher
than the average across both types of care. In St Marychurch (which
has high numbers of childcare overall) there are higher than average
numbers of holiday out of school care (5.9) but slightly lower than
average numbers of before and after school care (2.8).
Holiday Care
In Torbay there are 14 providers registered with Ofsted to provide
holiday care. Of these, six are out of school providers, five are daycare
providers (mainly nurseries who are also registered for full day care)
and three holiday schemes are run by schools. The majority are open
between the hours of 8.30am and 5.30pm, with three open until
6.00pm. The majority also provide over all the school holidays, with the
Christmas break being the one holiday which is less well catered for.
Before and After School Care
For out of school care in term time, there are 20 providers registered
with Ofsted to provide care either before or after school. Of these, 11
34

6.0 CHILDCARE SUPPLY
are run through schools, five are run through out of school providers
and four are run through daycare providers (mainly nurseries who are
also registered for full day care). It is quite likely that over the course of
the next couple of years there will be growth in this area. With the
development of extended services, schools may well develop their own
services or build partnerships with existing childcare providers.
Breakfast clubs open from 7.15am, with the majority opening between
7.45am and 8.00am. After school clubs tend to open from 3.00pm and
close at between 5.30pm and 6.00pm, with one provider staying open
until 6.30pm.
Two providers are able to pick up and drop off children, and can collect
from a significant number of schools in Torquay and Paignton. One
additional provider in Torquay told us they are currently able to pick up
children from one school for their after school club, if they are able to
purchase a minibus they could expand this facility.
Opening Times
The opening times of providers varies depending on the type of
provision being offered, many day nurseries will open between 8.00am
and 6.00pm, with a small number opening from 7.30am (Figure 46).
Pre-school settings or playgroups tend to open between 9.00am and
3.30pm, whereas childminders appear to be able to offer the most
flexible provision.
Figure 47 shows that while half of childminders in our sample provide
care between the hours of 8.00am and 6.00pm, 11% offer care 24 hours
a day if required. Just over one third (36%) offer care between the
hours of 7.00am and 7.00pm and 8.3% are offering care between the
hours of 6.00am and 6.00pm.
Of the childminders in our sample, 12 were able to offer parents
overnight care if they required it, with a further two in the process of
applying for this and an additional one being able to provide overnight
care for children aged over 8. Just under half of the sample (42%)
were able to provide care at the weekends, of these, six said they only
provide additional care on Saturdays.
35
Figure 45
Out Of School Places Per 100 Children By Ward
Ward
Term time
places per
100 children
Berryhead with Furzeham 1.4
Blatchcombe 3.2
Churston with Galmpton 1.2
Clifton with Maidenway 11.5
Cockington with Chelston 2.8
Ellacombe 3.9
Goodrington with Roselands 4.4
Preston 0.9
Roundham with Hyde 1.1
Shiphay with the Willows 6.0
St Marychurch 2.8
St Marys with Summercombe 2.2
Tormohun 3.6
Watcombe 2.4
Wellswood 2.8
Average 3.4
Holiday care
places per
100 children
3.0
1.0
1.2
9.0
2.8
3.4
4.4
0.9
1.1
4.5
5.9
2.2
0.5
2.4
0.4
2.9
Figure 46
Day Care Opening Hours
Between the hours of %
7.00am to 6.00pm 5.1
7.30am to 6.00pm 15.4
8.00am to 4.00pm 2.6
8.00am to 6.00pm 25.6
8.30am to 3.30pm 30.8
8.30am to 5.30pm 12.8
9.00am to 1.00pm 7.7
Figure 47
Childminder Opening Hours
Between the hours of %
6.00am to 6.00pm 8.3
7.00am to 7.00pm 36
7.00am to 8.00pm 2.8
7.30am to 6.30pm 16
8.00am to 6.00pm 50
Flexible 2.8
24 hour care available 11

Childcare for Disabled Children
Provision for disabled children is provided by mainstream childcare
settings and through a couple of specialist services who provide
childcare only for children with a disability or SEN. One of these
providers only takes children on a referral basis from other agencies.
Our survey of childcare providers showed that the majority of providers
had taken children in the past with a disability or SEN and many had
children attending the setting at the time of interviews. Disabilities /
SEN and additional needs among the children ranged from difficulties
with language and communication to blindness and from Autism to
Cerebral Palsy. Providers also access additional support to ensure that
they are providing the best possible care for the children. This ranges
from regular visits from a speech and language therapist to one to one
support for a particular child from the Early Years Inclusion Team.
Additional support for settings also comes in the form of funding to
help them with staffing costs, although some identified that this could
be better as the minimum wage is not enough to recruit the quality of
support staff needed to support the children.
Childcare Costs
Childcare providers in Torbay have a range of charging structures
(hourly / half day / full day) and charge according to the service they
provide, e.g. different age groups. To gain a broad perspective of fees,
information provided on pricing has been calculated to give an average
for each setting by the number of hours they provide childcare. It is
important to note that not all settings wished to share information on
their pricing structures, so they have not been included in this analysis.
There was a wide range of costs for childcare with the lowest rate
equating to £1.35 per hour to the highest equating to £4.15. The
average hourly amount that parents paid for childcare in 2007 was
£2.87. On average, independent schools provide the most expensive
provision at an average of £3.92 an hour. In contrast, out of school
childcare is the cheapest at an average of £1.79 an hour (see Figure 48).
It is important to note however that out of school childcare will be
cheaper than childcare for children under the age of 5 because the staff
ratios are lower so an out of school provider will not necessarily incur
the same staffing costs as a day nursery for example.
As well as the difference in cost between different types of provider,
childcare settings will also have a range of pricing structures which
differentiate between age groups and times of use. For example, day
nurseries will charge on average £2.70 per hour for children aged under
2, compared to an average hourly rate of £2.18 for children aged
between 3 and 5.
The average hourly cost of childcare also appears to differ depending
on the location of the provider, although the difference is not
significant. Costs range from £2.24 in Cockington with Chelston to
£3.45 in Churston with Galmpton.
Compared against the Indices of Deprivation, and in particular the
income deprivation domain (Figure 22 in chapter 4), it does not
necessarily follow that areas with the lowest childcare costs have the
lower incomes and those with the higher childcare costs have the higher
incomes. For example, areas ranking high for income deprivation such
as Roundham with Hyde, Watcombe and Blatchcombe appear to have
some of the highest childcare costs.
Figure 48
Costs Of Childcare By Type Aggregated To An Hourly Rate
£4.50
£4.00
£3.50
£3.00
£2.50
£2.00
£1.50
£1.00
£0.50
£0.00
Pre-schools/
Playgroups
Private Day
Nurseries
Childminders
Independent
Schools
Out of School
Clubs
6.0 CHILDCARE SUPPLY
36

6.0 CHILDCARE SUPPLY
Comparisons with national and regional averages (Figure 50) show that
Torbay on average has lower than average childcare costs (with the
exception of childminders) with charges for out of school care being
significantly lower.
Key Findings
■ Across all types of provision (excluding maintained nurseries)
there are a total of 2,825 registered childcare places
available for children aged 0 to 14 and up to 17 for disabled
children
■ This means there are 12.9 registered places per
100 children in Torbay. Compared to our
statistical neighbours, Torbay is below
average and has one of the lowest rates
■ Geographically, Shiphay with the Willows and
St Marychurch have the highest numbers of
childcare places per 100 children
■ Ellacombe, Cockington with Chelston and Preston have
the lowest level of places available per 100 children
■ For children aged under 5, Shiphay with the Willows, St Marychurch
and Roundham with Hyde have the highest numbers of registered
childcare places
■ The type of provision available for children under the age of 5 is not
always equally distributed across Torbay. A third of the wards only
have two types of provision, for example, provision in Ellacombe is
made up by a playgroup and childminders
■ For children aged under 2 there are 10.7 registered places per 100
children across Torbay. Shiphay with the Willows and St Marychurch
have the highest number of places available
37
Figure 49
Average Hourly Cost Of
Childcare By
Ward
Average Hourly Cost
£3.26 to £3.50 (2)
£3.01 to £3.25 (5)
£2.76 to £3.00 (2)
£2.51 to £2.75 (4)
£2.00 to £2.50 (2)
Figure 50
Average Childcare Costs National And Regional Comparisons (2007) 14
Nursery
under 2
Torbay £135 .90
South West £154 .00
England £152 .00
Nursery
2 & over
£114 .80
£141 .00
£140 .00
Nursery
highest
Cost
£159 .80
£322 .00
£375 .00
Childminder
Under 2
£148 .00
£139 .00
Childminder
2 & over
£173 .90*
£148 .00
£139 .00
Childminder
highest
cost
£225 .80
£250 .00
£400 .00
Out of
school
care
£26 .85
£36 .00
£36 .00
■ In some areas the availability of places for children under 2 is
limited and only provided through childminders
Out of
school
highest
Cost
£45 .00
£85 .00
£218 .00
Based on 50 hours a week in a nursery and childminder and 15 hours a week for out of school childcare.
*Data on childminder costs in Torbay was not collected by age groups
■ There are 24 registered out of school childcare providers in Torbay
which generate a total of 3.2 places per 100 children
■ Geographically the areas with the highest number of out of school
places available are Clifton with Maidenway, Goodrington with
Roselands and Ellacombe
■ Childminders appear to offer the best flexibility in providing care
outside of normal working hours, with 11% being able to provide care
24 hours a day if required
■ All providers told us that they are able to take children with disabilities,
special educational or additional needs. However, they acknowledged
that they did require extra support but were happy to ask for this
■ The average hourly rate parents paid for childcare in 2007 was
£2.87, although charges vary from types of provider to the age of
the child attending
■ It does not follow that areas with the lowest childcare costs have the
lowest incomes
14 Daycare Trust Annual Childcare Cost Survey January 2007

7.0
CHILDCARE DEMAND
To establish sufficiency, an assessment must be undertaken
of the demand for childcare by parents that will enable
them to remain in, return to, or enter into work. There are
two ways in which this assessment can establish the level of
demand for childcare.
Firstly, an indication of demand can be made by considering
the level of occupancy and vacancies in settings, by type
and by area. Where there is a low level of occupancy, there
could be low demand for places. Alternatively, providers
who have higher levels of occupancy, especially those with
less than 20% spare capacity, might find it difficult to take
on any more children. Within an open market, this could
indicate high demand, some unmet demand and / or
sufficient provision.
Secondly, consultation conducted with parents, employers,
children and even providers themselves gives us an insight
into the demand for childcare. This also highlights any
issues and perceptions that impact on demand for childcare
and which will be considered in the gap analysis.
38

7.0 CHILDCARE DEMAND
Figure 51
Rate Of Occupancy By Type Of Provider
Figure 52
Occupancy Rate by Ward
%
Type of provider
Pre-school / Playgroup 59.7%
Day Nursery (incl. Independent School Nurseries)
Childminders
Out of School Clubs
90.0
80.0
70.0
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
39
Berryhead
with Furzeham
Blatchcombe
Churston with Galmpton
Torbay Average
Clifton with Maidenway
Cockington with
Chelston
Ellacombe
Goodrington with
Roselands
Preston
Roundham with Hyde
Shiphay with the Willows
St Marychurch
St Marys with
Summercombe
Rate of
occupancy
Tormohun
53.2%
92.3%
62%
Watcombe
Wellswood
Aggregated Occupancy
Rates By Ward
Higher than 80% (2)
Between 65% and 80% (3)
Between 45% and 65% (7)
Less than 45% (3)
Occupancy Analysis
Information on the occupancy levels of settings were taken from the
visits staff conducted with providers in September 2007. These rates
only give a ‘snap shot in time’ and were also taken at the time
of year which is generally accepted as the quietest for
childcare providers. It is important to note that analysing and
calculating these rates is not an exact science. Rates have been
calculated from day care and out of school providers based on
the number of sessions they can offer during the week and the
total number of children they have in each of those sessions.
For the sample of childminders, occupancy rates have been
calculated from the number of part time and full time
vacancies they have.
Across Torbay, the average rate of occupancy for day
care settings (pre-schools / playgroups / day nurseries
and independent schools) was 56.6%. Figure 51 shows that
childminders have higher rates of occupancy, although we need to bear
in mind that childminders have a lower number of places available in
total and this was only based on a sample of childminders in the bay.
Of the providers surveyed, just over half (51%) had vacancy rates of
20% or more, however, this is not a true picture of occupancy across all
types of providers. Over two thirds (71%) of day care nurseries had
vacancy rates of 20% or higher, compared to 90% of
pre-schools and playgroups. Across the childminders
surveyed, only 15% recorded vacancy rates of 20% or
higher, whereas 80% of out of school clubs had high
vacancy rates. In terms of out of school provision,
breakfast clubs appeared to be less likely than after school
or holiday clubs to have vacancies. Again, it is important to
remember that this is only a snapshot of vacancies taken in September
2007. This is usually considered to be the quietest period for providers,
especially given the one point of entry into schools. Therefore, we
would expect to see lower levels of occupancy at this time of year.
Figure 52 shows the rate of occupancy for all settings aggregated to
ward level. The table also shows the average rate of occupancy across

Torbay which is 57.3%. Six out of the 15 wards have occupancy rates
lower than the average, but 12 wards have occupancy rates lower than
80%. This suggests there are places available in these areas and
possibly low demand, especially in areas such as Tormohun and
Watcombe. In terms of deprivation, these areas rank in the top 20%
most deprived nationally, and also rank in the top 20% most deprived
for the income deprivation domain. The level of deprivation in these
areas could possibly provide an explanation of why occupancy rates are
lower in these wards than anywhere else.
The areas of Goodrington with Roselands, Clifton with Maidenway and
Churston with Galmpton have higher rates of occupancy (80% or
higher). This could suggest that there is some unmet demand in these
areas.
Occupancy Rates by Age Group
In considering occupancy rates by age, this assessment has only been
able to take into account children under the age of 5, the reason for this
being that a limited number of providers who offer care for children
over the age 5 supplied the information on occupancy. The level of
information provided does not allow for sufficient analysis to be
undertaken which would provide any meaningful results.
The average occupancy rate for children under the age of 2 across
Torbay was 65.8%, although two thirds of the providers who offer care
for children in this age group were over 80% occupied. Only 13% of the
providers had occupancy rates of lower than 50% in this age group at
the time of writing this assessment. Occupancy rates for places in this
age group show no significant geographical trends.
For children aged 2 to 5 the average occupancy rate across Torbay was
58.8% and only 10% of providers reported occupancy rates of 80% or
higher. Just under one third (32%) of providers had occupancy rates
lower than 50% for children aged between 2 and 5. For this age group
the majority of providers reporting an occupancy rate higher than 80%
were based in Paignton.
“
There is quite a lot of
demand for after school
childcare and this is more
popular at the moment.
There seems to be a real demand
for after school and early
mornings, especially from
7.30am.
I can see that after school
clubs in schools are
becoming more popular at
the moment, they can offer a
little bit more flexibility in
terms of the notice that
parents can give if they don’t
want their child to attend,
usually now 24 hours.
Parents need someone who can
pick their children up after school.
Figure 53
Number of Enquiries by Type of Provider and Year
Pre-schools
Out of School Clubs
Independent School Nurseries
Maintained Nurseries
Holiday Schemes
Day Nurseries
Crèches
Childminders
Figure 54
Enquiries by Town: Aug 04 to Jul 07
Town
Torquay 3982
Paignton
Brixham
0 200 400 600 800 1100 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000
Aug 04 to Jul 05 Aug 05 to Jul 06 Aug 06 to Jul 07
No. of
enquiries
3083
1037
7.0 CHILDCARE DEMAND
40

7.0 CHILDCARE DEMAND
Doesn’t
“
seem to be enough children to go round at the moment.
”
There should be no more day nurseries in the Torbay area until the existing
vacancies are full.
We have vacancies in both our rooms at the moment.
Childminders are fairly quiet at the moment, other provision, especially out of
school clubs are cheaper.
There are too many nurseries in the area.
Awful lot of childcare at the moment and not enough children to fill it, this seems
to be across the whole bay and not just my area.
I am the quietest I have been in 12 years of childminding.
Sustainability is a massive issue. “
“
41
We are considering future
expansion to the baby room
as the demand is high for
children under 2 years old.
”
There is a huge demand for
these places and have had to
refuse 54 places.
“
”
I get enquiries from a
nursery who refer on to
childminders when they are
full, but also to provide more
flexible hours, for example
provide care up until 6.30pm.
The nursery manager actually
refers parents on to childminders
when she is unable to meet
parents’ needs, this arrangement
works very well.
I have seen a definite shift in the age of young children attending childcare. I used to get children as
young as 4 months, I now tend to get children from 10 months, mums are making the most of their
increased maternity allowance.
Patterns of work have changed in the last 10 years, there is more part time work, employers are becoming more flexible.
Parents are keen to take advantage of what’s available to them to improve their work / life balance.
Enquiries Made About Childcare
Enquiries made to Devon Information Services for Children (DISC) may
also give an indication of parental need for childcare. Information
provided by DISC shows the number of enquiries they received between
August 2004 and July 2007, the enquiries are broken down by type of
provider and by month. Data has also been provided on enquiries made
by the town in which childcare is provided, however this has only been
available between July 2006 and July 2007.
To identify any recent trends, enquiries made in the same time period
over the last 3 years (August to July) have been compared. It is clear
from Figure 53 that the number of enquiries has increased, although
enquiries were lower in 2005 to 2006, this was the case for the
majority of types of provider.
It is also clear across the three years that the most popular types of
childcare parents have enquired about is childminders and day
nurseries. Since 2004 there has been a substantial increase in the
enquiries made about day nurseries, holiday schemes and pre-schools.
Month by month there is some fluctuation in the number of enquiries
made about childcare but nothing significant. Understandably,
December tends to be the quietest month, while enquiries tend to
increase around September and then in May and June.
In terms of enquiries by town, the highest number of enquiries was for
Torquay, and then Paignton. Childcare enquiries for Brixham were much
lower than the other two towns, this would be expected given the
population generally is lower.
Perception of Childcare Demand: Providers
Childcare providers themselves are in an excellent position to have an
appreciation of the childcare market and current levels of demand.
Through consultation, providers informed us that before and after
school care seems to be more in demand than other types of childcare
at this particular time.
From the providers perspective there seems to be less demand for
childcare for children under the age of 5.

The nurseries which tend to consistently demonstrate very high demand
are those attached to the college of further education and the hospital,
this is no doubt because they provide care specifically for students and
staff. One such nursery told us that baby places are an issue, although
they did also identify a decrease in the number of 3 and 4 year olds
with more now going to maintained nurseries, pre-schools and with the
one point of entry into school.
There were also examples of partnership working across providers, in
Torquay especially. One provider has good links with local childminders,
so that when they are full or if they are unable to meet a parent’s needs
(i.e. hours open) then they will refer children onto childminders in the
area.
Providers are also aware that changes in maternity allowances and the
flexibility of employers is having an impact on the demand for childcare.
The Views of Parents and Carers
Throughout the summer in 2007 a consultation exercise was
undertaken to establish the views of parents and carers across Torbay in
regard to childcare. A variety of methods were used to seek the
opinions of parents and carers as to the availability and accessibility of
local childcare.
“I took a recommendation from
a friend and went to visit, liked
what I saw and went with that.
My niece was already at the nursery
I chose.
The day nursery was recommended
through a friend.
My brother’s children already
attended the nursery so I knew it
was good.
Knowledge and Information
Parents and carers were asked to state where would you look / did you
find information about childcare. Over half (57%) of respondents said
that they would go to / had gone to friends or family for information
about childcare. Just under a third (31.3%) said they would go / had gone
to their health visitor. A quarter of parents and carers had heard of Devon
Information Services for Children (DISC) and had gone to / would use this
service to get information about childcare provision, see Figure 55.
Parents use a variety of sources to get information about childcare and
value input from schools, health visitors and from their colleagues at
work and in one case through their employer. Recommendations from
friends and family clearly have an impact on where parents look for
childcare, but also on their decision to use a provider.
For those parents who used the DISC service they reported this to be a
fairly positive experience, although one parent who had used this
service recently said that it had not been as easy compared to the last
time she used it.
A small minority were not aware of where they could go to get information
about childcare, and one suggested that it would be really helpful to
have a list of all providers available. One parent told us that they
wouldn’t know where to look and would go to the Children’s Centre first.
I found childcare
arrangements through word of
mouth (other mums at
school).
The nursery was recommended by
my sister so I didn’t need to look
around.
A friend recommended a
holiday club which I also
found on DISC.
“We moved down from the
midlands and used the DISC who
were very helpful and I was able
to arrange visits with the
providers on the list.
Details were on the DISC website, there
were lots to choose from.
When we moved into the area a
nursery was recommended by a
friend, but we used DISC to get a
full list of nurseries.
Figure 55
Where Parents Get Information
About Childcare
Friends &/or family 525
Health visitor
Internet/phone book
School
DISC
Torbay Council
Children’s Centre
Library
Doctor
Job Centre Plus
Total
7.0 CHILDCARE DEMAND
No. %
288
273
57.0
31.3
29.6
237 25.7
235 25.5
154 16.7
117 12.7
63 6.8
60 6.5
60 6.5
2,079 225.7*
*Multiple response question so % does not
equal 100.
Found the information on DISC
website really helpful, instantly gave me
a list of childcare providers in my area.
We moved to Torbay a couple of
years ago and contacted DISC
then and got details of some
providers. It was really easy to
get the information. But I have
contacted them recently and it
was a little bit more difficult and
there were a couple of phone
calls back and forwards.
42

7.0 CHILDCARE DEMAND
Figure 56
Main Reason For Using Childcare
43
I go to work
I am studying
My child can play with
other children
To give me a break
It is good for my child
So I can attend appointments
Other
Figure 57
Childcare Arrangements In The Last 6 Months
Family or Friends
Day Nursery
Pre-school / Playgroup
After School Club
Holiday Club
Childminder
Nursery Class in a School
Breakfast Club
Crèche
Other
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
% of respondents
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
% of respondents
“
My son needed more than I
could give him at home. I
also wanted to help him
prepare for school so he is
doing longer days at the
moment to help him prepare
for that.
My child needed more than we
could offer at home. I also needed
the opportunity to have a bit of a
break with twins.
My child attends a preschool
so that he can
interact with others.
”
I use childcare for my child’s social
and educational development.
Providing information to those parents and carers who are hard to
reach and don’t access services and / or have a computer at home was
discussed in some of the focus groups, it was suggested that more
information could be provided in the libraries, or could go out with the
health visitors who have to visit all families.
Current Childcare Use
Through the survey we asked parents and carers to state the main
reason for using childcare. Unsurprisingly, the main reason parents used
childcare arrangements was so that they could work, see Figure 56.
However, parents did tell us that they used childcare as it provided more
than what they could offer at home, this included one mother who had
chosen to stay at home to look after her child.
Figure 58
How Often Are Childcare Arrangements Used
Family or Friends
Day Nursery
Pre-school / Playgroup
Childminder
Nursery Class in a School
After School Club
Breakfast Club
5 times or more a
week
At least once a
month
Holiday club
Crèche
Other
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
2 to 4 times a week Once a week
In school holidays

“ ”
Grandparents are willing to have
our child.
Grandparents are very happy to help
out with our eldest child.
We have fantastic grandparents,
we are very lucky.
Finding childcare has been very easy as
we are lucky enough to have loads of
friends who help.
We have been very lucky with
supportive family and friends so
haven’t needed ‘formal
childcare’.
Parents and carers were also asked to state which type of provider
they had used in the last six months. By far the most popular
choice for childcare was family or friends, with 70% of parents and
carers saying they had used this arrangement recently. Just over a
third said they had used a day nursery and just under a third had
used a pre-school / playgroup (Figure 57). We also asked parents to
state how regularly they used their childcare arrangements and
this can be seen in Figure 58.
Across most types of childcare provider parents and carers are
most likely to use their arrangements between two and four times
“
I shared childcare with a
”
friend; she looked after my
children and I looked after
hers.
Although we do use childcare, we
also use a network of friends and
share childcare arrangements, so
we all look after each other’s
children.
“I don’t use childcare, my son is only
23 months and I am a single mum.
At the moment I haven’t looked into
childcare for my son other than my
family, I have no plans to go back to work
yet.
Since my third child I have given up work and look after my children
myself as childcare is difficult and complicated. Anyway, they are my
little ones and I want to bring them up.
7.0 CHILDCARE DEMAND
Figure 59
How Easy It Was To Find The
Childcare You Wanted
17%
Very easy
Quite easy
Neither
Difficult
11% 2%
Very difficult
41%
29%
44

7.0 CHILDCARE DEMAND
a week. Nursery classes in schools tend to be used five times a week
which obviously fits in with what they offer – five sessions across the
week, either in the morning or in the afternoon. Of those respondents
who use family or friends, very few use this arrangement five times a
week or more, parents are more likely to use this option between once
and four times over a week. The usage of day nurseries, pre-schools
and childminders is quite similar across the week, around 20% of
parents who use this type of provision use it five or more times over the
week. Around half of parents who use these types of provision use
them between two and four times a week. Out of school provision is
also used regularly throughout the week, with a third of parents who
use breakfast clubs making use of them five times a week. Just under
half of parents who use afterschool and breakfast clubs use them
between two and four times a week.
The main reason for parents and carers using family and friends for
childcare is the cost, this issue will be explored further under
‘Affordability’. There is also a willingness of family and friends
(especially Grandparents) to help out.
A couple of parents told us that they share childcare responsibilities
with their friends.
Some parents had made the decision to give up work and look after
their children, some because of the cost implications of formal childcare
but some because they wanted to be at home with their children.
Availability
Under availability parents were first asked to consider how easy it had
been to find the childcare they wanted.
The majority of respondents said that they found it easy to find the
childcare they wanted, while 14% said they found it difficult to get the
childcare they wanted, see Figure 59 (see previous page).
Parents were asked if they could tell us why it was easy or difficult to
find childcare. For those parents who found childcare easily it was
45
“
The problem with my children
starting school is that I will need
childcare up until 5pm.
As I am living on benefits it’s hard to
get decent holiday childcare that doesn’t
cost too much.
I will have problems when my
children go to school as there is
no current after school provision
at the school they will be going
to and I work.
As there is only a limited number of
clubs that collect and drop off from
schools, these places are very limited
and you need to go on a waiting list.
“There are long waiting lists at the good nurseries.
It is easy to find the childcare, but getting a vacancy can be
limited.
I easily found the childcare I
needed through the school (in
Paignton) but the after school
club closed and the holiday club
at the other school I used has
also closed so don’t have
anything.
I have a problem now that my daughter
has started secondary school. There is
no childcare provision for children over
11 years and I feel she is far too young
to be left on her own during the school
holidays.
Few holiday clubs in the area for
4 and 7 year olds, no after school
club at the 7 year olds school.
I have a friend who is a single mum
and works until 5.30pm, but the school
finishes at 3.30pm and I am not sure
what she will do to close the gap until
she finishes work.
School holidays are
”
very difficult.
I still haven’t found an after school club
available in the Preston area.
A waiting list is required to obtain a good nursery.
Finding the nursery was no problem I just had to wait a
long time for a place.
The childminder I wanted had a waiting list but I
was prepared to wait.
A relative and friend recommended the nursery and once I’d
checked availability and opening hours I went on a waiting
list, I had quite a wait before a space was free.
It took a while to find a suitable nursery as lots of
places have no availability or waiting lists.
There is a situation in Paignton, I am not really impressed
with some of the closures. Quality is clearly and issue and
there doesn’t seem to be much choice, unless you are
prepared and book early, places in quality settings get
booked up early.

“When my first child was
under the age of 2 it was
difficult to find a nursery that
would take under 2s.
Difficult to find a nursery
accepting children under 2.
Finding a place for under 2s
was difficult.
Family are very willing to help
now children are older but
childcare for babies was very
limited in the nurseries.
Previous nursery closed and
so I had to move my child, I
found it very difficult
because they were under 2
years old.
because of the following reasons:
■ They were using family or friends
■ They were already aware of which provision they wanted to use
■ They lived in close proximity to a provider
■ They had friends / family who worked in childcare
■ They already had children in a setting
■ The school their child attends opened breakfast and / or
after school club.
For those parents who found it difficult, there were a number of
common themes which centred around the type of childcare they
wanted. They required the actual availability, and the need for providers
to be flexible.
One of the biggest problems parents appeared to have was the
availability of childcare out of school.
Many parents mentioned that when they were choosing their childcare
Figure 60
Childcare Availability
There is a wide choice of
childcare where I live
There should be more
childcare where I live
Childcare is offered at the
times I need it
There is plenty of childcare
where I live
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Strongly agree Agree Neither
Disagree Strongly disagree
7.0 CHILDCARE DEMAND
arrangements, they had to be put on waiting lists because there was a
lack of places available.
On the subject of availability of places many parents also commented on
a lack of available places for children under the age of 2.
The questionnaire asked parents to state how strongly they agreed or
disagreed with a series of statements about the availability of childcare,
the results are shown in Figure 60.
Parents generally agreed that where they live there is plenty of
childcare available and two fifths agreed that there is a wide choice of
childcare. However, just over a third of parents felt there should be
more childcare where they live.
The map in Figure 61 (see overleaf) shows where parents agreed there
should be more childcare. Data from the parental survey was
aggregated up to super output area (SOA) and shows the proportion of
people in that area who agree there should be more childcare where
they live. The caveat with this is that in some areas the numbers may
be low. In SOAs across both wards in Brixham, in Goodrington with
Roselands and in St Marychurch over 80% of parents agreed there
should be more childcare. In Ellacombe, which has one of the lowest
levels of supply, approximately half of parents agreed there should be
more childcare in these areas.
In terms of childcare being available at the times it is needed, over 60%
of parents agreed the times childcare is available is suitable to meet
their needs, however, additional comments from the survey and from
the focus groups show that there is a demand for more flexible and ‘out
of normal hours’ childcare.
In addition to more flexible arrangements to meet parents working
hours throughout the week, a couple of parents said that childcare at
the weekends would be of benefit.
As discussed in Chapter 6, some childminders are able to offer more
flexible childcare and meet the needs of some parents who need care
46

7.0 CHILDCARE DEMAND
Figure 61
Parents Who Agree There
Should Be More Childcare
Where They Live
47
Ward boundary
SOA boundary
Overall Level Of Agreement
80+% (3)
60 to 80% (1)
40 to 60% (33)
20 to 40% (33)
0 to 20% (19)
earlier in the morning, later in the day and over the weekends. Take up
of this care appears to be fairly popular too, with the
childminders in our sample providing care out of normal hours for
81 children which works out at approximately 2 children per
childminder. These 81 children were accessing 151 sessions
between them.
Locality of childcare is an important factor for parents when they
are choosing childcare, 83% of parents said it was important
for childcare to be close to their home, this was significantly
more important than childcare being close to a place of
work or a school (58% and 56% respectively).
Affordability
The cost of childcare arrangements is clearly an issue for all
parents, childcare for younger children can be deemed as particularly
expensive and in an area where average wages are low, paying for
childcare can be a strain on family budgets.
From the parental survey, 82.7% of parents said that costs / charges are
an important factor when choosing childcare arrangements. However,
over half of parents (57%) thought that their childcare costs
were reasonable.
The range of what parents were paying for childcare was
between £5 a week and £400 a week, based on our survey
parents were paying an average of £66.37 a week for
childcare, and just under a third (32%) were receiving tax
credits to support their childcare costs. If childcare costs were to
increase by 5% a week, just under half (42%) of the parents said they
wouldn’t be able to afford this increase, however, 25% said that an
increase of 5% would enable them to access more tax credits. Only a
small number said that an increase of 5% would mean that they would
have to leave work.
For some parents going back to work after maternity leave and having
to pay for childcare is not an option.
“
I would like to go back to work
but have an 8 year old child so
hours are limited and some
employers want flexibility.
The nursery works for now but doesn’t
allow me to get a part time job as
employers want flexibility from employees
and nurseries want a set schedule.
I need flexible childcare as I
work a shift system part time in
the fire service and often work
nights. Childcare starting earlier
at 7am would help me get to
Exeter on time, at the moment I
get a friend to drop my child off
at nursery.
”
“ ”
Due to working varied shift work we
need very flexible childcare, sometimes
at short notice. Wasn’t able to find
childcare who could do this.
I have been with our
childminder for 3 years, very
easy and a lovely childminder,
she is very flexible as I work
shifts.
We wanted a nursery that opened
early enough for us to get into work in
good time (before 8am).
I need to start work at 7.30am
there are no provisions for this
so I had to change my hours at
work.
There should be a way of offering a
more flexible childcare structure for
people who work shifts, I can imagine
this would help a lot of people.
Hours available don’t fit in with
the hours I need.
Would have liked to have found a nursery that did Saturdays.
Saturday clubs are not available all year round in Torquay.
Difficult to find hours to fit in with work – including the weekends.
“I was lucky to find a place close
to my home and work after
phoning and visiting other
nurseries in the area.
I am very happy with the nursery where
my daughter has been for the last 17
months, it is close to home but also close
to the school where her siblings are.
The nursery was the closest and
most convenient to where I live.
The nursery and the school are both
within 2 miles of where I live.
Nursery is in a convenient
location for home and work.

“
I have a lot of friends who do
not work as their salaries do not
make it worth it once they have
paid the fees. Salaries here are
not high enough to make it
worth going back to work.
Childcare is too expensive to allow me
to go back to work.
Childcare just isn’t financially
viable.
“Cost is the main reason we use
a network of friends. To put our
children into childcare means it
wouldn’t be worth working.
I just cannot afford childcare for three
children, so I have to rely on my
elderly parents.
I had to have family look after
my children, costs are too high
so instead I travel 5 miles to
drop the kids off with my sister.
I have a 1 year old and childcare for
him would be too expensive if I was to
go back to work.
I have recently given up work as
I was working to pay for nursery
and as a single mum, it wasn’t
worth it.
”
Difficult to match childcare for both
children, Childcare is very expensive
and it’s not really worth working.
Childcare is too expensive and so we
have to rely on family to help out.
I had to arrange for someone to
care for my children because
childminders / nurseries were
too expensive.
I have twins and their grandparents
have to have them a day a week, which
makes a huge difference. The costs are
still huge though and you don’t get a
discount for twins!
Using family and friends is clearly one option to help parents and carers
keep the costs down.
Tax credits are clearly a contentious issue for some parents, with many
in the focus groups saying that the system was difficult and not easy to
negotiate. Only a third of our sample were claiming tax credits and
while just under half (44%) said that information about tax credits was
easy to find, 35% of parents told us that the information about tax
credits was not easy to understand. For many parents this is a
complicated and difficult system that for some isn’t worth bothering
with. One parent told us that she wished she just hadn’t bothered with
the whole system because she was overpaid for two years and so she
has not had any help in the last two years.
Inclusion
From a parent’s perspective, finding childcare for children with
disabilities, special or additional needs can be difficult. There is a
perception that childcare providers won’t take children with certain
disabilities and are unable to administer medicines.
Parents received help and support with childcare from their portage
workers which they really valued.
For parents who have a disability themselves, childcare can provide
them with an opportunity to have a rest. For parents with disabilities
there needs to be flexibility with childcare to meet their needs.
Consultation With Employers
While the consultation with employers was not as successful as hoped,
six employers did return our surveys. Between them they employed a
total of 550 people and females made up on average 60% of their
workforces. Two of the six operated shift patterns and these two also
required staff to work at the weekends.
Childcare support is offered by three of the employers that returned
their surveys, and this largely takes the form of offering vouchers.
One of the employers also offered employer childcare subsidies for their
7.0 CHILDCARE DEMAND
“
Because we needed special
care, it was a lot harder to find
the right care for our child due
to his demanding list of
special needs.
Due to my son’s Aspergers I find it
very hard to find childcare who will
cater for him.
Very few childminders are able
to cater for children with
severe learning disabilities.
Finding a childminder was hard, not
sure the support is there when it
comes to special needs children.
I had to hunt around and
make lots of phone calls trying
to find space, especially for 2
children.
As a parent of a 16 year old with
learning difficulties I only have the
special needs playscheme, but this
finishes at 17, it will be difficult for
me to work while he is on holiday.
It’s hard finding suitable
childcare and getting names
and recommendations.
There needs to be flexibility from
providers to assist parents who have a
disability. There are often situations
where we cannot get our children to
their childcare and on days like this
the need for childcare is even greater.
There are no formal arrangements
with providers to pick up and drop off
children and this would help parents
with a disability so much.
48

7.0 CHILDCARE DEMAND
Our observation of
children aged 3 and
4 in the Children’s
Centre nurseries
showed that the
majority of children
were happy to
come to nursery all
of the time
49
staff. The table in Figure 62 shows that childcare can be an issue for
retention of staff and for new mothers returning to work.
From the employer’s perspective the cost of childcare appeared to be
the biggest barrier for parents.
Consultation with Children and Young People
The results of the survey with the Youth e-panel should be used for
illustrative purposes only as the response rate was quite low, however
this information does provide a useful insight into what young people
are participating in after school and in the holidays and also what the
barriers are to them doing what they would like.
Young people on this panel were asked what activities they participate
in after school which are supervised by an adult. The following list
represents some of the most popular responses:
■ Guides / Brownies / Scouts
■ Choir
■ Badminton
■ Hockey
■ Trampoline
Young people were also asked to state what activities they participated
in during the school holidays which are supervised by an adult, the list
below represents some the responses:
■ Summer camp
■ Badminton
■ Boys Brigade camp
■ Choir
■ Dance
■ Go to Acorns Centre
■ Tennis Club
■ Swimming
Figure 62
Childcare Issues For Employers
Childcare issue for recruitment of staff 1
Childcare issue for retention of staff
Childcare issue for new mothers returning to work
Just over a third of young people who responded said that the activities
they did were not offered where they live. Some of the key reasons as
to why young people are not doing the activities they want to are listed
below:
■ Not offered near my home
■ I would rather stay at home / hang out with my friends
■ Too expensive
■ Not offered at the times I can attend
Yes No
Over half of young people said they would like to access services
through their school, while a quarter said they would like to access
services through their local community centres.
Our small scale observation of children aged 3 and 4 in the Children’s
Centre nurseries showed that the majority (80%) were happy to come
to nursery all of the time and 70% of the children separated well from
their parent / carers. The children were happy at nursery for a variety of
reasons, the predominant reason being that they got to play or do
drawings. The children did recognise that other children at the nursery
might be sad because they missed their mums. So while there is not
necessarily a choice with younger children about going to nursery, the
children that do attend are quite happy to be there.
2
2
5
4
3

Key Findings
■ Based on take up of childcare in September 2007, the average rate
of occupancy across Torbay was 56.6%
■ If we consider the occupancy rates alone, then areas where there
could be high demand are in Paignton, especially in Clifton with
Maidenway and in Goodrington with Roselands. Based on these
occupancy rates alone, three wards in Torquay (Watcombe,
Tormohun and Wellswood) show the lowest levels of occupancy
across Torbay
■ Occupancy rates for children under the age of 2 tended to be higher
compared to other age groups
■ There was higher occupancy in places for children aged 2 to 5 in
Paignton compared to other areas
■ In terms of enquiries made to DISC, childminders and day nurseries
received more enquiries than other types of childcare
■ Providers indicated that there is more demand for childcare before
and after school at this present time and less demand for childcare
for children under the age of 5
■ Changes to maternity allowances and employers becoming more
flexible to meet the needs of working parents could be having an
impact on the demand for childcare
■ The majority of parents (70%) are using family and friends as their
childcare arrangements
■ Recommendations from friends and family are important in a
parent’s choice of childcare
■ The majority of parents had found it easy to find the childcare they
wanted
■ Parents faced more problems trying to find suitable out of school
care, both after school and in the holidays
■ Parents appeared to find it more difficult to get places in childcare
for children under the age of 2
■ A third of parents felt there should be more childcare where they
lived, with high proportions of these parents living in Brixham,
Goodrington with Roselands and St. Marychurch
■ There is demand for more flexible hours and out of normal hours
care to meet the needs of parents who work shift patterns, although
this is fairly limited
■ Just over half of parents thought their childcare costs were
reasonable, although the issue of tax credits is clearly contentious
■ From an inclusion perspective, parents who have children with a
disability, SEN or additional needs said that they did have difficulty
trying to find suitable childcare arrangements. Help from the
portage workers in finding childcare was appreciated
■ For those employers who did respond to the consultation, a couple
said that childcare was an issue with regards to staff retention and
new mothers returning to work after maternity leave
■ The main reasons young people gave for not being able to do the
activities they wanted were because these were not offered near
their homes, they actually just wanted to hang out with their mates,
they were too expensive, and the activity isn’t offered at the right
times
7.0 CHILDCARE DEMAND
50

51
8.0
MATCHING SUPPLY
TO DEMAND
This final chapter brings together evidence gathered
through this assessment on a number of socio-economic
factors, the current supply of childcare and the demand for
it. The evidence presented highlights that although Torbay
is a small authority it is a diverse one with significant
differences across communities.
This final step completes this assessment and considers the
level of supply and demand across the following categories:
■ Geography
■ Age groups
■ Type of childcare
■ Times of childcare
■ Income
■ Specific needs

Geographical
Based on occupancy rates alone, there could be some current demand
for childcare in Paignton, especially in Clifton with Maidenway and
Goodrington with Roselands. The occupancy rates in these wards are
the highest across Torbay. The number of places available in these
wards are also among some of the highest in Torbay. In addition to this,
parents in these areas agreed that there should be more childcare, see
maps overleaf.
In Ellacombe, a high proportion of
parents said there should be more
childcare in the area, however,
occupancy rates are lower than
60% suggesting that actual demand
is not that high. In St Marychurch
(Torquay) parents said they agreed
there should be more childcare.
However, Figure 64 shows that in
the SOA where a high proportion of
parents said there should be more
childcare, there is already a
concentration of childcare providers.
In addition to this, occupancy rates
in St Marychurch were average
(57%).
In Tormohun, Watcombe and Wellswood, occupancy rates are lower than
45% and in these areas a small number of parents thought there
needed to be more childcare. We can conclude that in these areas
demand for childcare is much lower than elsewhere.
In Brixham, the occupancy rates of the wards vary from 50% to 70%
yet in parts of these wards parents indicated that there should be more
childcare. This suggests possibly that parents are unaware of the
childcare choices in their localities or they feel that the choices of
childcare are not suitable to meet their needs.
8.0 MATCHING SUPPLY TO DEMAND
Age Groups
Occupancy rates for children under the age of 2 tend to be higher than
across other age groups, indicating there could be some demand for
more places in this age group. From the parental consultation, parents
and carers tended to agree and felt that finding childcare for children
under the age of 2 was more difficult. Some areas across the bay
clearly have more places available for children under 2 than elsewhere.
Shiphay with the Willows has the highest number of places available for
children under 2 (39.7 places per 100 children). Data on the birth rate
shows that the number of places for babies in Shiphay with the Willows
could well be supported, given the higher rate of births in this area.
Tormohun and Cockington with Chelston also have a high number of
births, yet lower levels of supply of places for children aged under 2.
However, Tormohun in particular has lower levels of occupancy
suggesting that parents may not necessarily take up places if they were
available.
Occupancy rates for children aged 2 to 5 are lower compared to other
age groups and only a small number of providers reported occupancy
rates of higher than 80%, many of those who reported these higher
rates were based in Paignton. This could suggest that there is more
demand in Paignton for this age group compared to Torquay and
Brixham.
In terms of the early years education, there are places available for
every 3 and 4 year old in Torbay, however, take up of places suggests
that not all children are accessing the full five sessions a week.
Consultation with parents indicates that there is some competition for
places in nurseries which they feel provide good quality childcare and
education. The one point of entry into schools has impacted on this
further and some parents are having to pay for additional sessions a
term earlier, to ensure that their child’s place is guaranteed once they
become entitled to the nursery education grant.
There is clearly a need for out of school care for children of school age,
this will be covered in the following section.
52

8.0 MATCHING SUPPLY TO DEMAND
53
Figure 63a
Occupancy Rates By Ward
Aggregated Occupancy
Rates by Ward
Higher than 80% (2)
Between 65 and 80% (3)
Between 45 and 65% (7)
Less than 45% (3)
Childcare Places
Per 100 Children
Figure 63b
Places Per 100 Children
Between 20 and 30 (2)
Between 10 and 20 (6)
Less than 10 (7)
Figure 63c
Should Be More Childcare
Overall Level Of Agreement
80+% (3)
60 to 80% (1)
40 to 60% (33)
20 to 40% (33)
0 to 20% (19)
Ward boundary
SOA boundary
Figure 64
Should Be More Childcare
Against Location Of Providers
Overall Level Of Agreement
80+% (3)
60 to 80% (1)
40 to 60% (33)
20 to 40% (33)
0 to 20% (19)
Location of nurseries
Ward boundary
SOA boundary

Figure 65a
Income Deprivation
SOA Rank Of
Income Deprivation
Top 10% in England (6)
10 to 20% (10)
20 to 30% (22)
30 to 40% (21)
40 to 50% (12)
50 to 60% (9)
60 to 70% (6)
70 to 80% (2)
90 to 100% (1)
Ward boundary
SOA boundary
Figure 65b
Occupancy Rates By Ward
Figure 65c
Average Hourly Cost Of
Childcare
Aggregated Occupancy
Rates By Ward Average Hourly Cost
Higher than 80% (2)
Between 65 and 80% (3)
Between 45 and 65% (7)
Less than 45% (3)
£3.26 to £3.50 (2)
£3.01 to £3.25 (5)
£2.76 to £3.00 (2)
£2.51 to £2.75 (4)
£2.00 to £2.50 (2)
8.0 MATCHING SUPPLY TO DEMAND
54

8.0 MATCHING SUPPLY TO DEMAND
Type of Childcare
Only out of school care was something that parents expressed the most
demand for. Parents need care that is available after school to close the
gap between the end of the school day and when they finish work.
Holiday provision is also something that parents said they required.
In terms of supply, every ward (with the exception of two) has some kind
of out of school care, although in the following wards this is limited and
in some cases only provided through childminders:
55
■ Berryhead with Furzeham
■ Roundham with Hyde
■ Wellswood
■ Churston with Galmpton
■ Preston
■ St Marys with Summercombe
While this assessment suggests that occupancy rates of out of school
provision should be further investigated, there is a perception among
development workers that places in out of school provision are not
being filled. If this is the case then there could well be an issue with
current provision. This could be because parents are unaware this
provision exists or the quality of the settings does not meet the parents’
requirements or simply that they do not really need to make use of
what is available.
In terms of early years education and the free places for 3 and 4 year
olds, the PVI sector are able to meet the needs of working more flexibly
than the maintained sector, although there is a perception that a place
in a maintained nursery will guarantee a place in the school.
Time Childcare Is Available
There are some parents in Torbay who do require more flexible
childcare and out of ‘normal hours’ provision. While the numbers of
these parents are not statistically significant, there is clearly some
demand for childcare which meets the needs of shift workers and which
opens earlier, for example from 7.30am. There was also a limited call
for additional childcare available at the weekends.
In terms of supply, there is childcare available which offers earlier
Although the cost
of childcare in
Torbay is lower
than national and
regional averages,
some of the more
expensive childcare
can be found in
areas where income
deprivation is
an issue
opening times. Many childminders do offer provision which opens
earlier and closes later, there are also some who offer care overnight
and at the weekend. For parents who require more flexibility from their
childcare arrangements, childminders could well be a viable option.
This assessment would recommend that the numbers of parents who
require more flexible childcare and out of ‘normal hours’ care is not high
enough to warrant setting up additional provision to meet these needs,
as there is currently a level of supply (primarily through childminders)
which could meet the requirements of these parents.
Affordability
Areas which rank highly for overall deprivation and income deprivation
have the lowest occupancy rates across Torbay this could suggest that
families in these areas such as Tormohun and Watcombe are unable to
afford childcare, this can be seen in Figures 65a and 65b.
Although the cost of childcare in Torbay is lower than national and
regional averages, some of the more expensive childcare can be found
in areas where income deprivation is an issue, areas such as Watcombe,
Blatchcombe and Roundham with Hyde, as outlined in Figure 65a and
65c.
All registered childcare is eligible for parents to use the childcare
element of their Working Tax Credits and we know from HM Revenue
and Customs data that across Torbay 7% of families in 2005 were
benefiting from this (21.5% of lone parents). However, consultation with
parents showed that some parents find the system difficult and the bad
press associated with the tax credits system does not fill parents with
confidence in applying for benefits they are / could be entitled to.
Specific Needs
It is recommended that this area is one which needs further
investigation, outside of this assessment. Providers informed us
through this assessment that they are able to take children with
disabilities / SEN / additional needs. Although providers do require
additional support with resources to help them meet the needs of
children. However, from a parent’s perspective trying to find childcare
for disabled children has proved difficult at times and Portage workers
have had to assist some parents in finding the most appropriate care.

9.0
SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS
56

9.0 SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS
57
Across Torbay the numbers of children in the age range 0 to 14 are not
equally distributed, Ellacombe, Watcombe, Blatchcombe and St Marys
with Summercombe have the highest proportion of children and young
people in this age group. In terms of population forecasts, the early
years age group (0 to 5) is expected to see an increase of
approximately 12.9% over the next 25 years, while the population of
children aged 5 and above is set to decrease in the short term but
increase overall over the next 25 years.
The rate of unemployment in Torbay is slightly higher compared to
national and regional averages and the wards of Tormohun in Torquay
and Roundham with Hyde in Paignton have the highest rates of
unemployment locally. Average earnings in Torbay are lower than
national and regional averages, with 44.2% of people earning less than
£250 a week. In terms of income deprivation, 38 of the 89 super output
areas in Torbay rank in the 30% most deprived.
With regards to the free entitlement for 3 and 4 year olds there is
enough supply of places to ensure that every child can access a place
and we can safely assume that the majority of 3 and 4 year olds are
accessing some of their free entitlement. The majority of 3 and 4 year
olds were accessing at least four sessions a week.
For parents, the PVI sector appears to be able to meet the needs of
those who work because they can offer more flexibility and can provide
more ‘wrap around’ care compared to the maintained sector. The one
point of entry into schools appears to have had an impact on both
providers in the PVI sector and parents. For parents it would seem that
there is more competition / demand for places as children are only
moving up to school once a year. Parents want to ensure that when
their children are entitled to their free sessions, they will get what they
want, even if it means having to pay for an extra term.
Across all types of provision (excluding maintained nurseries) there are
a total of 2,825 registered childcare places available for children aged 0
to 14 and up to 17 for disabled children. This means there are 12.9
registered places per 100 children in Torbay. Geographically, Shiphay
with the Willows and St Marychurch have the highest numbers of
childcare places per 100 children, while Ellacombe, Cockington with
Chelston and Preston have the lowest level of places available per 100
children.
For children aged under 5, Shiphay with the Willows, St Marychurch and
Roundham with Hyde have the highest numbers of registered childcare
places. The type of provision available for children under the age of 5 is
not always equally distributed across Torbay. A third of the wards only
have two types of provision, for example, provision in Ellacombe is made
up by a playgroup and childminders.
For children aged under 2 there are 10.7 registered places per 100
children across Torbay. Shiphay with the Willows and St Marychurch
have the highest number of places available. In some areas (Ellacombe
for example) the availability of places for children under 2 is limited and
only provided through childminders.
In terms of out of school care there are 24 registered out of school
childcare providers in Torbay which generate a total of 3.2 places per
100 children. Geographically the areas with the highest number of out
of school places available are Clifton with Maidenway, Goodrington with
Roselands and Ellacombe.
Childminders appear to offer the best flexibility in providing care
outside of normal working hours, with 11% being able to provide care 24
hours a day if required.
All providers told us that they are able to take children with disabilities,
special educational or additional needs, although they acknowledged
that they did require extra support, but were happy to ask for this.

The average hourly rate parents paid for childcare in 2007 was £2.87,
although charges vary from types of provider to the age of the child
attending. It does not follow that areas with the lowest childcare costs
have the lowest incomes.
Based on take up of childcare in September 2007, the average rate of
occupancy across Torbay was 56.6% and if we consider the occupancy
rates alone then areas where there could be high demand are in
Paignton, especially in Clifton with Maidenway and in Goodrington with
Roselands. Based on these occupancy rates, three wards in Torquay
(Watcombe, Tormohun and Wellswood) show the lowest levels of
occupancy across Torbay. Occupancy rates for children under the age
of 2 tended to be higher compared to other age groups. There was
higher occupancy in places for children aged 2 to 5 in Paignton
compared to other areas.
The majority of parents (70%) are using family and friends as their
childcare arrangements.
Providers indicated that there is more demand for childcare before and
after school at this present time and less demand for childcare for
children under the age of 5.
Recommendations from friends and family are important in a parent’s
choice of childcare.
Parents found it was more difficult to find suitable care for children
aged under 2 and out of school care, both after school and in the
holidays.
A third of parents felt there should be more childcare where they lived,
with high proportions of these parents living in Brixham, Goodrington
with Roselands and St Marychurch.
There is demand for more flexible hours and out of normal hours care,
to meet the needs of parents who work shift patterns, although this is
fairly limited.
Just over half of parents thought that their childcare costs were
reasonable, although the issue of tax credits is clearly contentious.
From an inclusion perspective, parents who have children with a
disability, SEN or additional need said that they did have difficulty trying
to find suitable childcare arrangements. Help from the portage workers
in finding childcare was appreciated.
For those employers who did respond to the consultation, a couple said
that childcare was an issue with regard to staff retention and new
mothers returning to work after maternity leave.
The main reasons young people gave for not being able to do the
activities they wanted were because they were not offered near their
homes, they actually just wanted to spend time with their friends, they
were too expensive and the activity is not offered at the right times.
9.0 SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS
58

Acknowledgements
The Early Years and Childcare Service would like to thank parents, providers and
employers who gave up their time to help us with this assessment.
Also a big thank you to Jeanne Cook (Pre-School Learning Alliance) and Lesley
Nixon-Pearson (Devon Childminding Association) for assisting with visits and
gathering data.
A number of staff from across Torbay Council also provided their help and
assistance in completing this assessment, for which we are very grateful.
All maps in this document are based upon Ordnance Survey material with the
permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the Controller of HMS Office.
© Crown copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright
and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings.
Designed and produced by HD Design Limited.

Torbay Early Years Play and Childcare Service
T: 01803 207926 email: earlyyears@torbay.gov.uk
website: www.torbay.gov.uk/index/education/early-years.htm