Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to improve the provision of specialist after-school and holiday clubs for children with disabilities.

We recognise that after-school and holiday clubs play an important role in providing enriching activities for children, including those with disabilities, as well as being a valuable source of additional childcare for working parents and carers.

Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, vulnerable children, such as those with disabilities, have been prioritised for attendance at after-school, holiday clubs and other out-of-school settings. All children are now able to attend these settings without restrictions on the reasons for which they may attend, and we have provided updated COVID-19 guidance for providers to enable them to run their provision as safely as possible. This guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/covid-19-actions-for-out-of-school-settings.

Where parents are still finding it difficult to access sufficient childcare, we recommend that they contact their local authority’s family information services. Local authorities are required by legislation to secure sufficient free early years provision and paid-for childcare places, so far as is reasonably practicable, for working parents, or parents who are studying or training for employment, for children aged 0-14.

We have also published safeguarding guidance for out-of-school settings , available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-out-of-school-settings-code-of-practice/keeping-children-safe-during-community-activities-after-school-clubs-and-tuition-non-statutory-guidance-for-providers-running-out-of-school-settings. This guidance outlines the policies and procedures that providers should have in place to promote the welfare of the children attending them. This includes specific advice for providers that cater for children with special educational needs and disabilities.