Voluntary and Community Sector - invitations to bid

Holiday Activity and Food Programme

Small grants available to run Healthy Holiday Clubs for FS2 to Year 11 aged children.

1. Introduction

The Holiday Activity and Food Programme is funded by the Department for Education. They have identified that school holidays can be pressure points for some families because of increased costs (such as food and childcare) and reduced incomes. For some children, that can lead to children from disadvantaged families less likely to access organised out-of-school activities, more likely to experience ‘unhealthy holidays’ in terms of nutrition and physical health and more likely to experience social isolation.

Free holiday clubs are a response to this issue and evidence suggests that they can have a positive impact on children and young people. It also shows they work best when they provide consistent and easily accessible enrichment activities, when they offer more than just breakfast or lunch, and when they involve children (and parents) in designing and evaluating the activities.

2. Rotherham Healthy Holidays - Be Healthy. Be Active. Be Happy.

Rotherham MBC has been awarded funding through the Holiday Activity and Food programme, known locally as Rotherham Healthy Holidays. This programme requires that free holiday places be made available for all children and young people aged FS2 to year 11 who are eligible for the following:

  • Benefit related free school meals
  • Looked after children
  • Asylum Seekers
  • Elective Home Educated
  • All children who have a Social Care or Early Help plan
  • Children who attend Pupil Referral Unit or Alternative Education Provision

We are pleased to announce a small grants process whereby other organisations are invited to submit expressions of interests to run the holiday clubs across the borough.

3. Funding Available

There is approximately £900,000 across the project across borough for 2022. Admin and Management costs are limited to a maximum of 10% of the amount applied for.

4. Who Can Apply?

The funding is open to constituted voluntary groups, faith groups, charities, private sector organisations, and schools who can demonstrate they can meet the aims and minimum standards of the project below. You must:

  • Have your own constitution and or governing document
  • Have a bank account in the name of the group / organisation applying with at least 2 signatories
  • Keep accounts of how the grant is spent (which needs to be spent by the deadline agreed in the Service Level Agreement) and produce evidence of expenditure/accompanying narrative report
  • Have relevant insurances in place
  • Have required policies in place (e.g. Health and Safety, Equal Opportunities and Safeguarding. See Minimum Standards below)

5. Target Groups

We have over 11,000 children and young people eligible for free school meals in Rotherham. The strategic project group would also like to include some additional target cohorts as the DfE funding allows for a small proportion of funding to do this. So also eligible for the programme will be children and young people who are:

  • Benefit related free school meals
  • Looked after children
  • Asylum Seekers
  • Elective Home Educated
  • All children who have a Social Care or Early Help plan
  • Children who attend Pupil Referral Unit or Alternative Education Provision

We are also keen to ensure that the children in these cohorts with additional needs and disabilities are catered for appropriately and that provision is inclusive and supportive of their needs.

Furthermore, we encourage providers to make the holiday clubs available to any children not eligible for free school meals, who can pay to attend. This might be through operating bespoke provision or operating as part of already existing holiday provision in the area, with the likelihood of a mixed arrangement depending on the local supply and demand for provision.

6. Age Range

The age range for this project is FS2 to Year 11. We are keen to ensure the different age groups within this, are offered age appropriate activities that are attractive, interesting and fun for them, and would like to hear how groups plan to do this.

7. Aims

The aims of the programme are that children and young people attending the clubs will:

  • Eat more healthily
  • Be more active
  • Take part in engaging and enriching activities
  • Be safe and not isolated
  • Have greater knowledge of health and nutrition
  • Be more engaged with school and other services
  • Have greater knowledge and awareness of holiday club provision

8. Overview of Requirements

8.1 Holiday Periods

The funding for 2022 cover the following holiday periods:

  • Easter (Mon 11th – Fri 22nd Apr 22 inclusive )
  • Summer (Thurs 21st July – Weds 31st Aug 22 inclusive)
  • Winter (Mon 19th Dec 22 – Mon 2nd Jan 23 inclusive)

8.2 Duration

  • Provision must be for 4 hours a day and 4 days in a week
  • Provision for Easter is 1 week
  • Provision for Summer is 4 weeks
  • Provision for Winter is for 1 week
  • Sessions can be split over the holiday periods e.g. 2 sessions each week of the Winter Holidays.

8.3 Models of delivery

If you have any suggestions regarding alternative models of delivery to that above please contact us to discuss further.

8.4 Minimum Standards

We expect all providers who are funded through the Rotherham Healthy Holidays programme to meet the framework of standards laid out by the DfE. The standards that we expect for providers are:

a. Food:

Clubs must provide at least one meal a day (breakfast, lunch or tea) and all food provided at the club (including snacks) must meet school food standards. Our expectation is that the majority of food served by providers will be hot, however, we acknowledge that there will be occasions when this is not possible and that a cold alternative should be used. All food provided as part of the programme must comply with regulations on food preparation and take into account allergies and dietary requirements and preferences as well as any religious or cultural requirements for food.

b. Enriching activities:

Clubs must provide fun and enriching activities that provide children with opportunities to develop new skills or knowledge, to consolidate existing skills and knowledge, or to try out new experiences. This could include physical activities such as football, table tennis, cricket, creative activities such as putting on a play, junk modelling, drumming workshops; or experiences such as a nature walk, visiting a city farm etc. Providers should consider how to deliver a rich and varied mix of fun and enriching activities which are age appropriate.

c. Physical activities:

Clubs must provide activities which meet the Physical Activity Guidelines on a daily basis.

d. Nutritional education:

Clubs must include an element of nutritional education each day aimed at improving the knowledge and awareness of healthy eating for children. These do not need to be formal learning activities and could for example include activities such as getting children involved in food preparation and cooking, growing fruit and vegetables, and taste tests.

e. Food education for families and carers:

Clubs must include at least weekly training and advice sessions for parents, carers or other family members which provide advice on how to source, prepare and cook nutritious and low-cost food.

f. Signposting and referrals:

Clubs must be able to provide information, signposting or referrals to other services and support that would benefit the children who attend their provision and their families. This could include sessions, information provided by:

i. Citizen’s Advice

ii. School Nurses, dentists or other healthcare practitioners

iii. Family Support Services or Children’s Services

iv. Housing Support Officers

v. Jobcentre Plus

vi. Organisations providing financial education

g. Policies and procedures:

Clubs must be able to demonstrate and explain their safeguarding arrangements and have relevant and appropriate policies and procedures in place in relation to:

i. Safeguarding

ii. Health and Safety

iii. Insurance

iv. Accessibility and inclusiveness

v. Where appropriate, clubs must also be compliant with the Ofsted requirements for working with children

9. Ofsted registration

Holidays clubs may need to register with Ofsted and there are benefits associated with doing so, but it is not a requirement for clubs and providers participating in the HAF programme and we know that not all will need or want to do that. Guidance on the exemptions to Ofsted registration are set out here

Guidance on the exemptions to Ofsted registration

10. Assessment Process and Criteria

Projects submitted through the Expression of Interest form will be assessed by a panel agreed by the RMBC HAF Executive Management Group.

Applications will be assessed for value for money on the basis of:

  • Eligibility of the project/activities in line with the HAF minimum standards
  • Demonstration of adherence to policies for: safeguarding; health and safety; insurance; accessibility and inclusiveness; Ofsted registration if required.
  • Demonstration of the impact of the project, its scale, the age range covered and the communities served
  • Value for Money in the Breakdown of Costs
  • Demonstration of inclusive practice
  • The applicant organisations will be responsible for the project management and delivery of successful schemes. Consequently, the panel will be looking for applications that demonstrate evidence and clarity of both planning and delivery of projects.
  • Systems for collecting, monitoring and assessing the impacts of the project and for reporting and sharing this information with RMBC and the DFE (effective performance and financial management).
  • If you are applying for more than one holiday period you will receive a provisional decision for Summer and Winter, with final decisions made nearer the time.
  • If you apply for Easter only, there will still be opportunity to apply for Summer and Winter later in the year.

11. Volunteering

RMBC and the DfE recognise the value of volunteers on a programme such as this and would like to actively encourage applicants to offer volunteering opportunities.

12. Payment

Payment will be made in two instalments per holiday period. 90% will be paid upfront on receipt of signed Service Level Agreement (SLA) and 10% will be paid after successful completion of the project and return of all monitoring documents (per holiday period). All spend must be properly evidenced and made available for audit if and when required.

13. Monitoring and Evaluation

Before the Healthy Holidays project starts, the applicant will sign an agreement which sets out the obligations of the two parties. This is important as the way in which the money is used will be subject to inspection and audit, and your monitoring and evaluation plans will help us ensure that your project is progressing in line with the HAF guidance. An account of all monies spent must be provided within 14 days of completion of the project. If money is not spent as agreed in the project submission, then the panel will recover any monies in accordance with the agreement. Monitoring and evaluation will be completed for each holiday period separately.

14. Application Process and Timescales

Early applications are strongly encouraged. This year it is possible to apply for all three holidays periods together or alternatively apply separately. If you apply for the full year, there will be chance to review your costs and programmes for the later holiday periods. Below are the closing dates for applications for each holiday period.

  • Last applications for Easter 22 – 6th March 2022 (midnight)
  • Last applications for Summer 22 – 27th May 2022 (midnight)
  • Last applications for Winter 22 – TBC (midnight)

Watch this space to become a Winter holiday club provider. Contact healthyholidays@rotherham.gov.uk for more information

You will need to register for Your Account before you will be able to make your application online.

If you have any questions please contact us.