West of England Childcare Research

The West of England Combined Authority is looking to commission research to further inform policy proposals which aim to tackle challenges the early years sector faces in the region (Bath and North-East Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire).

Our research has identified a pressing need to address staffing shortages in the childcare sector, focusing on both recruitment and retention. To tackle this, we have developed a concept for a West of England Childcare Academy. This academy would help new entrants gain the necessary qualifications and provide opportunities for existing staff to enhance their skills and advance professional standards. The goal is to make childcare a more attractive career, offering better prospects for growth. The Academy will particularly focus on upskilling, management training, health and wellbeing support, and targeted recruitment of underrepresented groups. In addition, we are evaluating the region's childcare infrastructure needs, including the creation of new facilities, upgrading existing ones, and pinpointing areas with inadequate childcare provision.

A key finding of our research to date is that workforce shortages are limiting the availability of childcare places, with many settings running below capacity. We want to better understand the extent to which staffing shortages act as a barrier to increasing childcare provision in the region. We also want to understand the infrastructure challenges that providers face, as well as how a lack of childcare infrastructure in a local area impacts parents.

The Mayoral Combined Authority uses ATAMIS as its e-Procurement system. Suppliers will need to register at - https://weca-atamis.my.site.com/s/Welcome - to access full documents and submit proposals.