HAF Programme summer summary 2023

This page gives a summary of the Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) Programme events that took place across Devon over summer of 2023.

Overview

We had 105 activity providers offering a wide variety of activities and a total of 30,000 places across Devon this summer.

A HAF place is four hours, four days per week over four weeks in the summer holiday (total 16 days).

Attendance

Summer HAF figures 2023	Primary	Secondary	Total
FSM-eligible + non-SEND	1604	600	2204
FSM-eligible + SEND	301	179	480
Not FSM-eligible + non-SEND	264	138	402
Not FSM-eligible + SEND	183	103	286
TOTAL number of HAF funded FSM eligible attendees (sum of above)	2352	1020	3372
Other (free)	0	0	0
Other (paid for)	0	0	0
TOTAL number of attendees (sum of all including others)	2352	1020	3372

Please note that FSM refers to free school meals and SEND denotes Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

SEND attendance

There were 765 individual children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) who attended the HAF Summer 2023 scheme. Of these young people, 479 were FSM eligible.

Other eligible children

15% of the budget can be used for extended criteria children who are outside of the FSM category, and this can include children with SEND. Following feedback form Parent Carer Forum Devon (PCFD) last year, extra effort went into ensuring we have removed any possible barriers for parents of children with SEND. We insist all HAF schemes are inclusive and have set aside further funding to help pay for 1:1 support worker.

Recruitment of support workers is, as is the case in all sectors, currently a challenge for providers, so the number of places would be dependent on the staffing available. We have tried to be creative in finding solutions to this, so we have invited parents and enablers to attend schemes alongside their child.

We would want to encourage parents to inform the provider at the time of booking of their child’s needs so we can ensure they have a great time, and their needs can be met before they start their HAF sessions.

No shows and empty places

This Summer saw a change in the No Shows and Empty Places methodology so, whilst numbers were higher than anticipated in terms of cancellations of unique session attendances (5,607), schemes were able to fill these spaces through the implementation of reserve lists and engagement with supporting services in Devon.

Parents or carers

We carried out a consultation with parents/carers (hereafter referred to as “parents”) at the end of the summer holiday to gather their feedback. We had 310 responses (up from 254 responses at Easter). An impressive 224 parents rated the HAF scheme as ‘excellent’. A further 86 respondents said the scheme was ‘good’.

When asked how the scheme could be improved, parents told us that they wanted more of it in more of the school holidays. The Department for Education (DfE) only fund the scheme for four days at Easter, 16 days in Summer and four days at Christmas, so we are unable to extend the offer without further funding.

We continue to work with our HAF providers to ensure that they can offer parents help with how to pay for childcare using the existing government funding streams. We are also supporting some of the HAF providers to register with Ofsted so they are able to access these funding streams and have provided further info to parents via Childcare Choices.

The top reasons for parents choosing a HAF scheme for their child were ‘finances’ and ‘support during the holidays’.

Meanwhile, parents told us that the main way that they found out about HAF continues to be through their school, followed by word of mouth and social media. Thank you to our schools in Devon who are integral to getting the information out to the right families and agreeing to our providers operating on the school premises.

Quality visits

Our Early Years and Childcare team visited all of our HAF schemes and found the following.

What went well?

Getting such positive feedback from parents, carers and children
Seeing the children grow in confidence
Seeing children sitting down to enjoy a meal together
Seeing children trying new activities they couldn’t normally afford
Watching children from different schools and areas making new friends
The fact that children kept asking to come back
Reducing down the number of no shows using waiting lists

We asked a child at one of the schemes what she does when she is not at the farm, to which she replied “I am dreaming of when I come back again”. Another child said that if he was at home he stays in bed playing on his phone, while others told us that they watch Netflix or are gaming for most of the day.

What could have gone better, or what could be changed next time?

We do need to have a separated programme for 12-16 year olds
Increase the number of places offered
More information for parents on the food education and food offer
Change the terminology to funded place not free
Providers to give out a menu in advance for the hot meal & strengthen the Food education element of the programme.
Offer activities for families

We have had so much positive feedback it is hard to choose what to share, but what we do know is that HAF is making a difference to the right children in Devon. This is our second year of delivery, and we continue to learn ways of improving the programme across the county

Annex A – feedback from parents

It’s been amazing. As a single parent. It’s a struggle to keep them occupied and financially take them places. Jon and his team are so friendly and offer so much support to each child dependant on their need. They make friends. Learn new skills and have Fun.

It gave me a couple mornings where I didn’t need to find ways to entertain my son. I also loved the staffed as they interacted in a way my son would communicate with them which made me more relaxed about using the HAF program. It helped me spend some time with my baby (7weeks) as well so could slow down a little.

Provided an activity i otherwise wouldn’t have been able to afford, provided a safe place for disabled child to play

Great opportunities that I would not have been able to finance myself – reduced the burden, guilt and stress.

Have felt confident my children are having fun, being fed & meeting new

people. Has helped my mental health & to manage the holidays better by having a break. 2 ASD children.

Amazing! Enables both my children to make friends and keep them busy through the half term and also helps my son regulate and sleep a routine which school usually provides.

100% positives. Son’s mood is so much manageable when he attends the HAF scheme. He is so much calmer

HAF has helped me massively. I am a single mother to three, HAF being offered to the family has meant I have been able to work whilst the children can have fun, they can see friends through the holidays & can build their confidence. Couldn’t be happier with the service & appreciate the team – they are a fantastic bunch.

Allows me to work during summer holidays, I know he is safe and having fun and spending time with other children (as only child). Financially really helps as other holiday clubs stipulate a 1- to-1 which costs a lot.

I’m disabled so it gave me time to catch up on housework, bills etc., I was so happy he was enjoying so much as well as I can’t do physical activities with him.

Annex B – feedback from children and young people

Its good, I would just be sat in my room not doing anything, but this is fun, like the dodgeball and the activities I get to see my friends before we go to big school.

This is the best club and you mustn’t ever close it, it should stay open forever as it is so good!

I enjoy the food, meeting and making new friends. Making a Loom Band to break the world record for the longest one.

I really enjoy the food and the art activities I enjoy seeing friends.

Really enjoyed the VR experience except when the spiders tried to get in the lift – that was scary as it felt real.

My favourite game is Coca Cola, Fanta, Sprite (A fast jumping game) I like the sensory room and I make new friends. I would like pasta one day but they only have jacket potatoes.

The meals are like at school, I mostly like meals that have potatoes and cheese. I come every day, love gymnastics activities. If did not come would sit at home watching something on a phone or computer.

I can’t believe that I am making music with fruit!! It’s nice to come and be with my friends, and make new friends. I would be at home if I wasn’t here.

I have come all the years, its good, if i wasn’t here i would just be hanging out at home. Dodge ball is fun I like to try and hit Mr Right. The grown ups are nice and make up fun games I have made lots of friends from different schools.

If i wasn’t here i would probably be in bed all day or on my computer playing Minecraft. Its been good the magician was cool! I liked trying Tae Kwon Do- that was really good.

Very fun! Loved it lots! I’ve come today and I liked making the potions and the lifeguards are nice too.

I didn’t know anyone but it is really good, the food is nice and the coaches are good.

I really like the roast dinner, the gammon was lovely.

I like playing with the inflatables, we take turns using them so its fair with the different groups. I have made lots of new friends my football skills have got so good.