Dudley Holiday Activities & Food Programme 2023

Dudley is looking for a lead support provider who will facilitate the delivery of appropriate activity that will achieve the outputs and wherever possible the outcomes required of the HAF programme by the Department for Education (DfE).

The expectation is that the support provider will, as a minimum, lead on:

a) the promotion of the offer to both current and new providers as well as in appropriate communities (Both geographical and thematic) b) managing all elements of the Grant programme within the HAF financial envelope, ensuring that it is fully inclusive (covering age, ability, ethnic minority communities) and that the amount of grant distributed is maximised to achieve the greatest impact in relation to: i) numbers that access the activities on offer ii) other outputs achieved and iii) contribution to longitudinal outcomes at both the micro and macro level c) ensuring it is available to the appropriate children and young people across the Borough and what is offered meets the various needs that prevail d) maximising the quality of what is offered by ensuring that third party providers who have received grants meet the requirements stipulated by the DfE e) undertake mystery shopping principles, through sampling, around the delivery of different activities resourced via the overarching grant to ensure that the quality of delivery is of a required standard f) Identifying added value opportunities that include but are not limited too those identified on page 4 of the Specification g) The ongoing development and delivery of a steering group whereby appropriate membership and attendance, including that from the Council, is evident h) the production of associated reports as required by the DfE's terms of grant i) support the Council as needed around all statistical and narrative returns to the DfE terms of grant

All of the Programme delivery must be based on the National HAF Guidance Model which is accessible via the link identified below: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/holiday-activities-and-food-programme/holiday-activities-and-food-programme-2023

The primary purpose of the HAF grant that each local authority receives from the DfE is to make free places at holiday clubs available in Easter, Summer and Christmas to children and young people in the Dudley Borough who receive benefits-related free school meals. The age range of children and young people who can access the HAF offer is for children and young people from reception to Year 11 (inclusive)

The aim of the services offered during these three main holiday periods is to ensure that children and young people that are entitled to Free School Meals (FSM) have access to activities at no additional cost to their families. In addition there is also the ability to facilitate access to the HAF provision to other vulnerable children and young people that do not currently access FSM.