Setting up a holiday club

[LanaL]

Not really sure of the AIBU - mainly for traffic . I guess AIBU to think it’s possible ?

Now, it’s a pipe dream. I don’t have funds to start up and if I applied for funding I would need to do it through a grant / charity - I wouldn’t get a bank loan due to credit.

I am a teacher and I work at a holiday club in the summer. I have an autistic child and I’ve found it really hard to get childcare over the years - especially as she got older and the age limit was usually 12. She needed childcare older than this but it was extremely limited .

I have thought for years that i would love to do it for after school and the holidays . Something relaxed - but beneficial - maybe crafts , sports , chill out time . As a teacher , I feel I could also bring education into it - not officially so not like tuition - but just learning within fun activities . I would like to be able to include older children - not with severe additional needs , as I don’t have the training for that ( when it comes to SEN I have life experience rather than professional) .

I know I would need a venue , I wouldn’t provide food it would be a bring a lunch situation .

Just asking - in the very , very early days of this what would I need to look into ? Is it doable without a chunk of money to put up ?

I wouldn’t have thought you’d need capital - book a space for it that doesn’t require a deposit (community centres often don’t), and start advertising on local Facebook and parent groups, and don’t undercharge. Depending on your location it could fill up v fast, well in advance of the dates, and then you have your capital for any materials you need. Don’t overspend though, and don’t spend any of the booking money until you are absolutely positive it will go ahead because of having to refund people if it does not.

Check what insurance you would need, and if any helpers would need to be DBS checked etc (probably they would?).

Don’t undercharge, don’t underpay yourself.

Thank you , this is good advice! I think I would need to save up a bit for myself , so I could get prepared and take some time off work in the holiday I do it .

Do you think it would make a big difference if I didn’t have under 5s ? I think , if you have early years then it’s different - obviously ratio wise it’s different ( 1:8 I think ) and I’m sure , if I remember right , that it needs to be ofsted registered then

I would look for examples where someone has done it, nationally or internationally. This would help you draft out your business plan.

How many children could venues host, what ratio would be required? What criteria would you apply for access? Insurance? What if any funding streams are there for respite or childcare what is their criteria.

Have you access to a local enterprise board?

Insurance will be extremely high, staffing costs also, you will need to be able to meet each child's individual needs and staffing levels, couple that with needing to be funded somehow because the majority of families of disabled children fall into lower income (I have 3children with sen 2 severe and would give my right arm to be able to work again and have access to safe childcare for my younger 2) I'm assuming these are the reasons why there simply are no sen childcare places or wrap around at the special schools (none in my area anyway) I really really hope you find a way to do it families like mine are falling on their knees begging for this