Support for early years providers – Herefordshire Council

Business planning and support for early years and childcare providers

This page is designed to bring together all the information that is available to support you with business planning.

You will find a combination of resources including FREE online workshops, links to business planning tools, resources to help you review cash flow, marketing posters and many other useful tools and information.

Early years provider and wraparound toolkits

The Childcare Works toolkits bring together everything you need to grow, sustain and start childcare provision. With content curated by experts, you will find a wealth of useful and relevant information, all in one place.

The toolkits contain information specific to operating childcare provision, plus general information for businesses, childminders and charities, including expert marketing, HR and leadership and management, partnership working and more.

Content is organised into six topics with each topic divided into sub-topics:

Business planning
Business growth
Running of your childcare provision
Leadership and management
Partnership working
SEND and inclusive practice

Access the Wraparound Toolkit

Access the Early Years Toolkit

Business planning and cost calculators

Early Years Alliance

A cost of delivery calculator for members, which can be used to calculate provider's total costs and total hours delivered.

Hempsall's Business Mapping Tool

Managing an early years or childcare setting is a complex task. This business map, developed by Hempsall's with input from the sector, uses tried-and-tested steps through a journey to support businesses to review themselves and assist with finding routes through change. It also sets out a process to identify opportunities and risks and turn them into planning.

You can view the resources published following Hempsall's 2021 national webinars on Steps to Business Plan. It includes access to the webinar, vodcast and presentation as well as the Business Mapping Tool and action plan template:

Hempsall's Business Map for early years providers - Foundation Years

HMRC Business e-learning tool

A mini business tutorial that childminders can do in their own time.

National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA)

Free online business support toolkit funded by DfE which aims to help providers sustain healthy childcare businesses. The tool includes business appraisal, financial management and staff cost calculator as well as a range of other resources.

Out of School Alliance

Once your out of school club is up and running you can start to focus on turning your club into a successful business. Out of School Alliance have articles that cover a range of financial topics with the aim of helping your club to both make and save money

Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (PACEY)

PACEY resources were developed by childminders for childminders, a collection of ideas, inspiration and tools to help new and existing childminders develop a sustainable business. Funded by DfE, providers can find top tips, videos, case studies, downloadable tools and other essential ideas to help make the most of their business. They also have useful cost calculators for both group settings and occupancy levels.

Business advice and support

If you need advice and guidance about any of the following:

Opening an early years or our of school setting
Establishing early years provision in schools
The process for merging with a school
Closure of a childcare or childminding business
Closure of a voluntary managed (charity) pre-school
Setting up pre-school provision at an academy school

Please contact Quentin Mee, Head of Educational Development.

Email: Quentin.Mee@herefordshire.gov.uk

Childcare sufficiency

We have a responsibility to carry out an annual childcare sufficiency assessment in Herefordshire to:

Ensure there is sufficient childcare available for working parents or parents who are studying or training for employment, for children aged 0-14 years (or up to 18 years for children with SEND)
Provide information about the current and projected supply and demand of childcare for particular age ranges of children, and the affordability, accessibility and quality of provision; and
Provide details of how any gaps in childcare provision will be addressed

View the latest annual sufficiency assessment report

Marketing and promotion

Marketing is a key element of any business plan and directly contributes towards improving your long-term sustainability.

When you're looking for more families to use your childcare service, whether you're a childminder or if you work in a nursery, it's important to ensure that you have a range of marketing materials. Some hints and tips can be found via the following links:

National resources

The government and Childcare Choices have developed a range of communications tools to help you promote 30 hours and tax-free childcare. Here you can find useful email templates, leaflets, posters and social media content.