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EYECS - Our Performance
Our Performance
EYECS’s long term objective (2007 – 2010) is to develop and sustain sufficient affordable quality childcare for the city to meet the diverse demands of working parents and those making the transition to work, leading to a reduction in child poverty.
To achieve this EYECS has a number of targets for 2007 – 2008. These are all set out in our Service Plan- you can request a copy by contacting us. Alternatively, a copy is also available in our Reception at Cathedral Court.
Below are some of our targets for 2007-08 and our progress on achieving these:-
Target: Maintain an overall childcare places stock of 13,800 for the city
How are we doing: Sheffield has over the last year shown a slight decrease in the number of childcare places being registered. This is mainly due to an over supply in areas where there is less demand for childcare. Over the next few months we will be working on a sufficiency assessment that will analyse where in the city we have under supply or oversupply. This information will enable us to plan more effectively where childcare provision should be developed across the city.
Target: Carry out a demand and supply analysis of childcare provision to develop a baseline by March 2008
How are we doing: We are currently conducting the first childcare sufficiency assessment - this is being done on a citywide and service district level. A draft document of the findings will be available for comment between Dec 07 and Feb 08. The final document will be published in March 08.
Target: Develop 31 fully operational Children’s Centres by March 2008
How are we doing: We already have 18 Children’s Centres that are operating services, and are on target to have 31 by March 2008
Target: Increase the take up of free entitlement to above 85% for three-four year olds in the city
How are we doing: We have met this target. Latest information from Summer 2007 Headcount (which monitors children taking up free entitlement) shows a take up of 91%
Target: Implement the increased free entitlement pathfinder project for three-four year olds in two Service Districts by March 2008
How are we doing: The project has been operating in the Shiregreen/Burngreave and Mosborough/Handsworth Service Districts. This will also be rolled out to cover all eligible children in their area from April 2008. We have also set a target date of September 2008, by which we anticipate every school nursery, in common with providers in the private, voluntary and independent sectors, will be able to offer the new entitlement.
Target: Implement the two-year-old pilot by March 2008 to provide free early years provision to assess the learning and development gains derived by identified children from access to free provision and to increase the take up of the free entitlement for three year olds
How are we doing: The pilot scheme is operating in the Burngreave/Shiregreen and Arbourthorne/Manor/Darnall Service Districts. 70 places are being offered to identified 2 year olds and the outcomes are being carefully evaluated.
Mystery Shopping of Customer Service Targets
A Mystery Shopping exercise was conducted in September 2007 to monitor performance against customer service targets at Early Years Education and Childcare Service (EYECS) Central Offices at Cathedral Court and in Children’s Centres.
Sheffield City Council’s Customer Service Targets in relation to telephone calls can be found on our customer standards page.
The Results
Cathedral Court
Calls were made to 32 telephone numbers at EYECS’ Cathedral Court offices (approximately one third of the numbers).
28 of 32 calls were answered within 4 rings – within target
4 of 32 calls were answered in over 4 rings – outside of target
29 of 32 calls were answered with an appropriate greeting – within target
3 of 32 calls were answered with an inappropriate greeting – outside of target
(the person who answered the phone did not give their name until prompted).
Children’s Centres
Calls were made to 9 Children’s Centres.
9 of 9 calls were answered within 4 rings – within target
0 of 9 calls were answered in over 4 rings – outside target
7 of 9 calls were answered with an appropriate greeting – within target
2 of 9 calls were answered with an in appropriate greeting – outside of target
(the person who answered the phone did not give their name until prompted).
Conclusion
At Cathedral Court, 88% of calls were answered within 4 rings and 91% began with an appropriate greeting. Within Children's Centres, all calls were answered within 4 rings and 78% began with an appropriate greeting.
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