Achievements and Performance
Once again a hugely busy year for Hyndland After School Club! A year spent establishing our service at Thornwood Primary School (Thornwood After School Club) and preparing our registration of the new service at Notre Dame Primary – Notre Dame Kids Club. It was also a frustrating year for many families who found themselves on our long waiting list. However, with the opening of the Kids Club, we have now been able to accommodate everyone – but are currently at capacity Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at Hyndland.
Not quite such a big turn-over in staff as the year before with just 4 playworkers leaving and, of course, our 3 childcare pick-up staff who picked up from Notre Dame and whose jobs were made redundant with the opening of the Kids Club. Two of the leavers– Sophie Fisher and Greer Pester had been with us for approximately five years each so we are missing them!
The situation regarding the building remains the same. The City Council have not got back to us for some time regarding a lease and the building has not been included in the 4R’s refurbishment currently taking place in the school. We continue to make minor improvements including painting, deep cleaning, repairing the toilets and periodically re-varnishing the floor.
Staffing
With our senior staff now in promoted positions – managers Arlene McKenzie (Thornwood) and John Ansdell (Notre Dame), Hyndland assistant managers Emma Sanderson and Paddy Morrison, and with Sophie Fisher leaving, we are short of qualified practitioners. With this in mind we have put in place a programme of SVQ playwork level 3 training in order to boost our staff at practitioner level with a view to the more senior staff being able to cover for the managers when required e.g. both John and Arlene attend University regularly as they are working towards their BA in Childhood Practice.
Starting in the Autumn we will have 18 members of staff from all three services taking part in the SVQ Playwork with West College Scotland (Clydebank Campus) – 15 at level 3 and 3 at level 2. This is a huge undertaking as we have never had this many going through the qualification at the same time. It is a big step however towards having fully qualified staff at each level in all three services.
We have 8 new staff just started at Notre Dame plus one about to start at Thornwood and three for Hyndland to replace our leavers.
Attendance
Total children registered:377 (301 last year)
(Includes regular users, drop-ins, holidays, Notre Dame and Thornwood)
Total regular users: 168 attending at Hyndland
Notre Dame: 71 children registered
Thornwood: 25 attending regularly
All three services regularly have additional drop-ins
Average daily is: 96 at Hyndland
Hyndland Breakfast Club: 21 - as last year, our breakfast numbers are rising with over 30 one day recently.
Average daily at Notre Dame: 43
Average Daily at Thornwood: 17
Waiting list
Currently we do not have a waiting list although mid week days at Hyndland are now full and, if Notre Dame numbers increase, we may need to operate a waiting list until more staff can be recruited.
Holiday Club
Once again we had a very successful year of holiday clubs with the summer – average 53 – just a couple down on last year’s record of average 55 children per day. Outings and activities included, for example, street dance, smoking fish over the fire pit, Briarlands Farm near Stirling, developing our mud kitchen, a samba parade and lots of den building. We have 42 children registered from other schools attending during the holidays.
Partnership with the School
We continue to work alongside the Headteacher and staff, keeping each other informed of all ideas, plans and activities and sharing information on the health and wellbeing of the children who attend the Club. We also attend the parent council meetings and work closely with those involved in the garden. We also share resources with the school and support each other for the benefit of all the children. Thornwood and Notre Dame clubs are also working with the teaching staff to build relationships which contribute to good working partnerships.
Management Board
Membership stands at a healthy seven members who have attended meetings regularly over the year. Supportive, knowledgeable and committed, these parents offer their services to the club and provide a stable management group for the manager and staff to seek guidance and encouragement. They have been invaluable over the last year as they have supported the opening of our two new ‘branches’ and helped with the significant changes in the staffing structure.
Our Staff
Our staff team has remained fairly consistent throughout the last year, with 15 members of staff remaining, and the addition of Chris Dewar, and more recently Harriet Whitby-Tillott, Laura Jones, Ross Gallacher and Christoforos Delveridis. Our admin and finance assistant Liza Stavnicuka has also become a valued member of our team after joining us earlier this year.
Our team has continued to complete training courses to add to their skills and knowledge, including the basics of first aid, child protection, infection control, and fire safety, with a focus on mental health and autism awareness in the coming months. Staff have also been attending training provided by the Scottish Out of School Network, to ensure we are meeting the standards of Achieving Quality Scotland.
The vast array of skills our enthusiastic play workers offer are evident in the positive, creative, and fun activities provided. From music, arts, sports, drama, and cooking to name a few, all are delivered with the children at heart, by people who simply care for the enjoyment, safety, and all round well being of the children here at HASC, whilst being exceptional role models the children can look up to.
Children and Programme
When preparing the programme for any of our holidays we work with the children through our Afty Agent’s meeting and questionnaires, this allows us to provide a fun packed holiday programme based on what the children want. We have also found that the children enjoy some ongoing activities and over the last year the children have done some great projects. One of the projects was the shoe box appeal where the children decorated shoe boxes and filled them with goodies for children in the community who don’t have as much as others. This was part of the “bigger picture project” which allowed the children to understand a bit more about what happens in different countries and communities. It showed the children that there are similarities in that all children want to have fun playing and even play some of the games the children play here but that not everyone is as fortunate as our children here. More recently and over the October week the children have been working with staff to understand a bit more about politics and how it all works. They had a visit from the MP Patrick Grady and have been thinking about issues they would like to change. They went to the CCA in the October week to have a parliament meeting where they voiced their opinion on a range of different matters.
Notre Dame Kids Club
After a year of planning and preparation, and several hold-ups with Glasgow City Council regarding the let, Notre Dame Kids Club is finally up and running!
Since the launch, our numbers have increased each week; we currently have 95 children registered with us and on average 47 children attend each day. We have nine members of staff in total, most of whom will be starting SVQ Playwork qualifications next month.
The facilities in the school are excellent, but sharing them with the school and other groups has been challenging - we have had to continually revise procedures and adapt to different circumstances. Despite some initial teething problems, we are now settled into a routine.
Feedback from children and parents so far has been great, and school management and staff are very supportive of the club.
Thornwood After School Club
Our Thornwood service has had a positive first year. We now have over 30 children registered, 3 of which attend from Whiteinch Primary School. Numbers are beginning to show signs of increase with our busiest day continuing to be a Tuesday with a total of 20 children. This had brought our overall average to 16 children per day.
Our open day, and the clubs first birthday, took place in May and went very well. It was also a great opportunity for potential new families, and existing families, to get to know the staff and to see their children having fun within the service.
We now have three permanent members of staff within our Thornwood service, Katrina Durie, Adam Welsh and most recently Hannah Robertson. Both Adam and Karina will begin SVQ level 3 Playwork qualifications next month.
Staff members and the parent council within Thornwood Primary school have been very supportive. We have developed a great working relationship; with our Thornwood team helping with school trips and fund raising days.
We have been receiving great feedback from parents and children. Our children have been helping the club develop its practice and service by having Thornwood Afty agents meetings. This has given the children an opportunity to voice their views and also portray their needs whilst at the club. We hope to continue this, and develop the service further with plans to potentially expand our play spaces for the children, creating a chill out or games area.
Treasurer’s Report
Following on from the very positive report presented in 2014, this year has proven to be a little more challenging in financial terms for the Afty. But 2015 has also been a year that has witnessed significant change and growth. As a result the draft financial statements presented by the Afty Board in 2015 again reflect extremely well on Fiona and each member of staff, testifying to the quality of after school care provided by the club and its ever increasing popularity.
With average attendance figures continuing to be high throughout the year, the total income presented within the club's draft financial statements for 2015 (£323,106) is more than 13% greater than the 2014 figure (£284,842). The increased costs associated with running the club at near capacity, together with the continued development of after school provision at Thornwood Primary School, has also meant that expenditure has risen, by approximately 22%. Expenditure for 2015 was £324,331, compared to £265,623 in 2014. This represents a small deficit of (£1,225) generated during 2015.
The Afty's draft financial statements for 2015 have been audited by accountants Alexander Sloan. This audit confirms that the statements give a true and fair view of the club's affairs at the end of the financial year and that they have been properly prepared. No matters were reported to the board as a result of the audit.
Looking forward to 2016 the Afty faces many challenges associated with providing a successful and popular service across three sites, not least because of the new developments at Thornwood and Notre Dame. Recognising the necessity of ensuring that the club’s sound financial management continues in light of the challenges ahead, the board has agreed a fee structure for 2016, as noted below. This structure will support continued investment in Afty staff and the quality of care delivered across the entire club during 2015-2016.
Fees
2015-16 / 2014-15Registration / £35 / £35
Daily after school / £10.90 / £10.20
Notre Dame / £10.90 / £12.70
Thornwood asc / £10.90 / £11
Holiday/in-service day / £25.00/
£15 ½ day / £23.50/
£14.50 ½ day
Breakfast Club / £3.50 / £3
12-3 Club All services / £13.50 / £12.70
Late Fees / £20 to 6.15pm
£30 to 6.30pm / £10 to 6.15pm
£20 to 6.30pm
Hyndland After School Club
1992- 2015
Annual Report 2014-15
AGM
21 October 2015 at 7pm
44 Fortrose Street
Glasgow
G11 5LP
0141 339 9526
www.hyndlandasc.org.uk
Charity no. SC032486
Company no. SC224963