Thousands of childcare places lost in the South West in the past year, new report warns
It states that a total of 376 places were lost in Devon and 355 in Cornwall
Last updated 3rd Aug 2024
The scale of nursery closures in the South West is greater than anywhere else in the country – with 30,000 childcare places lost, a new report warns.
The report, by the South-West Social Mobility Commission, shows that between August 2022 to August 2023 the number of childcare places in every part of the region declined.
Plymouth lost the biggest percentage of childcare places during this period - 6.2% - 296 places.
A total of 376 places were lost in Devon, a 2.9% decline and 355 in Cornwall, a 4% decrease.
Just 4 places were lost in Torbay, but the report states that the area has already lost a substantial number of childcare places prior to August 2022 and has the fewest overall in the South West.
The report also outlines the "underfunding, underappreciation and misunderstanding" within the early years sector across the country and shows how these challenges are compounded in the South West by rurality and the scale of nursery closures.
It calls for the role of health visitors to be expanded and better supported to tackle widespread mental health, nutritional and literacy challenges in families.
It recommends health visitors should be able to promote parent-infant reading and trigger visits from mental health professionals, welfare rights support teams and others when they encounter issues like drug abuse, financial issues and domestic abuse problems, the research says.
It urges those in national and local government to give urgent attention to address the loss of childcare places, the crisis in recruitment and retention in both health visiting and early years provision, and a lack of resource and funding.
Report lead author Dr Antony Mullen, from the University of Exeter, said: "We have identified a concerning decline in childcare places in the South West.
"We call upon local authorities in the region to work together to monitor this situation. This would allow them to report to Government and if needed to make the case for additional funding to expand provision within the sector.
"This will help to ensure new places are prioritised in areas where they are most needed, not simply where space allows."
The report 'A Plan For Early Action: Opportunities for Change in Early Years Policy and Practice' was produced by the South-West Social Mobility Commission, set up to bring about transformational change in education and employment outcomes for children and young people from under-resourced backgrounds.