Last week's grant follows three years of negotiation between the SOSCN, the NOF and the Scottish Executive, after the SOSCN identified a need for additional support to help groups apply for NOF cash and provide training on sustainability issues.
The 1m grant will be used to recruit five funding facilitators who will target groups in areas that have had poor uptake of NOF funding and help them to submit bids, particularly for consortium applications.
A SOSCN spokesperson said, 'It's to encourage uptake of NOF money for out-of-school and help people access funding to create sustainable provision. The facilitators will provide support to existing childcare services from the voluntary, public and private sectors, in addition to helping to set up new ones.
'The type of guidance on offer is likely to include business planning, fundraising, public relations and skills training. The money's there, but maybe people are scared of the process. This is a way of encouraging people to take up the money.'
The grant, over three years, will also fund two support staff, an information officer and an administration assistant, for whom recruitment is currently under way.
Consortium bids for NOF cash draw together a number of providers from a particular area and can include sole traders such as childminders. One member of the consortium acts as the lead partner and is responsible for managing the money. This member could be a large childcare provider or a local authority.
SOSCN has recently written a guide to putting together a consortium bid on behalf of NOF, which explains how to form a consortium, the role and responsibilities of the lead partner and the duties of partner associations. The guide is available on its newly relaunched website, www.soscn.org.uk.A copy can also be obtained free of charge both to SOSCN members and non-members from SOSCN on 0141 331 1301.
SOSCN has also written a guide to policies and procedures for out-of-school services on the new care standards, for 10 to members and 15 to non-members, which is available on 0141 331 1301.
