Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) - Expression of Interest Application Form - Year 2023

Overview

Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme 2023 for East Sussex - Annual Expression of Interest Application Form

Please note the link to complete the EOI is at the bottom of this page.

This year we are inviting you to submit proposals for the whole year in one application, if you wish to. The form allows you to outline bids for one or more of the three main holidays in 2023 - Easter, summer and winter.

Programme overview

The DfE (Department for Education) have given funds to local authorities in England to coordinate holiday activities. We can use this budget to fund activity clubs over Easter, summer and Christmas breaks. All clubs should include healthy food and enriching activities.

Who the HAF programme funding is for

The holiday activity and food programme is for children who receive benefits-related free school meals (Reception to Year 11).

Visit the government website for more information on the national programme.

Completing your expression of interest application

We would like to encourage applications via the EOI below. Please read through the information provided.

Programme requirements

Proposals should demonstrate how you will deliver:

1. Enriching activities - Clubs must provide fun and enriching activities. These should offer children opportunities to do one or more of the following:

• develop new skills or knowledge
• consolidate existing skills and knowledge
• try out new experiences

This could include:

• physical activities such as football, table tennis, cricket
• creative activities such as putting on a play, junk modelling, music workshops
• experiences such as a nature walk, visiting a city farm etc.

2. Food - Clubs must provide at least one meal a day (breakfast, lunch or tea). All food provided at the club (including snacks) must meet school food standards. The expectation is that the majority of food served by providers will be hot. However, we acknowledge that there will be occasions when this is not possible and that a cold alternative should be used. Clubs need to comply with regulations on food preparation. They must take into account allergies, dietary requirements, preferences and religious or cultural requirements.

If you don't have facilities to prepare food, you may partner with another organisation. We welcome applications from joint organisations.

3. Physical activities - Clubs must provide daily activities which meet the Physical Activity Guidelines.

4. Nutritional education - Clubs must include an element of nutritional education each day. This aims to improve the knowledge and awareness of healthy eating for children. These do not need to be formal learning activities. They could, for example, include activities such as:

• getting children involved in food preparation and cooking
•  growing fruit and vegetables
• taste tests.

5. Food education for families and carers - Clubs must include at least weekly training and advice sessions for parents, carers or other family members. These should provide advice on how to source, prepare and cook nutritious and low-cost food. 

6. Signposting and referrals - Clubs must be able to provide information, signposting or referrals to other services and support that would benefit the attendees and their families. This could include sessions, information provided by:

i. Citizen’s Advice

ii. School Nurses, dentists or other healthcare practitioners

iii. Children’s Services and other local authority services

iv. Housing Support Officers

v. Jobcentre Plus

vi. Organisations providing financial education

7. Policies and procedures - Clubs must be able to show and explain their safeguarding arrangements. They must have relevant and appropriate policies and procedures in place in relation to:

i. Safeguarding

ii. Health and Safety

iii. Insurance

iv. Accessibility and inclusiveness, including addressing equality and diversity

Where appropriate, clubs must follow the Ofsted requirements for working with children.

Programme aims

The local authority needs to make free holiday places available to eligible children for the equivalent of at least 4 hours a day, 4 days a week, 6 weeks a year. The HAF programme needs to cover 4 weeks in the summer and a week’s worth of provision in each of the Easter and Christmas holidays. We think this is best done as a collective effort. By funding various organisations, we can cover a wider age range, geographical spread and diversity of activity. We do not require individual providers to cover the full 6 weeks of the year, we will manage that county wide.

Organisations can apply just to deliver the enrichment element of the programme, or the food element. The decisions on funding will need to take into account appropriate linking across different projects. 

Please get in touch with the HAF team to find out more about the programme or with any queries - HAF@eastsussex.gov.uk.