Holiday Activity and Food Programme Pompey

HAF is open to all eligible children aged 5-16 and we have made sure activities are as inclusive and accessible as possible.

We have made available online SEND training to our providers so that they can have a basic understanding to help them support the children and young people they are working with.

We have a SEND Support webpage and we are always keen to hear from families if they have any feedback and/or need more information to be provided.

We have some SEND specific activities available (some are listed privately as they work with specific eligible children and young people i.e. Cliffdale Primary).

Universal providers are happy to support SEND if they have the capacity, appropriate staff available and suitable facilities and they will be listed as ‘Universal Holiday Club with SEND Support.’

Feedback from a HAF parent/carer from the HAF summer programme from a universal offer:

“…this week my little one with lots of additional needs has…loved it. I was a bit nervous leaving her with others that don’t know her but they’ve dealt with her amazingly. Thank you.”

The HAF programme is inclusive and children and young people who need direct 1 to 1 support are welcome to attend suitable HAF fun activities.

If attending the Enable Ability activities, they can provide 1 to 1 support and will look to do this on an individual basis. Enable Ability will carefully consider each individual child and even come and see you all at home so they can meet your child or young person beforehand. They will be keen to know lots about your child’s strengths and needs and how best they can be supported before they start at the activity. In 2023 Enable Ability will be supporting children and young people with moderate to higher needs, who do not cope with mainstream or universal provision.

For other activity providers options for 1 to 1 support will be looked at individually and close work will be done to consider how best 1 to 1 support can be delivered. They will have listed their activity as ‘Universal Holiday Club with SEND Support.’ For some activities this might be difficult, but each provider will tell you about this once they know more about your child’s needs. 1 to 1 support shouldn’t be a barrier to your child joining an activity and we will do our best to work closely with you and know as much about your child or young person as possible, in advance.

A few providers are listed as ‘Universal Holiday Club’ and this is usually because they do not have the appropriate staff or training to accommodate SEND needs. Please consult with the provider before booking to ensure they can best support your child and their needs.

Funded by the Department for Education, funds have been made available to provide free holiday provision, including healthy food and enriching activities, for children aged 5-16 who are eligible for benefits related free school meals.

Aims of the programme

As a result of this programme, we want children who attend this provision to:

• eat more healthily over the school holidays
• be more active during the school holidays
• take part in engaging and enriching activities which support the development of resilience, character and wellbeing along with their wider educational attainment
• be safe and not to be socially isolated
• have a greater knowledge of health and nutrition
• be more engaged with school and other local services

We also want to ensure that the families who participate in this programme:

• develop their understanding of nutrition and food budgeting
• are signposted towards other information and support, for example, health, employment and education.

You can find out more here from the government website.

Who can access the programme and what is the criteria?

All children and young people aged 5-16 who are eligible for benefits related free school meals can access the programme.

What if my child is vulnerable but doesn’t meet the above criteria?

All children and young people aged 5-16 who are eligible for benefits related free school meals can access the programme.

If your child or young person is vulnerable there is some funding available for a few places. You will need to get your school, social worker or Family hub worker to refer you to the programme. They can do this by completing a form and returning it to the HAF programme co-ordinator. Cases will be considered on their own individual needs.

If you are struggling to speak with your school and would like support from the HAF team, you can send them an email at haf@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

If you are an eligible family and get benefits related free school meals (FSM) you will not have to pay.

There are some paid for spaces available on the programme and some of our providers are OFSTED registered so you can use tax free childcare vouchers and if you are on Universal Credit you can back up to 85% of your eligible childcare costs for children under 17. Check out your childcare options here.