Early Years Workforce Survey

Early Years Workforce Surveys: prior information notice

The purpose of this PIN is to assess interest in and availability of suppliers to carry out a series of linked surveys to collect data on the involvement in obesity prevention work of professionals working in Maternity Services, Health Visiting and those providing childcare in early years settings such as nurseries and childminders.

1. Purpose of the Early Years Workforce Surveys

The Department of Health and Social Care is currently delivering a programme of investment and policy development in Weight Management Services for adults, children and infants and is expecting this investment to continue across the next 3-year period. Understanding the roles currently played by staff working in front-line roles in Maternity Services, Health Visiting and in Early Years child-care settings which can help prevent young children from developing an unhealthy weight will provide a good basis from which to consider how these roles can be enhanced and what training and support staff in the different workforces would be needed to make their roles more effective in future. Establishing a baseline measure of skills and confidence in this area of work across the three workforces will also help the Department to monitor progress over time and the effectiveness of training and support offered.

2. Expectations of the Supplier

The Supplier would be expected to work with the Department to develop 3 separate but linked questionnaires and sampling strategies to gather information specific to professionals working in Maternity Services, Health Visiting and Early Years Childcare including both nurseries and childminders. The surveys should be capable of providing robust data on the opportunities and challenges staff face when incorporating obesity prevention into their daily work and provide a baseline measure of skills and confidence in this area across these 3 workforces, with scope to also review separately the responses from staff working in nurseries and as childminders in the survey of staff working in early years childcare settings.

A full set of data tables and a written report summarising key findings from the survey data is required from the contractor to be delivered before the end of February 2022.

There is a budget of £80,000 excluding VAT.

Assistance in contacting staff working in nurseries and as childminders can be provided via the Department for Education.

3. Suggestions and queries

We welcome any suggestions or queries in regards to this notice via email: Penny.Withers@dhsc.gov.uk

Please note: the supplier will need to register their interest via Atamis portal: https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome