HAF Annual Report 2025/26
Programme expenditure and coordination
Programme Expenditure
Funding of £1,279,720 was made available to Buckinghamshire Council by the Department for Education to deliver the HAF programme during 2025/26.
The total HAF programme expenditure for 2025/26 was £1,279,720. This included a proportion of programme funding allocated to programme administration (for staffing and staff-related costs) of £122,819.06
Programme Coordination
Click the drop-downs for information on the different areas of HAF programme coordination.
Quality assurance remains a critical part of the HAF programme. The Early Years HAF team works closely with the Early Years Improvement and Development (IaD) Team. The teams organise quality assurance visits to all providers and venues each delivery period.
As part of these visits, the IaD team ensures that:
- the HAF framework of standards is being met
- sessions are delivered safely.
The views of CYP participating in HAF are collected and valued during these visits.
Following each delivery period, visit reports are analysed for recurring recommendations to providers. These priorities inform the focus for the next delivery period. Future visits check that previously identified actions have been addressed.
These quality assurance visits are vital to maintain HAF's high standards. They allow for a quick response to any incidents identified.
HAF Providers are required to:
- Take a proactive approach to communication with families. This includes promoting their provision and encouraging consistent attendance.
- Cooperate with the programme's quality assurance process.
- Respond to recommendations or actions identified by the IAD during visits.
HAF providers are also expected to contact the parents/carers of any child who does not attend a booked activity day. This is essential from a safeguarding perspective. It also provides an opportunity to remind families of their booking and support continued engagement with the programme.
Performance in these areas is monitored during and after delivery. If a provider has not taken enough proactive steps to promote attendance or follow up on non-attendance, clawback mechanisms may be applied.
In line with government guidance, a steering group has been created for Buckinghamshire. This supportive steering group works in partnership with the Council. It plans and promotes the delivery of the programme, ensuring that the right partners continue to engage with HAF.
The steering group includes representatives from:
- youth services
- public health
- safeguarding leads
- communications
- Early Help
- SEND team
- FACT Bucks (the parent and carer forum for Buckinghamshire)
- LEAP
- Thames Valley Police
- local charities
- voluntary sector organisations
The Buckinghamshire HAF steering group meets regularly to support the oversight of the programme.