Perceptions of the national school holiday programme (Holiday Activities and Food) in England as experienced by local government, service providers and users of the service: a mixed-methods study

BACKGROUND: School holidays can be a period of isolation and difficulty for children from low-income families. Limited opportunities for enrichment activities, and food insecurity, mean that children's health and well-being can suffer. There is also potential learning loss, particularly during longer holiday periods. The Holiday Activities & Food (HAF) programme is a government-funded (> £200 M/y) initiative in England which aims to provide healthy meals and activities to free school meal (FSM)-eligible children during school holidays. Existing evaluations of the programme have identified varied provision across England, with challenges such as quality of delivery, engagement and attendance. Evidence is needed to understand how the programme could be improved, from the perspectives of those involved in delivery and families who attend. In this study we present data which addresses this gap and can inform relevant policy and practice. METHOD: We purposively sampled participants from across the Southwest, Midlands and Northeast of England. Interviews were conducted with local government Political Leads (n=5), HAF programme Leads (n=11), HAF club Providers (n=12), parents (n=10), and children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND; 9-12y; n=2). Primary school children (8-12y; n=15) participated in focus groups. Data were analysed using the Framework Method. HAF Leads (n=9) completed an economic survey. RESULTS: Five key themes were identified: (1) Eligibility, reach and attendance: Open-access provision is needed to reduce stigma and improve attendance. (2) The importance of relationships: Families and communities need to work together; (3) Delivering a high-quality, inclusive HAF programme: there is a need for flexible choice-led provision; (4) Schools as trusted advocates: Schools can support reach and recruitment of the HAF programme; and (5) Evaluation of HAF: Current evaluations are insufficient and a comprehensive evaluation with children, families and communities is needed. CONCLUSION: To ensure that families are receiving the support they need, we recommend that changes to the programme allow community organisations to have agency to decide how best to work with their families, achieved by greater flexibility within the national guidelines and criteria. Moreover, we recommend poverty-proofed, place-based holiday provision that is iteratively developed with the involvement of local families.