Does such provision have a positive or negative impact? How well are after-school clubs monitored?
587. Mr Slevin: After-school clubs that offer activities only are not registered, unlike those that offer care. They are a positive element, which we want to expand. Funding for the expansion of out-of-school clubs is available through the new opportunities fund. A new opportunities worker is employed in the Craigavon and Banbridge to contact people who want to become involved in after-school clubs. In that area there are more private after-school clubs than community-based ones, a type of provision that we are trying to increase. We have identified community-based after-school clubs as an area on which to focus. After-school clubs that offer care for less than 2 hours per day do not need to be registered. 588. Mr McHugh: The Committee has learnt from all the evidence that it has heard during the inquiry that there is a good deal of room for slippage in pre-school provision. Employees may have NVQ qualifications, but their approaches could differ. In some instances, where PEAG and paid
