Page 14 - Strategic Plan 24-29

S.W.O.T. Analysis: Opportunities and Threats

External opportunities that we can explore, exploit External threats that we will need to mitigate/
and build on address
• New houses is increasing numbers in some of the • Demographic and social changes mean a
Primary Schools e.g. East Calder has 81 P1s shrinking pool of potential employees nationally
• More working parents moving to the area will • This, together with our inability to compete on
increase demand for childcare which would create wage rates, makes staff recruitment and retention
income generating opportunities a challenge
• The challenge is the lack of facilities for play • Young people’s expectations, in terms of salary
services as many of the schools e.g. the Calders and promotion, are much higher. This makes
and Winchburgh, are full and there are no new retention hard, especially if staff training means
Partnership Centres or community facilities they can then secure a better paid job elsewhere
• Other childcare providers going under, reduces • The growth in unregulated childcare services. They
some of the competition and creates opportunities are not registered and evading the regulations, so
for PW there is no guarantee of service or of the quality of
that service, but they offer a much cheaper option
for parents, so present a real threat

• Expansion of PW’s Childcare Workforce training. • The high rate of inflation impacts on the ability of
This would need work and investment in staff to parents/families to pay for childcare services
ensure capacity to deliver, and in marketing and • It also increases PW’s costs, as living wage rates
promotion
rise. Inflation also affects other operating costs
• Scottish Government plans to extend funding to • SG’s theory on expansion of childcare is good but
cover school age OSC, could create opportunities implementation will likely be devolved to Local
for us Authorities who decide how to implement it and
how money is to be shared. This is a national/
• PW’s experience of delivery in school holidays, as
part of the poverty prevention strategy, will stand macro issue which needs a macro solution
us in good stead, as PW is an established partner • PW’s reputation and position with WLC means that
on the WLC Framework. they are ‘inside’ and in a position to influence and
be part of, Policy formulation at local and national
• The initiative would be an opportunity for PW to do
more to deliver services in the deprived areas level
• Schools in the deprived areas are only half full, • Council cuts to non-statutory services mean
and likely to remain that way, so facilities could be vulnerable people and families have to try to find/
available for PW if funding made services viable in access services elsewhere
these areas • PW may have to decide how much demand it can
realistically meet within its available resources
• Looking at a wider range of grant funding and • The funding environment is becoming harder, as
opportunities for collaborative bids in partnership more organisations need more money from the
with other organisations or with WLC same pots to be able to deliver projects properly
• WLC divesting itself of surplus properties could be • Any change of political regime in UK and/or
an opportunity to acquire premises using the Scotland means not just changes in Policy but
Community Asset Transfer (CAT) process. delay and uncertainty until Policy decisions are
• PW has to ask whether a CAT would be the answer made and implemented.
to a question we already have, give us an • PW has never had political allegiances, but tries to
additional asset (or a liability) and whether the have the ears of politicians of all parties
idea is feasible, socially and economically
• Litigation is always a risk, which increases with
high staff turnover and/or poor quality of staff. PW
is very aware of this and works hard to mitigate
risks
• Covid 2: especially if it resulted in further
lockdowns