About the HAF programme

Your child is eligible for HAF if all these statements apply: 

• your child is eligible for benefit related free school meals (FSM) 
• you live in Walsall
• your child is aged between 5 and 16 years

Find out more about free school meal eligibility on gov.uk.

There are a wide range of opportunities in the winter offer. Choose from:

• 1 holiday club (at least 4 hours for 4 days per week) -  this provides a range of activities throughout the day, with a healthy meal included; or
• 4 pick and mix sessions - sessions are targeted at young people to give them opportunities to learn specific skills, including dance, music, swimming, sports coaching, youth work training, fishing, and mentoring

Once you've booked an activity for your child, you will receive a confirmation email. 

Your contact details will then be shared with the provider of the activity and they will contact you directly. They will talk to you about what time to arrive, and special requirements your child may have, including dietary needs.

If you have any queries and want to get in touch direct with the provider, you can find their contact details.

If you have any further questions, please contact the Walsall Right 4 Children team by email or call our HAF helpline.

Find out about registering and booking.

We have sent out a letter to each eligible child with their unique HAF code.

Once you've received your letter, you'll be able to register and book your free Easter 2023 activities on our HAF portal.

If you are unable to register on line you can call our HAF helpline.

For the 2023 programme, you will only need to register once and you can then access your account throughout the year. 

Once you have registered for the programme, you are then able to book your free activities.

If your child or young person has additional needs or special educational needs, please make sure you state this on the registration form so that the provider is able meet the needs of your child.

We use a central registration process to make it easier for you to book your child/ren onto activities. This means you only have to provide your information once.

We will share this information with the providers of activities your child books on to. This is so they know who will be attending, can ensure they meet your child’s needs, and communicate with you any key information in relation to the activity.

We will only use your child’s personal information in relation to the delivery and evaluation of the holiday activity programme.

If you are unable to find your code, or you have any other queries, please contact your school directly or email the HAF team with the following information:

• your child’s name
• their date of birth
• your address
• your child’s school 

We will then email you your unique reference number.

You will receive an email with confirmation of your child/ren’s booking. if  haven't received a email please cocnact us at WR4C@walsall.gov.uk and we can check your registration 

Once you have registered you are then able to book your activities 

The provider of your child/ren’s holiday provision and they will contact you to discuss any practical arrangements (arrival time, any COVID guidance, and any special requirements your child may have, including dietary needs). 

If you have any queries and want to get in touch with the provider, visit our webpage holiday activities delivery partners.

The General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 allows us to hold information about children and families as part of our duty to support families.

However, the law says we must:

• only hold information that we need for the delivery of the programme
• only use the information for that reason
• make sure the information we hold is accurate
• keep the information only for as long as it is needed
• make sure we only use the information lawfully and not breach your rights as the owner of this information
• keep the information secure at all times.

We will need to share information about your child with the organisation who are providing the activities your child is booking to ensure that they can effectively deliver their activities as part of the programme. 

Once registered, we will share your child’s personal information with providers who deliver the activity and holiday programme only for the purpose of the delivery of the programme.

As a result of this programme, we want children who attend this provision to:

• eat healthily over the school holidays
• be active during the school holidays
• take part in engaging and enriching activities which support the development of resilience, character and wellbeing along with their wider educational attainment
• be safe and not to be socially isolated
• have a greater knowledge of health and nutrition
• be more engaged with school and other local services

We also want to ensure that the families who participate in this programme:

• develop their understanding of nutrition and food budgeting
• are signposted towards other information and support, for example, health, employment, and education

Please contact the provider direct or email WR4C@walsall.gov.uk if your child is unable to attend any of the activities.

You can filter activities by age or date to make it easier to search for the most relevant activities for your child. 

There are paid and free activities for families and children to enjoy over the holidays. 

For more information contact our family information service:

Phone: 01922 653383

Email walsallfis@walsall.gov.uk

You can email us at WR4C@walsall.gov.uk

Please tell us:

• your name
• the details you wish to change
• your reason for needing to change the details

Activities aim to be inclusive of your child needs where possible.  There are a couple of activities that are specific to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This is indicated on the booking site and booklet. 

Each activity provides a description the activity, and what your child can expect. This will help you to decide if this activity could meet your child’s need.

Please book your child onto activities that you feel will meet their interest and ability. We will be communicating information shared as part of your registration with providers. The activity provider may be in touch with you to further understand your child’s need and discuss any additional support your child may need to engage in the activity they booked onto. If you wish to discuss your child’s needs with the provider then you can contact them direct. You can find all our providers' details on our delivery partners webpage.

Contact us to discuss any worries or if you feel that none of the activities are suitable for your child to take part in.  We are working closely with our colleagues who coordinate short break provision for children with disabilities to explore alternative offers. 

You can email us: WR4C@walsall.gov.uk 

You can email us with any questions you may have.

Who can make a complaint or raise a concern?

Parents or careers of children that are registered at the HAF provider. Any person, including members of the public, may make a complaint about any provision of facilities or services that we provide.  It is in everyone’s interest that concerns, and complaints are resolved at the earliest possible stage. Many issues can be resolved informally, without the need to use the formal stages of the complaint's procedure. However, Walsall HAF team takes concerns and complaints seriously and will make every effort to resolve the matter as quickly as possible. 

How to raise a concern or make a complaint

A concern or complaint can be made in person (by appointment), in writing or by telephone to the HAF team 

If complaining by writing:

Please email WR4C@walsall.gov.uk and Walsall HAF team will respond to your email within 24hours to confirm we have received your concern or complaint and gather further information to investigate. We will provide feedback within 5 working days via email and confirm your concern / complaint has been resolved.

If complaining by telephone:

Please call 01922 653899 and the phone lines open Monday - Friday 10am - 4pm

A member of the HAF team will take information regarding your concern or complaint to investigate and request your contact information so we can provide you with feedback.

We will provide feedback within 5 working days and confirm your concern / complaint has been resolved via telephone of email

If a complaint is still not resolved, Walsall HAF team will offer an appointment with the HAF manager to discuss the complaint verbally.