Hyndland After School Club, affectionately known as “The Afty”, is an out of school childcare service based in the west end of Glasgow. The club was set up in August 1992 by a voluntary committee of parents, and became a ‘not for profit’ company limited by guarantee and a registered charity in November 2001.
Our club is located in the premises of Hyndland Primary School, in the former school dining hall. In 2010, the interior conversion of the club was commended in the ‘Making Space’ Architecture and Design Awards organised by the Children in Scotland agency. In addition to our club hall, we have access to the new school dining hall, gym, upper playground and garden.
Our services include an after school club, breakfast club and holiday club, and after school clubs in Notre Dame Primary School (Notre Dame Kids Club) and Thornwood Primary School. We offer a safe and stimulating environment for children to enjoy a range of activities including arts & crafts, baking, music, drama, sports, toys and games, drawing and painting, outdoor play and much more. During the holidays we take the children on trips to country parks, visitor centres, beaches, animal parks, museums, art galleries and more.
We are regulated by the Care Inspectorate, an organisation that provides a framework for high quality care of children. This ensures their rights are promoted and protected; key principles include: dignity, privacy, choice, safety, realising potential, equality and diversity. We also actively promote the United Nations Convention for the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC), and have a comprehensive list internal policies and procedures that are continually updated.
Our staff are registered with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) and members of the Disclosure Scotland PVG Scheme. We help fund courses in Playwork for all staff, and provide Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training in first aid, child protection, allergy awareness, health and safety, food hygiene, epipen and anaphylaxis, fire safety, and more.
In line with our Recruitment Policy, we only hire individuals who we feel have the right personality, experience, training and skills to work with children. We aim to recruit people with specific skills and talents that can be passed onto the children through activities. Our current staff team have backgrounds in arts and crafts, dance, drama, music, cookery, languages, sports, and much more.