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Lal
18-09-2015, 05:00 PM
Exactly as the title says- I was planning to do a stretched offer to enable a parent who mainly does term-time to have a bit of flexibility. The child will also claim 4hrs a week from preschool who are doing a standard offer. The plan is (or was...) that I would then mop up any additional hours. Anyway, after much head-scratching and counting I worked out a pattern of provision which uses all of the 570 hours. All fine except the fact that if one provider is offering a stretched offer then the limit of hours available is lower than that allowed for a standard offer for two of the three funding periods. The system applies the stretched offer maths to the child (not the setting), regardless of what the other provider is doing. If I go with plan A then the child will miss out on 10 hours over the year.

Its really frustrating when you try to be flexible and maximise funding take up, but the system says 'no' :(

loocyloo
18-09-2015, 06:04 PM
Exactly as the title says- I was planning to do a stretched offer to enable a parent who mainly does term-time to have a bit of flexibility. The child will also claim 4hrs a week from preschool who are doing a standard offer. The plan is (or was...) that I would then mop up any additional hours. Anyway, after much head-scratching and counting I worked out a pattern of provision which uses all of the 570 hours. All fine except the fact that if one provider is offering a stretched offer then the limit of hours available is lower than that allowed for a standard offer for two of the three funding periods. The system applies the stretched offer maths to the child (not the setting), regardless of what the other provider is doing. If I go with plan A then the child will miss out on 10 hours over the year.

Its really frustrating when you try to be flexible and maximise funding take up, but the system says 'no' :(

that is frustrating, BUT, for 10 hours over the year, I think I would live with it!

I only offer funding for 38 weeks of the year, as that is what suits me.
BUT, when I had a LO who used her full 15 hours with me ( but no additional hours ); for the last 4 weeks of the summer term, she only attended for 10 hours a week. I then used the remaining 20 hours spread over the summer holidays - usually in 4 hour sessions - depending on what suited me and mum. before I did this, I spoke to the people in charge of funding at LA and they said, that it was up to me and mum what we did, as long as all hours that were paid for by funding were used by the child. I have just offered to do the same for a current child. He will be claiming for 7 hours funding a week, but only use 6 hours. The extra hours will accumulate and will be used for extra sessions in the holidays.
Could you do something similar?

good luck x

Lal
18-09-2015, 06:35 PM
Our LA seems less flexible. I've been recounting weeks and I could do a standard offer this funding period and the next and then change to stretched to allow for some funding to be used over the summer holidays. I think I'm most frustrated that childminders are being encouraged to be flexible and sign up to be able to offer stretched funding so they can 'mop up' but it doesn't work in practice. Anyway, its definitely wine o'clock.

hectors house
21-09-2015, 03:12 PM
Think Somerset must be easy going as I tell them how many weeks I'm working and I just divide the 570 hours by 48 - one child is now at Nursery term time only and only uses 12 hours a week with them, so I worked out that his mum was missing out on about 80 hours a year and as he then came extra to me in the summer hols i was able to let her use his remaining hours. I just work with the other settings and they let me know if there any any surplus hours the parents can use with me.

Lal
21-09-2015, 06:06 PM
Lucky you! There are limits for each funding period in hampshire- different for standard and stretched. I have now managed to ensure the child will get all of her 570hrs. :)