do you offer the 15 hours free childcare?
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  1. #1
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    Default do you offer the 15 hours free childcare?

    hello,
    do you provide the 15 hours free childcare for 3 and 4 years old?
    would you advise it or not?
    is it lots of extra paperwork?
    In hertfortshire , childminder get £5.50 per hour (which is more than my hourly rate) so I was thinking of doing it maybe, but I have heard some bad feedback about it ( like extra paperwork, extra inspection,...)

    do you know anything about it?
    thanks

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    I started offering funding in January, and apart from having to enter figured on the website I've had no extra paperwork to do. Wish I got £5.50, I'm in east yorks and get £3.55!!!! X

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    green4lynn: thanks for your reply. Do you get more difficult ofsted inspection? do you have to explain how you have spent the money?

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    Quote Originally Posted by v 1461 View Post
    green4lynn: thanks for your reply. Do you get more difficult ofsted inspection? do you have to explain how you have spent the money?
    Why would you get a more difficult ofsted inspection?

    There should be in theory no more paperwork for having funded children to what you are doing now.

    I don't have to show where I spend my funding money but I have read of different las who do audit where it goes.
    When someone tells you nothing is impossible, tell them to go slam a revolving door

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    I don't offer it yet but have been thinking of registering x

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    I've just registered to offer it but don't have any funded children yet. The 2 year old rate is more than for 3 and 4's (that rate is just under my usual). All I have to do extra is register my numbers each term.

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    I started receiving it in Sept 12 after I had to have a level 3, good or higher, write a business plan, have an inspection with two people from the Early Years team and go on a course. Now there's no criteria in Leics so its a lot easier although there's a lot of minders in my town that don't offer it because they don't see the point. Then they are moaning that they have spaces to fill when I'm full.

    The funding started off at 1p less but now I'm receiving what I charge. It has enabled me to keep children on that would have usually left for a Preschool. So I have gone from the 'person who picks up from Preschool' to someone who has them here instead. It has definitely been good for me.
    I have 3 children at the moment claiming 15hrs,14hrs and 9hrs. One of the parents was very pleased that I offered it as the nursery that her dd attends 2 days a week didn't offer it. Her dd would have had to go into the Preschool part of the nursery where the sessions are morning sessions and afternoon sessions. Mum would have had to pick her dd up at 12pm and drop her back at 1ish so she's really happy that her dd can get her full 15hrs with me

    For me, there's no paperwork other than filling out a form every term.
    Time Out.. The perfect time for thinking about what you're going to destroy next.

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  9. #8
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    thanks jcrackers for your comments

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    I've just enrolled this month. Its been straight forward so far, I have had 3 calls asking about if I have any more spaces for 3-4 yr The LA have parents screaming for it, I've took on one 2 year on the funding and you get more £ for the 2 year funding which I didn't realise till they told me. I'm full at moment till September now, when 1 goes to raising 5 (full time school) and 1 leaves go different school, so I might think about taking on more!

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    It is no different to what you are doing at the moment under the EYFS so yes go for it if you are going to be better off.
    Debbie

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    Is it correct that your LA come out periodically and check your planning etc?
    Vaguely remember something about this before.

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    I have offered funding for the last year. Rate is about 60p less than my normal fee.

    The DO from Pacey (contracted by LA EY team) visits me once a term and checks my paperwork, give advise if asked etc. Here max 30 minutes.

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    I've done it for 10+ years, only extra paperwork that is now required is you have to see child's birth certificate, have to show free hours on invoice and you have to complete a form three times a year to get your money.
    The la comes out now and again to check the registers against what you have claimed.

    Parents are now really switched onto the benefits of a child having their free hours with a childminder and it's Definetly influences many parents when making the choice of childminder even for babies because they are thinking of in the future.

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    thanks. I have now sent my application form and wait. Hope that will not make Ofsted come quicker!!

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    Hi I have funded children.I havent had any extra paperwork and Ive had no visits. just had a cheque which is for more than I charge . I also had a grant for resources. So from my point of view it has been worth it. xx
    Julie X X

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  18. #16
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    I'm on herts & claim the funding for 2 mindees.

    There's no extra paperwork for eyfs as we are all doing that anyway. Just head count forms & clear invoicing detailing free hours vs paid for hours.

    I've yet to have a compliance visit, though it says in the guidance that they should be approximately once every 2 years.

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    I started offering funding from January this year and as its more than my hourly rate then yes it is worth it for me. Although I had one mindee with shared funding, other setting put down increased hours earlier than they should have so I didn't get paid!! It was a mistake and when I explained it all and the other setting admitted to filling in the forms wrong I did get paid eventually.

    Carol xx

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    I'm currently offering the funding to two children. It is no extra work, except for a short headcount form that has to be sent in for each term. In my are the funding is quite a bit less than my hourly rate so I will only offer it to children who attend for more than 15 hours per week. That way I can make up the difference by charging a higher rate for the extra hours.

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    Quote Originally Posted by v 1461 View Post
    thanks. I have now sent my application form and wait. Hope that will not make Ofsted come quicker!!
    It's nothing to do with Ofsted, I don't think the LA tell them who does funding - I will just include it on my SEF

    Now the criteria for 2 year olds has changed I have e-mailed the changes to my 2 year olds parents and one single mum thinks she does now qualify - so she has applied on-line, just waiting to hear if she has been successful.

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    Quote Originally Posted by mummyMia View Post
    I'm currently offering the funding to two children. It is no extra work, except for a short headcount form that has to be sent in for each term. In my are the funding is quite a bit less than my hourly rate so I will only offer it to children who attend for more than 15 hours per week. That way I can make up the difference by charging a higher rate for the extra hours.


    We have to provide evidence in the form of our published fees, so that we cannot charge extra for non funded hours.

    The funding has to be ' free at the point of entry'

    At 2, the funding is £10 per week more than my rate, and at 3, it would be £7 less than my rate per week.

 

 
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