2,3 & 4 year old funding

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I have a very good relationship with my LA and don't want to lose this so I am not going like a bull at a gate.

I understand what we are asking of the LA's but mine only has 1 person to administrate everything and I think that funding has to be found to cover other childminders coming on board or paperwork will just be a back log.

I agree that this should already be in place but it isn't so I am going to play the waiting game for a week and see what happens when "the Manager" returns. If I am fobbed off again I will certainly be writing to the DFE and Ombudsman but I don't see any point in pushing when I am struggling with the indians rather than the chiefs.

Will update end of next week.

[Simona]

I have a very good relationship with my LA and don't want to lose this so I am not going like a bull at a gate.

I understand what we are asking of the LA's but mine only has 1 person to administrate everything and I think that funding has to be found to cover other childminders coming on board or paperwork will just be a back log.

I agree that this should already be in place but it isn't so I am going to play the waiting game for a week and see what happens when "the Manager" returns. If I am fobbed off again I will certainly be writing to the DFE and Ombudsman but I don't see any point in pushing when I am struggling with the indians rather than the chiefs.

Will update end of next week.

I think that many cms have been very 'professional' in their approach to their LA quoting from DfE emails and arguing on the law..ultimately they have resorted to mentioning the ombudsman...why not?
Some are now getting frustrated but cms seem to be a very patient lot

Funding has not got to be found...funding for 2, 3 and 4 year olds is allocated by the DfE not the LAs based on the amount they pay in their FE..in fact the funding goes into a pot called 'Dedicated School Grant (DSG)' and administered by the council not the EY team.
LAs do a census of children entitled to funding and the DfE funds them on that number

I am, however, concerned that none of the associations are stepping in to advice us now on how to approach this matter and get what we are now entitled to!

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I think that many cms have been very 'professional' in their approach to their LA quoting from DfE emails and arguing on the law..ultimately they have resorted to mentioning the ombudsman...why not?
Some are now getting frustrated but cms seem to be a very patient lot

Funding has not got to be found...funding for 2, 3 and 4 year olds is allocated by the DfE not the LAs based on the amount they pay in their FE..in fact the funding goes into a pot called 'Dedicated School Grant (DSG)' and administered by the council not the EY team.
LAs do a census of children entitled to funding and the DfE funds them on that number

I am, however, concerned that none of the associations are stepping in to advice us now on how to approach this matter and get what we are now entitled to!

It isn't the money for the funding my LA have to find it is the money to employ people to administrate it and that it what they are trying to do. Don't get me wrong I am not sticking up for the LA just trying to understand why it isn't automatic. I was told it takes the same manpower to administrate a nursery of 20 children and it does a Childminder with 1 and more funding approval is needed here.

[Simona]

It isn't the money for the funding my LA have to find it is the money to employ people to administrate it and that it what they are trying to do. Don't get me wrong I am not sticking up for the LA just trying to understand why it isn't automatic. I was told it takes the same manpower to administrate a nursery of 20 children and it does a Childminder with 1 and more funding approval is needed here.

Chatterbox...thank you for feeding this back
Had I known it yesterday I would have added it to the list I sent to the DfE...no problem when the woman replies I will make her aware of this too

whatever happens in any LA in terms of staff there will always be one in charge of the funding...our financial administrator is expecting more cms to be funded and has not quoted this as a problem...whatever happens she will remain there

I have one concern though...do we assume that many cms have been left out of drawing funding or are being blocked because it is an added expense to the LA?
This would be very worrying if children were denied an opportunity to high quality care because of some bureaucratic obstacle?

Keep us posted and hope all resolves itself.

[Simona]

Truss has spoken clearly on cms and funding...we are allowed to do it
So we can now take the message to our LAs...looks like Truss has taken notice of the emails sent to the DfE

Exclusive: The Minister's View - Shaping more affordable childcare | Nursery World

[Smiley]

I have just come off the phone after speaking to my LA and they say contracts are being sent out this week to everyone who applied. I've had a quick look on their site and the 18 page contract is available to read!
One of my existing parents wants me to confirm that I can offer her a 2 year old place from September. Last term she used a nursery but wants her child to come back to me.

I just hope it's straight forward, this particular parent has just finished maternity leave so will need a place for her baby too as I cared for her 2 year old previously and I have known her since she was a child when she used to play with my own children. Keeping fingers crossed my LA are on the ball with this

[AgentTink]

I have just come off the phone after speaking to my LA and they say contracts are being sent out this week to everyone who applied. I've had a quick look on their site and the 18 page contract is available to read!
One of my existing parents wants me to confirm that I can offer her a 2 year old place from September. Last term she used a nursery but wants her child to come back to me.

I just hope it's straight forward, this particular parent has just finished maternity leave so will need a place for her baby too as I cared for her 2 year old previously and I have known her since she was a child when she used to play with my own children. Keeping fingers crossed my LA are on the ball with this

thats great smiley which LA are you with?

[Smiley]

I come under Doncaster LA

[madmamma]

My LA are saying (yesterday) that 'they have decided to opt for network minders to offer the funding'
This is despite being given the information available from here

[HelenHale]

I now have a response from my LA saying the funding will not be open to non-accredited childminders until 1st April 2014.

If you read the guidance to LA's though it only says SHOULD not MUST so I take that to mean they don't have to.

http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe...actice-for-las

Helen x

[Simona]

I now have a response from my LA saying the funding will not be open to non-accredited childminders until 1st April 2014.

If you read the guidance to LA's though it only says SHOULD not MUST so I take that to mean they don't have to.

Early education and childcare - About the Department

Helen x

Yes we understand that Helen...should and must at the LAs' own interpretation..and of course your own....fantastic we are back to square one!!

The DfE has also stated they will legislate at the earliest opportunity...so why delay the inevitable?
why are LAs so much against cms but willing to allow a 'satisfactory' nursery to do funding without accreditation?

Can anyone else report if their LA is still dragging their heels? are you happy to be exclude until you get accredited or have jumped through more hoops? or are you not concerned at all?
Am I wrong in saying that the LAs powers have been cut a bit since Sept so how can they still dictate when we don't know what their role is precisely? apart from concentrating on 'disadvantaged' families according to the DFE...so they do so by depriving cms of funding for those very families?

in some cases I wish their powers had been totally severed!
I blame the LAs for the discrimination and current state of affairs...they chose and decided what was right or wrong for cms and some cms just went along with it praising their LA for being so good

Will you take the DfE advice and complain as they have encouraged cms to do? or will some of the representing associations do that on behalf of cms?

[Chatterbox Childcare]

Got my notification yesterday and good and outstanding can accept funding without any issues and satisfactory can but with measures which are being written at the moment

[Simona]

Got my notification yesterday and good and outstanding can accept funding without any issues and satisfactory can but with measures which are being written at the moment

Great to hear that Chatterbox...I got that too alongside a ream of forms to complete including signing contract with my LA for drawing funding 'according' to their local conditions....slightly wrong there as the funding comes from the DfE and LAs have to distribute it fairly!!

Some of the conditions on the contract I am not in the least happy with as I am now Independent ...so I am now in a position where, without clarification from them, I will not sign that contract and my LA has gone very quiet while rumours abound of all the changes taking place within the team.

We can't win one way or the other!! who are the losers? the children who need to access high quality care and considering the huge amount invested in rolling out 'Achieving 2 year olds' someone has to be accountable for that waste!

[Rubybubbles]

got this through yesterday

In response to the Government’s recent report ‘More affordable childcare’ that ‘sets out the steps the government is taking to address the challenges in providing affordable childcare for parents’ and the subsequent revision of the Department for Education’s ‘Early education and childcare – Statutory guidance for local authorities – September 2013’, Hampshire County Council are running a series of EYE Provider briefings to inform further the implications this guidance has on the LA’s duties and funding providers for early years education. These briefings will help to clarify the changes that will need to be made to the current Hampshire Early Years Education Funding Payment Terms and Conditions of providing Early Years Education. As part of PACEY’s support service contract with Hampshire we have set up to provide some additional sessions scheduled at more accessible times and will have content specifically related for childminders.

In response to these revised statutory duties this briefing will also outline the changes to the Early Years Single Funding Formula proposed from April 2014 and which will be consulted upon through October. Details of this consultation will be made available at the briefing but will also be published shortly on the Services for Young Children webpage. We will email you all the link as soon as this goes live.

One main area of change will be that in the Government’s requirement of local authority’s to remove barriers to accessing EYE funding. Therefore, any Good or Outstanding childminder registered by OFSTED ‘who has in their care an ‘eligible child (who) wants to take up a place there’ will no longer be required to gain accreditation for Early Years Education via a quality assurance scheme. The briefings will provide opportunity to give further detail regarding this and the Government’s and Hampshire’s future intentions to continue to support Childminders to deliver high quality early years education and childcare. Please let me assure you, Hampshire County Council remains committed to Childminders delivering high quality EYE and knows that parents and children benefit from childminding as a childcare choice.

there is going to be a childminder only meeting soon,once I have been I'll keep you updated! They are also holding a General Provider Briefing!

I emailed and heard nothing at all until now!

[Simona]

got this through yesterday

In response to the Government’s recent report ‘More affordable childcare’ that ‘sets out the steps the government is taking to address the challenges in providing affordable childcare for parents’ and the subsequent revision of the Department for Education’s ‘Early education and childcare – Statutory guidance for local authorities – September 2013’, Hampshire County Council are running a series of EYE Provider briefings to inform further the implications this guidance has on the LA’s duties and funding providers for early years education. These briefings will help to clarify the changes that will need to be made to the current Hampshire Early Years Education Funding Payment Terms and Conditions of providing Early Years Education. As part of PACEY’s support service contract with Hampshire we have set up to provide some additional sessions scheduled at more accessible times and will have content specifically related for childminders.

In response to these revised statutory duties this briefing will also outline the changes to the Early Years Single Funding Formula proposed from April 2014 and which will be consulted upon through October. Details of this consultation will be made available at the briefing but will also be published shortly on the Services for Young Children webpage. We will email you all the link as soon as this goes live.

One main area of change will be that in the Government’s requirement of local authority’s to remove barriers to accessing EYE funding. Therefore, any Good or Outstanding childminder registered by OFSTED ‘who has in their care an ‘eligible child (who) wants to take up a place there’ will no longer be required to gain accreditation for Early Years Education via a quality assurance scheme. The briefings will provide opportunity to give further detail regarding this and the Government’s and Hampshire’s future intentions to continue to support Childminders to deliver high quality early years education and childcare. Please let me assure you, Hampshire County Council remains committed to Childminders delivering high quality EYE and knows that parents and children benefit from childminding as a childcare choice.

there is going to be a childminder only meeting soon,once I have been I'll keep you updated! They are also holding a General Provider Briefing!

I emailed and heard nothing at all until now!

Rubybubbles...that is a very clear and positive message from your LA which begs the questions why so many other LAs are so adamant in continuing to impose conditions on cms

I wonder how many cms are still having an argument with their LA?
has any cm done anything about it and taken it further as suggested by the DfE?
has any representing association spoken out or approached the LAs or the policy makers to raise the issue?

[tashaleee]

got this through yesterday

In response to the Government’s recent report ‘More affordable childcare’ that ‘sets out the steps the government is taking to address the challenges in providing affordable childcare for parents’ and the subsequent revision of the Department for Education’s ‘Early education and childcare – Statutory guidance for local authorities – September 2013’, Hampshire County Council are running a series of EYE Provider briefings to inform further the implications this guidance has on the LA’s duties and funding providers for early years education. These briefings will help to clarify the changes that will need to be made to the current Hampshire Early Years Education Funding Payment Terms and Conditions of providing Early Years Education. As part of PACEY’s support service contract with Hampshire we have set up to provide some additional sessions scheduled at more accessible times and will have content specifically related for childminders.

In response to these revised statutory duties this briefing will also outline the changes to the Early Years Single Funding Formula proposed from April 2014 and which will be consulted upon through October. Details of this consultation will be made available at the briefing but will also be published shortly on the Services for Young Children webpage. We will email you all the link as soon as this goes live.

One main area of change will be that in the Government’s requirement of local authority’s to remove barriers to accessing EYE funding. Therefore, any Good or Outstanding childminder registered by OFSTED ‘who has in their care an ‘eligible child (who) wants to take up a place there’ will no longer be required to gain accreditation for Early Years Education via a quality assurance scheme. The briefings will provide opportunity to give further detail regarding this and the Government’s and Hampshire’s future intentions to continue to support Childminders to deliver high quality early years education and childcare. Please let me assure you, Hampshire County Council remains committed to Childminders delivering high quality EYE and knows that parents and children benefit from childminding as a childcare choice.

there is going to be a childminder only meeting soon,once I have been I'll keep you updated! They are also holding a General Provider Briefing!

I emailed and heard nothing at all until now!

Im really interested in this part - I have no issues with offering a funded place BUT what I struggle with is the drop I have to take as its just not workable :-( So if Im reading this correctly there is a consultation next month about everywhere having a single Funding Formula from next April????

If Ive read it wrong please can someone tell me (I got excited so I might have done )

[Simona]

Im really interested in this part - I have no issues with offering a funded place BUT what I struggle with is the drop I have to take as its just not workable :-( So if Im reading this correctly there is a consultation next month about everywhere having a single Funding Formula from next April????

If Ive read it wrong please can someone tell me (I got excited so I might have done )

If you go back to Truss and DfE announcements recently they did say they are 'thinking' about introducing a 'single funding formula' across England to end the disparity in funding across the LAs but this cannot be done now as the funding for this year and next are already allocated....
That is the way I read it ....so for the moment the drop in funding when children are 3 is one of sustainability for the whole sector and why some cms are reluctant to join the 2 yo scheme
I have a training tomorrow with Family and Childcare Trust in my LA...they will explain how to stay afloat? hope their calculator differs from my calculations???

I'll search for the articles and post when I find them
hope this helps

[tashaleee]

If you go back to Truss and DfE announcements recently they did say they are 'thinking' about introducing a 'single funding formula' across England to end the disparity in funding across the LAs but this cannot be done now as the funding for this year and next are already allocated....
That is the way I read it ....so for the moment the drop in funding when children are 3 is one of sustainability for the whole sector and why some cms are reluctant to join the 2 yo scheme
I have a training tomorrow with Family and Childcare Trust in my LA...they will explain how to stay afloat? hope their calculator differs from my calculations???

I'll search for the articles and post when I find them
hope this helps

Thanks Simona - Ive read so much stuff this year its all starting to merge into one as to what is the latest 'fact' 'rumour' or 'who knows'

Personally Im seriously going to have to rethink my funding offer ..... its over £1 an hour less than my current rate Although its lovely that parents want to take those hours with me if I had 3 x 3 year olds it would be financial suicide over the month :-(

[AgentTink]

Rubybubbles...that is a very clear and positive message from your LA which begs the questions why so many other LAs are so adamant in continuing to impose conditions on cms

I wonder how many cms are still having an argument with their LA?
has any cm done anything about it and taken it further as suggested by the DfE?
has any representing association spoken out or approached the LAs or the policy makers to raise the issue?

No change here in Sefton Simona, they are still waiting for the law to change and we need to go through a accreditation process in the meantime.

I am awaiting a responce from the DfE in regards to a very simple question, "are Local authorities allowed to wait for the law to be changed before they offering the funding to all good and outstanding childminders as per the statutory guidance".

As you know Simona I got a responce back at the beginning of September from the DfE that basically said the law would be changed in due course but they never really answered my question which was are LA allowed to not follow the statutory guidance. They had told me to complain to the council, however i am not prepared to go through the stress of a complaint of the LA is well within their rights to wait for the law to change.

I have also been back in touch with Katy from Nursery World advising her of Sefton's last update, and she apologised that there had been no article about it, but unfortunatly no one was willing to name their LA's to her when they were emailing her about not being included. Anyway good news is she would like to revisit the issue and is giving me a call tomorrow, with hopefully something being mentioned in the October issue, as i am prepared for my name and LA to be mentioned in the article.

[Simona]

Tashaleee....many cms will be cautious about the funding, we don't mind the 2 yo but when it drops to some silly figure we have a big decision to make...join the club or sustain our businesses? welcome as the 'equality' is for us.....our mortgage does not drop in line with funding!

I am hopping mad that in some LAs providers actually make a profit because the funding is higher than their fees...good luck to them but where is the fairness?
I am also confused how the LAs can dictate 'accreditation' when networks are disbanding?

I still have not agreed to do funding...Truss should have thought about this because the LAs can say we refuse until it is the law...the DfE may make it so but not at the moment
In the end their credibility lies on the uptake of the scheme...no point in saying 'we need cms' when the LAs obviously don't?

AgentTink...we get a bit bored by the same 'standard' reply from the DfE don't we?...few cms will challenge their LA especially at this particular moment and honestly it is the govt job to get them to comply...why say in the Guidance LAs 'should' when a 'must' would have solved the issue?
Again why has no representing association continued the fight we started?

I spoke to NWorld editor at the #ofstedbigconversation in London...she told me they dropped the research because the LAs would not engage but may pick it up again in future...very disappointed I must say
If no cm was willing to name their LA they could still have 'exposed' them by doing an article...some Las were mentioned

There would have been more uproar if this had happened to nurseries...so we must keep the fight up and shout louder...I am ready to pick it up again...I have a cunning plan!!!