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Hi. I am trying to sort funding for Sept for parent entitled to 30 hours. The parent want to use funding to attend a school nursery 3 days (ie15 hours), using funding to cover before and after school and the remaining hours during the school holidays for full days. My understanding is this is NOT possible the child could only access over 50 weeks if they had preset hours for the fifty weeks i.e. By using a nursery. IS this correct?
I am sorry I have read your message a couple of times and it's not making sense...
I'm having trouble with the description of the scenario too.Quote:
Originally Posted by saloprunner
All I can suggest is that you first determine how much of the 'free' hours entitlement is left, after deducting the hours used at nursery, then call your LA's funding team. They should then advise you if/how they will let you claim the balance.
You must be absolutely clear which provider will be getting the 'universal' 15 hours, and which will be getting the 'extended entitlement' (mum's choice.) The extended entitlement will disappear if the parents' circumstances change. But tbh you'll get the raw end of the deal if this is an LA-run school nursery, as an LA-run provision will always get first dibs on the universal entitlement.
You may find this becomes a real headache with regard to working out the bill, and then trying to convince mum that she's getting her full free entitlement and not being overcharged.
You may also risk losing some potential earnings. How likely is it that the family will go off on holiday during weeks they're supposed to be with you? Some LAs will refuse to pay funded hours when a child is absent, and they will not allow CMs to levy a retainer charge, arguing that breaks their rules on accessing funding care with no obligations to pay any additional charges.
Make sure you ask all the relevant questions before committing. Print and save all the email conversations you have with the LA. I would be very wary of anything this complicated, as we've yet to see how flexible LAs will be over funded care, given there's evidence to show they can't really afford it. I fear they'll be looking for any excuse not to pay out.
To be brutally honest, you might be better with another client, if you have the choice. Otherwise, I'd consider a deposit to cover any potential non-payment by the LA. Every CM should, at the very least, put a clause in contracts saying clients will be liable for failed/unpaid funding claims (though even that may be unenforceable if the client doesn't have the money when it comes to the crunch.)
I read it that parent is taking 15 hours at nursery over notms, school 38 weeks and wants to use the new 15 extra entitlement with you for after school/non term days but on a stretched basis? The best people to answer this is your early years team as one area it might be OK but another local authority will administer the scheme entirely differently. Make sure you see, read and fully understand the local agreeement before saying yes to taking funding so you are aware of any pitfalls such as if parent drops late or collects early do you have to repay any funding money paid to cover that time? If child takes holidays during a funded time do you have to pay back the funded money or child is ill etc.