EYPS salary enhancement

[Bluebell]

Hi Just wondered what peoples thoughts were on this:

Settings can claim £5,000 per year to enhance the salary of an EYP in their setting. Childminders are not allowed to claim this. The criteria is setting must be open at least 20 hours and at least 38 weeks, and offering the EYE. As a childminder I offer all of this and more. 40+ hours a week, 48 weeks a year and the EYE and the 2 year funding.

As a childminder I don't earn a lot of money - I quite like the idea of being able to enhance my salary!

They don't even give a reason why (the county council) so I have written asking why.

Just wondered whether I'm being unreasonable to want to receive this?

[miffy]

Isn't that discrimination?

Let us know what the reply is

Miffy xx

[Koala]

Go for it girl

You are right not unreasonable.

I too am in a similar position to you and It is a rip off, a joke that we are treated like this.

[Smiley]

I have previously wondered why, perhaps I will also contact my LA

[The Juggler]

it is awful that you can't claim this. in theory they could argue that it would go to the central LEA Development officer if s/he is an EYP and they advice all other local childminders, but as there aren't many left I'm guessing they can't argue that.

Their other argument might be that you are not advising others. Is there a way you could prove this, i.e. being a support minder at a local children's centre or evidence of your leadership and management that you did for your EYP?

[Bluebell]

Actually that's a good point about leading / improving practice.

I got a very nice letter back saying she understands where I am coming from but this is money from govt (ie govt rules) and that its all to do with budget constraints etc. It also sounded like the govt have stopped the salary enhancement scheme so it sounds to me like they won't be able to fund EYP's in settings next financial year which means EYP's will be having a £5,000 a year pay cut because I'm pretty sure most settings won't be able to make up the difference.

Interestingly though in my county if you are an EYP you can register as a 'specialist' and have visits to your setting to share your knowledge and good practice. Not much of an incentive to want to do it if you don't get recognised the same as other EYP's financially!

[Simona]

Actually that's a good point about leading / improving practice.

I got a very nice letter back saying she understands where I am coming from but this is money from govt (ie govt rules) and that its all to do with budget constraints etc. It also sounded like the govt have stopped the salary enhancement scheme so it sounds to me like they won't be able to fund EYP's in settings next financial year which means EYP's will be having a £5,000 a year pay cut because I'm pretty sure most settings won't be able to make up the difference.

Interestingly though in my county if you are an EYP you can register as a 'specialist' and have visits to your setting to share your knowledge and good practice. Not much of an incentive to want to do it if you don't get recognised the same as other EYP's financially!

As an EYP Bluebell you are a leader of good practice!!!...that is why EYP were created to improve the outcomes for children by leading staff with their knowledge and skills

Rather contradictory though that while Truss is asking why settings are not making use of the 1:13 ratio we now hear the funding has been stopped!!
I wonder if she is on the ball on anything regarding her More Great/Affordable Childcare??

If you belong to an association it may be worth you letting them know of the disparity

[The Juggler]

As an EYP Bluebell you are a leader of good practice!!!...that is why EYP were created to improve the outcomes for children by leading staff with their knowledge and skills

Rather contradictory though that while Truss is asking why settings are not making use of the 1:13 ratio we now hear the funding has been stopped!!
I wonder if she is on the ball on anything regarding her More Great/Affordable Childcare??

If you belong to an association it may be worth you letting them know of the disparity

I'd go back to them again honey. It doesn't matter if it's government money - it's for EYP's whoever they are get hold of the funding whilst it's still there.

[Bluebell]

Ok well I wasn't going to get back to them cos I feel so deflated and hacked off with whole thing but this is what she wrote in her e-mail:


QUOTE

the Graduate Leader Fund, each Local Authority was given funding to support EYPs to become qualified and continue to work in the Early Years sector by providing salary enhancements. The Graduate Leader Fund had very strict criteria that needed to be met, and was available only for full day care settings that were open for a minimum number of hours. One of the aims of the fund was to benefit settings, and therefore children, that were open for enough hours to make a difference, and to reach as many children as possible. Unfortunately childminders were not entitled to the Graduate Leader Fund.



The situation within Local Authorities is very different now, the Graduate Leader Fund no longer exists (although we continue to call it this to keep it simple) and the Local Authority does not receive any ring-fenced money. We now receive one pot of funding for Devon County Council which is distributed amongst different departments. Statutory / legal requirements must be met first, and everything else is distributed according to need. Within the Early Years & Childcare Service we have been lucky enough to continue to secure funding to support EYPs, but this is becoming increasingly difficult due to significant budget cuts year on year.



Although the funding is no longer ring-fenced, our budget has been allocated on the same criteria as previous years and we have not been able to access additional funding to enable more EYPs to apply for this funding. I completely agree with what you are saying, but unfortunately we do not have the funding to make these changes. The funding is guaranteed for one year at a time, and we do not know what our budget will be from April 2014. We cannot guarantee that this funding will continue at all, and it will not be possible to gain any additional funding to make the fund available to more EYPs. As central government has made the decision to not continue with EYP salary enhancements, it makes it increasingly difficult for us as a Local Authority to secure this funding.

END QUOTE

As you can see she has taken the time to give me a lengthy answer and I was going to leave it but in the end it was nagging at me so I have written again and I hope it doesn't come off as too argumentative but I asked why if it was 'full day care' their criteria specifies 20 hours a week over 38 weeks - my opening hours are far more than that - up to 10 at night sometimes and available on some Saturdays too - and I;m only closed 3/4 weeks a year
I also said that as I work with 15 children and offer quality practice that I feel I do make a difference to not only children but their parents by offering flexible childcare.
I asked to confirm the rule was from government or devon county council re childminders not getting it and I also said that I read that the salary enhancement was going to end and could she confirm that as I really do not want to move into a setting and then not get it (!)

[Simona]

Your LA has quoted the Graduate Leader Fund but not the Early Intervention Grant (EIG) which is the one the DfE put in place to replace the GLF.

The difference between the 2 is that the GLF was ringfenced but the EIG is not.

All LAs will say that they have no money but I am not too sure about that
I would also ring the DfE and find out where you stand...this may help


Graduate leaders in early years - Children and young people