I am looking for clarification regarding what Birmingham Early Years rules are going to be on providing 15 hours free entitltment for children as from September.

I have seriously took time to work out the cost implications this week-end and no how I work it out I am going to be making a loss. I believe the this years funding has been set at £3.40, which appears to be lower than in other areas of the country.

How also are we expected to pay staff. Staff are not that flexible as they need to pay their bills so they want employment for at 7.5 hours per day. Given that we also have children who come in at 7.30 and don't leave until 5.30pm, I need to employ staff to cover all these hours, not just those for NEF funded children or for the 15 hours.

It is going to be a nightmare working all this out.

I also get very cross that parents who only access NEF funded hours don't utilise all the hours that they are booked in for, some only coming in for one session out of 5 on a frequent basis. If you tackle them they say it is their right to have access to free childcare and tough on us basically. I am thinking of writing a contract for NEF hours only children that they must attend sessions on a regular basis, as they have to school, or loose their place (unless of course of illness etc). Many occasions I have had to employ agency staff at a cost of £115 per day just to cover NEF children who don't even turn up. Again another loss.

If anybody from Birmingham Early Years reads this, please talk to ALL your providers to see how they are going to cope.

Despite returning any questionnaires and census so Birmingham Early Years are informed about my financial status, they still are only paying £3.40 per hour.

I am now very very worried about how we are going to be able to deliver flexible funding.

Forgive if I am wrong or getting the wrong end of the stick regards your post but I work in Worcestershire and if I have a parent who wants 5 sessions a week I fill out my NEF claim form using this info.

If the parent then chooses to only send the child once a week or once a month etc I still get that NEF because she is choosing not to make the most of the sessions!!

I don't get paid from NEF per session the child comes in......... its how many sessions the parent said they wanted.

Shared funding between 2 settings is a different matter.

I just wondered if this is different for you in Birmingham and you only get paid if child attends?

That would be awful to plan finances around!!!

We claim for the sessions the aprent asked for, if they dont turn up we ask why but basically its up to them, We have the same number of staff every day, using me for backup if a staff member is sick, we never use agency, too expensive. I suppose if there was an audit you could be asked why you're claiming for achild who doesnt attend, but if the parent doesnt want them to theres not much we can do except suggest they reduce their hours, unless theres avalid reason.
The last stuff i had says funding is set at £3.41 this term. More info about the 15 hours is to follow.

Do be carefull about children not attending these claimed for sessions. You must provide a register that shows the days the child is off and the reason why.

When we had a NEF audit once, we were questioned as to why a child had had so many days off (we were able to prove why) we were also informed that NEF could claim back the money from us if they chose to, which in turn I would have then had to try and claim back from the parent.

So please do be aware - just because the parent doesn't want them there will not be a suitable response to the NEF team!

like Brenda says, we have to sign an agreement with the LEA which says is children's attendance drops below 80% we will inform the LEA and they may claim back money paid to us. we also have to write to parents telling them their hours will be reduced as it is not fair for them to be booking hours that could be used for another child. I have started doing this since we've been full; I've reduced hours and given them to someone else. Yes, we get the money anyway UNLESS the attendance drops below 80% then we are meant to fill in a change of attendance form and possible be asked for money back. if children came late and/or left early, this was also counted as not attending.

this all came out of an audit.

You must provide a register that shows the days the child is off and the reason why.

No you must provide a register that shows the days a child is attending and times in and out. I have never been asked to record why a child is absent and have never done so- they are marked present or absent. So I think yet again a lot of it is down to what your LA decides.