Funding Uses And Restrictions

[Rea]

I've just spoken to our accountant who asked if we have anything in writing that tells us of any restrictions on the use of the funding.

I know if the funding is worth more than our fees the excess has to be for the benefit of the children (i.e. not to pay the rent) but our EY dept couldnt help me with a statement on this. Does anyone have one? Or would it be individual councils?

[Alison]

theres a document "code of practice on the provision of free nursery education places for three and four year olds"

 

code of practice

 

at the back of the document theres annex B which talks about pvi settings and funding (about top up fees and children changing settings mid term) I cannt see the statement your looking for but it might be there somewhere in the book

 

if thats any help?

[Panders]

Doesn't each county have its own "Code of Practice"? Which is part of the problem, there is no definitive set of rules.

 

I asked our council yesterday if I could use some of a child's funding hours for lunch club, this is only possible I was told if the child was attending an afternoon session after lunch, and lunch club had to have an educational content and the setting was offering the entitlement on flexible hours rather than sessional - just makes you want to bash your head against a brick wall sometimes. Sorry hijacked your question there a little..... just a medium sized rant.......... take no notice

[Rea]

Thats exactly what I've found too. All the googling shows is individual councils and the code of practice is for councils too. Otherwise the only stuff I can find is directed to parents, telling them what their entitlement is.

I phoned the PLA too and all they could tell me was that funding should benefit the children, including paying rent and staff wages, because without these being paid the children wouldnt benefit. It cant be used for staff trips that dont benefit the children!

Tommorrow I'll phone the charity commission and then make an appointment with the accountant, its always better to speak directly I think.

 

And not for the last time I'm wondering 'what have I signed up to'???

[Inge]

Our LA used to issue a guidance every year which was sent to every setting, and each year the chair had to sign to agree to abide by the rules before we could receive any funding.. this was done at end of every financial year... seems each set own rules .. rent and staffing, training and resources , food trips etc etc were all Ok but not gifts or any being used to subsidise the children not receiving funding. (hence fees same as funding or a costing to show how the amount you charge would be ok to cover all if you did not get funding.)

 

Charity commission have own rules too to do with what you can spend fund raised money on... cannot remember them offhand, perhaps their site has more info..

 

 

Inge