HappyMaz Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 Well whatever it was I had planned to do today has been put on the back burner - I've just had the details of our Single Funding Formula emailed through and its not looking good! Maz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted October 30, 2009 Author Share Posted October 30, 2009 (edited) Well whatever it was I had planned to do today has been put on the back burner - I've just had the details of our Single Funding Formula emailed through and its not looking good! Maz Oh Maz sorry to hear that............ please let us know what you find out when you have ploughed your way through it. I'm sure we all value your opinions......... Have to confess now - I received a hard copy of ours a week or so ago - haven't read it yet........ Edited October 30, 2009 by sunnyday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Upsy Daisy Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 (edited) Ok I've ingored this for too long. It sounds like a right pain in the proverbial and (fingers crossed) has nothing to do with childminders or at least only those who claim NEF or whatever it is called now. However I can duck the issue no longer and I feel that I need to find out; What is the Single Funding Formula? Edited October 30, 2009 by Upsy Daisy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 What is the Single Funding Formula? You are funny! At present you'll know that children are entitled to 12.5 hours of free nursery education from the term following their third birthday, which has to be taken in five two and a half hour sessions. From September 2010 they will be entitled to 15 hours, to be taken flexibly over a minimum of two days, across no more than two settings. At present we aren't allowed to make any charges in respect of the 12.5 hours - so even if the funding is £3 an hour but our fees are £5 an hour, we have to provide 12.5 hours free of charge. Those of us who are open for three hours a day can charge for the extra half hour, and so therefore can add in the shortfall (ie the £2 per hour) onto that half an hour. So parents pay a much higher hourly rate for that extra half hour. Obviously we won't be able to charge either for the 15 hours, so if the funding being offered by our LA doesn't cover our fees we have no way of recouping our losses. That said, there is a supplement available for quality (level of qualification of leader - and in our Borough the percentage of remaining staff quallified to Level 3), deprivation (according to something called Acorn 4 and 5) and flexibility (ranging from five three hour sessions through to full flexibility ie over two days. I see from our paperwork that there is also some transitional funding for two years to make up some of the shortfall. However I can't really see how that will work at the moment! It will take quite a complicated calculation to decide whether to cut our services back to three hours a day and forget about the flexibility premium, and going for maximum flexibility with the implications on staffing and staff salaries. For someone who is numerically challenged (such as me) it is going to be a logistical nightmare to sort out. I am trying to keep an open mind, but this morning I am a very very pessimistic Early Years Professional. In fact I may cry. But thank you for asking the question Upsy Daisy - it has been a therapy of some sort to type all this out! Maz PS Obviously this is my personal take on the whole Single Funding Formula issue, and I am aware that other settings are already offering the 15 hours, some successfully I understand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Upsy Daisy Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 Thank you Happymaz. I can see why you are tempted to cry! I can also see that you are probably amonst the most able and articulate of providers and I wonder if there are others out there who will not have a hope of working it all out. Their settings will surely be at a serious disadvantage? I can think of one immediately. I think I will avoid accepting this funding as a network childminder (once I'm back in it) because it sounds like far more hassle than it is worth, especially with the reduced hourly rate. I'll have to consider it if a parent really wants it but until then I'll consider myself well out of it. That was very informative - I'm glad I asked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 That was very informative - I'm glad I asked. But I have rather hijacked sunnyday's thread though. Sorry! Maz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted October 30, 2009 Author Share Posted October 30, 2009 But I have rather hijacked sunnyday's thread though. Sorry! Maz No need to apologise! - Particularly not to an imfamous thread hi-jacker like me! I am trying not to do that - honest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted October 30, 2009 Author Share Posted October 30, 2009 I am guilty of 'burying my head in the sand' ref. the SFF - must, must give this whole subject some serious thought and attention - or at least open the envelope! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Upsy Daisy Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 (edited) Sorry too, Sunnyday from the co-hijacker. I can quite understand the head in the sand thing. I would be there right alongside you. Suddenly a job in Asda sounds quite appealing. Shall we go together? Coming Maz? Edited October 30, 2009 by Upsy Daisy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 Well whatever it was I had planned to do today has been put on the back burner - I've just had the details of our Single Funding Formula emailed through and its not looking good! Maz I got mine last week and it's almost impossible to understand so I'm going to have to go to the meeting to get it explained. We haven't got a minus figure in the last column so I'm taking that as a positive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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