Guest Posted December 24, 2009 Posted December 24, 2009 As far as I can determine the SFF and the 15 hours are separate but obviously related things. Despite our LA being quite behind we are planning to go ahead in April as we have been funding on participation not places for the last few years. We also have an equitable single base rate which we have agreed to stick to. The only area of major debate has been the Quality Premium so we are planning to use the announcement by Dawn Primarola to delay introducing that until we can set up a level playing field for assessing quality across both PVI and maintained settings.
HappyMaz Posted December 24, 2009 Posted December 24, 2009 As far as I can determine the SFF and the 15 hours are separate but obviously related things. Quite. What concerns me is that if the 15 hour entitlement goes ahead (and I wonder if this can be delayed in any case) but the single funding formula is delayed by a year, Local Authorities will not be able to afford to pay PVI settings a higher rate of funding if they are still funding the maintained settings based on the number of places rather than participation. If this is the case, then we'll be expected to offer the flexible entitlement on this year's rate plus an uplift to reflect inflation, which will leave my setting much more worse off financially than it would have been even under the SFF. Oh joy! Maz
HappyMaz Posted January 13, 2010 Posted January 13, 2010 Just noticed a tweet (is that what I mean? ) from Nursery World about the EYSFF. Here's the link to the Every Child Matters web page, but basically the Government is going to tell Local Authorities whether their application to join the expanded EYSFF pilots has been successful by 15th February. So that potentially means it may be the end of February before we find out whether or not our LAs will be operating the EYSFF from September, always assuming we are told as soon as they are. If the blackest scenario is that a group needs to close because the business is no longer sustainable, this doesn't give a lot of time to give notice to parents and enable them to find alternative childcare. I was cross enough when the detail of our EYSFF was announced, but now I'm really concerned whether settings will have enough time to regroup and reorganise themselves for the EYFSS when they thought it had gone away for a year. Has anyone on here been told by their Local Authority what their plans are for April/September? Maz
anju Posted January 15, 2010 Posted January 15, 2010 no, Maz, not been told yet. i agree it will be very short notice
lynned55 Posted January 17, 2010 Posted January 17, 2010 We haven't been told either, well we were given draft plans but that was ages ago before all this came up. I think I may email our LA and ask if they have any further info. If we are not told until end Feb/beg March what is happening then I'm not sure how we are supposed to work out any form of budget?
Guest Posted January 18, 2010 Posted January 18, 2010 We were asked as the PVI network were we in favour of going ahead with the SFF in April to which we have said yes as long as consultation continues. We find out in Feb whether it has been accepted. as I will be slightly better off I am ok with it but things have not been considered- see post below this topic.
HappyMaz Posted February 1, 2010 Posted February 1, 2010 Windsor and Maidenhead have decided not to apply for Pathfinder Status but say they will continue to work with providers to make the necessary changes to their business model to prepare for the implementation of the EYSFF for April next year. Still no mention of what has happened to the 15 hour entitlement though - has anyone heard whether this is going ahead? Surely they can't expect us to deliver 15 hours free on less than the hourly amount proposed under the Single Funding Formula? I've emailed for clarification, so I'll see what happens next! Incidentally our funding is going up by 2.1% to £3.63 an hour. Maz
Cait Posted February 1, 2010 Posted February 1, 2010 WOO! we already have the 15 hour entitlement - I hope they don't take it away, just when I've spent the last term convincing parents that It's there!!
SueJ Posted February 1, 2010 Posted February 1, 2010 Our authority has applied to be a pathfinder so will be waiting to see what happens. As far as the 15 hours in concerned I believe that is going ahead irrespective of the funding method used! If we don't go to the SFF then I am hoping for a bigger increase than the 5p (for the 2.5 hours - not per hour) than we go last year
HappyMaz Posted February 2, 2010 Posted February 2, 2010 WOO! we already have the 15 hour entitlement - I hope they don't take it away, just when I've spent the last term convincing parents that It's there!! Well I'm sure they wouldn't take it away if you're already delivering it Cait. Well not unless they want a riot on their hands, of course! Maz
HappyMaz Posted February 2, 2010 Posted February 2, 2010 If we don't go to the SFF then I am hoping for a bigger increase than the 5p (for the 2.5 hours - not per hour) than we go last year 5p for the whole two and a half hours is an insult frankly - how on earth can they justify that? Having said that, of course if you're being paid £6.50 an hour then that would be another thing entirely! Maz
Guest Posted February 2, 2010 Posted February 2, 2010 As far as I am aware 15 hours has been shelved for another 12 months. Our setting (school) has applied to continue with the 15 hours we shall just have to wait and see. It does seem daft to pilot 15hours this year go back to 12.5 for sept 10- july 11 then back to 15 hrs. Vicky
Cait Posted February 2, 2010 Posted February 2, 2010 Well I'm sure they wouldn't take it away if you're already delivering it Cait. Well not unless they want a riot on their hands, of course! Maz haha - they'd better not! It's just for disadvantaged areas at the moment here, not a full roll-out
HappyMaz Posted February 2, 2010 Posted February 2, 2010 haha - they'd better not! It's just for disadvantaged areas at the moment here, not a full roll-out Ah yes, I remember. That'll probably stay in place then, I'd imagine - its the universal entitlement that is worrying me. Many groups at our consultation evening were saying they couldn't afford to offer the 15 hours free with funding set at a maximum of £4.20 an hour, so how they'd manage on £3.63 an hour is beyond me. However I'm trying not to panic about that too much until I hear from the horse's mouth. Maz PS If there are any horses here who know the definitive answer and are able to share, I'm all agog!
Guest Posted February 2, 2010 Posted February 2, 2010 I'm not in your LA Maz, but as far as I know we are going ahead with the 15 hours and we are going to be a pilot for the second stage of the SFF. I understand everyone's concerns on here and I do sympathise. The reasons I'm more chilled out is it turns out our LA has been funding on participation not places for some years and that we already have one base rate for all types of provision. My setting will lose out slightly by a more equal distribution of the deprivation rate but personally I can't argue against it as I believe the more deprived children should bring in a little extra if this will mean a little more is spent on resources (and I include staff in that) for them. We still have to thrash out the Quality Premium which is infinitely more contenious but we have also decided that a flexibility supplement is unnecessary as we have flexibility across the LA. Sorry I can't comment on the national picture or your LA and I don't like to sound smug because we "seem" to have got it cracked. Hopefully if we are a second stage pilot authority then we will be ablet o provide some advice to other LAs and they will use this to make the SFF as equitable as I feel we have managed. Just got to get it in there too that PVI settings can have INSET days too - must remember that one at the next meeting!
HappyMaz Posted February 2, 2010 Posted February 2, 2010 Holly, I do like to hear of LAs who have cracked it as far as the SFF is concerned - and it sounds as if yours is well ahead of the game. Someone was obviously quite enlightened about the issues surrounding funding, if you've been funded based on participation for some time. Its also good to hear someone who is positive about the EYSFF, so if you do get a chance to be involved in advising other Authorities about how it works for your settings, that would be really beneficial, I'm sure. This is such a difficult issue really, with so many facets to consider. If we assume (in the lack of any concrete information) that the 15 hour entitlement will go ahead in Authorities where they have been successful in working towards the EYSFF deadline but will not go ahead in those where the work is not yet completed, then parents are being disadvantaged merely because their LA has not been sufficiently prepared or have chosen not to apply for pathfinder status. How on earth would an LA justify this position to those families who have been told for the last year or so that the 15 hour entitlement is coming in September? What will happen to those settings who have been providing the 15 hours because their setting is in an area of deprivation - will they continue to offer it or will it be removed? What really bothers me is that at this late stage we are still in the dark about so many issues, and being left in this kind of information vacuum causes anxiety and worry where perhaps there is little or even no need. As the song goes - there are more questions than answers! Maz
Guest Posted February 2, 2010 Posted February 2, 2010 What really bothers me is that at this late stage we are still in the dark about so many issues, and being left in this kind of information vacuum causes anxiety and worry where perhaps there is little or even no need. Unfortunately while my LA seems ahead of the game we always (compared to fellow forum members) seem to be the last to know what our hourly rate will be! Guess it might be a case of swings and roundabouts but if anyone feels their LA is totally on the ball let me know - I'm happy to commute/move On a more serious note it is very worrying that there could be an inequality across authorities especially where children might live close to LA borders. I also know of a number of practitioners who are pretty much burying their heads in the sand over all these issues and banking on a change of government who make wholesale changes in funding arrangements. If they turn out to be right that is another major worry. What happened to us being like the description on the direct.gov website is what I want to know?!
sunnyday Posted February 2, 2010 Posted February 2, 2010 PS If there are any horses here who know the definitive answer and are able to share, I'm all agog! Neigh, Neigh, Neigh no idea what's going on!
fimbo Posted February 7, 2010 Posted February 7, 2010 well, looks like gloucestershire will be rolling out the SFF from April. had the letter on Friday telling us they have applied for pathfinder status (which i assume they will get). we will be told in march what the base rate will be, our impact assesment (if we gain or loose based on the 'old' funding formula), and explanation of the calculations and an indicative annual budget ! so i am holding judgement until then..........
lynned55 Posted February 8, 2010 Posted February 8, 2010 Ours is rolling out SFF from April (assuming they get permission) Any setting that is already doing 15 hours getting the funding from April & those not doing it from September. There are some settings in areas of deprivation already getting the 15 hours funding.
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